Thank you to who? Comics for sponsoring this post and encouraging my child to read biographies in comic book form! Please click here to learn more about the app. And follow who? Comics on Twitter for updates!

My kids love to read.

This makes me so happy.

As a kid I loved to read and as a grown-up (who still likes to read) and a professional writer, watching my kids bury their heads in books and get lost in a good story just makes me feel all warm and cozy.

Jackson loves all kinds of genres and recently has been really into historical figures. He also loves a good comic book and even dabbles in drawing comics. So when I heard about a new app for the ipad called who? Comics that combines them both, I was excited.

After downloading the who? Comics app you have access to 29 stories in the who? Store. Two books, Oprah Winfrey and Bill Gates, are free. The others are $4.99 each.

As you purchase each story, it is stored in the “My Bookshelf” section. You can also purchase sets such as the artists/entertainers set that has six stories on people such as Steven Spielberg and J.K. Rowling in it for just $9.99.

Jackson, who is 10 years old, was so excited to review this app. He started with the Bill Gates book, which has 8 chapters and goes into detail about his life from his boyhood to the creation of Microsoft. Navigating through the book from page to page was easy for him and he LOVED the manga like feel to the illustrations.

“The expressions are funny and help tell the story in an interesting way. It’s also easy to understand. I like comics because the pictures and the expressions of the characters help tell the story and show the action. I never would have thought of making comics about famous people. It’s a neat way to learn,” he said.

When I asked him about what he learned about Bill Gates he said he was a smart kid with a a great memory and a lot of talent in math and science. “Mom, the guy was a genius with computers,” he said. “And he loved to play cards with his grandma when he was young.”

Next he read about Stephen Hawking. He was really interested in his childhood when he was teased for being short and stuttering but still kept a positive outlook and dreamed about exploring the universe. “Mom, this guy really faced a lot of challenges…his entire life. But he accomplished so much.”

How cool is my kid?!!!

And yes, this app is pretty neat, too! Because even after he was done reviewing both stories I found him exploring the site on his own and looking for others to read about. He wants to learn about Charles Darwin next and he hasn’t even finished his homework tonight!

These stories are not short. We spent several evenings reading here and there to finish both stories. And it was fun. I highly recommend this app, especially for kids 8 and up who love comics. I think it makes it an interesting way to learn. When I asked Jackson if he recommended it he said, “absolutely, mom. This app is awesome. I really like it and want to show it to my friend at school.”

Sweet.

If you want to learn more, check out the promotional video on youtube here.

Thank you again to who? Comics for sponsoring my post. Please click here to learn more about the app. Visit who? Comics for updates. I was selected for this opportunity by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own. #CleverWhoComics #spon

While we weren’t really “looking” for a new pet, over the holidays we met a dog who needed a home and things just kinda fell into place.

Meet Buddy!

Buddy is a four-month old miniature dachshund with lots of personality and energy. He loves to sit by my side while I work, sleep in my lap, wear cute sweaters and play with the kids. We are all in love. 

We originally called him Ollie (short for Oliver)  - doesn’t he look kind of British?!

But our love for the movie Elf eventually took over and he became Little Buddy Diapers (Buddy for short). He’s a dog…raised by humans and sticks to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup.

I’m kidding.

I forgot what it’s like to have an infant in the house and Buddy and I have gotten close during our middle of the night outside “pee” and “poop” excursions. We are still working on mastering that. In due time!

Meanwhile he is getting lots of love and hugs and snuggles and praise and we are smitten.

I thought you should know!

But does your list of New Year’s Resolutions also include improving how you look and feel? Mine does.

To make things easier, Camp Gladiator (Voted best camp by Competitor Magazine) is offering their absolute LOWEST promotion for their boot camp right now.

The promotion is good for eight markets including four in Texas (DFW, San Antonio, Austin and Houston) as well as OKC, Los Angeles and Minneapolis).

The deal is $69 (normal price of $169) for a one-month membership in their Boot Camp. For more information, click on the photo above which will take you to their facebook page. Then click “like” for information on how to save more than 50 percent off their boot camp.

Disclosure: I am an affiliate for this program and will receive a small compensation for passing on information to you about this great deal.

photo courtesy of flickr: Sarahnaut

Regardless of whether or not you have a list of resolutions or goals you want to work towards in 2012, the beginning of a new year is a good time to pause….maybe even for just a minute.

• Do you like where your headed professionally or personally?
• Have you tackled things you said you would last year?
• Do you want to make changes?

I made a big change in my professional life by leaving a full-time job and starting my own business several years ago. As a freelance writer I worry about when the next job will come along and sometimes don’t juggle work and home well when everything is done from the same dining room table! But I’m happy to be able to be home for my kids and work for myself.

I’ve noticed that many people have looked for other working arrangements outside of the typical 9 to 5, commute an hour twice a day in rush hour type deal. More and more people are working from home and/or working part time to achieve a work/life balance.

I recently learned about a company that actually specializes in placing people in flexible jobs called Mom Corps. I sat down with Houston-area President, Meera Naehr to find out about what the job front looks like, what’s out there for moms and how her company is different from other staffing firms.

Houston-area Mom Corps President, Meera Naehr

Q: How is your staffing firm unique from others and in what way do you cater to moms?

Mom Corps: We’re different because we specialize in flexible workplace solutions.  For example, if a start-up company needs an amazing marketer but doesn’t have the cash to hire one full-time, Mom Corps can offer them a flexible resource who can work fewer hours but contribute more because of their experience.  We cater to Moms (and Dads!) in that parents often seek flexibility in their work so that they can meet familial obligations.  There are so many talented people out there who want to contribute to the economy and will give it their all if they have some flexibility!

Q: What kinds of jobs do you offer?

Mom Corps: We source professional-level jobs in finance, accounting, HR, general management, IT, and most everything else.  We do get some telecommuting positions — especially for smaller companies that are being economical with their office space.

Q: What are moms who are looking to rejoin the work force looking for right now?

Mom Corps: They want flexibility!  This can mean several things:  some want flexible hours like part-time, job-sharing, or designated ‘offline’ hours; some want flexible locations such as options to telecommute; and some want flexible duration such as working contract assignments in the Fall and Spring.  I also find that many Moms are just looking for more family-friendly companies in which the results of their work will be held in higher regard than their face-time.  They are willing to work full-time but would like to be able to work a few of those from home after the kids go to bed so they can be available for after-school events and family mealtimes.

Moms come looking for jobs for a variety of reasons.  For some, the need is purely financial while some are looking to reclaim the person they were before they had kids.  This is especially true for Moms whose youngest kids have started school.  I also hear from Moms who are currently working but are looking to scale down their hours or commute times.

Q: Can moms make a lot of money…even working part time or from home and if they’ve been out of the workforce for a while?

Mom Corps: It’s important to remember that part-time work usually equals a part-time salary, so the biggest hurdle is getting over the fact that pay will be less in a part-time position than a full-time one.  However, pay doesn’t necessarily have to be less in a flexible position.   Moms can certainly make lots of money working part-time — it just depends on their skillset.  Consultants and accountants working contract assignments on an hourly basis do really well.  People who have been out of the workforce for a while can get jobs and make plenty of money — they just sometimes have to take time to update their skills and mindset for the new job market.  I firmly believe that if you were a valuable employee once, you can be again.   Time off from work doesn’t change your innate abilities.

Q: What are employers looking for right now in employees?

Mom Corps: Honestly, I’m finding that the dip in the economy has resulted in many companies being very specific about their hiring needs.  They have a very specific skillset they are seeking to fill a very specific hole in their organization; they often don’t have the budget to create new less structured roles.  Having said that, I also find that with limited budgets, there is a lot of scope for reduced hours because it makes sense economically.

Q: Are you a mom? How many kids and how do you make it work (working and raising a family and Living Your Dream?)

Mom Corps: Yes!  I have a 5-year old girl and a 3-year old boy.  I have a great partner in my husband, which helps with the juggling act.  At Mom Corps we talk about work-life synthesis, meaning that we figure out a way to bring personal and profeessional endeavors and family together in our lives.  I wouldn’t say I have found a balance, but I’ve definitely found a synthesis.  I absolutely love what I do and what it can mean for the working world, which makes me a happier and better person, wife, and mother.  Specifically, I  make LOTS of lists, keep a family calendar, do much of my shopping on the internet, and plan ahead on meals so that I can be as present as possible for the time that I spend with my family.

So tell me….are you looking for a new job this year? Have you explored options outside of the typical 9 to 5 model? Are you taking a risk and striking out on your own? How do you achieve work/life balance? Are you living your dream?

We went to an afternoon show which ran about an hour long with a short intermission halfway through. My just turned six-year-old daughter and ten year-old son both loved it…but Annie probably enjoyed it the most.

The highlights:

1. We loved that they incorporated a TV/screen component into the show…bringing each character “to life” from the show by having them go down a slide onto the stage. They used video throughout the show to enhance songs and “fight scenes” between Dr. Doffenshmirtz and Perry which were really well done.

2. Squirrels on my pants song. LOVED it! You’ll recognize more than the theme song in this production if you watch the show. My kids sang along to many different songs and we ALL LOVED the squirrel rap by Candace. So funny!

3. Audience participation. They encouraged kids to get involved right from the start before the show when an MC asked audience members trivia questions. Throughout the show we were able to shout out things at different times including our ideas for the gang’s show (adding to Buford’s request that it include Monster Trucks and the Fireside Girls suggestion that there be marshmellows). Those directly in front of the stage (I’m guesssing the most expensive tickets) got to play with beach balls, have confetti thrown on them and several audience members were even selected to come on stage.

We’ve been to productions brought to town by Feld Entertainment before and what I love about this group is that they cater to the family in a couple of ways:

1. You can get tickets for as low as $15.00 (and there’s really not a bad seat in the house),

2. The show is short enough to hold the attention of the youngest members of your family but still funny enough to engage the older ones, and

3. They offer several different showtimes during the day.

If you are going to see this show and trying not to spend a lot of money, wear your Perry t-shirts and forego the $12.0o cotton candy and pricey souvenirs. For a family of four, it’s just a tad more than going to see a movie if you get the least expensive seats.

Because it was Annie’s birthday we sprung for a pennant and t-shirt and if the line were shorter, I would have gotten a photograph taken against a Phineas and Ferb backdrop (I’m a sucker for pictures and they weren’t too pricey – just $15.00).

All-in-all, we had a great time and while the show probably was most appropriate for the four-to-seven age group, there were kids (and adults!) of all ages singing and having fun. It was a great family outing and I encourage you to check it out. Check out the spring tour schedule here as well as more information about the show.

My family and I were invited to attend the Phineas and Ferb Live Show in Houston at no-charge in order to review, but I received no other compensation. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Sorta like “stacks”.

Except less dangerous.

So I’m at work this morning at my dining room table making my through one work related “pile” and I kept glancing back to my Christmas craft stuff “piles”.

I’ve been blessed with a lot of work this month and so happy! But a little bit of me aches when I see my glue gun and mod podge just sitting there without anything to stick together. Unfulfilled.

So I gave myself a mini deadline (write one more sentence then take a break – very attainable) and then put the work pile aside and got on my new apron.

Which made me really excited because How STINKIN’ cute am I in this apron?!!!

Aprons are fabulous when you think about them. They keep you tidy, make you look thinner (hello? two please!) and keep everything you need close by (well – if your apron is super cool with pockets like mine is).

I got my apron at ApronsandSmocks.com. They have all sorts of styles and colors available and they are very inexpensive. You’ll see that they cater a lot to the food industry because (obviously) a lot of people who cook and serve food wear aprons (and they carry caps, shirts and other chef apparel, too) BUT aprons aren’t just for cooking!

Think painting, glueing, gardening, spraying, dabbing, cuting…lots of messy activities.

I’m also totally wearing mine at next year’s community garage sale and I think it will be great for wearing up at school when I work on PTO stuff. And they do carry art smocks – but I love aprons…even when I’m doing art!

The kids aprons are so sweet and only $4.05 each. I’m thinking about getting them for Annie’s next birthday party to wear while we do our project then they can take them home as a party favor. Cute?!

Aprons and Smocks.com does embroidery, too so you can get “Still Living The Dream” sewn on your apron in different colors of threads and in different fonts. I mean, they’ll write other stuff, too – but you should totally get a “Still Living The Dream” one I think.

I mean…it works. No matter what you are doing (cleaning the garage – not fun) or making snowflake garland (fun) you can say, “I’m living the dream!” just with a different tone of voice.

Because sarcasm is needed for the first scenerio.

Unless you like cleaning the garage.

Which is weird but I’m not here to judge.

I can’t believe I’ve gone so long without a “Still Living The Dream” branded pink apron. Wearing it, I’m already happier.

I’m working on some decoration ideas I got from my friend Margie Romney-Aslett. I recently took her Spark Your Christmas class online and its full of all kinds of homemade goodness. Check it out! It’s not too late to get your glue gun on! Just get your cute apron, first Ya’ll!

Music note covered clothespins for attaching tags to gifts.

Glittery foam snowflakes to use as decoration in your home and on presents.

These went to my super-cute and the most wonderful, bestest grandma in the world in New York!

I received an apron to review from Aprons & Smocks.com but no other compensation was received. All opinions and thoughts are my own… and quite frankly – they are sometimes scary! 

Thanks to Duncan Hines for sponsoring my writing. There’s no limit to the baking possibilities, so grab your favorite Duncan Hines mix and Comstock or Wilderness fruit fillings and Bake On! www.duncanhines.com.

Every year in the beginning of December, my friend and neighbor, Judith, has a get together for the gals before life gets crazy during the holidays. Held on a Monday morning, those who participate in her annual Christmas cookie exchange get together to make the “swap” but others are invited to attend for food and fellowship as well.

Although I’ve done it in the past, I didn’t participate in the cookie exchange this year. I’ve been so swamped with work and writing deadlines, I just didn’t think I had the time. And this morning while I sat working at home on my computer and 10:00 a.m. rolled around, I thought I was too busy to get away…even for a couple minutes. And I almost didn’t go.

But Ed loves those chocolate mint surprise cookies that someone almost always makes, so I grabbed my camera and walked down…you know, to get him a cookie.

I’m so glad I did!

I’ve been so isolated with looming deadlines that I forgot what a little time away could do. I caught up and laughed with a good friend I hadn’t talked to in a while (thanks, Phoebe!) and stole several bites of  yummy sweets – you know, for quality control purposes.

It was so good to get together with a group of ladies and just relax. I think every neighborhood needs a Judith, by the way. She’s the kind of person that gets things done and has been instrumental in forming other long lasting groups like the cookie exchange (which has been going strong for 11 years under her leadership!) such as a baby sitting co-op, book club and advent ornament exchange.

Refueled (with several cookies and great conversation!) I got a lot of work done today. It’s amazing what a cup of coffee and a snickerdoodle can do for your productivity! I was just sad that I didn’t make the time to make cookies for the exchange. If I had, there would be 12 dozen different yummy goodies on my counter top when my 3:00 p.m. wall hit!

But I was working so hard I didn’t even look up from my computer until 3:30 p.m. when the kids got home. Then at 4:00 p.m. the door bell rang. Judith had put together a plate of cookies for me! I was overwhelmed by the kindness of the thought.

I have to remember to take time out to get together with good friends when I’m feeling pressured and stressed. And I have to remember to thank those like Judith in my life who make get togethers like this possible.

And I think I’m going to get out the cookie sheets tomorrow and “pay it forward”. I don’t care how busy I am. Maybe someone else needs a snickerdoodle and a smile, too!

Judith with Ann (who started the cookie exchange in 1990!)

Remember to check out Duncan Hines’ website www.duncanhines.com to find some great recipes for your holiday get-together! I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective.

1. Tess Cogbill (she can take that with her to Sea World, lucky girl!)

2. Anna

3. Heather

4. Danielle Meek and

5. Kristin Holt Duncan

Congratulations and enjoy!!!

Every year when we get out the tree and ornaments and begin to deck the halls, sometime after Thanksgiving Day but usually before St. Nick Day on December 5th, we have a tradition. I get an assortment of finger type food and we have an hors d’oeuvre dinner. Sounds fancy? Nope. I’m talking about easy, peasy yummy finger food we love on plates in the living room coffee table where we can grab and go as we decorate (with a Christmas movie playing in the background, of course!).

A couple of staples are:

1. baked potato skins (my favorite)

2. a cheeseball with crackers (Ed’s favorite)

3. frozen pizza cut into small bites (we all love this!)

A couple new things we tried this year. Carmalized onion and cheese puffs (I loved them but no one else did. However, they will be back next year!) And the new Tyson Mini Chicken Sandwhiches.

Tyson chicken nuggets are in my freezer 24/7/365. If we get low on this item, bells and alarms start sounding because my kids are crazy for their chicken nuggets and they are a fast lunch, snack or dinner option when things get hectic in our household. And they do get hectic!

Now we have another #TysonGoodness favorite. Knowing I was going to be reviewing the mini sandwiches (and almost certain the kids were going to love them) I bought them at Walmart and tucked them in the freezer for our annual tree decorating event.

That night I went to get them out and HELLO…all but one of the packages were gone! Guess who already tried them out? My husband! He had been taking the microwavable packages (each with 2 mini sandwiches in them) to work during the week and having them as a breakfast or snack and LOVES them!

So with Mickey Mouses Christmas playing on the TV and the artificial tree halfway assembled…I cooked the last two mini sandwhiches for Jack and Annie. After giving dad a hard time, the kids dove in and loved them!

Since then we’ve had them as after school snacks and weekend lunches because they are so easy to prepare (just pop em in the microwave in their package for about a minute on each side). I’ve been told by the kids and Ed that they have a place on the “staples” grocery list next to the regular Tyson nuggets.

A GREAT Deal on Tyson Mini Chicken Sandwiches!

Still Living The Dream readers, you know I loves me a good deal and love it even more when I can pass one on to you! Currently if you buy two Tyson Mini Chicken Sandwiches at a participating Walmart, you’ll receive a $5.00 Walmart Gift Card!

Hello good deal, nice to meet you!

My freezer will be well stocked now! Just be sure to checkwww.Tysongoodness.com to find out where to go because they aren’t available at all Walmart stores. Click here for more information about the promotion which ends on 1/13/12.

So tell me, what’s one of your holiday traditions? Do you cook something special for the occasion?

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Mom Spark Media. All opinions shared are my own.