The Thanksgiving cross country adventure was a success! We arrived to our destination and back safely, we were all in good spirits and the entire family had a wonderful time. After all the preparation, packing, traveling, visiting with family and getting back into the routine of everyday life, I have had time to reflect and give thanks for two great Motherhood moments with each of my young children.
The first event was in the lavatory of a Boeing 727. My daughter needed to go to the bathroom on the second leg of our trip so we crawled out of our seats, waited in line for just a bit and squeezed into the cramped space. We carefully laid out the paper on the seat and shifted our bodies so she could get ready to go. She asked that I hold her up so she didn't fall in. As I crouched in front of her and held her under her arms, our cheeks met and I slowly felt her smile creep across her entire face. My daughter has incredibly big cheeks so it was easy to feel that smile from beginning to end. Her skin felt so smooth and at that moment I realized it had been ages since we were cheek to cheek. Sure, I have kissed her often on her cheek and hugged her close, but our cheeks seemed to miss each other in our showers of affection. I had a flashback of her as a 6 month old where we would be cheek to cheek often and I would hear her sweet coos as she would drift to sleep. I vowed to incorporate more cheek affection in the future. This peaceful mile high moment required no words and left an imprint of complete bliss on my heart. I can't wait to go to the bathroom again on our Christmas trip!
The second event did not have such a unique venue but was equally special to me. My son's daycare teacher told me that during his nap another teacher put a warmer blanket on him and he fell asleep right away. Perhaps we could bring him a warmer blanket for his naps. AHHHH - I hate being cold so I had complete empathy for my son who was trying to rest comfortably. I immediately went home, grabbed a down blanket throw and drove it back to school. I put the blanket in my son's designated spot before I approached him at school. I just kissed him and said that I brought him a warmer blanket for his nap. His face lit up and I got a great big hug. It was the conversation at home that evening that warmed my heart. When my son got home that day, he saw me in the living room and I could see in his face he remembered the blanket delivery at school. He smiled at me and said, "You brought me a warmer blanket at school today." I asked him if he was warmer during his nap. He smiled and responded like before by saying, "You brought me a warmer blanket at school today." "Yes, and were you warmer during your nap?" He now is beaming and repeats his sentence. At that moment I realize that yes, his nap was warmer but not because of the blanket. My simple act of coming back to school just for him, and only him, left such an impression on him that I know his nap was full of excitement and content since the blanket he was wrapped in was a special delivery from mom.
There are daily Motherhood Moments that fill our hearts and thrill our children. Taking the time to recognize these beautiful times in the actual moment is the ultimate challenge for any mother. I am thankful to have had two of these moments to help keep me creating and recognizing more.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
The Business Travler's Guide To Free Toddler Treats
I average about one trip a month for my job and explaining these "work trips" to my two toddlers is not fun. Three days of preparation is my standard protocol and since this has always been a way of life for them, it isn't too shocking for them every month. What is fun is searching out toddler treats within the comfort of business hotels and not paying for these small delights.
Yes, I take the hotel amenities and toiletries offered to guests on a regular basis. Cheap is probably what you are thinking, but I have two defenses for these actions. First, when I am on the road for work, I have less time to myself then most people think. If it is a convention there are several other co-works traveling where every meal is planned and attendance is mandatory. After working a trade show or convention all day long, you have about 30 minutes to check email and return phone calls before you are expected to meet for dinner. This does not allow much time for shopping and certainly no energy when you finally return to your hotel room at 9:30 pm and are expected to meet for breakfast early the next morning. Second, I don't want to spoil my children with expensive airport trinkets, which they will lose interest in very quickly. I am taking advantage of my children's toddler ages and know that simple hotel gifts will go just as far, if not farther then an overpriced souvenir.
The Gifts
My regular arsenal of work trip gifts include paper, and lots of it. The kids are very into projects that require tree loads of pulp. Drawing, folding, crumpling, pasting, taping - you get the idea. I grab the traditional pad of paper on the nightstand and desks but I also grab the stationery set which includes envelopes. My daughter loves envelopes and it is amazing the joy in her eyes when she is given a simple envelope. Hiltons provide a nice stack of square sheets of papers for notes that the kids turn into games handing them out like tickets and Westins provide post-it-notes with colorful graphics in each page. Pulling these post-it-notes off provides instant gratification for my son even though it does not last long. I also grab pens since I never have any at home when I need it and again, the kids love experimenting with pens.
The Jackpot of Gifts
The best trip for toddler treats was my trade show in Las Vegas, NV. I literally hit the jackpot for gifts since we stayed at the plush Wynn Resort and Casino. The best item was the loofah sponge I snagged for each child. This item has given them hours of fun in the bath and certainly something different than the traditional paper I usually bring home. Of course I did bring home paper from this trip which was a very high end card stock and much more colorful then the white stationery from other trips. Another fun item was the shoe polish container. It was a silver round tin where I took out the shoe polish components. The kids flipped over this since they love to put coins and small items in it, shake it around and then distribute the contents to all the family members.
Other Venues for Gifts
I don't always ransack my hotel room for freebies for my kids. Sometimes I pick up stuff from the airplane or even the airport parking shuttle. There was a great article in one of the airline magazines featuring a photographer with three spreads of his animal pictures. These pages delighted the kids to see fun animals and to be able to write on them and "enhance" the pictures. I also snagged some free airport booties on the Park N Fly shuttle bus. My kids love to put on my slippers and shoes at home, so they enjoyed getting their own adult sized slippers for fun.
The Presentation
When I get home from a trip simple hugs and kisses are what my kids get immediately. I do not go straight for my luggage and make a big deal about presenting treats to the kids. After they go to bed, I carefully place my work trip treasures throughout the house where they will find them in their every day activities. We have a designated craft table where I will lay out the paper, and pens. And for the unusual Las Vegas items, I placed the loofah sponges in the bath tub and the shoe polish tins on the kitchen table for a breakfast discovery. When the kids find their treats I reinforce that they were from my work trip and we discuss where I traveled. Sometimes we pull out a map or use their globe and pinpoint the location. The discussions that stem from these small "freebies" are so much fun and I feel good that I don't buy their love while I am gone.
My children certainly have caught on that I always have things for them from my trip, and if they ask I tell them it is a surprise and they will find them in the morning. I like my kids associating plenty of hugs and kisses immediately when I get home rather than objects. And when it is all said and done, I do have fun finding new ways to express that they are always on my mind when I travel.
Yes, I take the hotel amenities and toiletries offered to guests on a regular basis. Cheap is probably what you are thinking, but I have two defenses for these actions. First, when I am on the road for work, I have less time to myself then most people think. If it is a convention there are several other co-works traveling where every meal is planned and attendance is mandatory. After working a trade show or convention all day long, you have about 30 minutes to check email and return phone calls before you are expected to meet for dinner. This does not allow much time for shopping and certainly no energy when you finally return to your hotel room at 9:30 pm and are expected to meet for breakfast early the next morning. Second, I don't want to spoil my children with expensive airport trinkets, which they will lose interest in very quickly. I am taking advantage of my children's toddler ages and know that simple hotel gifts will go just as far, if not farther then an overpriced souvenir.
The Gifts
My regular arsenal of work trip gifts include paper, and lots of it. The kids are very into projects that require tree loads of pulp. Drawing, folding, crumpling, pasting, taping - you get the idea. I grab the traditional pad of paper on the nightstand and desks but I also grab the stationery set which includes envelopes. My daughter loves envelopes and it is amazing the joy in her eyes when she is given a simple envelope. Hiltons provide a nice stack of square sheets of papers for notes that the kids turn into games handing them out like tickets and Westins provide post-it-notes with colorful graphics in each page. Pulling these post-it-notes off provides instant gratification for my son even though it does not last long. I also grab pens since I never have any at home when I need it and again, the kids love experimenting with pens.
The Jackpot of Gifts
The best trip for toddler treats was my trade show in Las Vegas, NV. I literally hit the jackpot for gifts since we stayed at the plush Wynn Resort and Casino. The best item was the loofah sponge I snagged for each child. This item has given them hours of fun in the bath and certainly something different than the traditional paper I usually bring home. Of course I did bring home paper from this trip which was a very high end card stock and much more colorful then the white stationery from other trips. Another fun item was the shoe polish container. It was a silver round tin where I took out the shoe polish components. The kids flipped over this since they love to put coins and small items in it, shake it around and then distribute the contents to all the family members.
Other Venues for Gifts
I don't always ransack my hotel room for freebies for my kids. Sometimes I pick up stuff from the airplane or even the airport parking shuttle. There was a great article in one of the airline magazines featuring a photographer with three spreads of his animal pictures. These pages delighted the kids to see fun animals and to be able to write on them and "enhance" the pictures. I also snagged some free airport booties on the Park N Fly shuttle bus. My kids love to put on my slippers and shoes at home, so they enjoyed getting their own adult sized slippers for fun.
The Presentation
When I get home from a trip simple hugs and kisses are what my kids get immediately. I do not go straight for my luggage and make a big deal about presenting treats to the kids. After they go to bed, I carefully place my work trip treasures throughout the house where they will find them in their every day activities. We have a designated craft table where I will lay out the paper, and pens. And for the unusual Las Vegas items, I placed the loofah sponges in the bath tub and the shoe polish tins on the kitchen table for a breakfast discovery. When the kids find their treats I reinforce that they were from my work trip and we discuss where I traveled. Sometimes we pull out a map or use their globe and pinpoint the location. The discussions that stem from these small "freebies" are so much fun and I feel good that I don't buy their love while I am gone.
My children certainly have caught on that I always have things for them from my trip, and if they ask I tell them it is a surprise and they will find them in the morning. I like my kids associating plenty of hugs and kisses immediately when I get home rather than objects. And when it is all said and done, I do have fun finding new ways to express that they are always on my mind when I travel.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Creation Of A $2,000.00 Bonus In 2008
Perhaps bonus is too strong of a word, but that is exactly how I am going to look at it when I receive my tax-free $1,000.00 check in June and another $1,000.00 check in December next year. It is the end of October which means it is benefits enrollment time in our household and I have done my homework to generate $2,000.00 of slush fund money.
My husband and I both work full time and I was inspired by the book, The Automatic Millionaire: A Powerful One-Step Plan to Live and Finish Rich by David Bach
, to delve into all the benefit options our employers have to offer for 2008. My outlook for next year is pure excitement since I calculated that we would be able to contribute $2,000.00 to a Child or Elder Dependent Care account. I am hoping to increase this for 2009. Under Federal law, the maximum you can contribute is $5,000.00 per household. You can also contribute an additional $5,000.00 per household to a Health Care account. Both of these accounts are defined as Flexible Spending Accounts or FSAs.
A Child or Elder Dependent Care account allows you to reduce your taxable income by setting aside pre-tax money from your paycheck to cover dependent care-related expenses. My company allows these contributions to be used for reimbursement of daycare expenses for your child (up to age 13) or a dependent adult, but cannot be used for health care expenses. And unlike a Health Care Flexible Spending account where you are able to access funds that are not yet contributed, the Child or Elder Dependent Care must have all the funds available before you can receive your reimbursement, or bonus as I refer to it. Therefore, with $2,000.00 set aside for the whole year, at the end of June I will have contributed $1,000 of pre-taxed money and I will be able to request my bonus check at that time. In addition, at the end of December I will do the same for the remainder of my balance. We pay for full time dependent care for both my children so getting the right documentation to submit a claim will not be an issue.
The knowledge of knowing I will have extra funds coming my way just puts a smile on my face. I keep a slush fund where extra money is deposited for pure fun. We might have a planned vacation for months or I might splurge and get a leather jacket. The options are endless and the timing for these two checks are just right. Summer will be in full swing at the end of June and we could plan a long weekend get away, or load up on swimsuits, goggles and water slides and pools for the backyard. And it seems the slush fund is always depleted come January with all the holiday cheer we like to spread.
If you want to participate in a Flexible Spending Account in 2008, I recommend that you research, calculate all the numbers several times and work with your HR manager closely. The time you spend maximizing your employers benefits will be well worth your while, and perhaps turn into a bonus.
My husband and I both work full time and I was inspired by the book, The Automatic Millionaire: A Powerful One-Step Plan to Live and Finish Rich by David Bach
, to delve into all the benefit options our employers have to offer for 2008. My outlook for next year is pure excitement since I calculated that we would be able to contribute $2,000.00 to a Child or Elder Dependent Care account. I am hoping to increase this for 2009. Under Federal law, the maximum you can contribute is $5,000.00 per household. You can also contribute an additional $5,000.00 per household to a Health Care account. Both of these accounts are defined as Flexible Spending Accounts or FSAs.A Child or Elder Dependent Care account allows you to reduce your taxable income by setting aside pre-tax money from your paycheck to cover dependent care-related expenses. My company allows these contributions to be used for reimbursement of daycare expenses for your child (up to age 13) or a dependent adult, but cannot be used for health care expenses. And unlike a Health Care Flexible Spending account where you are able to access funds that are not yet contributed, the Child or Elder Dependent Care must have all the funds available before you can receive your reimbursement, or bonus as I refer to it. Therefore, with $2,000.00 set aside for the whole year, at the end of June I will have contributed $1,000 of pre-taxed money and I will be able to request my bonus check at that time. In addition, at the end of December I will do the same for the remainder of my balance. We pay for full time dependent care for both my children so getting the right documentation to submit a claim will not be an issue.
The knowledge of knowing I will have extra funds coming my way just puts a smile on my face. I keep a slush fund where extra money is deposited for pure fun. We might have a planned vacation for months or I might splurge and get a leather jacket. The options are endless and the timing for these two checks are just right. Summer will be in full swing at the end of June and we could plan a long weekend get away, or load up on swimsuits, goggles and water slides and pools for the backyard. And it seems the slush fund is always depleted come January with all the holiday cheer we like to spread.
If you want to participate in a Flexible Spending Account in 2008, I recommend that you research, calculate all the numbers several times and work with your HR manager closely. The time you spend maximizing your employers benefits will be well worth your while, and perhaps turn into a bonus.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Planning The Family Adventure To SFO
Thanksgiving in my mind is early this year, especially since we usually take the entire week off to visit family. That means this year we depart on Saturday, November 17th out of San Francisco International Airport (SFO). My dilemma is the adventure of getting my family, two young children and one husband, to the airport with all our luggage, car seats, double stroller, flight activities and diaper bag stress free. Planning the transporation to the terminal is the key component to starting the trip off right. Here are my various options.
BART- Bay Area Rapid Transit - I like this option as a distraction for the kids as we begin our journey East. The cost would be $13.50 per person round-trip which would be a slim $54 for "parking" for the week. The challenges with BART begins with all the items we would be lugging. There are several elevators available at the stations, but the actual moving from the platform on to the train concerns me. I have visions of pushing the stroller and luggage onto the train and then going back to grab the car seats, only to have the doors closed and we zoom off without them. Or worse yet, having the kids not understand our flurry of boarding activity and have them at that moment decide not to cooperate. Another challenge is that we would have to transfer once, so we would have to board and get off two trains which defeats the purpose of a stress free adventure to the airport. The final challenge is that once we are delivered to SFO, we still have to take an airport tram to the American terminal. The same challenges apply to boarding this train as the BART, so that makes a total of three trains we would have to maneuver before checking our luggage. Finally, our return flight gets in after 9 pm, so late night on the BART does not thrill me, especially since we will be tired, distracted by the kids and would want a quicker method of getting home. The price is right, but not worth the stress involved. Perhaps when the children are older and can help carry their own luggage this might be the right thing to do. Or if we have a shorter trip and not as much luggage.
Driving and Parking - This is the conventional option where we just drive to the airport, find a parking lot and take a bus to the terminal. Parking costs vary between $13.00 a day at the Long Term SFO Lot to $7.95 a day at Park'N Fly. The Park 'N Fly has great potential since you can reserve your spot, pay upfront and have 24/7 shuttle and luggage assistance. I looked up the rate during Thanksgiving and we would get a $12.78 rate per day in uncovered parking. The small shuttle ride to the terminal would certainly entertain the kids and to have a little bit of help without the stress of a train leaving something behind might be worth the price. We also can drop off one parent with all the items before we go to the parking lot and then circle around and have a "fun ride" shuttle with just transporting the rest of the family and car seats to the terminal. Or we skycap the major pieces and stay together as a family with only our carry on items to be shuttled.
Hotel and Shuttle - A great friend offered this option that I had never considered. Stay at a hotel near the airport that offers free parking and get shuttled over the day of your flight and get another shuttle when you return. Our flight is an early afternoon flight, so it works out perfectly for the standard 11:00 am check-out time at hotels. The DoubleTree in Burlingame, CA offers a $119.00 park and fly rate for free parking for 14 days. The only downside is packing for an additional night for everyone and not getting a guarantee of a good night's sleep before a long travel day. Not that anything is guaranteed with two toddlers even at home, but odds are better on your home turf.
After running through this exercise, I think the traditional driving and parking is our best bet with our family dynamic as it is today. We certainly won't forget any car seats, build in lots of extra time to keep things as stress free as possible and have a quick return home from the airport.
BART- Bay Area Rapid Transit - I like this option as a distraction for the kids as we begin our journey East. The cost would be $13.50 per person round-trip which would be a slim $54 for "parking" for the week. The challenges with BART begins with all the items we would be lugging. There are several elevators available at the stations, but the actual moving from the platform on to the train concerns me. I have visions of pushing the stroller and luggage onto the train and then going back to grab the car seats, only to have the doors closed and we zoom off without them. Or worse yet, having the kids not understand our flurry of boarding activity and have them at that moment decide not to cooperate. Another challenge is that we would have to transfer once, so we would have to board and get off two trains which defeats the purpose of a stress free adventure to the airport. The final challenge is that once we are delivered to SFO, we still have to take an airport tram to the American terminal. The same challenges apply to boarding this train as the BART, so that makes a total of three trains we would have to maneuver before checking our luggage. Finally, our return flight gets in after 9 pm, so late night on the BART does not thrill me, especially since we will be tired, distracted by the kids and would want a quicker method of getting home. The price is right, but not worth the stress involved. Perhaps when the children are older and can help carry their own luggage this might be the right thing to do. Or if we have a shorter trip and not as much luggage.
Driving and Parking - This is the conventional option where we just drive to the airport, find a parking lot and take a bus to the terminal. Parking costs vary between $13.00 a day at the Long Term SFO Lot to $7.95 a day at Park'N Fly. The Park 'N Fly has great potential since you can reserve your spot, pay upfront and have 24/7 shuttle and luggage assistance. I looked up the rate during Thanksgiving and we would get a $12.78 rate per day in uncovered parking. The small shuttle ride to the terminal would certainly entertain the kids and to have a little bit of help without the stress of a train leaving something behind might be worth the price. We also can drop off one parent with all the items before we go to the parking lot and then circle around and have a "fun ride" shuttle with just transporting the rest of the family and car seats to the terminal. Or we skycap the major pieces and stay together as a family with only our carry on items to be shuttled.
Hotel and Shuttle - A great friend offered this option that I had never considered. Stay at a hotel near the airport that offers free parking and get shuttled over the day of your flight and get another shuttle when you return. Our flight is an early afternoon flight, so it works out perfectly for the standard 11:00 am check-out time at hotels. The DoubleTree in Burlingame, CA offers a $119.00 park and fly rate for free parking for 14 days. The only downside is packing for an additional night for everyone and not getting a guarantee of a good night's sleep before a long travel day. Not that anything is guaranteed with two toddlers even at home, but odds are better on your home turf.
After running through this exercise, I think the traditional driving and parking is our best bet with our family dynamic as it is today. We certainly won't forget any car seats, build in lots of extra time to keep things as stress free as possible and have a quick return home from the airport.
The Perfect Start to Dinner
My mother-in-law is 100% Italian. Her delicious family sauce recipe is deservedly loved by all, including my two small children. "I love Grandma's sauce." "Grandma's sauce is the best!" The quick batch version takes two and a half hours to make and the real deal takes at least four hours. Enter me - parents of Swedish and Dutch descent; grew up eating spaghetti sauce from a jar; and full-time working mother. How do I recreate Grandma's love in a Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meal? The answer is Trader Joe's Italian Starter Sauce. The old school carton packaging immediate caught my attention and the descriptive text sold me:
"Trader Giotto's Italian Tomato Starter Sauce is made from Italian tomatoes from Parma, Italy. We added a touch of fresh garlic and onion with just a hint of olive oil. The result is a very fresh chunky sauce that's ready to be doctored."
My quick batch began with half a small onion chopped sauteed with 1 teaspoon dry basil and 1 teaspoon dry oregano in a little bit of olive oil. I added a little salt and pepper to taste and after five minutes I fried 1 can of tomato paste with the mixture. I then added two cartons of Trader Giotto's Italian Tomato Starter Sauce. I covered, brought to a boil, then let simmer while I finished cooking the pasta.
An easy start and a delicious finish. The meal was hearty with a slow cooked-taste that was eaten AND enjoyed by all.
Recipe Card
2 Cartons Trader Giotto's Italian Starter Sauce - 17.6 oz each $1.49 X 2 = $2.98
1/2 small onion chopped - 2 lb bag (about 8 onions per bag) $1.69/16 = $0.11
1 tsp Basil - 0.30 oz container $1.49
1 tsp Oregano - 0.45 oz container $1.49
1 can of tomato paste - 6 oz $0.79 X 1 = $0.79
1/2 lb Italian Capellini (3 minute cooking time!) $0.79/2 = $0.40
Total Cost = $4.35
"Trader Giotto's Italian Tomato Starter Sauce is made from Italian tomatoes from Parma, Italy. We added a touch of fresh garlic and onion with just a hint of olive oil. The result is a very fresh chunky sauce that's ready to be doctored."
My quick batch began with half a small onion chopped sauteed with 1 teaspoon dry basil and 1 teaspoon dry oregano in a little bit of olive oil. I added a little salt and pepper to taste and after five minutes I fried 1 can of tomato paste with the mixture. I then added two cartons of Trader Giotto's Italian Tomato Starter Sauce. I covered, brought to a boil, then let simmer while I finished cooking the pasta.
An easy start and a delicious finish. The meal was hearty with a slow cooked-taste that was eaten AND enjoyed by all.
Recipe Card
2 Cartons Trader Giotto's Italian Starter Sauce - 17.6 oz each $1.49 X 2 = $2.98
1/2 small onion chopped - 2 lb bag (about 8 onions per bag) $1.69/16 = $0.11
1 tsp Basil - 0.30 oz container $1.49
1 tsp Oregano - 0.45 oz container $1.49
1 can of tomato paste - 6 oz $0.79 X 1 = $0.79
1/2 lb Italian Capellini (3 minute cooking time!) $0.79/2 = $0.40
Total Cost = $4.35
...the perfect little finish to the perfect start.
I would not say I am a cake person. In reality, it is the rare cake for which I long. Mostly, I find them dry, overly sugary, and lacking in moisture. But a few years ago, when I was pregnant with my son, I started to crave cake. Cupcakes in particular, with their perfect portion that one really does not have to share have a strong attraction for me. But grabbing a quick cupcake at a coffee shop is always a disappointment for me. For one, I have to share it, and another, $2.00 for a dry, excessively sweet un-satisfaction. And if I buy a regular cake, not only would it be embarrassing, my son would insist on some and my afternoon would be ruined by the sugar high.
And if one is a parent of a toddler, it is only at work or late at night that one can enjoy the secret sweets in the kitchen, the leftovers from a party, or the stash that you managed to sneak in the grocery cart when your innocent offspring was holding his healthy cucumbers and bell peppers.
And then, I found the Trader Joe’s frozen chocolate on chocolate cupcakes.
Picked up the frozen dessert section, the baby blue box contains 4 frozen chocolate cupcakes with chocolate icing. After letting the cupcake sit on the counter, untouched for about 40 minutes, I took the cupcake to the sofa as an accompaniment to Grey’s Anatomy. Ooooo, yummy. The frozenness, rather then dry the cupcake out, seems to keep the cake soft and moist. Not sticky or too gooey, the chocolate is none too sweet, but would easily fulfill the cravings of the most addicted chocoholic.
The cupcakes are listed as 190 calories each with 8 mg of fat, easily fewer calories than a portion of Haagen-Dazs. For a bargain $2.99 (in the San José market) for the quartet, cheaper than the dried out pastry from the local coffee shop.
Now, I just have to master sneaking the blue box into the cart between the frozen spinach and the frozen chicken.
Review of TJ's Sublime Ice Cream sandwiches coming soon…(as soon as our son goes to bed and my husband can open the box!)
And if one is a parent of a toddler, it is only at work or late at night that one can enjoy the secret sweets in the kitchen, the leftovers from a party, or the stash that you managed to sneak in the grocery cart when your innocent offspring was holding his healthy cucumbers and bell peppers.
And then, I found the Trader Joe’s frozen chocolate on chocolate cupcakes.
Picked up the frozen dessert section, the baby blue box contains 4 frozen chocolate cupcakes with chocolate icing. After letting the cupcake sit on the counter, untouched for about 40 minutes, I took the cupcake to the sofa as an accompaniment to Grey’s Anatomy. Ooooo, yummy. The frozenness, rather then dry the cupcake out, seems to keep the cake soft and moist. Not sticky or too gooey, the chocolate is none too sweet, but would easily fulfill the cravings of the most addicted chocoholic.
The cupcakes are listed as 190 calories each with 8 mg of fat, easily fewer calories than a portion of Haagen-Dazs. For a bargain $2.99 (in the San José market) for the quartet, cheaper than the dried out pastry from the local coffee shop.
Now, I just have to master sneaking the blue box into the cart between the frozen spinach and the frozen chicken.
Review of TJ's Sublime Ice Cream sandwiches coming soon…(as soon as our son goes to bed and my husband can open the box!)
Driving in Ireland
Over the summer, I went with my immediate family to Ireland for a family reunion. I was the primary driver for 3 weeks in counties Cork, Clare and Roscommon (and all the counties in between). Driving on the left has never been a huge challenge for me. I even find Ireland easier than England thanks to the solicitous nature of the agrarian culture. But here are some initial guidelines for driving on the left:
- If you are at all comfortable with a manual transmission, get it. The manual transmission helps completely orient you to the other side of the road. It is a constant reminder of being a stranger in a strange land, (until, about day 15, when it becomes natural).
- If you can afford the additional insurance, do it unless your regular agent says they'll take care of it. When we added the insurance because my friend's US carrier would not cover him overseas, I suddenly felt less pressure and simply, more at ease. My US credit card covers it, but my experience with that has been that it takes a decent amount of paperwork and we still had to pay a small amount out-of-pocket (for a loss of use).
- Hug, I mean, with great affection, hug, the center lane (so to the right). The tendency is to lean a bit left, and then a bit more left, to avoid the oncoming car you are sure is going to hit you straight on. In the meantime, you hit the shrubbery, or the rocks on the left side of the road. Irish roads are narrow, without shoulder. And your passenger will cringe every time you come a little close to that 200-year old stone rock that seemed so beautiful when you first got in the car. While driving in England 5 years ag, my husband noticed I was too close to the side of the road, and said, "tree." The comment was less than helpful, and 10 seconds later I hit a large branch hanging out the side of the road. The country road was empty at the time and I could have easily moved into the oncoming lane. Now I would. The word "tree" has become a catch phrase for us, meaning "watch-out, you are driving too far in the ditch!"
- As a passenger, be patient. My poor friend, Clark, drove for all of 4 miles. And I basically freaked out the entire time and did not make it any easier. (He did not drive after that, but then, I did not get to enjoy the Murphy's as much as I would have liked. Ah, the trade-offs.)
- Make sure your child knows that it is hard for you to drive in a strange country. They know, believe me, they feel your stress. My son was a good sport, most of the time. But when I went the wrong way on a major motorway (only time in 3 weeks, so I am actually pretty proud) and my mother shouted "Oh good Lord!" he was a little surprised. Explain why. They get that it is different. Explaining helps them be a bit more patient too.
- Ask locals about traffic rules. No cellphones (or "mobile" phones) without a headset. No left turn on a red light (so that would be like a right turn on red in the US). A seatbelt for everyone in the car at all times; but here is the kicker...
- Children must be in the appropriate carseat, of course. But for children over 3, and weighing under 80 lbs or measuring under 5 ft must be in a booster. No matter how old they are. For more info, check out: http://www.drivinginfo.ie/booster-car-seat-ireland.php
- More on maps at a later post!
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