This is a recipe I can get behind.  It is easy.  It is delicious. And even more amazing?  I’m actually consuming a vegetable I have sworn to hate: mushrooms.

How is this happening you ask?  I have the good chefs at the Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City to thank.

A few weeks ago…. while eating dinner in their main restaurant on site: The Camp Critter Bar & Grille, my husband fell in love with the vegetables the served as a side dish.  So in love, he asked how they prepared them.  (Yes, I took this as a hint.)

The beauty of the preparation is in its simplicity.  Fresh Mushrooms.  Fresh onion.  Fresh garlic.  All sauteed gently in butter. Lightly salted and peppered.  When all are cooking nicely together… add frozen green beans. YES. Frozen green beans.  Continue to saute until all are soft and reading for the taking.

Enjoy.

(I’m telling you…. I even ate the MUSHROOMS and so did my small people… though they prefer the green beans!)  And that picture above?  That’s me acting like a professional at home.  My brother would be proud, I tell you. 

Any simple veggie recipes you want to share?

Related posts:

1. I Believe: ‘Be Yourself’ Should Be The Motto My Kids Live Sweet.  Sassy. Spunky.  Smart.  Silly. Funny.  Fabulous.  Fantastic. Fickle. Going...
2. I Believe In: Letting Your Kids Try. I think a lot about my small people: Who they...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

My husband hopes to pass on his love of all-things-sports: baseball specifically. Me?  I want to raise readers.

I think a love of reading is a gift.  It is a journey, an adventure, a full-life expansion of your imagination.

And friends, the joy I felt as first my small girl began to read words aloud – slowly forming sentences….the comprehension dawning on her face like morning sunshine? There is no comparison.  And now, my small dude is experiencing the very same thing.

We read to them.  They read to us.  We read together.

And it is divine.

Is it not?

My small girl is now devouring a few chapter books each week.  She comes home from school with stories about BOOKS.  She asks to ‘stay up for just a few more minutes to read’.  I am raising a READER.  This is good.

I believe reading to your child and with your child is a gift…. a gift of emotion, of self, of love and of future experience.  You are setting them up to learn, to grow and believe in something bigger than themselves.

What a treasure!

Do you have a favorite book to read with your small people?  When mine were itty-bitty, I loved, “Goodnight, Moon”, but “The Velveteen Rabbit”  will always be my favorite.

Related posts:

1. If I could only teach my children one thing….. Seven years ago I was starting to waddle.  Within another...
2. And the Greatest of these is Love: A gift of heart and community We called it a drop. But it was really more...
3. Fighting Child Hunger: Through The Eyes of Children at Marian Middle School It is easy to give when you have a lot....

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

But it isn’t that easy…

Many people are standing on the sidelines of social media, unsure of how to jump into the conversation and contribute their thoughts. There is uncertainty about how one can form bonds with people they have never met “face to face.”

Are you one of many asking the question, “how?”

That is why we are here and you can know one thing for sure… You are in the right place! We have teamed up with Ricki Lake, one of the most engaged celebrities on social media, to share 5 tips for connecting with people in an instant on social media.

Watch this video to hear Ricki Lake’s #1 Tip for Connecting on Social Media

2. Be Respectful.

Leave judgment at the door and respect that other people on social media have beliefs and opinions that are their own. This is what makes them unique! Just as in offline relationships, if you want to make friends, you have to be one first. If you want people to respect you, start by being respectful of them.

3. Be Inspiring.

People like social media for many reasons. Many will share that they feel uplifted and empowered to live their best life by connecting with inspiring and positive people. If you want to make a lot of friends on social media, be inspiring. Be encouraging. Be a friend.

4. Be Generous.

The more you offer to help others in life, the more “likeable” you will be. When on social media you can help others by supporting their work. Take the time to mention people, and give them positive feedback. When you re-tweet or share the content of others they feel good and are more likely to appreciate and connect with you. Remember, “it’s not about me, it’s about we”.

5. Find a Fun Community!

Following a hashtag community on Twitter or joining a group or community on Facebook is a great way to connect with people who are like you and who are usually looking for the same type of connection you are looking for. Twitter and Facebook are the largest gathering of individuals on the planet. Communities are simply small groups within. Think of communities on social media as you would small break-out sessions at a very, very large conference. The name on the door is the community. Pick the door that tells you that you share common interests with those on the other side. Then, open the door, step inside and say hello via a tweet or a post on the Facebook wall. You will be surprised that many are waiting for… you!

If you are looking for a community that is based on friendship and connection, please join Ricki Lake and the Friends of Ricki for a very special announcement and a first hand look at social media connection on Ustream at http://ustream.tv/rickilake and using Twitter hashtag #FriendsofRicki at 5pm PST this Wednesday, February 1. We look forward to seeing you and connecting with you there!

Do you have any ideas or questions about making connections on social media? Please leave your thoughts in the comments and let’s discuss.

Related posts:

1. P&G Media Event: “Have You Tried This Yet?” Hosted by Celebrity Stylist Irma Martinez I grew up with P&G.  When my mom used to...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

It may be hard to believe based on the sneaky little smile on my small dude’s face…. but this little guy actually stayed home from school today.  It was a headache.  Yes, just a headache.  Normally, I might have dismissed it, but the first words out of his little mouth when I woke him for school were, “Oh, Mommy…. my head hurts so badly!”  So, I knew he didn’t have time to form a fib.  And he held his head the entire time he was getting ready for school.

Did I mention headaches make me nervous?  So, home and snuggles for the small dude.  Oh…. and a FOUR HOUR nap in the middle of the day.  At the very least, he must have been behind in sleep, yes?

So…. he missed his 99th day of school, but he will be present and accounted for on his 100th day.  And he will have his 100 Day Project in hand.  We debated: Cheerios?  (Nah… everyone will do that) Peanuts? (No can do: allergies) Marshmallows? (Big sister did it last year) Collect baseball cards? (Not edgy enough – they’d just be in a stack because good heavens, Smith boys don’t put tape on them!)

We finally – thanks to Delaney’s brilliant thinking, settled on making the small dude’s name out of 100 chocolate chips.

Now…. we could have done his full name: Cooper… if we wanted to use a) a bigger piece of paper or b) make his name smaller.  Coop wasn’t having any of it.  He counted the chips, chose the paper and put his name on it.  I negotiated a little help with the glue because I didn’t want chocolate chips glued to my kitchen table.

I’m fun, but not THAT fun.

Are you doing any 100 Day Projects?  I would love to see them – and I know my small people would too.  Share the links in comments!

Related posts:

1. I Support My Child’s School My Way Just as I imagined I would be married by 21...
2. Fighting Child Hunger: Through The Eyes of Children at Marian Middle School It is easy to give when you have a lot....
3. Wordless Wednesday – Favorite School, Favorite Small People My small people have now started school.  Two weeks ago,...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Admirable, truly.  But not always the easiest resolution to keep.  Let’s face it…budgeting is hard and making massive changes to a static budget (meaning your family income isn’t changing) is more than a little bit of a challenge.

So… you start with the basics:

• 1) You write it all down.  All of it.  Yes, that coffee from Starbucks too.  You don’t know what to trim until you know what you are spending.
• 2) Determine how much you would like to save.  Write this down too.
• 3) Start to pay with cash only.  If you don’t have it in hand, you can’t buy it. Set aside money each week for groceries, gas, eating out, etc.  Once you have used those funds… you’re done for the week.
• 4) Make Money. (What?)  Yes…. Make extra cash to add to what you can spend and save each week.

How do you do that?  I have just the suggestion for you – and the inspiration to get you started.

EBay.

But before you start to think I can’t….filling your head with excuses, know this: You Can.  And that money is already right at your finger tips.  It is in your home.  eBay has newly created the Selling Inspiration House to walk you through your home, room by room, pointing out not only items you CAN sell, but items that are currently selling well on the site.

You choose the room.

eBay highlights the best options in that room. Take your bedroom closet for example: shoes, vintage Levis, handbags, dresses and outerwear are all things you could list.

And even better… wondering what the going rate for those items might be? Stick with the Selling Inspiration House.  You’ll find those answers there too.

It is so much easier to get started than ever before.  EBay is taking all of the guesswork out of the process.  And don’t forget, you can always take a look at  the basic tips for begin­ners.

Good luck with that budget…. (and with that selling!)  Can’t wait to hear what you make!

Disclosure: I am a member of the eBay Parent Panel and am working closely with eBay, however, all opinions and experiences shared are mine alone.

Related posts:

1. Make Money On eBay with ‘Money Maker’, Tristen O’Brien I get it.  You might think eBay is too…. (fill...
2. What’s Holding You Back on eBay? I have stuff.  Some might call it clutter (ehem… my...
3. The Beauty of Giving Even After The Holidays They are at this perfect age, my small people.  The...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.