Moms

JB told me months ago about how he was in his tree stand near the cabin and the sound seemed to fill his body from the inside out. At first I thought I was having a stroke, he said, shaking his head. I couldn’t imagine such a thing until we were out in that same area yesterday and the noise grew from the pine-scented air around us, escalating in intensity until you felt it like the heartbeat of the forest. It did seem oddly internal, the bass from a concert, somehow both foreign and intimate. My brain skittered around trying to associate it with something familiar: a helicopter coming in for a landing, a mallet striking a drum, a rubber ball losing energy as its bounces become shorter and faster. Like this, but deeper, louder, everywhere. We never saw it, because the woods are thick with a million green secrets. That was AWESOME, the kids shouted. I worriedly imagine freaky heartbeat-monsters descending from above to devour us in ravenous gulps; they tumble through the endless blackberry-choked paths and press eager fingers into muddy animal prints. They dive comfortably into the mystery of the trees, fearless and happy and curious about it all. All & Sundry

This PBS Nova Video review was made possible by a product provided for review. This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions are mine and mine alone. For as long as I can remember, the gray wolf has been my very favorite wild animal. There is just something about this gorgeous animal that touches my heart.  While we don’t have wolves in Vermont, during the summer, when our windows are open, I can listen to the coyotes howl in the fields across from our house.   Their howls always remind me of the way wolves howl at the moon. Wolves have been howling at the moon for thousands of years. Image provided by sponsor PBS Nova Video Cold Warriors Wolves And Buffalo PBS Nova Video has a DVD titled Cold Warrior Wolves and Buffalo  that will give you an up close look at the relationship between wolves and buffalo. In most places in the world, the wolves and buffalo don’t live like they did thousands of years ago.  Our wilderness has been replace with cities and even our rural areas are more populated than ever before. One place that has managed to maintain the same relationship between wolves and buffalo is the northern edge of the continent’s central plains – Wood Buffalo National Park. Cold Warriors Wolves and Buffalo (see it on Amazon) originally aired on PBS on February 13, 2013 as part of the Nature programming (season 31). Filmmaker, Jeff Turner, travels to Canada’s largest park that was established in 1922 to protect what was left of the free roaming buffalo herds. Turner follows (by helicopter) a wolf pack during the winter as they find prey to hunt in order to survive the winter. Typically, a pack needs to kill one buffalo a week in order to survive. This film is shot during several seasons and follows the wolves and buffalo through their normal daily lives including both birth and death. The photography in PBS Nova Video Cold Warriors Wolves And Buffalo is truly amazing.  Both the landscape and the wolves and buffalo are presented in the most amazing photos.  This film is a fascinating look at the relationship between the two animals.  You also get a wonderful insight into the social habits and behavior of the wolves and how they interact in the pack.  If you enjoy nature films, this is definitely one I recommend. The post PBS Nova Video Cold Warriors Wolves And Buffalo appeared first on Confessions of an Overworked Mom.

Jennifer here to tell you about a brand new product I discovered — Egg Crystals. Hang on ladies, because you will not believe this review! We were compensated for writing this post and also sent samples of the product to try, however all of our opinions remain our own. I am not a breakfast girl at all. I think the reason for that is because my husband wants a full course breakfast — eggs, bacon, toast, potatoes — you name it and he wants it. For me, that just takes way too much time, time which I do not have in the mornings. Then, we were recently introduced to Egg Crystals and I can honestly say my mornings just got a little easier. What are Egg Crystals? Egg Crystals are dehydrated eggs that actually tastes just like fresh eggs. And since they focus on the fundamental processing technology itself, this company does not add chemicals, preservatives or any other additives to their products. The eggs they produce are pure and 100% natural! The concept behind Egg Crystals is just like sun dried tomatoes or dried fruits. A fresh product is used and dehydrated. With the eggs, it leaves behind little crystals, which is how the company got their name — Egg Crystals. So my question was — could these eggs really taste that good? I mean, c’mon — they’re powdered eggs. How good could they really taste? I will be the first one to tell you that I was extremely skeptical — until I took my first bite. All through the mixing process, the cooking in the microwave, I had my doubts. When the eggs came out of the microwave and my husband and I tried them, we were both floored at the delicious flavors coming from our plate. Seriously — Egg Crystals are SO good. What flavors are available? Right now, there are two yummy flavors available — Sea salt and black pepper, and sausage and herbs. My favorite? The sausage and herbs. These eggs taste great in a burrito, or just as a quick breakfast in the morning. In 75 seconds you can have fluffy scrambled eggs that have flavor and taste. Simply mix, cook, and eat! The cartons have four servings in each box. Each box runs $4.99. Which flavor would you choose? Enter to win 20 readers are going to get their chance to win both flavors of the Egg Crystals listed above. Use the Rafflecopter form to enter this giveaway. New to Rafflecopter? Watch this 45-second video on how to enter! a Rafflecopter giveaway Which flavor do you think would be your favorite to try?

Disclosure: This entertainment roundup post may contain affiliate links. Check out the latest in this entertainment roundup and decide what you’re planning on watching this weekend! Get a sitter for the kids and head out for a little bit of fun. Make sure to mark your calendar for upcoming releases! Entertainment Roundup Image provided by sponsor Join Mickey, Minnie, Pluto and all their pals in the newest Clubhouse crusade. When the legendary Crystal Mickey goes missing, Mickey and friends go on an adventure to save the Clubhouse from losing its magic. Grab your hat, buckle your seatbelt, and get ready to embark on a thrilling adventure in “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: The Quest for the Crystal Mickey!”  Arrives on DVD – May 21, 2013 Image provided by sponsor At MONSTERS UNIVERSITY, it takes a lot to fuel a day of scaring and nothing scares up successful days more than a breakfast with milk. A glass of milk – with 8 grams of high-quality protein in each 8 oz serving – can help power your monster days!   Connect with the Milk Mustache community for tips, tools and activities including tasty morning recipes for all the little “monsters” in your family.  Facebook: MilkMustache  MONSTERS UNIVERSITY releases in theaters on June 21st! Image provided by sponsor This newest PBS KIDS series, produced by The Fred Rogers Company and created by Billy Aronson (one of the original creators of Broadway’s “Rent”) and Jennifer Oxley (“Wonder Pets”), introduces the adorable, spirited Peg, voiced by newcomer 9-year-old Hayley Faith, and her sidekick Cat, inspired by Oxley’s own pet cat. Peg and Cat travel to farms, purple planets, Radio City Music Hall, even 16th-century Verona, all to solve the challenge of the day and prove that math is everywhere.  PEG + CAT will launch with a special one-hour broadcast of two episodes Monday, October 7. Image provided by sponsor In celebration of Shout! Factory’s release of MONSUNO: POWER on DVD May 21st. Image provided by sponsor THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE begins as Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark.  Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a “Victor’s Tour” of the districts.  Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is still very much in control as President Snow prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games (The Quarter Quell) – a competition that could change Panem forever.  Lionsgate will release THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE on November 22, 2013. Image provided by sponsor From above the world of “Cars” comes “Disney’s Planes,” an action-packed 3D animated comedy adventure featuring Dusty (voice of Dane Cook), a plane with dreams of competing as a high-flying air racer. But Dusty’s not exactly built for racing—and he happens to be afraid of heights. So he turns to a seasoned naval aviator who helps Dusty qualify to take on the defending champ of the race circuit. Dusty’s courage is put to the ultimate test as he aims to reach heights he never dreamed possible, giving a spellbound world the inspiration to soar. “Disney’s Planes” takes off in theaters on Aug. 9, 2013. Image provided by sponsor ABC invites audiences to to enjoy the magic, drama, music, and heart-stopping TV on DVD and BLU-RAY this Fall!!  Check out the following seasons available this August/September: “Once Upon a Time: The Complete Second Season” “Scandal: The Complete Second Season” “Nashville: The Complete First Season” “Grey’s Anatomy: The Complete Ninth Season” Disclosure: This entertainment roundup post may contain affiliate links. The post Entertainment Roundup appeared first on Confessions of an Overworked Mom.

Each month we will ask a new eco-maven 18 questions about his or her life, occupation and advice for other like-minded people. This month we were able to sit down with stand-up comedian and cast member of the new MTV show GirlCode, Esther Ku, who brings a little humor to the green lifestyle. 1.     What is your name? My name is Esther Ku. 2 .     What is your occupation? I am a stand-up comedian and currently a cast member on the new MTV series, GirlCode 3.      Do you have a “green” memory growing up? Yeah I do. I remember when I was a kid, I would always teach my siblings and parents how to compact our trash. And before I threw something out, I would always try to squish it down to as small as possible. 4.      What’s your favorite meal? My favorite meal is a hot Korean tofu soup called Soondaboo. But it’s not green; It’s red. 5.      Who/What inspires you to be more “green” in your life?  Well there’s a lot of people who inspire me to be green but the most notable ones would probably be Al and Tom Green. 6.      Where on the “green scale” do you fall? I’m like a five on the green scale cause I always yell at people when they’re not being green like close the fridge! Turn the faucet off when you brush your teeth! Don’t flush unless it’s a poo! 7.      What are the most rewarding and most challenging parts of your job? The most rewarding part would be hearing instantaneous laughter from a crowd. If we can figure out how to convert that energy into electricity, we could build a green comedy club! The most challenging part of my job is traveling so much and being away from my kids… oh wait. I don’t have kids. 8.      Where’s your “greenspot”: food, bodycare/beauty, oceans, home or neighborhood, explain I know I have a G Spot but I don’t have a green spot. Is that what it stands for?? 9.       Where do you turn for your news? Twitter because it’s the most up to date news you can get. 10.    What is one environmental change you vow to make in the next year? Stop flushing my farts down the toilet and just let them dissipate. 11.    If you could trade places with one person from any time in history (past or present) for one day—who would it be and why? I would be just be me again when I was eight and keep a daily journal. 12.    You have a meeting with the leader of every country in the world. You have 30 seconds to tell them anything you want. Go! Let’s all stop fighting and save the planet! 13.    You have the chance to send one tweet to all the tweeps in the world. Let’s hear it in 140 characters, or less! Download my laugh ringtone on your iPhone for $.99 by searching “Ku Laugh” on your itunes app! 14.    If there was one industry/product that you could make more eco-friendly, what would it be? A laptop that never ran out of battery! 15.    Where in the world would you most like to be right now? Ice-skating in Greenland! 16.   What is the best book you have read recently? Green Eggs and Ham. 17.    What makes you cringe? Uncut toenails. 18.   What do you want your legacy to be? Even if you were born yellow, you can still be green!

As some of you may know I am married to who used to be (no insult meant to him at all) one of the top movie web site webmasters out there.   Corona’s Coming Attractions was there before even the word ‘blog’ existed.   To say that the online media world for film has changed since that site started would be a serious understatement. While my husband has been seeing the changes for a long time and their effects on movie news reporting, I think this really hit when I saw the link to Today’s Parent magazine’s review of Star Trek: Into Darkness today.  While I am glad to see that the non movie nerd world is recognizing the variety of film genres out there that appeal to child and adult alike and while yes, the movie is only rated PG (parental guidance), I am still a bit boggled to see this review at all in a parenting magazine. Iron Man is the perfect example of the now mainstreaming of what used to be ‘those movies’ for those people.    Sci fi, action and fantasy movies have always made big dollars at the box office, but the core fans were always those em NOT reading Today’s Parent.  Until we all had kids that is…..and that is a HUGE part of it is it not?  All the comic nerds and geeks are having families of their own and are happily sharing their love of the genre with their children. With Disney being the corporation over Marvel Film, super heroes are no long for the comic geeks.   Now we can see Iron Man’s costumes at Disneyland, and MOM bloggers get red carpet premier invites.  With barely a movie webmaster to be seen.   I saw more buzz from the mom blogger communty for Iron Man than the comic and movie sites combined. My husband does get tickets for pre-screenings of films in town but I have noticed that more and more it is bloggers and those ever present MOM bloggers who are getting the invites to the screenings probably with a lot more ease than the core movie webmasters are nowadays.   Bizarrely I am not on the mom blogger radar for film promotion apart from kids stuff which is weird when you know me. My biggest concern is for those not familiar with sci fi, comics,  and so on, is that there seems to be an assumption that these films are fine for kids and the shock when they are not.    Hence why I boggle at reviews like the Today’s Parent one with its emphasis on the violence in Star Trek.   The judgemental person inside me wants to ask what sort of rock are you hiding under that you would not KNOW there would be violence in an action/sci fi film.   Or that indeed that it is for kids. Is that harsh of me? It is strange. I have grown up loving sci fi and fantasy.  I love the genres and love my comics and the too many books we have stuffed in our house  My husband and I met because we both loved the same movies.  We attended comic conventions like the massive San Diego Comic Con before it was the movie con for non geeks to see the stars live that it is now.  That WAS something different, but now…..now it is just part of the mainstream world of entertainment.    I don’t quite know how I feel about ‘fitting in’ so well now to the norm.  :) The Mom Influence now knows no boundaries.   We are legion. The post The Death of Movie Sites appeared first on crunchycarpets.com.

It SUCKS…..but totally in a good way I may have cried a little when I was FINALLY asked by a vacuum company to review their product.  The name Crunchy Carpets does not come lightly here.  The amount of dog and car hair that is shed by 3 cats and 2 dogs is awe inspiring.  We break vacuums in this house.  They shrivel up and die when faced with not only the animal hair but the detritus of 5 humans, 3 of them small and prone to dropping a LOT of stuff.    The Lego and other weird bits of toys cannot be easily avoided and a vacuum needs to be tough to survive the gauntlet. We broke down and invested in a Dyson upright  and it has so far survived a lot longer than the previous victims.  Thus I was very keen to get to try the new WindTunnel Air Bagless from Hoover. It is a good deal smaller and lighter than the Dyson, so for invulnerability and storage it gets a thumbs up. This thing SUCKS- like you can feel it pulling at the carpet sucks.  It is a very powerful machine for something so small.  This enables a deep down clean beyond the surface dust and hair.   You can see how much it is finding when you go to empty the container. My daughter and I have been suffering from various mystery allergies lately, so having a machine with a good Hepa filter like this one, has been easing the effects of dust and pollen and so on.  But my favourite feature is the HUGE 8 foot stair hose that attached to the handle gives you 12 feet of sucking power for stair and cobwebby ceilings.  The hose attaches near the bottom of the machine, making it very flexible depending on what you are trying to clean. Tara spilled a container of cheerios down between the two couches in a corner and the flexible hose had no problem finding them.  The Dyson hose extends from the top of the machine and so anything other than up HIGH causes a bend in the hose that blocks the sucking power.  Nothing to worry about with the Hoover. I have been having a great time (this is like CHRISTMAS for me) comparing my vacuum with the Hoover WindTunnel.  It has been great seeing what it can do better.   And you can too!  Hoover has kindly provided a WindTunnel for me to giveaway to a lucky reader. All you need to do is visit the Hoover WindTunnel website and tell me in the comments what feature you are most interested in.   I will draw a lucky winner on June 3rd. (Canadian readers only) Disclosure: As part of my affiliation with this brand I received  product to review. The opinions on this blog are my own. The post Hoover WindTunnel Air Review & Giveaway appeared first on crunchycarpets.com.

Drink and Click™ is simple: We meet at a venue to have a drink (alcohol not required), talk about Photography, laugh and have fun together. Then we move to another venue, take pictures in between… and repeat until the night is over! We have photography challenges every month with prizes ranging from Camera gear to local area business gift cards. Join us! See specific venues for this weekend below. Friday, May 17th Santa Barbara Does Live Music at Whiskey Richards http://goo.gl/7YanE Saturday, May 18th Fort Collins Hits CrankNStein and Old Town http://goo.gl/lRIUb Providence Gets It Rolling at Fat Bellies Bar & Grill http://goo.gl/43yZc NYC Shoots the 72nd / Broadway Subway! http://goo.gl/pBiI5 Columbus Heads To Old Mohawk and Schiller Park http://goo.gl/HIZS5 May Challenge is Leading Lines. See Details Here: http://goo.gl/ExFzX Thanks to our great prize sponsors: Trey Ratcliff‘s Stuck In Customs, Think Tank Photo, & Gary Fong Flash Diffusers We have International Chapters, too! Is there a Drink and Click™ in your area? www.drinkandclick.com Have questions? drinkandclick@gmail.com We have a monthly On Air Show! Subscribe to Drink and Click™ on YouTube:http://www.youtube.com/user/DrinkandClick Join the Drink and Click™ Community: http://goo.gl/R7hTZ #drinkandclick   #photowalk

I am a guest on this podcast. Donna Schwartz Mills and Cynematic of Momocrats host.  Since it’s audio this the kind of thing you listen to while you walk or clean up the piles in your house.  Oh, maybe that’s just me. … Continue reading →The post Mama chat : LA Mayors race appeared first on Cool Mom - Funny videos on parenting and pop culture.

Let me preface this post (and this should be a standard disclaimer to every blog post I do) by saying that I know I am odd. Unusual. Strange. Not normal. My friends and family tell me this all the time and I have to agree with them. I am not normal. I am odd. I fully embrace this and I am at peace with my oddness.  Having said all of that, let me reiterate: I hate parties. I hate going to parties and I especially hate having (hosting) my own parties.  Hosting your own party is the most self-defeating experience one could ever have. Why on earth would you want to celebrate a special occasion by punishing yourself?  Because having to be hostess to hordes of people, spending a fortune on the comfort of others and having worrying about whether they are having fun / have enough to eat and drink / mingling well etc is certainly not my idea of fun, and I fail to see how it could be enjoyable to anyone else.  A messy house and an empty wallet sound like absolutely horrible gifts. What a terrible idea.  Please don't get me that for my birthday.  Having to be hostess to my own party is my idea of absolute hell. I have always known that I hated my own parties for the reason mentioned above, but I realized recently that not only do I hate my own parties, I actually hate going to other people's parties too.  Staying up late (hate that), drinking too much (ok, no one is forcing me to do that but I have to do what I can to survive the evening), making small talk, wearing make up, dressing up - how can any of that be better than a night at home drinking decent wine, eating food I like and wearing comfy, warm clothes??  At least when I am at home I don't need to be all sneaky about checking my emails and FB.   I know that people will say this makes me terribly boring (sorry for you), but I am certainly not bored. I love my home! I love being at home! I am extremely grateful that I have a very small social circle (I wonder why....) because it means there are less opportunities (dangers) of being invited out to parties. I pity my friends who are invited out Every Single Weekend! I get exhausted just thinking about it.   Can one be an anti-social extrovert? Because that is what I am. An an extrovert who prefers to stay home and not interact with people too often. However, because I know that it is important to other people (Marko. My family. My friends. Normal people.) I do make an effort not only to attend the occasional party, but also to do my best to enjoy it. Or at least present an air of enjoyment. And do my best not to be the first person to leave every time. (Maybe ever second time only.)  It is not that I don't want to see my friends or family, they are welcome to come visit anytime (for an hour and a half. Home time no later than 5:30*), it is just that I would prefer to socialize in small, digestible chunks.  My ideal party would be for an hour and a half, with wine, between 3-5:30'ish. Preferably not more than 20 kms away.  With (decent) wine. Obviously. (Because a party without wine is just untenable). And no dressing up. And the kids must be invited too. I will sit on a picnic blanket chatting to my BFF and drink wine while my husband watches the children. Now THAT is the kind of party I could enjoy. And then when the hour and a half is finished, I will put away my wine, pack up my picnic basket, collect my husband and kids and be home in time for my normal routine of bath/supper/bed.   So much more sensible, don't you think? *My friends and family have now got used to the idea that when I issue an invite to a gathering at my house there is always an arrival time and a going home time. An idea that I know a lot of of my other anti-social friends wish they were brave enough to do. I think its a great idea.  Arrive at 2:30, leave by 5:30.  That way everyone knows when to leave and we don't have any of those awkward moments where people want to stay longer but I am busy tidying up around them and telling them to lock up when th