We finally got a chance to visit Mia Cucina on the Northshore of Chattanooga. This was a school field trip with a group of preschoolers and it was perfect for their age. The kiddos got a chance to make their own pizza from scratch and decorate a huge cake to take home.

Here are some pics:

Cover your hands in flour FIRST

Spread out your dough

Flatten into your pie pan

Yes, flour will be everywhere including your face

Voila!

Spread your homemade icing…and try not to tear the cake

“Can I just eat it straight off the spoon?”

Decorate with chocolate kisses, nuts and sprinkles

We learned a lot there and the store also has “to die for” kitchen accessories to turn your kitchen into the ultimate kitchen.

Check them out!

Image from Oprah.com

I had not watched ANY of Oprah’s Life Class until my friend and fellow blogger, Nanette, told me that it was a must see. She especially touted Bishop T.D. Jakes for his words about “living on purpose”.

I watched one episode with Bishop Jakes and I must say, he has a word for you and your life. Being a Christian, I am all about improving our lives to the fullest based on the Word of God and he is all about it.

Bishop Jakes speaks with conviction and assurance that your life can be full if you center it around fulfilling your purpose instead of being self-serving. I believe that we all know that to be true on a superficial level, but are we really living it.

Bishop Jakes said one thing that stuck with me (although he says many great things on the tour) and that was “if you want to be great or successful, you have to hang with people who are great and successful”. Like attracts like! I believe that to be true.

Also, Iyanla Vanzant makes a great point to tell us not to define ourselves by any title that may be self-defeating (i.e. widow, inmate, fool, alcoholic, etc.). Although these things may be fact, that does not define where you are heading from this point on. We have to make up in our mind to change our story and make something positive out of our story. Everyone has a story.

Deepak Chopra said something that I know to be true as a pharmacist…..”if you harbor anger, sadness, and grief, those things can manifest as physical ailments in our bodies”. Those emotions must be experienced and then released in order for us to move forward in life.

And last, but not least, Tony Robbins just tells you like it is. “If you feel like you are a failure and not accomplishing anything in life, it is probably because you are a failure” says Tony. Winners don’t sit around and talk about all of their failures. They keep moving and making things happen.

I encourage everyone to watch at least one of the Life Classes on OWN on your local cable station. It is well worth it.

]]> http://wifemotherfirstlady.com/2012/05/oprahs-life-class-have-you-been-watching/feed/ 0 http://wifemotherfirstlady.com/2012/05/maternity-leave-benefits-out-of-this-world/ http://wifemotherfirstlady.com/2012/05/maternity-leave-benefits-out-of-this-world/#comments Wed, 09 May 2012 08:46:23 +0000 Kathy Sykes http://wifemotherfirstlady.com/?p=6156

2007

Have you read about the Australian Company, IAG, who is now offering “out of this world” maternity leave benefits to there employees?!

It goes something like this:

1. 14 weeks paid time off for giving birth or adoption

2. Six weeks “welcome back bonus” which is DOUBLE PAY for the first six weeks back to work

3. On top of this, the Australian government gives new parents up to 18 weeks minimum wage or a $5,400 “Baby Bonus” which ever is greater.

Why are they doing this?

“This initiative came out of discussions that we had with our people — and specifically women — on the difficulties and pressures that they faced upon returning to the workforce,” Wilkins told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “We think this welcome back payment is a good first step in helping them to address a number of those pressures.”

More than half of IAG’s 10,000 employees are women, the International Business Times reported, and 500 to 600 IAG employees go on maternity leave each year. The company’s goal is to have one third of all senior management positions filled by women by 2015, Wilkins said, adding that he thinks the welcome back bonus “will help us achieve that, by really ensuring we are an employer of choice for mothers and families.”

WOW….a country that takes pride in women leadership!!!! What a concept!

Read full article here.

Last weekend, I took my son and niece to the Chattanooga Kidz Expo featuring Victoria Justice from Nickelodeon. This was the first Expo put on by the Chattanooga Times Free Press and although it was good, it left a few things to be desired. I will talk about that later, but first let’s see some pictures.

Yes, my son got a chance to dance on the main stage in front of 1,000 screaming kids and he was not ashamed. You would have thought he was Justin Bieber.

Just a couple of recommendations for the Chattanooga Times Free Press if they decide to host another Expo:

1. Love the concept of having first 100 people have an opportunity to take pictures with the celebrity BUT if you can give them a number or special ticket instead of having them wait in line for 3-4 hours (which means that they practically miss enjoying all of the other activities), would be a better idea. If they have a ticket, then people can start lining up in order about an hour before the photo session.

2. This year they waited until an hour or two before the main act came on stage to tell everyone that they could not “hold seats” for people or family members. By doing so, this meant that families who got there when the doors opened in order to get prime seats, lost their seats to people who just showed up. It was not fair. If this was going to be the case and it was not told to anyone ahead of time, they should have given the folks who already had their seats “saved” at least a 15min warning before opening it up for anyone to take. Next year, tell people at the door that this is your policy. There were almost a few physical fights.

An oldie but a goodie!

Every year, our family cannot wait to get to the beach or the pool during the summer. My son loves the water and being outdoors. Above is a picture of our recent trip to the beach in Galveston, Texas. The one thing that I stress to him is the importance of wearing sunscreen. Even though he has dark skin, he is still at risk for getting a sunburn.

This week I have the opportunity to try out a line of sun care products called Beyond Coastal. This line of products is new to me and is coming in handy now that we have just put up my son’s pool in the backyard. I was sent a sample of their product to review which includes:

1. Natural Sunscreen for Kids SPF 30+

2. Active Face Stick Sunscreen SPF 30

3. Active Sunscreen SPF 30+—clear and moisturizing

4. Natural Clear Sunscreen SPF 30+

5. Citrus Grove Lip Balm SPF 15

Here is what my son and I thought about the products:

We tried the natural sunscreen for kids before getting in the inflatable pool in the backyard. This one is not clear and goes on with a white coating. I usually don’t like the fact that when my son gets out of the water, you can “see” the sunscreen dripping down his body. Beyond Coastal does make a clean and clear product, but we didn’t try that one. The smell is mild and not overwhelming.

My son said that it felt smooth when I was applying it.

We also tried the sunscreen face stick and it was a winner for my son who doesn’t like anything put on his face. And the smell is great.

You can never have enough sunscreen for the summer!

I am also hosting a giveaway for a prize pack of Beyond Coastal products. The pack contains product that is the perfect size for traveling on vacation with or just to throw in your tote for a day at the park.

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post answering this question: What is your family’s favorite fun in the sun activity?  One entry per person please.

Contest begins today through May 17th at 2359. A winner will be picked using random number generator and contacted via email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email or another entry will be chosen.

Good luck!