Friday, July 31, 2009

My Dress My Dress My Dress!!!

My WEDDING DRESS is HERE!!! It is at my house. In my closet hanging there staring at me and calling me over and over "Pink Haired Momma! Pink Haired Momma", to come and play dress up with it! It is just patiently waiting for this Pink Haired Momma to slip it on so it can strut its stuff down the aisle to marry Hubbs to be in Las Vegas!!.....




Wanna see my DRESS???






HAHAHA!!! You just thought you were gonna get a sneak peek of me in it huh?

Nope not a chance. Hubbs-to-be reads my blog daily. He can see my dress and he can see me, but he CAN NOT see me in it until that magical moment!! Hey so what do you think of my Hot pink furry feather shoes?? Matches my head!!





I am so happy with my dress and so super excited!!!




I am just tickled PINK!!! My DRESS came from my Fabulous Designer yesterday and I flung open the box and found fabulous prize inside. I am on cloud 9! I am so happy with my dress. I can not wait to wear it! Thank you so much Batty from Azrael's Accomplice Designs. You did a wonderful job and I could not be happier! I can not wait to marry my handsome and loving Hubbs-to-be, wearing this fabulous dress! I may never take it off. HAHA just kidding!


So on top of my fabulous dress arriving yesterday for me to gloat about, my fun and fabulous wedding invitations designed by Hubbs-to-be also arrived! I swear I thought it was Christmas. The doorbell kept ringing all day and each time resulted in another cool box for me to open full of prizes!! Wahooo!!








I am so proud of him! He did a Fabulous job!!


So it is official! I AM getting married in 3 MONTHS! I still have so much to do. Stay tuned to see what unfolds over the next few months as we inch closer to our Masquerade Ball wedding on Halloween in Las Vegas followed by a Hometown reception the following weekend! We are so fabulous we get 2 parties for our wedding! HAHAHA


But I come with my own Sippy!!!!

9 years ago today I was admitted to the hospital at the ripe age of 21 unable to move my extremities and scared to death. After a battery of tests it was determined I had some form of neuropathy. I was treated with IV medication for 7 days and seemed to respond quite well. Strength began to return to my arms and legs and I was released from the hospital with the instructions to take care of my self. Well not even a month later the symptoms of not being able to move those arms and legs came back again! Back to the hospital I went.

I did not respond well to the medicine this time. I got a little worse then a little better. Then a little worse then a little better. Some more time went by and then by the time thanksgiving came about I was wheelchair bound and unable to do anything for myself but think and run my mouth!!! I of course kept my silly sense of humor running full force, I mean as long as my lips and mouth could move we were cool! I joked with everyone that I was a hot babe looking for a date and I even came with a sippy cup, stroller (wheelchair) and my own potty chair (you can figure it out). At Christmas I was still wheelchair bound and trying desperately to keep on laughing . It was tough be I manged to keep on trucking with a gigantic toothy smile.

The illness was finally diagnosed as CIDP. What is CIDP! Well it stands for Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy. I interpreted it as some Crap the Dr's didn't really know or understand. I was treated with different types of procedures and medicines. Nothing really worked. Or if it seemed to work eventually it crapped out and we were back at square one. Even through all this over a 2 year period, I was able to keep on trucking with a toothy smile (for the most part). I secretly would cry at night to my pillow when i thought no one knew or could hear. My dumb butt self forgot that a woman who is paralyzed from the neck down has someone close by at all times, even if she doesn't think so. DUH!!

It was incredibly difficult to watch the faces of my family, friends, and caregivers. They did an awesome job in keeping their spirits lifted around me, but man I could read them like a book. Terror seeped from every muscle in the forced smiles at me. I have to say that was by far the hardest part of being sick. Not the inability to move. Not the having to succumb to someone doing everything for you. Not the constant wondering of what your fate may be. It was watching those around you be in pain. I hated it!

We pushed my stroller right on through the holidays and in to February. On Valentines Day 2001 I made a fabulous achievements. I moved my right pointer finger ALL by myself. It was the most awesome feeling I had ever experienced. We called everyone. The nurses, doctors, family and friends, People gathered around my bed to see Michelle the amazing Pointer finger moving girl. Circus freakish I know. But it was so good to move that finger. Soon after the finger movement, other muscles began to respond. In no time I was re learning how to walk. Frustrated that I could not instantly run marathons, i struggled with sound mind through intense physical rehab.

I learned to use my extremities again. I slowly began to resume a life of independence again as well. It was joyous. I returned to college. Got a job and began to live as a normal healthy person. Well sort of. Finding the right cocktail of medication was quite a chore and not something the normal healthy person endures on a daily basis. I take an oral medicine daily and an infusion of medication at a designated time point. The infusions started out every other day. And in 9 years we have successfully reached once every 10 weeks. During those early years no one knew if I would ever walk, run, care for myself again. It was pretty much understood that carrying my own children would never be a possibility. Well here we are 9 years later and what do you know. I carried a perfectly healthy baby almost to term. I was training for a marathon (reached 11 miles continuous run before finding out I was pregnant). And I am happy and doing great!!

I know this is just a glimpse or rather a very short summary of 9 years of illness and recovery. I don't really feel the need to go into all the gory horrible details. I really just want to recognize the date and look back at how far I have come. I am incredibly happy and thankful to still be here. I am grateful for every day. And I am so in love with my daughter Amelia Grace aka Baby DIVA and Alberto My Hubbs-to-be! I couldn't ask for a better life. Even if it was rocky in the past it has made me who I am and I think enabled me to be a better parent to my daughter!


Thursday, July 30, 2009

Baby wearing Momma

I am a baby wearer and PROUD of it! And I love it! When Baby DIVA was a small little DIVA, wearing her close to my heart not only kept her calm and happy but me as well. First time mom craziness kept me from wanting to be any more than 2 feet away from her at anytime!

Anyway. I think all moms should at least give Baby wearing a try. It is a wonderful experience for mom and baby. It can provide an avenue for moms to bond with baby just by keeping your little close to you. It also also great for dads too. Baby wearing can also provide mom with some much needed freedom to wander about and get some things done. Baby is snuggly attached to you but your arms and hands are free to move about at your leisure. And if daddy learns to wear baby too, both mom and dad can have a bit of freedom and still allow the baby to bond and be near his or her parents.

So how does one decide which baby slinging apparatus is right for them and their babe? It all depends on the mom or dad and the child and what you will be doing while utilizing the baby sling. I personally love the Moby Wrap. I wore Baby DIVA around all the time in my Moby Wrap. It was great when I finally mastered the baby wearing. It enabled me the freedom I needed to not lose my sanity as a brand new mom. We also had a simple Baby Sling that we utilized for wearing when we needed to quickly get in and out of places. Below I have attached my favorite picture of Baby DIVA in the Moby Wrap! I just absolutely crack up laughing at her little face every time I see this!!

You might feel like Baby DIVA when you first begin to explore the baby sling and wearing possibilities. Don't worry though. If you head over to La Stella Blu you will be engaged in many possible options and can find the best baby wearing product for you.

***GIVEAWAY***Custom Burp Cloth

There is a totally fabulous giveaway going on over at Mommy Minutes. Please hop on over to Mommy Minutes and enter for your chance to win 2 handmade CUSTOM BURP CLOTHS! Fabulous!! Now get over there!!

Future Blogger

Baby DIVA is being especially DIVAish this week as we are working on a tooth entrance. She has decided in all her DIVA glory that napping is no longer a good past time. Neither is nighttime sleeping. Baby DIVA is awake now 24 hours a day! Fabulous for Pink Haired Momma I tell you.

Well Hubbs-to-be brought home some really old, old, old laptops. You see Baby DIVA is quite obsessed with gadgets (hmmmm wonder where she gets that from since her daddy and grandma are IT nerds). We tried giving her a toy phone, laptop, remote. She was not happy. She wants the REAL thing. And since she is no longer sleeping EVER, we introduced her to her new toy.



So without further ado, I would like to introduce you to future blogger
BABY DIVA!!!!!




Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Are you Crazy4jigsaws????

I am!

I love puzzles of all kinds. Mind benders, word games, number crunchers. But my absolute favorite are jigsaw puzzles. I can recall working puzzles with my great grandfather and my dad as far back as I can remember. Puzzles are just one of those ageless forms of entertainment. In different varieties you can find pleasure as a toddler, a teenager, as a young adult and even as a ripely matured adult. It is quite amazing that one form of entertainment can intrigue such a multitude of ages for decades.

Recently I was introduced to the website Crazy4jigsaws . This site is so much fun. Not only can you work all kinds of puzzles, you can design your own puzzles too. By this I mean you can choose how many pieces will be in your puzzle. What shapes your puzzle pieces will be. What picture will your puzzle will be. There are just all kinds of different possibilities to stimulate your mind.

And as a Pink Haired Momma the greatest part for me is NO MESS!! The advanced technology that our lifestyles have become accustomed to, have enabled us to work all levels of these puzzles with just a click of the mouse! Right here on our computer! It is so awesome! You can work your puzzle. Then press save, run to dinner and come back later and keep going. Or you can save your puzzle and run out the door laptop tucked under your arm and then complete it while on your lunch break.


Here is a screenshot of a puzzle in progress!

And here we have a glimpse at the puzzle possibilities

And how cool to have these cool shapes as puzzle pieces

And it gets even better!

At Crazy4jigsaws not only do you get to relish in the glory of your accomplishment of completing a puzzle, you get to rack up points by completing puzzles that can then be utilized to win REAL puzzles sent to your house! You can also upload your own images and they are then created into puzzles of your choosing. You can keep them saved to your account and you can even send them as E-cards to all your friends and family! The Crazy4jigsaws site is free to play and they offer free membership that allows users to compete for solve times, upload photos, and earn puzzle points for solving puzzles. As mentioned, the Puzzle points can be redeemed for tickets in the monthly contests to win REAL puzzles. Now if you are a crazy4jigsaws maniac like myself, you may be interested in the premium membership program. With the premium membership you have the ability to save a puzzle in progress and can view puzzles at full screen size. Fabulous my friends! Just Fabulous.


I have spent the last few days playing around on Crazy4jigsaws and I am so addicted. I am just so tickled at this website. It is a lot of fun. It is so fabulously entertaining for me. And Baby Diva was also entertained for a quite long period of time as she watched her crazy Pink Haired Momma obsesses of completing a difficult puzzle. LOL! And I also have been able to get my Great Grandmother involved. We uploaded some of the pictures we have scanned from her collection of memorabilia and showed her the ropes on puzzle play on the computer. She has taken right to it.


My great Grandmother on her 1st birthday! She loves working this puzzle!
I think crazy4jigsaws is a fabulous site. You really should check it out. It defiantly provides entertainment in a way that is easy to use and incredibly stimulating. Click here to get started!!


Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Sunny D sweepstakes you to Disney

With a new baby and a wedding fast approaching Hubbs-to-be and Pink Haired Momma have no fundage for extra vacations this year. We would love to have one, as we adore traveling, but it is just not in our financial cards or in the Hubbs-to-be's time off from work. In fact our wedding trip is also our honeymoon!

I would still love to take a family vacation this year despite the enormous changes and fun we are already having!! So I periodically stalk the net for great vacation giveaways. And guess what? I found a doozie!

A 5 day 4 night trip to Orlando Florida aka the home of Disney world!! FABULOUS!!! I so wanna go! You do not have to purchase anything to enter. You can enter 1 time every 24 hours and there are 4, LET ME SAY AGAIN, 4 more drawings between now and November to win! And if you don't happen to win the wonderful vacation prize you still are eligible for a $100 gas card. Just think you can do a tankcation (vacation only as far as a full tank of gas can get you)! I have already entered the Sunny D sweepstakes today!

So yes I a msharing this wonderful sweepstakes information with you, even though I want to win!! I will be happy for you if you win and promise not to talk about you behind your back...much!

Here are the upcoming drawing dates!

August 7, 2009: 3 First Prizes and 1 Grand Prize

September 4, 2009: 3 First Prizes

October 5, 2009: 3 First Prizes

November 2, 2009: 1 Grand Prize
*see the November 2 drawing is just 2 days after my wedding! I should so win!!!



Official Rules and Regulations:
SUNNYD VACATION GIVEAWAY SWEEPSTAKES

1. ELIGIBILITY: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR CLAIM PRIZE. PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE ODDS OF WINNING. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and District of Columbia (“U.S.”) who are 18 years of age or older at time of entry. Employees, officers and directors of Sunny Delight Beverages Company (the “Sponsor”), Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc., their respective subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies, any other entities involved in the production and execution of this promotion, and members of the immediate families (spouses and parents, siblings, children and their spouses and in-laws) and persons living in the same household of such individuals (whether related or not) are not eligible. Void where prohibited.


2. TO ENTER: The SunnyD Vacation Giveaway Sweepstakes begins at 12:01 AM Eastern Time (“ET”) on March 30, 2009 and ends at 11:59 PM ET on October 25, 2009. You may enter this sweepstakes three ways:

1) To enter online, visit www.SunnyD.com, access the online entry form, complete all requested information and submit as directed. Online entries must be received by Sponsor’s server by 11:59 PM ET on October 25, 2009.

2) The Sunmobile Truck will be appearing at various events during the course of this sweepstakes. Between March 30, 2009 and October 25, 2009, Yyou may enter at one of these events by hand printing your name, address, telephone number and date of birth on an official entry form (while supplies last) or on a 3” x 5” piece of paper and submitting it to the SunnyD personnel at that event. Visit www.SunnyD.com for a schedule of Sunmobile Truck appearances and locations.

3) The Festival de Futbol van will be appearing at various events during the course of this sweepstakes. Between March 30, 2009 and October 25, 2009, Yyou may enter at one of these events by hand printing your name, address, telephone number and date of birth on an official entry form (while supplies last) or on a 3” x 5” piece of paper and submitting it to the SunnyD personnel at that event. Visit www.SunnyD.com for a schedule of Festival de Futbal van appearances and locations.



*Limit one entry per person per day, regardless of method of entry.


3. RANDOM DRAWINGS: A total of 6 random drawings will be conducted by MatchPoint Marketing from among all eligible entries received prior to each drawing date. Drawings will be held on or about the following dates listed below to award the following prizes:


May 1, 2009: 3 First Prizes

June 5, 2009: 3 First Prizes and 1 Grand Prize

July 3, 2009: 3 First Prizes

August 7, 2009: 3 First Prizes and 1 Grand Prize

September 4, 2009: 3 First Prizes

October 5, 2009: 3 First Prizes

November 2, 2009: 1 Grand Prize


4. PRIZE DESCRIPTIONS: (3) Grand Prizes (one to be awarded on or about July 3, 2009, one to be awarded on or about August 7, 2009, and one to be awarded on or about November 2, 2009): A 5 day/4 night Orlando prize trip package for four people. Prize consists of round-trip coach class air transportation for the winner and up to three guests, designated in writing, from a major U.S. commercial airport nearest the winner’s residence to Orlando, Florida; one quadruple-occupancy room or similar for four nights; full size rental car for up to five days; and eight single-day/single-park admission passes to winner’s choice of Walt Disney World®, SeaWorld® Orlando or Universal Orlando®. Trip (and trip components) is/are subject to availability, blackout dates, and other restrictions may apply as dictated by travel partners. Travel must begin/end with the same major U.S. airport, with the same service. Stopovers, open jaws, circle trips or frequent traveler mileages are not permitted. Once passengers are ticketed, any fee associated with flight changes or dates of travel is the responsibility of the winner. Winner will be solely responsible for ground transportation to/from the airport at point of original. Rental car must have a driver who is at least twenty-five (25) years of age or older, have a valid driver’s license, credit card and insurance (subject to terms and conditions of rental car company) and will be solely responsible for any additional costs associated with vehicle rental and usage. If winner or winner’s parent or legal guardian do not meet rental car requisites/requirements that portion of the prize will not be awarded and no additional compensation will be provided. Winner must provide 30 days advanced notice prior to intended date of departure and prize travel must be completed by 12/31/10. Valid government-issued photo identification required for air travel. Grand Prize winner and all guests must travel together on same itinerary as set by the prize supplier at its sole discretion. Winner is solely responsible for all other expenses associated with his/her use of the prize not specified here. Approximate retail value of each Grand pPrize is $4,114, however, the actual value will vary depending on number of guests, departure city, and dates of travel. Any difference between stated value and the actual value will not be awarded. The prize package is non-transferable, has no cash value, and cannot be extended or replaced if destroyed, lost, stolen, or unredeemed.


(18) First Prizes: (3 to be awarded per drawing): a $100 gift card redeemable at a local gas station selected by Sponsor in its sole discretion. Gift cards are subject to terms, conditions and restrictions printed on and associated with the cards.


Non-winning entries for any drawing will be retained and included in subsequent drawings. Total approximate retail value of all prizes combined is $14,142. Winners will be notified by email, telephone and/or overnight courier at Sponsor’s sole discretion. Odds of winning in any drawing depend on the number of entries eligible entries received for that drawing.


5. GENERAL: All taxes on prizes are the sole responsibility of winners. By participating, entrants agree (a) to these rules and decisions of judges which shall be final in all respects; (b) to release and hold harmless Sponsor, Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc., their respective parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, and related companies, advertising or promotion agencies, and all of their respective officers, directors, employees, agents and representatives from any and all claims, demands, costs, expenses, liability, losses or damages of any kind resulting from their participation in the promotion or their acceptance, use or misuse of a prize, or participation in any prize-related activity including travel to and from any prize-related activity, and, including liability for personal injury, death, or property damage; (c) if a winner, to the use of name and/or photograph for advertising and publicity purposes without compensation (unless prohibited by law) and to execute specific consent to such use if asked to do so, and to the announcement of their name, city and state; and (d) that, other than as set forth in these rules, Sponsor and its agents have not made any representation, warranty or guaranty, in whole or in part, in law or in fact, relative to the prizes. Grand Prize Winners will be required to complete an affidavit of eligibility and liability release and (where legal) a publicity release, which must be returned within time period specified by Sponsor or an alternate winner may be selected at Sponsor’s sole discretion. Return of any prize/prize notification as undeliverable may, at Sponsor’s sole discretion, result in disqualification of winner and selection of an alternate winner. If a Grand Prize winner is at least 18 years of age but not of the age of majority in his/her state of residence (a “minor”), prize will be awarded in the name of a parent or legal guardian, and the affidavit and release (if applicable) must also be signed by that minor’s parent or legal guardian. Travel guests of Grand Prize Winners (or their parent/legal guardian if a minor) must complete a liability release and, where lawful, a publicity release prior to the issuance of travel documents. All minors must travel with their parent/legal guardians.


Sponsor, Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc., their respective parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, and related companies, advertising or promotion agencies, or all of their respective officers, directors, employees, agents and representatives are not responsible and shall not be liable for: (a) any telephone, electronic, hardware or software program, network, Internet or computer malfunctions, failures, or difficulties of any kind, including without limitation, server malfunction or by any human error which may occur in the processing of entries; (b) failed, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmissions; (c) late, lost, illegible, postage-due, incomplete, damaged or misdirected entries or mail; and (d) any condition caused by events that may cause the promotion to be disrupted or corrupted. Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to cancel or suspend the sweepstakes or any portion thereof should viruses, bugs, or other causes corrupt the administration, security or proper play of the promotion; in which case, all prizes will be awarded via a random drawing from among all eligible entries legitimately received prior to cancellation. In case of dispute, entries will be declared made by the authorized account holder of the email address used to participate at the time of entry. “Authorized account holder” is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an email address by an Internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization (e.g. business, educational institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEB SITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE PROMOTION MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. In no event will Sponsor, Administrator, their respective parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, and related companies, advertising or promotion agencies, or all of their respective officers, directors, employees, agents and representatives be responsible or liable for any damages or losses of any kind, including direct, indirect, incidental, consequential or punitive damages arising out of your access to and use of the internet site www.SunnyD.com or other sites promoting the sweepstakes or the downloading from and/or printing material downloaded from said sites. Without limiting the foregoing, everything on this site is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement. Information submitted with an entry is subject to the Privacy Policy stated on the Web site. Entries become the property of Sponsor. No prize transfer. No prize substitution except at Sponsor’s sole discretion.


6. ARBITRATION/CHOICE OF LAW: Except where prohibited, entrants agree that: (a) any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or connected with this promotion, or any prize awarded, or the determination of the winners, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by arbitration pursuant to the Rules of the American Arbitration Association, then effective, in Hamilton County, Ohio;, (b) any and all claims, judgements and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering this promotion but in no event attorneys’ fees; and (c) under no circumstances will entrant be permitted to obtain awards for and entrant hereby waives all rights to claim punitive, incidental and consequential damages and any other damages, other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses, and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of entrant and/or Sponsor in connection with the promotion, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Ohio, without regard for conflicts of law doctrine, and all proceedings shall take place in Hamilton County, Ohio.


7. WINNER LIST: For a list of major winners, mail a self-addressed, stamped envelope to be received by November 16, 2009 to: SunnyD Vacation Giveaway Sweepstakes Winners, c/o MatchPoint Marketing, PO BOX 551595, Jacksonville, FL 32255-1219.


Sponsor: Sunny Delight Beverages Company, 4747 Lake Forest Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45242



Tuesday Tidbit

Hello1 Happy Tuesday!!! It is Tidbit time!

This week I want to focus on one of my favorite kitchen staples!!
Vinegar!
I LOVE vinegar of all kinds!! White vinegar, Apple cider vinegar, Balsamic vinegar (my all time fave). All vinegar is amazing. I clean with it. And I cook with it all the time! I use it for all kinds of stuff around the house. Recently, while participating in one of my favorite 3am past times, Net stalking, I happened across this website called the Virtual Owl. The virtual owl had some fabulous household tips and tricks for all to use. It is kind of like the grandma bank of knowledge. But since you cant call grandma at 3am, you can jump online and find her tried and true tricks to resolve just about anything! And the best part? Most of these tips and tricks for the household are all things you already have at home and are far from any chemical that can your little ones, pets, or self.

Here is a list of my favorites from the virtual owl:

Kill bacteria in meats.
Marinating meat in Vinegar kills bacteria and tenderises the meat. Use one-quarter cup vinegar for a two to three pound roast, marinate overnight, and then cook without draining or rinsing the meat. Add herbs to the vinegar when marinating as desired.

Dissolve warts.
Mix one part Apple Cider Vinegar to one part glycerin into a lotion and apply daily to warts until they dissolve.

Remove stubborn stains from furniture upholstery and clothes.
Apply White Vinegar directly to the stain, and then wash as directed by the manufacturer's instructions.

Grow beautiful azaleas.
Occasionally water plants with a mixture of two White Vinegar to one-quart water. Azaleas love acidic soil.

Relieve arthritis.
Before each meal, drink a glass of water containing two teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar. Give this folk remedy at least three weeks to start working.

Kill unwanted grass.
Pour White Vinegar in crevices and between bricks.

Remove corns.
Make a poultice of one crumbled piece of bread soaked in one-quarter cup Vinegar. Let poultice sit for one-half hour, then apply to the corn and tape in place overnight. If corn does not peel off by morning, reapply the poultice for several consecutive nights.

Clean the hoses and unclog soap scum from a washing machine.
Once a month pour one cup of White Vinegar into the washing machine and run the machine through a normal cycle, without clothes.

Cure an upset stomach.
Drink two teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar in one-cup water to soothe an upset stomach.

Kill germs on bathroom fixtures.
Use one part Vinegar to one part water in a spray bottle. Spray the bathroom fixtures and floor, then wipe clean.

Clean soap scum, mildew, and grime from bathtub, tile, and shower curtains.
Simply wipe the surface with Vinegar and rinse with water.

Deodorize the air.
Vinegar is a natural air freshener when sprayed in a room.

Relieve itching.
Use a cotton ball to dab mosquito and other bug bites with Vinegar straight from the bottle.

Clean lime deposits and calcium sludge from an automatic drip coffee maker.
Once a month fill the reservoir with White Vinegar and run through the brew cycle. Rinse thoroughly with two cycles of cold water.

Soothe sunburn pain.
Apply undiluted Vinegar to the burn.

Clean food-stained pots and pans.
Fill the pots and pans with White Vinegar and let stand for thirty minutes. Then rinse in hot, soapy water.

Prevent bright coloured clothes from fading.
Before putting the article in the washing machine, soak it in White Vinegar for ten minutes.

Keep a garbage disposal clean and smelling fresh.
Mix one cup of Vinegar in enough water to fill an ice cube tray, freeze the mixture, grind the cubes through the disposal, and flush with cold water.

Clean a toilet bowl.
Pour in one cup of White Vinegar, let it stand for five minutes, and flush.

Prevent yeast infections.
Douche with one tablespoon White Vinegar to one-quart warm water to adjust the pH balance in the vagina.

Clean dentures.
Soak dentures overnight in White Vinegar, and then brush away tartar with a toothbrush.

Remove perspiration stains from clothes.
Apply one part White Vinegar to four parts water, then rinse.
Deodorize a room filled with cigarette smoke or paint fumes.
Place a small bowl of White Vinegar in the room.

Cure the hiccups.
Mix one teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar in one cup of warm water, and drink.

Eliminate odours from used jars.
Rinse peanut butter and mayonnaise jars with White Vinegar.

Condition dry hair.
Shampoo, then rinse hair with a mixture of one cup Apple Cider Vinegar and two cups water. Vinegar adds highlights to brunette hair, restores the acid mantel, and removes soap film and sebum oil.

Clean mineral deposits from a steam iron.
Fill the water tank with White Vinegar. Turn the iron to the steam setting and steam iron a soft utility rag to clean the steam ports. Repeat the process with water, then thoroughly rinse out the inside of your iron.

Remove light scorch marks from fabrics.
Rub lightly with White Vinegar, then wipe with a clean cloth.

Keep drains open.
Pour one-half box of old baking soda down the drain followed by one cup White Vinegar. When the bubbling stops, run the hot water.

Remove decals or bumper stickers.
Soak a cloth in Vinegar and cover the decal or bumper sticker for several minutes until the vinegar soaks in. The decals and bumper stickers should peel off easily.

Deodorize a wool sweater.
Wash sweater, then rinse in equal parts Vinegar and water to remove odour.

Prevent lint from clinging to clothes.
Add one cup Vinegar to each wash load.

Prevent ice from forming on a car windshield overnight.
Coat the window with a solution of three parts White or Apple Cider Vinegar to one part water.

Prolong the life of flowers in a vase.
Add two tablespoons of White Vinegar plus three tablespoons of sugar per quart of warm water. Stems should be in three to four inches of water.

Prevent cracked hard-boiled eggs.
Add two tablespoons of White Vinegar per quart of water before boiling to prevent the eggs from cracking. The eggshells will also peel off faster and easier.

Clean windows.
Use undiluted Vinegar in a spray bottle. Dry with a soft cloth.

Eliminate unpleasant cooking odours in the kitchen.
Boil one tablespoon of White Vinegar with one cup of water.

Remove wallpaper.
Mix equal parts Vinegar and hot water. Use a paint roller to wet the paper thoroughly with the mixture. Repeat. Paper should peal off in sheets.

Eliminate animal urine stains from carpet.
Blot up urine, flush several times with lukewarm water, then apply a mixture of equal parts White Vinegar and cool water. Blot up, rinse, and let dry.

Relieve a cold.
Mix one-quarter cup Apple Cider Vinegar with one-quarter cup honey. Take one tablespoon six to eight times daily.

Deodorize a stale lunch box.
Soak a paper napkin in Vinegar and leave it inside the closed lunch box overnight.

Prevent soapy film on glassware.
Place a cup of White Vinegar on the bottom rack of your dishwasher, run for five minutes, then run though the full cycle. A cup of white vinegar run through the entire cycle once a month will also reduce soap scum on the inner workings.

Unclog a shower head.
Unscrew the shower head, remove the rubber washer, place the head in a pot filled with equal parts Vinegar and water, bring to a boil, then simmer for five minutes.

Relieve a cough.
Mix one-half cup Apple Cider Vinegar, one-half cup water, one-teaspoon cayenne pepper, and four teaspoons honey. Take one tablespoon when cough acts up. Take another tablespoon at bedtime.


Okay Okay I know it is almost the whole list! I couldn't help it! They are all such great uses for something we already have in our kitchen!! I just had to share the great website and all these fabulous uses for vinegar.
Now I am off to fill the house with the aroma of "salad"!


Monday, July 27, 2009

Hot Air Balloon

Hubbs-to-be's birthday is coming up in August. I have been searching for the most fabulous Pink Haired Momma gift to get him. I stumbled upon the idea of a Hot Air balloon ride. I thought this would just be absolutely amazing and wonderful. I looked into it and discovered that a simple 1 hour hot air balloon ride was WELL out of our budget! It is incredibly expensive. Bummer! Turns out Hubbs-to-be had looked at this very idea for a Mother's day treat for ME, and came to the same conclusion! Great minds sure do think alike!




Well you can imagine how elated I was Sunday morning to wake up and open the blinds and view this basically in our backyard! Is it s sign? should we pursue this idea again? Time will tell!!!




Please excuse the fogged look, my camera did not enjoy walking out into the early morning Texas heat!!!

Laughing at life

Imagine yourself grocery shopping. All of a sudden your feel some rumbling in the tummy area and you KNOW it ain't gonna wait. Off you scoot to the grocery store bathroom. Everything is going smooth, when out of no where SOME spawn decides to enter the restroom. You quietly just continue to mind your own business in your own stall and wait patiently for the spawn to vacate. Spawn then flushes and heads to wash the hands. Spawn must have sang the happy birthday song in their head 3 or 4 times to time their cleaning procedures, because it is FOREVER before the spawn vacates the restroom completely. FINALLY, spawn is gone and you being vacate procedures of your own. Before you can leave the stall Spawn returns. Spawn begins to spray the restroom with a powerful air freshening device.

Now from inside your private stall you are humiliated and confused. Did Spawn just steal air freshener?


True story my friends! Go ahead laugh and pee in your pants on this fabulous Monday morning!!

7th generation under the sink contest

Found this fabulous giveaway contest posted over at 3kidsandus.com!! check it out!!

7th generation contest

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Organization Rocks!!

So this weekend Hubbs-to-be and I completely baby proofed the entire house for Baby DIVA. I mean now that she is 8 months old and thinks she can run at full force through the house, we couldn't risk any Uh-ohs! This baby proofing process resulted in two really exciting things.
One The playroom is now set up and Baby DIVA can play! play! play! ALL day long in a safe haven!! Woohooo!!! Now let me also say that even with ALL the toys our spoiled little baby DIVA has in her newly set up playroom, she chose to play with the tiny string sticking out from the carpet in her doorway under neath the baby gate. NICE. Glad you like all momma and dadda's hard work!!!

~Playroom~
~Playroom and Baby DIVA toy hunting~

Second we cleaned our office! Hallelujah!! You can see the floors and I totally forgot we had windows in that room!! We picked up some fabulous organizer containers and took control back of our world!! All of my crafting materials are in order! My cookbooks and cupcake making utensils are organized! Hubbs-to-be has all his computer graphics and photography supplies in order! We can both enjoy our hobbies again! I am sooooo happy and excited! Now if I want to do a craft or make a cupcake I can go right to the area it is stored and Voila all my supplies are there! Not hanging out in the garage, kitchen or sometimes even the bathroom! FABULOUS!!! Being organized just makes life so much better!
Oh I almost forgot!!! We also ordered our WEDDING Invitations!!! Woohoo! And since Hubbs-to-be is the designer ( i love marrying a graphic dude), we spent 80 bucks for 250 invites! Hot diggity dog!!! They should be in here in 7 days! FABULOUS!!!!


Dream Travel in an RV: Where would you go?



This weeks Dream Travel in an RV still finds us following the reality show The Great American Roadtrip. I will admit I was pretty ding dang dong excited when the DiSalvatore dad had his opportunity to grill up some hamburgers and failed miserably!!! I just about fell off my couch when his wife instructed him to "cook them all the way" and he replied "how do I know when they are done?". Seriously this guy gets on my last nerve! He is just so self centered and flat out mean to his wife and kids. There was a scene on the RV where Mr. Salvatore was running his mouth (as usual), and his poor son had this devastated look on his face. I really wanted to jump through the TV and hug this poor kid. His wife must be petitioning for sainthood or something because he is a character I would have kissed bye bye a long time ago! And that little for TV stunt he pulled by cleaning the RV for his family, WHATEVER!!!

Okay anyway back to the game. This week the teams visited Kansas, Oklahoma and My Home State TEXAS!!! I was a bit bored watching the teams on their tourist stops. Although I would love to visit some of the locations they visited (the little house on the prairie house was WAY COOL as was the buffalo reserve), I did not find it entertaining watching the teams stroll through taking pictures and video of each other. BORING!!!

Move it along to the King of the road challenge! Now this was pretty neat. Each dad had 30 minutes to prepare hamburgers. The challenge provided the dads with every possible ingredient they may need to build the best hamburger. I kept waiting for Guy Fieri to jump out with his bleached hair and sunglasses and take a big bite outta their burgers. Oops sorry tangent!

The hamburgers were then blindly fed to the moms and kids and each family rated each tester hamburger. ( the dads and the family's did not know who's burger was whose, the only differential marker was a letter A, B, C, D, E, placed in each burger.) The end revealed which father made which hamburger followed by which three hamburgers sucked the most according to all the teams. The dad that had the best hamburger was Mr. Coote! Congratulations family that is lucky number r3 win for you in the King of the Road challenges!!!!The three sucky hamburgers put the corresponding family teams in the End of the road challenge. I enjoyed this challenge quite a bit. I thought is was humorous and provided involvement for the whole family. My love for food had nothing to do with my enjoyment of this episode!!!

So the three sucky hamburger families, the DiSalvatore's, The Rico's, and the Favrey's must compete to stay in the game.

Wouldn't you know it; because the teams are in Texas during the End of the Road challenge, the challenge is called Everything is bigger in Texas! LOL. The teams stand before a large Texas shape platform. A few yards away lie some VERY LARGE items associated with Texas. (i.e an oil derrick, longhorn's) Well separating the Large Texas and the Large Texas items is a fence maze. The teams must race through the maze and retrieve all the large Texas items return the items to the large Texas and place themselves plus all the large items on the Large Texas all at one time. So 4 people and a bunch of large Texas items all on a Texas platform. Making sense? Watch it and you will see!!

So the teams compete on who can complete this task correctly in the quickest amount of time. To my disappointment the Disalvatore's completed the challenge the fastest and thus are in the game another week. And my buds from KATY, the Rico's got the boot! In their home State no less, AND after Mr. Rico slipped and fell and twisted his ankle during the challenge. Bummer! I liked them a lot and was sure hoping they would stay in the game to represent my town KATY!!!!

So another week down another team sent rolling home in their RV!

Did you miss the episode? Watch it here.


*Just a reminder that my original Dream Travel in an RV: where would you go? will be returning once this reality show ends. I have been finding some totally fabulous places to virtual visit in the Pink Haired Mommas family RV!!! Would you like us to visit an offbeat place close to you? Send me an email by clicking "Contact" at the top of this page with your fascinating offbeat location for the Pink Haired Momma to virtually visit and then tune in to see what happens when we roll in!!!


Saturday, July 25, 2009

Baby DIVA turns 8...

8 months old that is!!
Yippeeeee!!
And a Big WOW!!
Where has all the time gone?

HAPPY 8 MONTH BIRTHDAY BABY DIVA!!!

So what has Baby DIVA accomplished this month?

Friday, July 24, 2009

Who is this PINK HAIRED MOMMA?


Well Hello there everyone!
If you already know me then I would like to just say Thank You so much for coming and visiting my blog! You are greatly appreciated! Without my readers I would not be able to ramble on about my Pink Haired Momma life to anyone but Hubbs-to-be, and believe me he would not enjoy it all that much!

If you are new and are visiting my blog for the first time just by luck or through the fabulous Blog hop, then please leave me a comment and let me know who you are! I would love to meet you and learn more about you. Stumped on what I want to know? How about your thing to do at night after the kids are put to bed?



So who is Pink Haired Momma???



Pink Haired Momma, Hubbs-to-be, and Baby DIVA

I am a 30 year old first time mom who is about to marry a wonderful man (Hubbs-to-be) this Halloween in a fabulous masquerade ball wedding in Las Vegas! And YES I am wearing a Black wedding gown and YES my hair WILL be pink!! And I am incredibly happy and super excited about it! So that answers a question I bet you are wondering. Does this mom really have pink hair? YOU BET!! And it is fabulous! I have a degree in psychology, so you would think I might be able to figure out this crazy wacked out world we all know as mommahood but I haven't got a clue! I stumble through each day looking for the humor that the day has to give me. Like today for instance...


Baby DIVA has learned there is "paint" in her diaper! Surprise Mom! I am an artist...all over the walls and sheets!! Masterpieces to be auctioned off at a later date. Seriously? You just have to laugh and keep on going!


Before the birth of this blog and Baby DIVA I was a career driven women who was not about to fall into the domesticated stereotypical roles of womanhood. Then I took my first look at Baby DIVA, Amelia, and well I still am by far, very very far, from stereotypical mommahood; however I LOVE being a SAHM and wife to be. Maybe this is my calling...to be a Pink Haired Momma who blogs about all the crazy daily happenings of this domesticated life. Some days offer more than others, but each day is amazing and full of pee in your pants moments!


Thanks for stopping by! Don't be a stranger! Let me know who you are! I would love to come on over and leave some Pink Haired Momma chatter for ya!!


Mosquito Eliminator

The DIVA's MESH Mosquito Eliminator


I am so sick and tired of these crazy summer mosquitoes!
They keep attacking my precious Baby DIVA and it is making me quite angry. I am not the only one either. Hubbs-to-be has turned into the one man mosquito eliminator! Seriously I am not kidding. The man has gone crazy planning and plotting the demise of every mosquito in the Texas area. So far he has removed any possible breeding grounds for the beasts that are withing a 50 foot perimeter of our home. He then sprayed like mad the surrounding areas of of home to destroy any traces of the beasts that may be lingering. Next hubbs-to-be placed citronella candles at every door way, the smell and glow now invites us in to our warm home each time we come walking up to the entrance. This was followed by the bug light zapper that now adorns our front entry way. Believe it or not, after all of this those hideous beasts still found the sweetness of my Baby DIVA and left their mark on her face again throughout the night. So Hubbs-to-be took it another step farther. Citronella candles reside around Baby DIVA's crib. I washed Baby DIVA every night in Lavender not only to keep her clean and comfortable and sleepy but to help battle those bugs. Was not getting the job done though! We then purchased the Off bug clip on thingy, which I might add was quite difficult to find as EVERY store within a 10 mile radius sold out over the 4th of July weekend and left us hunting like mad to find one. We finally did and clipped it to the crib at night. And guess what? Still that crazy pest left a mark on her cheek.
So now several weeks in to this battle we have finally finally found the right ingredients and perfected of eliminator cocktail and Baby DIVA has made it through the night with no new face bites!! Thanks to my Mother-in-law-to-be, Baby DIVA now truly sleeps like a DIVA with white mesh draped elegantly around her crib, keeping those horrid bugs away from her!! I don't know where they were sneaking in from. We don't see them in the house and they don't attack me or the Hubbs-to-be. I guess we are just not sweet enough! But now we have The DIVA's MESH Mosquito eliminator and it worked totally fabulous!!!

Failed against the beasts who want my Baby DIVA's sweetness
Citronella provides a deterrent but was no match for the horrific beasts!

So now Baby DIVA is protected with MESH and we can all rest better!! Woohoo!!

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Juicy Sippy Yum!!

I have the cutest and silliest Baby DIVA!!!
So I made homemade fresh apple juice for her. This was her first taste of fluid other than water and formula and she took right to it. She cracks me up. She would not put down the Sippy. She kept gagging herself because she was trying to drink it so fast! Sure did make this Pink Haired Momma feel like an expert juice maker!!


Swirly Orb

There is a toy website named Ebeanstalk, and this fabulous company is dedicated to selecting good, safe learning toys and baby gifts. And it just so happens that Pink Haired Momma has the privilege of testing out toys that Ebeanstalk offers to the world. This week Ebeanstalk sent Pink Haired Momma and Baby DIVA a fabulous new toy to play with, so we can provide insight from a Pink Haired Momma and Baby DIVA point of view on our thoughts of this toy. The toy we received is called the Swirly Orb from International Playthings Earlyears, who makes great baby toys.


Introductions were made between Baby DIVA and the Swirly orb. She seemed quite receptive to this lovely new toy. It was great for holding and has some really exciting colors and features that sparked a great interest from Baby DIVA. So we decided to put it to the true toy test and take it with us on market day. I mean seriously you know you have a GREAT toy when it can satisfy Baby DIVA's attention through car rides, grocery shopping, farmers market wanderings and lunching with the old hags (Grandma and Pink Haired Momma).

We loaded up first thing in the morning, Swirly Orb took its place in the car seat with Baby DIVA and off we headed down the Houston Freeways to meet up with Grandma and do some market day shopping. I could hear happy giggles from Baby DIVA as she flipped Swirly Orb over and over and watched as the colorful beads "swirled" down the arms of the orb. Her giggles told me it was a match made. Later on in the morning, those giggles from baby DIVA returned as she swatted at the "honker" on top of the swirly orb. It seems this baby DIVA found it quite pleasing to "honk" swirly orb from the shopping cart seat in order to alert other shoppers that Pink Haired Momma was driving down the aisle. Self protection maybe? Who knows but Swirly orb provided her fabulous entertainment throughout our strolls through the stores.

During lunch Baby DIVA was incredibly happy and entertained by Swirly Orb yet again. After dining on Fresh cantaloupe and a yummy combination of spinach and potatoes, Baby DIVA was so entertained with Swirly orb in the highchair, that Pink Haired Momma got to eat her entire lunch without having a baby break!!


SOLD!!!


This is Pink Haired Momma's new best friend! Anything that keeps baby DIVA's attention long enough for me to stuff my face is the greatest toy ever!!

Here are some specs on this wonderful entertaining Swirly Orb. It is made by International playthings Earlyears. It is geared for babes 6 months and older. The fabulous colors and textures invite exploration of the mind for baby as well interactive manipulation of the senses. A totally fabulous engaging toy product that enhances the mind of the babe. The size of Swirly Orb is great. Large enough for lots of exploration and yet small enough to take in the diaper bag when out running errands!


Pink Haired Momma and Baby DIVA are in agreement that Swirly Orb is great and is here to stay!


Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Tuesday Tidbit





I couldnt resist this funny video that just happens to cover the topic I am discussing for our Tuesday Tidbit. You see I have become quite interested in reuse, recycle, renew living. And since this interest has blossomed I have been collecting toilet paper rolls with the foresight that I will be making crafts or the like with them ( in all my Pink Haired Momma free time LOL). This week I have been spending some time looking for ideas and inpsiration on what to do with my collection of toilet paper rolls and I have found some great ideas of inspiration.

Idea of inspiration #1 Start Seedlings



Being that I grew some little green leaves that I like to call a garden of my own this year, I find this reuse for a toilet paper roll fabulous. Not only does it provide a nice structure for little baby plants but it is a cheap, easy and good for the earth way to keep those babies growing. And since we all use plenty of toilet paper we all have plenty of potential seed growers!!!

Idea of inspiration #2 Cord holder


This is just so simple and so cheap. I actually saw this picture in Real Simple Magazine not long ago. I thought that this is a great way to keep all those cords tucked in and out of the way. It also could be a fabulous kid craft project that is inexpensive. You get the kiddo's together and let them decorate a toilet paper roll for say grandpa. Then they can give grandpa a super cute gift made with lots of love and GLITTER, by the kids cord holder that he can actually use!! And it is way cheap! So Fabulous!!!


Monday, July 20, 2009

Pink Haired Momma FACELIFT!!!

Surprise!!!

Thoughts of a Princess has had a major facelifit!!! I figured since in just 3 short months I will be moving away from the "Princess" status as a result of my wonderful marriage to my Hubbs-to-be, that now was as good as time as any to introduce the world to the official PINK HAIRED MOMMA!!!

I am not a little Princess anymore but rather a full fledged PINK HAIRED MOMMA!!!

So what do you think???

I would like to thank Lovetoshopmom for her wonderful design. She did a fabulous job and this just displays one of her many talents! Please jump on over to her blog and look at all the wonderful talents this fun shopping mom has!!


Pink Haired Momma vs the eggplant

Well everyone Pink Haired momma got creative in the kitchen!
I know frightening.
But I do seem to be advancing in this area quite well and thoroughly enjoying every minute of it!

Well I had all that leftover eggplant and didn't have a clue what the heck I was gonna do with it. I was and still am terrified of cooking up something that looks super delish with the white eggplant only to feel the need for a porcelain god moment afterward. Everything I look at now makes me recall the yuckiness from my previous attempt at cooking these eggplant, and I still have 2 whites and 4 purples left. UGH!!

So I peeled off the skins of two white eggplants and two purple eggplants. Cut them in to chunks and then pureed them up in the blender. Then I took my Zucchini Bread recipe and substituted the eggplant for the zucchini. I was a bit nervous that this would cause involuntary vomit from myself and hubbs-to-be. I did not tell the hubbs-to-be what this bread was. I just said eat it you will like it.

Well hot diggity dog the bread is FABULOUS!!! Hubbs-to-be and Pink Haired Momma had a throw down on who would get the last bite. Who would have thought eggplant would be yummy in bread. Try it! It is fabulous!!

*yep no pics this time. Since I did not know what I was doing I did not want any evidence if catastrophe ensued! LOL*

Laughing at life

I found this on a great Blog I love Ramblings of a Redneck Woman. Great Blog! This little funny joke made me pee my pants.
So Happy Monday! Pee your pants!!

A pastor’s wife was expecting a baby, so he stood before the congregation and asked for a raise. After much discussion, they passed a rule that whenever the preacher’s family expanded, so would his paycheck.
After 6 children, this started to get expensive and the congregation decided to hold another meeting to discuss the preacher’s expanding salary. A great deal of yelling and inner bickering ensued, as to how much the clergyman’s additional children were costing the church, and how much more it could potentially cost.
After listening to them for about an hour, the pastor rose from his chair and spoke, ‘Children are a gift from God, and we will take as many gifts as He gives us. Silence fell on the congregation.
In the back pew, a little old lady struggled to stand, and finally said in her frail voice, ‘Rain is also a gift from God, but when we get too much of it, we wear rubbers.’
The entire congregation said, ‘Amen.’

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Dream Travel in an RV: Where would you go?



Well I am a little more impressed with The Great American Road trip this week. I think partly because Mr. DiSalvatore had hardly any screen time this episode. And I must say the time he was on the screen I was just bored and rather annoyed. His poor family.





During the King of the Road challenge the families were told they had 200 miles to prepare a "talent" show performance. Well all the families did a great job with teamwork and putting together some cute performances. However Mr. DiSalvatore and his arrogant attitude took charge of his family and decided that their talent would be a rap song he composed. Well they did not do well at all. No one seemed like they enjoyed it at all; audience and performers both, well except Mr. DiSalvatore. Poor family.



The other families all performed quite well especially given that they had only a 200 mile drive to prepare. And then when they show up to the theater their RV game led them, they discover several hundred people are going to be watching their basically impromptu talent show. I think all the teams did a fabulous job under these conditions. My hometown team the Rico's from Katy did an excellent job with their Route 66 skit. But I am in agreement with the judges that this week the best performance was in fact the Pollards. I love the attitude and personality of Mrs. Pollard. She is just a southern girl with a friendly smile and attitude. The Old MacDonald routine was so full of energy and fun. Simple yet entertaining. Perfect for a quick throw together talent show. The costumes were awesome as well.





Luckily for the remaining 6 families, no one gets sent rolling home in their RV this week. Instead of having the bottom 3 compete to stay in the game, the top 3 families compete for a "GREAT" prize. This challenge was hysterical. The kids took the lead and guided their fathers who were blindfolded with these weird goggly light bearing things through a maze of old classic cars. It was a riot and well worth viewing just for laughs. The Cootes and the Pollards are neck in neck for the finish of this challenge, but the Cootes take the win and will receive a Hollywood red carpet vacation to a movie premiere! Congrats you guys!! Enjoy!!





That pretty much wrapped up the episode this week. I am getting a better vibe this week from the show and I am still hoping for the best! And of course if you missed it I am happy to provide you with the link to Episode 2 .

Saturday, July 18, 2009

White Eggplant

Okay so I cooked the White Eggplant.
I like the White eggplant very much; the recipe I used to cook this white eggplant, my first time ever, not so much.

The sauce I made for this recipe was pretty much disgusting. Poor hubbs-to-be was forcing himself to "enjoy" dinner because I was so excited to cook the white eggplant, all the while he was gagging inside. As soon as I said..."hmmm I don't think I like this sauce", Hubbs-to-be breathed a sigh of relief followed by a "thank God I don't have to eat anymore". LOL!

Needless to say it may not be our taste but others may enjoy it so if you would like to visit the recipe click here .

The presentation of this dish was really pretty so I will entertain you with a pictorial display of my first attempt to cook White Eggplant!



Table for 3: Pink Haired Momma, Hubbs-to-be and Baby DIVA
The new dish, not so yummy in my tummy!

It was very pretty! Just not so delicious!
I am on the hunt for more recipes involving white eggplant. If you know of any please feel free to email me at pinkhairedmomma@yahoo.com or just leave me a comment. I will be glad to give your recipe a try!!

Friday, July 17, 2009

Zucchini Bread

Pink Haired Momma made bread from scratch!!!

Zucchini bread that is...

DELICIOUS!!!!!

Hubbs-to-be said it was the "Bizzomb". I rock! What can I say!

So how did I take this...


And turn it into this delicious treat?




Well I started out with the gigantic zucchini that I found this week at the farmers market. I jumped online to one of my favorite sites for recipes, Allrecipes, and found a fabulous sounding recipe for Zucchini Bread. Then I just followed some instructions and poof I cooked BREAD FROM SCRATCH!!!!!

So what do you need?

1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons lemon zest

***NOTE*** I eliminated the lemon zest because I didn't have any. And it is still super yummy!

And how do you put it all together?
Turn the oven on and set to 325 degrees F

Grease an 8x4 inch loaf pan.

In a bowl, beat together the zucchini, sugar, egg, and oil.

In a separate bowl, mix up the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and cinnamon (and lemon zest if you use it). I then dumped the wet stuff and the dry stuff into my KitchenAid Mixer
and turned it to the "stir" option. When it is well blended pour the batter into the baking pan.
Bake 45 minutes in the oven, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool and enjoy!!

Seriously this is so fabulously yummy! Hubbs-to-be had to remove himself from the kitchen area to keep from eating every last crumb!!

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