Busy, hectic Moms and Dads … I have a secret for you.

Don’t you love it … the schools supply a list of “School Supply Items and type, “These items are strongly recommended so your child will have all the tools necessary for him/her to have an enriching, fulfilling year.”

What I’d like to know is why aren’t the schools supplying all these items?

With all the money we pay for private schools, and taxes we ALL pay which go to fund public schools, why are parents having to buy these items?

Anyway, school starts soon and I will NOT wait till the last minute. In fact, we’re going on vacation soon and I want all 3 back packs lined up with ALL the supplies inside each kids back pack PRIOR to us leaving on vacation.

So my little secret … it’s POURING outside, and I’ve accomplished ALL my back to school shopping. No more lines, no more pushing, no screaming kids begging you for this, that and the other. No more not being able to find EXACTLY what is required on your school’s back to school supply list.

A few clicks of a button … and I’m finished. Click below at Staples for all your back-to-school supplies. I did and trust me … it was simple. And best of all, FREE SHIPPING right to your door if you spend $50.00 or more (and trust me, with the school's long list .. it will be no problem qualifying for FREE SHIPPING!

Item 502879 Staples® Wide Ruled Filler Paper, 8"x10.5"
Item 201384 Staples® Composition Notebook, Wide Ruled
Item 639653 Staples® Colored Composition Notebook, Blue
Item 639654 Staples® Colored Composition Notebook, Green
Item 639656 Staples® Colored Composition Notebook, Red
Item 125443 Sharpie® Extra Fine Point Permanent Markers, Black, Dozen
Item 368219 OIC Clear Glue Stick, Large, 1.3 oz.
Item 502245 Dixon Dry-Erase Markers, Chisel Tip, Assorted, 4/Pack
Item 520106 2" Economy Round-Ring View Binder, White
Item 382242 BIC® Ultra Round Stic Grip™ Ballpoint Pens, Medium Point, Blue, Dozen
Item 475715 Crayola® Colored Pencils, 24/Box
Item 164632 Staples® 12" Acrylic Ruler
Item 211318 Post-it® 3" x 3" Recycled Pastel Flat Notes
Item 482778 Staples® Mini Magnetic Stapler
Item 112276 Staples® Standard Staples

Posted by Melody at 02:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It’s 5:23 pm and I’m just pulling into my girlfriend’s driveway to pick up my daughter after a play date. She and her husband just returned from Banff and Lake Louise (in Canada) and I’m dying to hear about their trip. I live vicariously through all my friends who get to travel around the world. So, I invite them over to our house for dinner at 7:00. But, I promised my kids I’d go swimming.

Nothing is prepared nor purchased specially for this impromptu dinner party that I am about to embark upon. The ONLY thing in my favor is that I had previously defrosted a lot of chicken yesterday.

We drive home and quickly I get my bathing suit on, clean the pool (apparently some big frog gave babies in the pool and we have, what appears to be, millions of tadpoles swimming in our pool --- yech!) The kids all freak out and I remind them all that when they just went swimming in a lake at camp … there were lots of creatures worse than this that they swam with.

Anyway, back to my dinner party … I decide if I can throw the chicken in the oven WHILE I’m swimming, I’ll figure out what else to make while swimming laps.

Baked Chicken:
1 large package boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4 large breasts)
1 family size package of skinless drumsticks (about 8)

Spray large rectangular glass Pyrex dish with cooking spray and place all chicken inside

Mix:
1 large can diced petite cut tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano
1 package Lipton Onion soup mix (dry)
Pour mixture entirely over chicken, seal tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for about 1 hour.

Jump in pool and swim 12 laps, dunk 3 kids, scoop out some more tadpoles and threaten the kids that if they don’t behave, they will have frog legs for dinner.

Back to dinner … I open my relatively bare refrigerator to find that the only vegetable left in my house was 1 head of cauliflower, some lettuce and baby carrots. The only fruit was 2 cartons of fresh blueberries. Simultaneously, I start to prepare:
1. An easy rice pilaf
2. Garlic and Rosemary Cauliflower
3. Salad
4. Blueberry parfait

Rice Pilaf:
2 large onions – chopped
¼ cup olive oil
2 cups raw white rice
1 can beef bouillon

Begin sautéing onions till translucent.

Salad:
As onions are cooking …wash and chop lettuce in pretty bowl, scatter baby carrots on top. Done. I plan on using store bought salad dressing because I won’t have time to make from scratch.

Garlic and Rosemary Cauliflower:
As onions continue to cook, wash and chop entire head of cauliflower and peel 4 whole garlic cloves. Mince garlic and place in very large sauté pan with about ¼ cup olive oil on low heat.
Add about 1 tablespoon-dried rosemary to the oil and garlic - stir. THEN add the cauliflower and loosely cover pan. Stir occasionally. Add about 4 tablespoons of water occasionally to help steam cauliflower and prevent too much sticking.

Back to rice … stir in 2 cups raw rice and coat with oil, sauté rice with onions about 3 minutes. THEN measure entire can of bullion with additional water until you have 4 cups liquid. Pour into rice, bring to boil, cover and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. I don’t add any extra salt because the bullion had salt inside.

Stir cauliflower, then begin to set table. Placemats, linen napkins with whimsical napkin rings, and nice water goblets. Never had time to buy flowers so there is no centerpiece (I think my friend will understand).

Back to stove, stir cauliflower and rice. Begin dessert,

Blueberry Parfait:
Take about 3 cups frozen Cool Whip, pour in about ¾ cup Frangelica or Kailua (I prefer Frangelica) and mix until smooth. Fill 4 beautiful glass parfait cups with washed blueberries, spoon liquor mixture equally on top of blueberries and place in refrigerator.

Open a nice Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon and you’re ready to eat. Enjoy!

Posted by Melody at 06:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

“I wish I could have stayed away for 8 weeks, instead of only 4.”

These were the crushing words that I heard from my daughter as she disembarked from the plane, having just returned from sleep away camp.

I’m devastated, hurt, saddened … as the rude awakening strikes. My daughter liked camp more than being at home with Mom.

OK, so I can’t compete with the “Blob” (an enormous air filled floating device that kids jump off of into the lake), or “sloppy night” (when kids attack counselors with shaving cream), or “the Toilet Bowl” aptly named at a water park.

Yes, I’m happy my daughter had the time of her life, yes; I’m happy she met friends and came home safe and sound.

Yet, most of all … I’m dreading that we only have a few years left until she goes off to college – and then she’ll be out-of-the-house forever!

I think I need a tall glass of Merlot.

Posted by Melody at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Baseball, Hotdogs, Apple Pie and Chevrolet

The almost NEVER heard phrase “Proud to BUY American”

Well, after the last 30 years of Japanese pushing products down American’s throats (from Japanese made cars, stereos, TV’s, and even the famous Kobe Beef) … I was THRILLED to read about rancher Jose Antonio Elias Calles of HeartBrand Beef.

Finally, American’s can enjoy 100% AMERICAN Kobe beef.

How? Simple … a loophole in the system back in 1994 when Calle and his group acquired ONLY 11 authentic, 100% Japanese cattle and had them flown in from Japan. A trade loophole resulted in the legal export of the animals from Japan.

The result … after meticulously rearing the animals for 12 long years before a single hamburger could be sold, and very selectively and carefully breeding the tiny herd, the HeartBrand Beef company now has over 5,000 purebred Akaushi cattle being raised in Texas!

Kobe beef is famous for it’s exquisite taste, derived from marbled fat, which gives the meat its tenderness and rich flavor. It also commands a staggering price … a 12-ouce rib eye goes for $45.00.

I personally have had Kobe beef. It’s mouth-watering, scrumptious, and for those very special occasions … well worth the splurge. Think of it as a bottle of fine wine or champagne – a true necessity for a special evening.

For the same reasons that my husband and I refuse to buy a German or Japanese made car, nor will we buy French wines, we seek out AMERICAN MADE PRODUCTS when possible.

Now, with AMERICAN MADE AUTHENTIC KOBE BEEF … start your grills.

Below are some related beef catalogs:

Lobel's of New York

NaturALL Steaks

Fairbury Steaks

Omaha Steaks

Five Herds Trading Company

Jack Stack BBQ

New Braunfells Smoke House

Burgers Smoke House

Posted by Melody at 08:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

My oldest daughter will be starting a new school and is she up in arms! “I can’t believe I have to wear a stupid school uniform!”

So many kids feel this way but I, for one, am one very happy parent. Many will challenge my statement and debate me till they’re blue in the face.

Many will claim, “It stifles a child’s creativity and self-expression.” I say Bull @$&%.

What school uniforms do for busy Mom’s are:

1. It avoids having your teenager spend 1 hour trying on 5 different outfits in the morning.

2. It avoids competition among peers as to who can buy the most expensive, hottest designer jeans.

3. It eliminates any embarrassing fashion foe paws for kids who truly have no taste on how to dress.

4. It prevents the horrific “show of crack” when boys wear their pants below their waste with ugly underwear hanging out.

5. It provides a safety net so kids are not sucked into escalators when their 4-inch too long jeans as they get caught in the tracks.

School is starting in exactly 6 ½ weeks and I have 3 kids at different schools – and they ALL have different required school uniforms. A few simple clicks and I’ve accomplished ALL my school uniform purchases (and I will NEVER need to stand in long shopping lines.)

Top School Uniform Vendors:

I just researched 7 companies for school polo shirts. Out of 7, ONLY Land’s End offered 100% Cotton, everything else is 60% cotton 40% polyester. Now, Land’s End was double the price, so you need to decide if you want quality versus savings.

Lands End

JC Penny

All Seasons Uniforms

Omega Uniforms

Buckhead School Uniforms

The Childrens Wear Outlet

Cookies Kids

Posted by Melody at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

It used to be that I could buy all 3 of my kid’s clothes, shoes and school supplies at Target. One stop and I’m done. Fast forward to teenage years …

“Mom, I wouldn’t be caught dead in those shoes.”

“Mom, I have to have at least 3 pairs of shoes for school.”

“Mom, that is so totally un-cool.”

I gave up and sent my oldest daughter shopping with her friend and her friend’s mother. She came home with a pair of Vans. I’ve never heard of them, but apparently they are one of the HOTTEST sneakers for cool teenagers. It wasn’t so bad, and it didn’t break my bank. They rang in at $39.99 at the mall. Now, as I'm researching the shoes, I find them online at Harry's Shoes for $28.99, and to top it off -- we represent the company selling the shoes!

Posted by Melody at 10:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)