Culinary Fight Club!

I don't often get excited for blogging events anymore, but when an invite to the Culinary Fight Club at Navy Pier came my way, I could NOT resist. My eldest kid just so happens to be a foodie-wannabe-chef, so this Monday the two of us will be living it up at The Billy Goat Tavern, watching as 3 local chefs battle it out to see who can create the most amazing, perfect bite of food.

AND WE GET TO SAMPLE IT, TOO!

Honestly, I would have been happy enough with just the sampling of creative foods; but knowing that 20% of all Culinary Fight Club Chicago Event proceeds benefit feeding the hungry through the non-profit - Fight2Feed, well that just seals the deal on making this event a Must Not Miss for me. 

Interested? Tickets are still available! 


~ This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are my own.~

Find New Roads

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Chevrolet's sponsorship of Listen To Your Mother, but opinions are my own.

One of the best parts of living in the Chicagoland area is our proximity to so many other cities and destinations. I'm telling you, I spent 1 week on the island of Kauai and by the 7th day I was all "Ok. I've seen it all here! I've driven every road (literally) and am already starting to feel trapped."

ON KAUAI. Can you believe it? I felt trapped in paradise.

I am obviously a person who needs the wide open spaces of the Midwest and the ability to just DRIVE without hitting a natural barrier every 25 minutes.

On Sunday, my "platonic lobster" and co-producer for the Chicago Listen To Your Mother Show, Melisa Wells, and I took to the road in a Chevy Volt. We were headed to the Milwaukee #LTYM show in support of our fellow producers and also to have a fantastic time promoting the Chevrolet campaign, #FindNewRoads.

 We decided to take that as a reason to visit The Cheese Castle in Kenosha because, obviously, CHEESE.

Gosh, we're cute. AmIright? We need to carry wind machines with us 24/7. And also, cheese.

I love that Melisa felt the need to cautiously inform me that it's a castle that SELLS cheese, not a castle MADE OF cheese. I laughed at the time, but now I'm wondering if she felt the need to tell me that because she actually believed that I MIGHT ACTUALLY THINK it was made of cheese?

Fully loaded up on cheese and "trail mix"*, we be-bopped our way to Milwaukee's venue and had a great time just hanging out with the many friends we knew there.

Me, Kari Wagner Hoban, Melisa Wells, Jennifer Evers, Shannon Duffy, Ann Imig

It doesn't get much better than laughing hysterically while you re-create a BETTER "Oscar Selfie," does it?

The Milwaukee show was so excellent! It was fun to just experience the show without the behind-the-scenes influence that being a producer carries. We laughed; we cried. We nodded and said "Me too."

Getting cozy in the Volt with Melisa and LTYM founder, Ann Imig. This one picture required 43 attempts with instructions on how to hold the camera at the best angle and not make it appear as though one person's head was 5 times larger than the rest.

 This was the best result. 

I'm still laughing.

Melisa, Tracey, Alexandra, Ann Imig, Jennifer

Man, I was having a blast! Melisa and I cruised over to the after-show party which was totally chill and cozy at a local bar and grill. We made sure to eat plenty of cheesy foods (because DUH, WisCONsin!) while we got to know the cast and reconnected with fellow producers from Milwaukee, Alexandra Rosas and Jennifer Pody Gaskell. I was so grateful for the opportunity to just get out and away from the craziness of homeschooling 2 kids and the final days of preparation for the Chicago show. Laughing with friends, driving the open road, eating cheese, and truly feeling the connection to this massive entity that is Listen To Your Mother... It overwhelms me. 

Still, after all of that driving and laughing and listening to mothers and laughing and cheese-eating, I realized, as I pulled into my driveway that night, exhausted but elated, that no path or road or adventure is ever as wonderful as the path that leads me back home. Yes, I love to Find New Roads, but only one road leads me back to these faces:

That truly is the best road of all.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Chevrolet as part of their sponsorship of the Listen To Your Mother Show 2014 season. Learn more about their sponsorship at the Listen To Your Mother Show website.

*Melisa learned how to make "trail mix" from her mother in law. It is the best trail mix in the world as it contains every type of delicious chocolate, dried fruit, chocolate, nuts, chocolate and pretzels in the world. She also throws a little extra chocolate in there, just to be sure that you never run out of the chocolate. I believe that I groaned "OH MY GOD" in sheer joy 487 times on that car ride...

Because Girls CAN Do Anything Boys Can Do

*Disclaimer-This is a compensated post to promote DiscoverE.org, a website dedicated to introducing students, parents, and educators to engineering, engaging them in hands-on engineering experiences and making science and math relevant.*

There has been a growing concentration of media attention in regards to girls and their exposure to engineering, especially at an early age. As a mother of 2 sons and a daughter (my youngest), my home has an abundance of engineering/problem solving toys and activities. That said, I stepped back recently and evaluated what "we" owned and what "she" owned - I was a little disgusted with myself in that most of Corinne's mechanical and engineering exposure exists as hand-me-downs from her brothers. Aside from a few lego sets and building blocks, all of the really "cool" stuff was once owned by a BOY.

There is nothing wrong with hand-me-downs! I know this; you know this. Second-hand toys are a staple of life and I could not exist without them. What does this say to my daughter, though? Have I unknowingly assisted the world in perpetuating the idea that women are not equipped to handle the fields of engineering?

Enough!  Enough of that. My girl is brilliant and creative and loves to build everything from elaborate blanket forts to a "zip line" in the backyard. She has just as much talent and interest in the processes of building and problem-solving as her brothers do and should always be exposed to as many hands-on activities as they are!

When I was contacted to promote DiscoverE.org , I jumped at the chance. not only because I needed a kick in the pants to be MORE "Hands on" with my children's engineering exposure, but also because I homeschool and the DiscoverE site and Facebook page has fantastic resources for engineering activities and videos. In fact, I just spent half an hour with my daughter on some of the links their site provided. We built a parachute that could withstand the rigors of a Mars entry but would also fit into the minimal volume of the canister that is provided on the spacecraft. We assigned work projects to scientists of different abilities and discussed what the words "computer, supercomputer, and grid" meant. We had fun playing games that are designed for KIDS and she learned, once again, that she is capable and smart; she is able to be anything she puts her mind to.

Some people hear the word "engineer" and think of about 2 stereotypes: a guy in coveralls, driving a train, and a mechanical-type figure of eras gone past. But engineering is more than that! If includes career choices from nearly any field imaginable: medicine, law, manufacturing, and agriculture. Engineering is required to build not only bridges and buildings but also infrastructures that help to feed and clothe the world. If there are problems that need to be solved, engineering comes into play!

As a homeschooling family, bringing science and math into our "everyday" is more than just a supplement to their education: it IS their education! The projects available through DiscoverE encourage our daughters and sons to consider all of the options that exist in this hugely diverse world. One of the most intriguing ideas I have found out about through DiscoverE is the FutureCity.org competition. In fact, I am researching if our homeschooling co-op is able to register for the 2015 competition! I think our middle school kids would really pull together and create something unique.

For more information on encouraging your daughter in the fields of engineering, join in on Twitter for a #GirlDay2014 #STEMchat on February 19 at 9 PM Eastern in honor of Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day

Taking Charge of Your Finances

One of the perks of my lengthy social media obsession is the amazing people that I find myself surrounded by. Who would have thought that I would ever have friends as dedicated and self-motivated as the women behind ChicagonistaLIVE? If you've never heard of ChicagonistaLIVE, it's an interactive talk-show hosted by 4 of Chicago's most influential social media superwomen. They cover a range of topics that are centered around the events and activities in Chicago, without being Chicago-exclusive. Does that make sense? If not, their website would explain it better than I probably am.

I DIGRESS.

They have a pretty exciting new series entitled "GPS to Your True Wealth." Hosted by a financial expert, Dan Wachs of the Atrium Wealth Advisors, these six short videos will direct you towards the small changes you can make to change the direction of your finances (as in, more security!). I've watched the first video (they're free) and it's only about 3 minutes of very logical statements and suggestions which had me nodding my head and saying "Duh. I need to do this."




You can also find a free downloadable worksheet on the ChicagonistaLIVE website after every video that works alongside his suggestions. I've gone through the first video and worksheet and honestly, it's not anything that will take more than a few minutes of your time to gather your materials and just organize what you have to work with. The next segment, which airs on October 8, will then walk us through setting goals which will then lead into the third segment (airing Nov. 12), focusing on finding good guides to feel secure in our choices. The remaining 3 segments will follow in the months to come.

I know, I know: Not glamorous or thrilling stuff. Personally, just talking about finances causes me to break out into a light sweat (and I don't DO SWEAT). But I have been feeling the pull to have more security under our feet. After the past 5 years, I know that most of America is feeling the same way, so consider giving these free sessions a chance.

I hope they help you!


*Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by ChicagonistaLIVE but all opinions are my own.

Help Make This a Hunger Free Summer

*This compensated post is brought to you by ConAgra Foods and The Motherhood, but all words and opinions are my own.

Just Another U.S. map, right?

Except that this map is color coded to display the levels of our population who are currently food insecure. What does "food insecure" mean? Being Food Insecure is pretty straight-forward. It means that you do NOT know that there will be food in your belly tomorrow night, or maybe even tonight. In a country so abundant in food production to the point that approximately 40% is thrown into the trash every year, how is it possible that so many people are in such great need of nutrition?

Perhaps the hardest statistic to digest is this: 1 out of 6 children in the US fall into the food insecure category. ONE OUT OF SIX children in this country, a country which is literally OVERFLOWING with food, go to bed hungry every night.

You may be wondering, "How is this possible? Don't we have programs to combat this hunger? Doesn't anybody care enough to fight this?"

People care! Programs exist! They exist, but one of the difficulties for those who are in need is connecting with the assistance that is available. In the school year, for instance, over 20 million children receive free lunches at school through government assistance programs, but only approximately 2 million children continue to participate in summertime food programs. The need does not suddenly disappear from June-August. Families still struggle to obtain ample, nutritious sustenance; but lack of education about resources and/or affordable transportation results in an enormous discrepancy of assistance being received.

ConAgra Foods Foundation is in its 4th year of a 5 year pledge to help eliminate summertime child hunger. This summer, 29 food banks in 20 states will receive Hunger Free Summer grants, ranging from $20,000 to $50,000, to benefit programs that strive to take the extra step in helping the neediest of our citizens through extensive outreach.

What can you do to help today? The simplest thing of all is to click on this YouTube video, narrated by Chris O'Donnell and watch it all the way to the end. For every completed view, ConAgra will donate the monetary equivalent* of one meal to Feeding America.

 

And NOW that you've watched it, you have the ability to take it one step further by sharing this video across your social media sites! Again, every completed view = 1 meal for a very hungry child. When was the last time you were able to feed a hungry child by watching a YouTube video?

*Monetary equivalent of one meal is approximately $.13

Any facts not attributed or linked otherwise can be found on the ConAgra Foods Foundation Website or Feeding America website.

Whirlpool for the Holidays

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, eh? This is where I should be posting a photo of my beautiful Whirlpool fridge to talk to you about it for my monthly sponsored post. But you will NOT be seeing a picture of my fridge because, although it's beautiful, it's a MESS! I have been so busy with the holiday season and all of this peace on Earth and goodwill that I have been even more lax in my housework duties and, well... it's a DISASTER.

The kids have spilled chocolate syrup and maraschino cherry juice on the shelving. The freezer is full of popsicle wrappers and empty waffle boxes because no one in this house seems to be able to turn around and throw their trash into the garbage can that is DIRECTLY BESIDE THE FRIDGE. The ice tray and water dispenser is actually good. I could post a picture of THAT, because it's all clean and pretty from within the massive amount of paperwork for Christmas outings and karate tests that is magnetized to the freezer door.

So maybe not that, either.

Thankfully, I am reviewing the refrigerator to talk about how it is working out for our family; not because I am a fabulous housekeeper.

So, let's talk!

We have had the Whirlpool side by side refrigerator for 7 months now (ever since our old fridge sputtered and died during a heat wave around Memorial Day...) and I truly have only nice things to say about it. The options for changing temperature, filters, and other settings are absolutely simple to understand. I say this as a person who has been blogging for over 6 years and still can't truly figure out the whole "stumbleupon/tumblr" stuff. (BTW, if you can help me with that stuff? I'd love you forever!). If I can figure out how to update the  settings and change the filters on a refrigerator, then anyone can.

The water always tastes fresh and clean and that little dinging alarm for when the door is left open has saved my butt more times than I care to admit!

I'm not in the market for any other major appliances right now, but Whirlpool has proven to me that it is a good quality company and I am willing to stand behind that statement should anyone have any questions about them. So... Any questions?


*Disclaimer: I will be reviewing this Whirlpool refrigerator for the next year. Though these posts will be sponsored, all opinions and words will be my own.

Moving Forward with Coca-Cola's Balanced Living

I was compensated for my participation in Coca-Cola's Balanced Living Workshop, but my thoughts and views are my own.

Like most women my age ~cough~36~cough~ I struggle with my body image and shape. I am aware I am close to the same number on the scale that I was when I got married (give or take about 7 pounds). And I am aware that after 3 kids and 15 years of marriage, I should count myself lucky to be able to honestly say that.


But the number on the scale doesn’t accurately depict my health. My health isn’t just the number of pounds I weigh; it’s the condition of my heart, the strength of my arms, the size of my jeans and the energy I have at 9 pm. All of those areas could use a tremendous amount of work.

I own this. I own the lack of exercise and healthy activities I partake in. I own that the quality of the food I eat and serve to my family isn’t always beneficial to our health.

I could easily blame our finances or our family’s busy schedule, but truly it all comes down to the fact that my husband and I haven’t made health and wellness our #1 priority. Though we keep it in the back of our minds and provide healthy food and exercise when it’s convenient for our schedules, we aren’t known for being able to maintain it for any length of time.

I desperately want to change this! This past summer found me counting calories and minutes of walking and listing every single detail I participated in to try and find a way to burn more than I ingested. I lifted and sweated. I said “no” to the cake and ice cream and gulped down water with lemon instead. I felt justified when the scale went down 2 or 3 pounds and mortified when it went back UP those same 2 or 3, even though I hadn’t cheated or slacked off …

Can you guess the result of all of that stressful counting and consciousness of my food? I lost the same 5 or 6 pounds I always seem to lose/regain in the span of a monthly cycle! I lost and gained and lost and gained and never saw a true change for months! It was exhausting to constantly obsess over every single bite that went into my mouth and what I could and couldn’t eat. I was a righteous bitch, to be honest.

So I quit.

As many of us do when diet and exercise isn’t easy, I gave it up almost completely instead of simply modifying my schedule and routine to better fit my lifestyle and personality. I have continued “watching what I eat” in the essence that I am watching it as it goes into my mouth. I am exercising in the essence that I occasionally remember to stretch and do 30 minutes of mild aerobics or strength building. Basically, just enough to make me angry that once again, I’ve let myself quit a lifestyle change.

I am so sick of my lack of dedication to something that is so obviously pivotal in the length and quality of my family’s life! When I received the proposal to join the Coca-Cola Balanced Living Workshop in Chicago this December, I was immediately on board.

I have a very positive feeling about this workshop. One of the most exciting activities I will participate in is a personal consultation to discuss my issues, needs and hopes for the future. I have hopes that someone will understand that I cannot sustain a chart or count calories or anything similar to that and STILL maintain a happy, peaceful outlook on life. I have hopes that a personal and honest discussion with a professional nutritionist will allow me to devise a new plan for our family that isn’t regimented or rigid. Maybe this is the chance that will allow us to change without feeling like failures every time we stray from the intended path …

Because we will stray. Many times. Life isn’t a straight and simple course from start to finish. Life isn’t about reaching a goal and “finishing”. Life is about accepting our mistakes, learning from them, and moving forward without regrets.

Here’s to moving forward towards better health!