Real Housewives ~ My Guilty Pleasure

I am TOTALLY obsessed with The Real Housewives on Bravo!  You know what I'm talking about....the backstabbing, trash talking, self absorbed women who live in New Jersey and Orange County.  

The OC Chicks

NJ's Finest...depending on who you ask!

Why am I completely taken with these shows?  I have NO idea....but I can't stop watching them!  I'm amazed that these ladies (and sometimes their men) are so obnoxious and are so out of touch with reality that it's funny!

Now, I know Bravo is paying them to put on these displays of immaturity, and it's more than likely not real at all, but they are just so darn entertaining.

Ok, take the fact that Teresa from RHONJ has done a complete 180 with her attitude.  She used to be so happy all the time and totally for her friends and family.  Now, she's a complete "mean girl."  Then again, I can't quite put my finger on her sister-in-law Melissa.  Is she the nice one or not? 

Then the OC girls...they are completely out of control.  It's like they are a gaggle of high school girls.  One minute they are friends, the next they are talking complete smack about each other.  I LOVE IT!

Don't judge me...you know you love it too!

What's your guilty pleasure?
 

Alexis

Sane Cooking ~ Pasta with Chicken and Peppers

The other day for dinner, I defrosted some chicken breasts.  I wasn't sure what I was going to make, but I figured chicken was safe.  I started rummaging through the cabinets and fridge to find something, anything, to go with the chicken.  

I had some mini peppers.  They are sweet and really cute (I know that shouldn't matter, but it does).  I also found some shallots and rigatoni pasta.  Why not throw it all together? 

Here's what I came up with:



Pasta with Chicken and Peppers


Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts
10-12 mini peppers (any color is fine)  
2 shallots
1 lb of pasta (I used Rigatoni)
4 TBL extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Preparation:
 
Place 2 TBL extra virgin olive oil in a pan.  Place chicken breasts, seasoned with salt & pepper, in pan and cook on both sides.  Put cooked chicken aside and let rest for about 5 mins.  

Prepare pasta according to directions on box.  Drain, saving 1/2 cup of pasta water.

Wipe down pan.  Heat 2 TBL extra virgin olive oil in pan.  Sauté shallots and peppers until tender.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Pour the 1/2 cup of pasta water on top.  

Serve with grated parmesan cheese.  Buon Appetito!



What's your favorite "created" recipe that you have in your "bag of tricks?"

Alexis

A to Z of Me ~ Old School Blogging

Call me a nerd or a dork, but I love these question memes.  I love reading what other people write and I always answer them in my head about myself.  So here's one that I'm putting in print for you.  

I read the meme at With Just a Bit of Magic, and it originated at The Miss Elaine-ous Life.  If you want to join in on the fun, link up & don't forget to tweet about Old School Blogging and follow the hashtag, #OSBlog.

Alphabet Meme

A. Attached or Single? Attached...very attached.  (just kidding, I love him...most of the time)

B. Best Friend?  I would have to say my sister & two cousins (also my sisters).  I tell them everything, even if I don't talk to them every minute.

C. Cake or pie?  That's a tough one.  Both.  I LOVE Dutch Apple Pie and any type of cake is ok by me!

D. Day of choice?  Sunday.  It's a lazy day.

E. Essential Item?  My phone.  I hate that I'm so attached to it.

F. Favorite color?  Yellow...it's such a happy color.  I also love anything else that's bright.

G. Gummy bears or worms?  Sour worms for sure.

H. Hometown?  Born: Staten Island, NY  2-10: Ft. Lauderdale  10-18:  Athens, TN

I. Favorite Indulgence?  Rice pudding...no raisins though...and extra creamy.

J. January or July?  January.  It's my birthday month.  And who doesn't love an entire month dedicated to themselves?

K. Kids?  YES. I. DO.  Two kids, "Little Ricky," 8 & "The Nag," 6.  Sometimes they feel like 10 kids.

L. Life isn’t complete without?  My family, friends, and a glass of wine.

M. Marriage date?  Feb. 20, 2004

N. Number of brothers/sisters?  I have one sister.

O. Oranges or Apples.  Both

P. Phobias?  Fire.  I hate it.  I'm very anxious even around a campfire or fireplace.  I am also scared of lizards...they crawl up walls and you can't squish them like a bug because they have bones.  YUCK!

Q. Quotes?  "Everything happens for a reason."  I honestly believe in it and I witness it every day.

R. Reasons to smile?  Watching my rugrats be nice to each other.  

S. Season of choice?  Spring.  I love the way the air in Miami is dry and cool enough to wear jeans and a t-shirt.

T. Tag 5 People.  Amanda, Caroline, Leannette, Vanessa, Kathy

U. Unknown fact about me? Well, if I tell you then it won’t be unknown will it? (stole that answer from With Just a Bit of Magic)...I liked it...and I can't think of anything.

V. Vegetable?  I love veggies.  If I didn't love meat so much, then I could be a vegetarian.

W. Worst habit?  Correcting people and finishing their sentences.  Especially my husband's.  It drives him crazy.

X. Xray or Ultrasound?  Ultrasound. Not sure why, just the first thing that I thought of.

Y. Your favorite food?  Pasta.  I could seriously eat it with every meal.  Oh, and bread....

Z. Zodiac sign?  Capricorn



Don’t forget to tweet about Old School Blogging with the hashtag #OSBlog and please tag your friends if you link up!


Alexis

Pay It Forward Friday ~ Summer Travel Tips for Families

Kendra Thornton has been packing her bags and traveling the world since she visited the Bahamas at 3 months old.  She is 37 and a mother of 3. Before being promoted to the full time position of mommy, Kendra was the former Director of Communications at Orbitz where she was able to travel all around the world.  Kendra also appears regularly as a travel expert on ABC, CBS, NBC and CW affiliates across the country to share travel trends, tips and deals with millions of viewers every year.

To connect with Kendra, contact her via her website, Thornton PR or on twitter @KendraThornton

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Summer Travel Tips for Families

Whether you are looking to travel to Walt Disney World, the Grand Canyon, or New Orleans, you will likely want a vacation that all members of the family are excited about. Once you’ve settled on a destination, you can begin to do a bit of planning. With special attention paid to the needs of the kids, you can craft a trip that will leave everyone raving for years afterwards.

1) Eat Healthy Breakfasts

Because you will likely want to squeeze the most out of each day, you should be sure that your family eats a nutritious breakfast every morning. At Walt Disney World, many family-friendly Orlando hotels offer tasty breakfast platters to their guests. Even if you are staying at a smaller hotel, however, continental breakfasts will usually be available more often than not. Eating at the hotel will also stop you from gorging on theme park food, which can be quite expensive.

2) Research Your Hotel Options

 

Consider family-friendly hotels whenever possible. Indoor playgrounds, for example, will give the kids something to do during the evenings. Elegant suites will often have refrigerators, freezers, and microwaves. Having a miniature kitchen in your hotel room will allow you to prepare meals on the fly. The fridge, in fact, can be stocked with milk, juice, fruits, and vegetables. It’s great to read reviews before you make any decisions.

3) Set Aside Time for Adults

Though much of your energy will likely be devoted to showing the kids a great time, give yourself some time to relax with your husband. You might agree to watch the kids for an afternoon, for example, while your husband goes golfing. You might also hire a babysitter while the two of you crack open a bottle of champagne on the balcony.

4) Try Audiobooks

Audiobooks can be godsends in many ways. They can be easily downloaded to the latest electronic devices. For kids who have grown tired of listening to music, books are good alternatives. Make sure that you bring along some headphones so that others in the vehicle are not disturbed.

5) Bring Along Hygiene Kits

Planes, trains, and hotel rooms are not the cleanest places on the planet. By packing a hygiene kit, you can quickly clean airplane tray tables and hotel fixtures. Airplanes, in fact, are not typically given full cleanings until the end of the day. Sanitizing wipes can kill germs on contact. Hand sanitizer, meanwhile, can be used before meals.

 

In the end, you will need to think outside the box a bit as you go about planning your vacation. By turning to audio books, hygiene kits, and healthy breakfasts, you can create a wonderful experience for everyone involved. The world, as they say, will be your oyster.

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As a way to share the blogging love and meet new bloggers, I have "Pay it Forward Friday."  This is where I periodically feature fellow bloggers with different interests and from new areas.  If you are interested in writing a guest post for "Pay it Forward Friday," feel free to send me a message!  I would love to feature you!!

Alexis

The Teacher In Me ~ Keeping the Learning Going

I'll admit it, when it comes to learning, I let go in the summer.  As a teacher by trade,  I know I should encourage my kids to keep their skills up so there isn't so much loss in the summer, but I'm just so exhausted from the school year, that the last thing I want to do is fight with my kids to do work.  So I slack off.  I'm such a bad mommy & teacher....

Not this year!  It's a summer goal of mine to keep the learning going.   
  


Reading:

This is an easy one.  Pick up a book and read.  

I base the time of reading around The Nag.  However long it takes him to read a chapter, that's how long Little Ricky needs to read.  (Not to mention that Little Ricky is like his mommy, once he starts reading, he doesn't want to put it down.)  

We recently cleaned out our home library.  We donated a bunch of books that the kids have outgrown to our school and to cousins.  Now, we have tons of chapter books left for summer reading.  Right now, the boys are working on The Magic Tree House series.  We also have plans to make it to the public library.  


Math:

The boys' teachers sent home Summer Math Packets for the kids.  They are essentially the math worksheets that the class didn't finish during the school year, so it's a nice bridge to the learning that will take place next year.   I have them work on 2-3 pages every few days. 

My husband also likes to ask them "hard" math facts (addition, subtraction, and multiplication) while we are in the car or eating a meal, so they can work on their recall.  Sometimes, if we are at a restaurant, we make up math problems for them on their "kiddie menus" for them to solve. 




Writing:

Another easy one.  We have marble notebooks that we use as journals.  We got them at the Dollar Tree.  I have them write a paragraph or two about what we did that day.  They also like to write stories from time to time.  Little Ricky just wrote a book as a gift for Father's Day.  (Totally his idea)  I also plan to work on their handwriting....it's awful!!


Science:

The boys LOVE science!  My plan is to do at least one cool science experiment every other week or so.  I also want to take them to The Miami Science Museum for the first time.  We are also planning on revisiting The Fort Lauderdale Museum of Science and Discovery.  These places should get those little scientific brains going!



I'm not saying that I'm home schooling this summer.  Just an hour every couple of days.  Mostly on the days when we don't have an outside activity planned or it seems they may just kill each other.  


What do you do to keep the learning going in the summer?  I would love more ideas!


Alexis

Join Me For a MommyJuice Wines (Twitter) Pool Party!

Disclaimer:  I was selected by Clever Girls Collective to help promote the MommyJuice Wines Twitter Party.  
 

When I'm hanging with my friends on a play date, we like to incorporate some "mommy juice" while snacking.  You know what I mean...wine or a spritzer that is only for the mommies.  Well, Cheryl Durzy, founder of MommyJuice Wines, was smart enough to market that phrase! 

Are you ready to kick off summer? Let’s have a pool party! We will be chatting about all things fun and summer, while celebrating the release of MommyJuice's first dry Rosé. We hope you’ll join us. Bathing suits totally optional.
 

(Twitter) Pool Party Hosted by MommyJuice Wines: Party Details

Who: You, your friends, your friends’ friends
What: The MommyJuice Wines “Pool Party” on Twitter      
When: Wednesday, June 12 at noon PDT 
Where: On Twitter! 
Follow: @Clever_Network, @MommyJuiceWines
Hashtag: #WinePoolParty
Prizes: Pool Party Gift Packs            
RSVP here: http://clvr.li/mjPPPink
 

Every Mommy needs MommyJuice!  See you at the "pool" party!


Alexis