hey lady, it’s the last gasp before winter

(Giveaways below…)

You know it’s the end of fall here when we get the ladybug invasion. Some (my husband, for one) think they are a bit, um, odiferous, but I think it’s kind of pleasant to sit in the sun with ladybugs flying all around. No word on whether or not they were flagrantly violating the rules with little tiny skateboards.

prematurity awareness day

(Grocery giveaways below… Please scroll down and enter.)

(Great information below, but there are some sick little ones in this video. FYI.)

I have been privileged to help tell the stories of several families whose babies were born far too soon. The March of Dimes has made dramatic steps in saving these babies. (Surfactant, which helps tiny underdeveloped lungs inflate, is probably the single greatest advancement in saving the lives of preemies. Babies as young as 23 weeks gestation have a chance at survival now.) However, there is much to be done. Our state got a big fat F on the prematurity report card issued by MOD last year. 

Please watch the video, click over to the March of Dimes’ site and learn more about this. If you are pregnant, know the signs of preterm labor!

grocery giveaway #2

Mrs. White, Random.org says you won!

Mrs. White said...

I'd love to win this! Thank you!!
Blessings
Mrs. White

Another giveaway for you today – This gift pack was sent to me by Progresso and MyBlogSpark and they are offering an identical pack to one of my readers. I would love to tell you how much I enjoyed this soup, but my teenager took both varieties, Chicken Gumbo and Tomato Parmesan, for lunch at school. Sigh. In any event, we are big Progresso fans here, and I keep plenty of it stocked in my pantry. The girl loves it and it makes for a hearty school lunch, especially during the winter. These low sodium varieties are a welcome addition here, because one of my biggest concerns with non-homemade food is the often high sodium content. These were devoured with no complaints about the reduction in salt, so I take that as a ringing endorsement.

The gift pack includes two cans of low sodium soup, a super (souper?) cool soup mug and an exercise ball and pump.

If you would like to give these a try, please leave a comment below by noon on Nov. 23. Random.org will select a winner on or about that date.

 

Progresso and MyBlogSpark provided these items for review, but my opinions are my own.

best walt disney world character meal

(Tired of Disney posts yet? :) )

I realize there are other opinions on this, but it’s hard to beat the Crystal Palace at the Magic Kingdom. We have dined there many times and always find the food delicious and the atmosphere less hectic than some of the other table service restaurants. And the company? Well, you can’t resist Pooh, of course.

For the detail oriented among you – breakfast on Sept. 12 included puffed French toast, eggs, grits, fruit, an omelet station, various breads and pastries, a peach casserole and much more. The coffee was actually not bad either. (Yucky coffee is an infamous and rare WDW weakness.) Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet and Tigger were patient with guests of all ages and the 8:20 a.m. reservation time meant we were finishing up just in time for the park’s 9 a.m. opening. We walked right on Pirates of the Caribbean and the Jungle Cruise. Awesome.

 

grocery giveaway #1

Leslie, random.org says you’re the winner! Enjoy!

Post Grad said...

I would love to win. Mashed potatoes are definitely a quick, easy staple.
Thanks for doing the giveaway!
:)
-Leslie
carykhepburn{at}yahoo{dot}com

(Click on my banner above and then scroll down for grocery giveaway #2.)

Want to win some cool kitchen gadgets? Betty Crocker and MyBlogSpark sent me this set, including a silicon hot pad, a mixing spoon (dishwasher safe) and a lovely bamboo bowl – as well as two packages of instant mashed potatoes – and they would like to send the same gift set to one of my readers. OK, I only ever buy instant potatoes for making potato bread, so I am probably not the best person to ask about them from the perspective of making and eating them according to packages directions. I do like that each box contains two packs of potatoes, so if you are making bread and just using a cup or so at a time, this is the way to go. My teenager did make a beeline for the roasted garlic variety and we ended up making it right away. No, they don’t taste like homemade (think butter and whole fat, local milk – good, not good for you), but they were pretty tasty. I bet garlic potato bread would be good, too.

If you would like to give these a try, please leave a comment below by noon on Nov. 20. Random.org will select a winner on or about that date.

In the meantime, if you would like a coupon for this product, click here.

 

Betty Crocker and MyBlogSpark provided these items for review, but my opinions are my own.

i care, I really do

Big, huge, overdue diatribe of a post over at Basically Green. It includes info on screenings for an upcoming documentary.

words (my own, thankyouverymuch)

Boy howdy, writers of the world are getting their vicarious revenge today over the Cooks Source alleged plagiarism brouhaha.  (Not that I advocate revenge, of course. But I do have a fondness for copyright laws.) Google it, if you haven’t heard. Anyone who has ever had their intellectual property misappropriated will find it interesting.

Anyhoo.. I wrote these words all by my lonesome. And I am super excited to have my photos used with an upcoming story. I will post as soon as it’s out. My photography is indeed a work in progress, but it’s fun to see it in print.

• I do a lot of work on custom publications.I rarely post any of it here because it is typically for a specific audience. Custom work is different and sometimes challenging (in a good way). I love working with the folks in Easley, S.C. They are a kind bunch and always easy to work with – and here’s their Chamber of Commerce’s annual guide.
• I just found out that WNC Parent stories are linked on the Asheville Citizen-Times’ site. (OK, so I was Googling my name to see if someone had pilfered my work. Cooks Source inspired me.) By the way the Cit-Times owns WNC Parent, so it’s all good – no theft at all. :) 
• This was a lot of fun – Learn about volunteering with your children. It’s never too young to plant seeds of gratitude.
• Happy parents?
• How to keep your child out of the ER (but it’s never a sure thing…)
• This sweet family might have lost their little girl but for the quick work of medical professionals and the mom’s willingness to trust her instincts.
• November is Prematurity Awareness Month. The March of Dimes saves lives, no doubt about it. When I was in law school (not THAT long ago), the gold standard for fetal viability was 28 weeks. Babies are now surviving as early as 23 weeks. Miraculous. Having said that, it’s best to let them bake as long as possible, so know those warning signs of premature labor, people.
• And here’s the story of a little one, born at 25 weeks, who is now thriving.

Thanks for your support!