The Lincoln MKT Got Me Props From The Guy In The Parking Lot And Could Get You Some Nifty Things, Too

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Lincoln.

I drive a five-year-old minivan and let’s face it — no one ever stops me to ask about my car. And even if they did, instead of telling them about my mpg or how it goes from zero to sixty in fifteen minutes, I’m more likely to show them the collection of petrified french fries and year-old juice boxes laying in the back seat. That’s when the person who had inquired about my car would say, “I only stopped you because you ran over my foot.”

But all that changed when I got a Lincoln MKT to test drive.

I got admiring stares from people at stop lights and a curious glance from a TV star who lives across the street. I even had a guy in the Starbucks parking lot ask me about the size of the engine, and while I didn’t know what the hell he was talking about I was able to impress him with the fact that my fancy car had a refrigerated compartment! Possibly for beer! He gave me a thumbs up, but I could tell it didn’t go over too well with his wife. Until I told her about the feature that parallel parks your car for you. Then her eyes went all dreamy and she fainted.

A little digression here to tell you a story. I’ve never had a desire to buy an SUV (note MKT is not an SUV) — I’m even sort of anti-SUV for their gas-guzzling properties But I’ve always said that one day, and my friends and family roll their eyes when I say this, I’m going to buy myself a huge, blinged-out Lincoln Navigator, probably the most SUV of all SUVs that should assault my sensibilities on every level but doesn’t. I can’t tell you exactly why, but something about it is appealing to me and I picture myself hauling down the street cheerily waving at strangers and frightening small animals.

That said, I had never had the same attraction to the Lincoln MKT; it didn’t seem like it would be practical for me, a mom with two kids, kids who hide food under the floor mats and always have friends who need rides.

So when BlogHer asked me to test-drive it for a week I wasn’t sure what to expect. But when it showed up in my driveway I have to say I almost put my Navigator dreams on hold (notice I said ‘almost.’) It has a powerful look and feel to it while not being overbearing, and their description of it as a ‘luxury crossover utility vehicle’ seems to be right-on; while it has many features that would make it a good fit for someone like me with a family, it’s got a much more sexy, luxurious feel to it. A baby stroller covered with rubies comes to mind. Maybe that’s the secret to the Lincoln brand — practical, yet sexy and powerful, something that would get someone like me to want a humongous Navigator. How do they do it? I’m thinking mind-altering lasers but I’m no scientist.

Here’s the rundown on what I liked and didn’t like. (Keep in mind that I’m not a car-person, so some of my terms may not be technically correct. For instance, I just recently learned that the ‘round controller thingy’ is actually called a steering wheel.)

Liked:

• Well lots, but first and foremost is the ride. Although to be fair I am driving a five-year-old minivan so perhaps I was just grateful not to feel like I was going to dislodge a kidney with every bump. But my husband was even impressed with the smooth, heavy ride (in the back seat as well) and he drives a luxury car that may or may not rhyme with ‘howdy.’

• Above-mentioned refrigerated compartment. I have nothing more to say about this other than, “Yippee.”

• I loved being able to start the engine with the push-button, keyless start -- the access key just needs to be somewhere in the car. (Also, the key can be programmed to limit the top speed of whoever is driving the car. Would come in handy when my oldest starts driving in three years -- wonder if that key can be programmed to taser creepy boyfriends.)

• The rear-view camera provides an amazingly clear, color view when the car is in reverse — I was surprised at what a wide area it covered, and how bright the picture was even on my street which is menacingly, horror-movie dark. My van alerts me with an audio tone, but I liked being able to see a clear view of what was behind me. A must for driving anywhere kids, bicycles, pets and zombies might be around.

• Active Park Assist. I have to admit I didn’t get to see all that this feature was capable of, but I like knowing it’s there. Great for someone like me who hates parallel parking unless there is half a city block in which to maneuver into.

• The MKT has a third row of seats, which is essential. Where else would I put my kids’ freeloading friends? On the roof? I also liked that these seats had easy access; the second-row seats folded forward effortlessly. I was in a car recently where it was so much trouble to get to the third row that we ended up just leaving the extra passengers behind. (Sorry, mom.)

Didn’t Like So Much:

• BLIS©(Blind Spot Information System) When changing lanes, these sensors alert you when another car is approaching on either side. I appreciate its function, but I found it distracting to look for the sensor light and didn’t like my attention being diverted from what was up ahead. Although, this may be one of those things that annoy you at first and then become indispensable once you get used to them, like underwire bras.

• The mount for the rear view mirror is huge. I’m sure there’s a reason for this, but I found it slightly obstructed my view and seemed unusually prominent. (Insert inappropriate joke here.)

• In the end, the thing I didn’t like most about the Lincoln MKT was that it wasn’t mine. I was sad to see it go (as were my husband and kids) and it was hard to get back into my minivan after all that pampered luxury. But those old french fries and juice boxes aren’t going to drive themselves around, so off I went.

And here are those nifty things I mentioned. I have a $500 Visa gift card to give away! Just answer the question, “What is your favorite technology feature in your car?” Leave your answer in the comments section before 11:59pm on Wednesday, February 24 and I'll use random.org to pick a winner.

Also, enter to win Lincoln’s Night on the Town Sweepstakes where you could win a night of pampering with the Lincoln MKT (valued at $1500.) You and a guest could win:

* A chance to drive a 2010 Lincoln MKT for the evening
* Local spa package for two
* Dinner for two at a local restaurant
* One night stay at a local hotel

Click here to check out what other bloggers had to say about the Lincoln MKT.

Please see the Official Rules here.

Entries for this giveaway are now closed.

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tags: 2010 lincoln mkt review | blogher reviews | lincoln night on the town sweepstakes | lincoln navigator

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The Got Milk Party Gave Me Six Good Reasons to Cheer Up About The Holidays

A couple of weeks ago my daughters and I were invited to the Got Milk Holiday Lattes party at one of my favorite places, La Pain Quotidien. (Don't worry - I can't pronounce it, either.) I have to admit I wasn't in the most festive mood - it had been a hectic workday and I was feeling the pressure of the holidays bearing down on me - the usual stress of too much to do and too little time. Oh, and too little money. And too many presents to wrap. And not enough wine.

But as I've said before, those Got Milk people know how to party, and as soon as I walked into their festive event I felt the holiday spirit come over me. Or was it the Eggnog Rum Latte? Either way, here are a few more reasons I may have cheered up a bit.

1) Nice people with trays of lattes that they gave to me. Anyone who knows me and my deep, unnatural, in-need-of-a-twelve-step-program obsession with coffee knows that for me, a room full of roving baristas dispensing free coffee is like putting cat in a box made entirely out of tuna and yarn balls.



2) They had trays of sublime pastries to go with those lattes. Again, like tuna and yarn balls - that's how happy I was.



(This latte was a Toffee Mocha that had bits of crushed toffee bar sprinkled on it. WIN.)

3) Our lovely hostess, Angelina. You know one of those people who is always genuinely cheerful? That's Angelina. Even hosting a room full of rowdy bloggers, she managed to be in a good mood - I may need to bring her along Christmas shopping to keep me from going over the edge. (Don't tell the Got Milk people, but my girls actually call these get-togethers 'Angelina's Parties.')



4) Really, really nice crafts not the snow scene made out of cotton balls that I would have come up with. They had a professional scrapbooker giving instructions on how to make these amazing gift boxes. My 11-year-old sat down to make one as soon as we got there and was completely engrossed until we left almost two hours later. That's one-hour and fifty-five minutes longer than she stuck around the last time I suggested we make a Christmas tree out of post-its.



5) I now have an appreciation for eggnog. I don't drink eggnog - I put it in the same category as non-alcoholic beer and fat-free mayonnaise as things that sound great in theory but WHY BOTHER. But then one of those lovely baristas handed me an Eggnog Rum Latte and next thing I know I'm saying things like, "I'm going to marry you, eggnog" and "I live in the United States of Eggnog." Some say it was the rum talking, but I think they just don't know eggnog like I know eggnog. Here's the recipe so you can witness the power of eggnog for yourself. (They left out the rum, so at the end just write in, "Add rum.") I'm also including the recipe for the Toffee Mocha I had. You could probably write in, "Add rum" to the end of this one, too. (Click on the image to make it easier to read if the type is too small. Or if you've "Added too much rum.")



6) A good excuse to slow down and hang out with my girls. After the event my two daughters and I enjoyed a nice, relaxing al fresco dinner. I got that wine I was lacking, and we had the chance to sit and talk (really fast, I might add, after all those coffees.)



I definitely went home feeling much less cranky about the holidays and I have the Got Milk people to thank for that. I wonder how they'd feel about wrapping presents?

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tags: got milk | le pain quotidien | got milk holiday lattes party | blogger events apps

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Blackberry Vs. iPhone: An Unfinished Duel Fueled By Fast Food

I was at a party a couple of weeks ago and had to interrupt a conversation to take a call on my iPhone from one of my daughters. They were staying home alone for the first time, so I wanted to make sure they hadn't set the house on fire or weren't having any wild parties. Or if they were having a party to remind them not to eat all the Fritos - I hate coming home from a night out and not having anything to go with my bean dip.

Right after I got off the phone the guy I was talking to whips out his iPhone and says, "What apps do you have?" I couldn't believe it - didn't he want to know how my kids were? Or finish hearing me tell my fascinating story about my trip to Costco earlier? But then I got caught up in the moment and the next thing I knew I was knocking back another martini and yelling, "Dude, I've got Service Bell" just a little too loudly.

My point? There is no love greater than the love between an iPhone and its owner.

Except for the love between a Blackberry and its owner, that is.

My three best girlfriends have Blackberries, and to hear them talk you'd think the things were magic, capable of cleaning their houses, giving them backrubs and shaving six inches off their thighs. Okay, so they can take clear pictures with the built-in flash, and their carriers give them better coverage than AT&T (the only one that you can use with an iPhone.) Aren't there more important things than being able to finish a phone conversation without being dropped? What about making a piece of toast and then pretending to eat it? Or helping me figure out if I can afford a Chalupa?

I was given a Blackberry Tour smartphone and free coverage for a month to see what all the fuss was about. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to use my Blackberry as much as I would have liked since that month happened to be when the kids took turns being sick, and also happened to be the weeks when I spent 90% of my waking hours trying to find a high school for my kid - not an ideal time to learn how to use and fully utilize a new device. So, in order to give the Blackberry a fair shake, I'm going to reinstate my Blackberry starting the week after Christmas at my own expense. That's when the kids will be home, the holiday rush will be over and I'll be laying around the house trying to figure out how to pay for everything. The perfect time to distract myself with a new toy!

But in my short experience with my Blackberry, here's what I found:

- I really missed having a touch-screen like I do on the iPhone. I can see that the Trackball and scrolling system would take a little getting used to, although my friends pointed out that it would really reduce the number of butt-calls they receive from me. Apparently they don't like it when I unknowingly phone them and they have to listen to an entire fifteen minutes of me placing an order at Popeyes Fried Chicken.

- As any iPhone owner will tell you - it's great for everything except for making calls. The clarity of calls made on the Blackberry is far superior to the iPhone, and though I didn't use it enough to experience any dropped calls from what I hear it's a rare occurrence. My iPhone drops calls with maddening frequency, though I'm not sure if it's due to the phone itself or the service with AT&T. But on the plus side - the "Sorry - you're breaking up" excuse really comes in handy when you can't possibly listen to any more details about your friend's hernia operation.

- I have to admit I'm extremely jealous of the built-in flash on the Blackberry. What up iPhone? You can turn my phone into a light saber but you can't get me a decent photo of my friends inside a club? Also, the Blackberry has a video camera which I don't have on my prehistoric 2G iPhone. Which means I can't get any footage of those same friends gettin' down gangsta style to Super Freak, either. Lucky them.

- When I first saw the tiny keyboard on the Blackberry I wondered whose miniscule hands it was made for - Munchkins? Kittens? I was trying to figure out how I was going to type out a text on the teeny keys when a kind friend gently informed me that "you use your nails, not the pads of your giant fingers, you moron." That made things much easier, but the jury's still out on this one. It may take a little practice, and I'll let you know in my next review if I ever master the fine art of nail typing.

That's all I've got for now. Join me next time as I use my Blackberry to surf the net, send an MMS and update my Facebook status. Oh, and email my lunch order to Popeyes.

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On the topic of phones and frazzled lives, I was given a few copies of The Blackberry Diaries by Kathy Buckworth to give away. Whether you're an iPhone user or a Blackberry devotee I'm sure you'll relate to this book about technology and motherhood. "Owning a Blackberry is a little like adding another child to your family. The device is constantly buzzing, poking and distracting its owner from whatever it is she's trying to acompish. It bears an uncanny resemblance to the uncooperative two-year-old hanging off Mom's leg at the Motor Vehicle Office."

To snag a copy for yourself, leave a comment here before 11:59pm on Sunday, December 20 and I'll use random.org to pick two winners. (Entries from the continental U.S. only, please.) If you win I'll email you from one of my phones!

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tags: blackberry | iphone | the blackberry diaries | iphone apps

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A Night Out With Dolby, The Black Crowes and a Digital Frame to Giveaway? Sounds Great!

Update: 12/16 - The winner has been picked! See below.

Last weekend we were invited by Dolby to check out their Surround Sound Truck and be their guests at the Black Crowes concert at Club Nokia. Hard to resist, especially since my husband and I have been eager to check out the scene at LA Live, the new entertainment complex adjacent to the Staples Center. A little Dolby demo, a little rock and roll and a date night without the kids - much better than the fast-food and laundry I had originally planned.

The Dolby Truck is touring the West Coast to show you what Dolby sound can do for your home theater, PC and even your cell phone. You're probably already familiar with Dolby sound at your local multi-plex, but Dolby in your home theater could do wonders for your cinema experience. Imagine seeing your favorite movie and hearing the guns firing right past your head! Or, in the case of the movies I've been seeing with my teen girls lately, hearing the sounds of true love brewing. Hey, you have your movie-going experience and I have mine.

The Dolby Truck, which we visited across from the Staples Center, is a mobile home theater outfitted with a huge screen and killer sound system - pretty much what every guy wishes he had on a camping trip! We were treated to a clip of Angelina Jolie's thriller, Wanted, and the sound was very impressive - so impressive in fact, that I rented the DVD last weekend after initially not wanting to see the movie at all. Although I have to say part of that reluctance is that I just figured it was about another kid that Angie and Brad wanted to adopt. Who knew it was about assassins?

We also saw what Dolby sound can do for your PC, since more and more people are watching movies and TV on their computers. I do - I'd much rather watch a Judd Apatow movie in my office through a pair of headphones than worry about turning down the volume every time I was afraid my daughters would hear a penis reference (which in his movies is around every 2.5 seconds. Yes, I timed it.) Unfortunately, I'm a die-hard Mac girl and the Dolby sound is currently only available on PC's, but hopefully someday in the future Apple and Dolby will join forces. Perhaps we'll need Clinton to broker that deal.


Something my husband and I were amazed by was the incredible sound that Dolby has managed to bring to the mobile phone. We listened to a Chocolate LG Touch through a pair of headphones and the sound blew us away - even better than what I'm able to get out of my iPod. Plug in a pair of headphones (I just used my ear buds) and listen to a demo featuring Ciara here. Switch the Dolby to 'on' and 'off' to hear the difference.

Again, sadly, the Dolby sound isn't available on the iPhone, my device of choice at the moment. Curse you superpowers and the forces that keep you apart!

After overstaying our welcome at their super truck (they're nice people, and didn't even ask us to leave after we'd watched the clip of Angelina taking out all the bad guys like fifty times) Dolby treated us to the Black Crowes concert at Club Nokia. Before heading over to the venue, my husband and I decided to splurge on a meal at one of our favorite sushi restaurants, Katsuya, one of the many places to eat in LA Live. Their food is sublime, and if they had made a movie of us eating and put it to Dolby sound the only thing you would have heard is us saying, "Can you believe how good this is?" over and over again. Well, that and "What the hell was Tiger Woods thinking?"

The concert itself was awesome - it was the first time seeing the Black Crowes live. Of course, since I spend a great deal of time writing about celebrities, I couldn't help wondering what exactly went wrong between Chris Robinson and Kate Hudson? And what does he think of Alex Rodriguez? I don't know why, but after all that, and after I mistook a peace sign on the stage for a Mercedes logo, my husband kept telling me to stop thinking out loud. Geez.



To top off our great evening, Dolby gave me a digital photo frame to give away to a lucky reader. This is one of those nifty things that you could maybe load up with lots of photos and music and give to a loved one as a gift to remind them of you. I was heading towards another Tiger Woods joke but I'll stop now.

If you want to win, leave a comment telling me where sound is most important to you - at the movies? In your home theater? On your PC? (Keep it clean - I don't want any references to those home movies you shot back on Spring Break.) Leave your comment before 11:59pm on Sunday, December 13 and I'll use random.org to pick a winner. (Entries from the continental U.S. only, please.) Good luck! May the next sound you hear be my voice announcing you as the winner. In Dolby, of course.

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Update: 12/16: WINNER PICKED

I put all the entries into the random list generator and let it do its thing.

AND THE WINNER IS...


Congratulations to Bernadette Batts of Bern Baby Bern! Bernadette, please email me and let me know how to get your digital frame to you!

And thanks to everyone who entered - I have lots more giveaways coming up, including a really big one.


tags: dolby | la live | black crowes | katsuya

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The Holiday Celebration at Disneyland Saved My Family From A Day Of Angst

On the Saturday before Thanksgiving we were invited to Disneyland for the Holiday Celebration for Parent Bloggers. I know it sounds like a crazy time to go, but it actually worked in my favor since it prevented me from sitting around and obsessing about the 30 people that would be coming over to my house for turkey and the eight-pounds of mashed potatoes I was going to have to prepare.

Eight hours spent having fun instead of vacuuming, cleaning the bathrooms, barking at the kids to clean their room and nagging my husband to clean off the patio! I know they all missed that holiday tradition, but I got plenty of yelling in on Thanksgiving eve. Everyone wins!

This is our favorite time of year to go to Disneyland. Sure it's a little crowded, but it's worth it to see all the beautiful decorations and it really gets me into the holiday spirit. It's hard not to be festive when you're standing in front of a thousand-foot tree. This one is right at the entrance to Main Street, and there are tons of people in front of it posing and taking photos for their holiday cards. I tried to get my daughters to pose for one but they wouldn't, so I took a picture of some family from Iowa and they'll be on our card this year. I'm sure they won't mind.



Also, check out Sleeping Beauty's Castle that's all decked out for the holidays. It's even more breathtaking in person, and the best part is it's open for the walkthrough. This was the first time my daughters had been through it - the last time we were there the line was too long. Priceless Disneyland Tip That Makes Me Sound Like An Expert: Go towards the end of the evening, when Fantasyland seems to clear out.



We got a late start, mainly because we were exhausted from a party we threw at our house the night before. Have I told you we're insane? We like to plan multiple events, back-to-back, just to see if any of us will collapse from the frenzy. But it all worked out, because we had just enough time to ride a few rides before we headed on over to the banquet for the wonderful party the Disneyland people had put together for all of us. There was lots of amazing food, but I had to take a picture of the dessert tray. I'm not really even a big dessert fan, but I was fixated on these. After I took this picture I went over to the buffet table and had a huge slab of roast beef. I didn't take a picture of that.



I finally got to meet Allegra Gonzalez and her three beautiful daughters, the winners of my Disneyland VIP giveaway. A friend of mine knows Allegra, and she told me she knew we'd along and she was right. They're a great family, and it was good for me to see how cool, calm and collected someone with three teenagers can be - Allegra has 13-year-old twins and a 15-year-old. It gave me hope for my future after all.



One of the things my 11-year-old was the most excited about was a demonstration put on by Disneyland's pastry chef. I'm not kidding - she had talked about it ever since we got the invitation, and she probably would have gladly missed going into the park if that pastry demo had gone on all night. So you can imagine how excited she was when the chef invited her onstage to help make a yule log! Forget the Jonas Brothers - she was helping a real live pastry chef roll out dough. I'm sure this is how Rachael Ray got her start.



My girls were also treated to complimentary hair-makeovers at Studio 365. Twenty-five minutes, three packets of extensions and several gallons of hairspray later, they came out with truly glamorous, and big, hair. I had to break the news to them that not in a million years would I ever be able to re-create these hairstyles:



And what Disneyland visit would be complete without a ride on It's A Small World? It's been decorated inside and out for the holidays. Honestly, I never get tired of this ride, even though my girls insist it's only because it's air conditioned and I get to sit down for an extended period of time. Maybe so, but I seem to remember us all humming the theme song for the rest of the night.



The evening ended with one of Disneyland's impressive signature fireworks displays, and then 'snow' falling on Main Street as White Christmas played. What an awesome day. Thanks to Disneyland for treating my family and our guests to a magical, angst-free day! I didn't think once about those mashed potatoes.
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tags: disneyland | california adventure | holidays at disneyland | parent bloggers event disneyland

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Hello Friend! Fresh & Easy On My Doorstep

A couple of weeks ago I came home from running errands and found two big boxes on my doorstep. I've mentioned before about my paranoia and how I once mistook a package from Apple for an explosive device sent to me by an evil entity, so you can imagine my suspicion at discovering two mysterious parcels waiting for me. I had my iPhone at the ready, prepared to call 911 at a moment's notice. Actually, I was going to use my Bomb Diffuser 2.1. Yes, there's an app for that.

So you can imagine how relieved I was to discover the two boxes were actually from Fresh & Easy - they had come in peace, and were not an attempt on my life. I love it when my day starts off with a positive.

The nice people at Fresh & Easy had put together a sampling of some of their holiday products for me to try, so I changed out of my bullet-proof vest, called off the bomb-sniffing dogs and got down to business. Here are a few of my favorites:

Cranberry and Nut Popcorn Clusters - I'm not a huge fan of caramel corn. To me, most of it tastes like Cracker Jack but without the benefit of the toy. But this stuff has me hooked, probably because it's not as sticky-sweet as most others I've tried and the dried cranberries and nuts give it a nice twist. I wouldn't mind finding a toy buried at the bottom of the cylinder, though.





Gourmet Belgian Biscuit Collection - Somehow, calling these cookies 'biscuits' make them sound so much more civilized. And less fattening. And easier to eat several of them without getting that gluttonous, I-ate-too-many-cookies feeling. These are very good, and a nice accompaniment to my late-afternoon cappuccino and also a nice addition to my girls' lunchboxes. Although they call them cookies, not biscuits.




Chocolate Mint Thins - Okay, I have to admit I was a little disappointed when I bit into one of these and discovered they were not similar to the Girls Scout's Thin Mints like I was expecting. Instead of a minty wafer inside, they have a minty cream - think of a thin version of a Junior Mint. But leave it to the kids to save the day - my youngest sandwiched one of these between two graham crackers and created the most delicious little sandwich cookie invention, ever. They even came up with a name for it - the Minty S'More. I didn't have the heart to tell them it sounded like a stripper name.

I also received a nice bottle of Ogio Prosecco Spumante (champagne to you and me) that I gave away as a gift. The packages arrived shortly before we were leaving to see my nephew perform in a college production of Sweeney Todd, so I thought this would make the perfect after-performance gift. I forgot the campus was dry, though, which would explain why he looked in the bag and said, "Thanks for the cookies!" before hiding it under his coat. I'll have to ask him what he thought of the Prosecco - I just hope he didn't drink it out of a beer bong.


I loved getting the holiday gifts, but I do my everyday shopping at Fresh & Easy, too. Here are my staples I pick up there regularly:

1. Parmesan and Garlic Pita Chips - My 13-year-old's favorite. Since going vegetarian, she often asks for these, some hummus and cut-up veggies in her lunch. It doesn't get any easier than that.
   
2. Maple Pecan Granola Clusters - The. Best. Granola. Ever. Even for a non-granola person like me. I use mine to top my yogurt and my 11-year-old eats it straight out of the bag, like potato chips.
   
3. Thick Sliced Bacon -BACON! THICK SLICES OF IT! That is all.
   
4. Hummus - See #1.
   
5. Fresh Mozzarella - I slice it up and use it to top roma tomatoes and basil for our favorite caprese salad. But I also eat it straight out of the carton, like potato chips. I'm sure you see the theme here.
   
6. Restaurant Style Salsa - We eat chips and salsa at some point almost every day. Sometimes we'll go through two containers of this in a week. They call it restaurant-style, but I think it tastes even fresher than what you'll find in some restaurants. You know the ones.

I have to confess that ever since Fresh & Easy came on the scene I've been shopping less and less at Trader Joes. I suspect this will continue to be true through the holidays, since around this time the parking lot at Trader Joes gets pretty heated and intense, and I have no desire to die for a box of organic couscous. Also, the Fresh & Easy website has coupons ($6 off a $30 purchase!) and who doesn't want to save a few bucks during the holidays? Hey, those iPhone apps aren't going to buy themselves.

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tags: fresh and easy supermarket | holiday gifts | trader joes | what is up with the trader joes parking lot

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EA Games Winter Gaming Wonderland: Our First Holiday Party of the Year!

A few weeks ago my daughters and I went to the EA Games Winter Gaming Wonderland event. This was the first holiday-themed party we were invited to, so the excitement level was high. Let's face it - once you have kids, the holidays and video games go hand-in-hand. Like juice boxes and pretzels. Know what else goes hand-in-hand once you have kids? Room cleaning and whining. Just thought I'd get that in there.

EA Games throws a great party - besides the huge room filled with numerous gaming stations and big screens, they have things to make the adults happy, too. Like food catered by Chipotle.



While my daughters and their friends battled each other in Harry Potter and Hasbro Family Game Night 2, I got to nosh on some tortilla chips and killer carnitas that I didn't have to cook. That never happens at home I can tell you that.

My youngest daughter and her friend spent almost the entire night playing Charm Girls Club, and after they were worn out they started hanging around the sno-cone cart.



A LOT. I told them twenty sno-cones was going to freeze their stomach solid and that seemed to scare them away for awhile. But then they drank a bunch of hot chocolate, which they argued had thawed their stomachs enough for more sno-cones. Damn them and their science!

The girls even made the local news that night, which was a huge thrill for everyone. Let's just say my youngest has learned the fine art of following the camera crew around and inserting herself into the shot. Is there a video game for that?

A couple of other games my girls and their friends liked were Littlest Pet Shop Friends and The Sims 3. I tried a little Harry Potter but it was too hard to play while balancing a burrito and a cup of coffee, and my daughter said I had to choose between eating and gaming. I told her that sustenance is necessary for skill, thereby throwing that science right back at them!

I lost the game, but I still had my awesome burrito. Everybody wins!

Thanks to EA Games for kicking off our holidays with a great event!

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tags: ea games | chipotle | harry potter for wii | charm girls club

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On Momicillin: Who would have ever thought I'd be writing about anti-bacon?

I just wrote a guest post on Momicillin, a new site that features reviews and articles written by parents, intended to "help cure what ills the everyday (or any-day) Mom." I decided to write a review on something that has been saving my sanity at dinnertime lately, a line of meatless products. It's true - there was a time I considered a tofu hotdog sacrilegious, but I've had to change my tune ever since my 13-year-old turned against me and became a vegetarian. Please note, though - I will never, ever, not in a million years, buy a Tofurky.

So here’s the thing – I could never relate to those parents that complained about not getting their kids to eat, because my daughters, 11 and 13, will eat just about anything. And it’s always been that way - even when they were babies I remember friends and relatives coming over and it would almost be like a game. “Hey, let’s see if they’ll eat THIS,” they’d say, and then proceed to drop pieces of liver, or anchovies or cigarette butts onto my kids’ plates (Okay, I just made up the part about the cigarette butts, but you get the picture)...Read More...

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tags: momicillin | meatless products | teenage vegetarians | tofurky

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Bliss & Broads: My Nintendo Wii Fit Plus Yoga Party

I love throwing parties, but anyone who knows me is familiar with the torture I put myself through - the agonizing over detail, the hours of preparation - and that's just putting together the vegetable tray. So I was pretty excited when Nintendo and Brand About Town contacted me about throwing a yoga party and told me they'd be doing all the work - I told them that was a fabulous idea, but I still wanted to show up a couple of hours early to vacuum, scrub all the toilets and obsess about the placement of candles. Oh, and no party of mine would feel right unless I spent a few minutes yelling at my husband to go buy ice.

But I didn't have to worry, because they handled everything down to the last detail. I was able to invite twenty girlfriends to spend the evening with me getting to know the new Wii Fit Plus, the newest version of Wii Fit that features new strength and yoga exercises as well as new balance games. The location was a photo studio in Hollywood that was converted into a yoga studio for the night - check out this beautiful scene - just knowing I didn't have to Swiffer those floors makes me all choked up:



Upon arrival, everyone was greeted by the Nintendo staff and after a round of delicious smoothie shooters we were all invited to relax on the cushions and make ourselves at home (some of us were embarrassed to learn to that "at home" didn't mean laying down, loosening our pants and tuning the TV to CNN.) After a little socializing we sat down to watch a demo of the Wii Fit Plus by our Nintendo coach, the incredibly fit and energetic Natalie. Here is my group of amazing girlfriends, looking captivated - I can safely say I haven't seen a few of them look this enraptured since that time at the club where that guy did that thing with his whatchamacalit. You know who you are.



Earlier we were each given a stone with a word such as 'balance' or 'calm' inscribed on it and that determined who your partner was once we were let loose to try some of the exercises and games on our own. My partner was my friend Krista, who also taught both my daughters in elementary school. Needless to say I was on my best behavior. We spent some time going through a basic yoga routine on the Wii Fit Plus where I quickly discovered how uncoordinated I really am - I think I actually heard the virtual trainer snickering when I was attempting the Tree Pose. (But the great thing about the program is that it tells you when you're off balance, or not putting enough weight on one of your legs during the pose.) The only thing I was good at were the Torso Twists, and that was only because I told myself I was turning and bending to reach a bag of french fries that was just out of my reach.

After yoga we moved onto the Training Plus feature - Wii Fit Plus has some great new games including one called Obstacle Course, where you try to avoid being knocked into oblivion by a huge ball (me = dead) and my favorite, Perfect 10, where you use your hips and butt to hit bumpers that add up to 10. Not as easy as it sounds, since it requires some serious swiveling action while doing math - this game illustrates why my accountant friend Dan is such a lousy dancer.

Alas, no party post of mine would be complete without showing you the food. After all of our hard work they brought out trays of delicious sandwiches, cheese, hummus and fruit. For dessert there were cookies and strawberries, and glasses of wine. I know wine isn't considered part of any fitness routine, but I'm thinking my tree pose might have been more successful had it come post-cabernet.



The biggest surprise of the evening came when our hosts presented me with a brand-new Wii Fit Plus and Balance Board...and then gave one to every single one of my friends at the party! You should have heard the squealing - again, haven't heard anything like it since the guy did that thing - oh never mind.

This party was to kickoff my designation as an official Brand Enthusiast for Nintendo. What does that mean? I'm not exactly sure, but for the next year I'll be sharing with you - my friends, family and unsuspecting public - all the goodness that is Nintendo. And around our house, where the Wii is the most frequently used appliance (next to the espresso machine) that won't be hard to do. After the party I had quite a few people call to tell me they were already using their Wii Fit Plus daily, and two of my friends, who didn't have Wiis, went out that weekend and bought the consoles. I guess this means my hypnotizing powers as an Enthusiast are already doing their voodoo.

And stay tuned because I have an amazing giveaway coming up, courtesy of Nintendo. Hint: It's not one of my impressive vegetable trays.

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tags: nintendo | wii fit plus | wii fit plus yoga | brand about town | nintendo brand enthusiast

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The Winner of the VIP Disneyland Trip Is...

Congratulations to the Gonzalez family - looking forward to meeting all of you! I'll be contacting you soon with details. Thanks to everyone who entered!

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