Last October I went to Walt Disney World for a blogger’s weekend.  I was there as an ambassador of the Walt Disney World Moms Panel, and as such I hoped to procure an air of sophistication and dignity.

Oh c’mon.  What?  You didn’t buy that?

Okay, fine, you got me.  Sophistication isn’t really my bag; I’m not so much a caviar kind of girl.  I fancy myself as more of an extra-cheese pizza kind of girl.  Which, I imagine, is why I might have slightly embarrassed myself when my fine Disney PR friends took us to a nice dinner at Kouzzina, Cat Kora’s restaurant located at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn.  After we’d been seated, and drink orders had been placed, I was approached by the sweetest dining room assistant.  She was carrying a platter of black cloth napkins, all rolled and stacked neatly on her platter in the shape of a cute little pyramid.

“Ma’am,” she ventured, “can I offer you a black napkin?”

By this, I was dumbfounded.  DUMBfounded I tell you.

I looked at my fellow diners and wondered why, among them, I had been singled out and offered a different colored napkin.  Did I look prone to messiness?  And if so, couldn’t she have, at the very least, extended her offer just a tad more discreetly?

I was frozen with indecision.  I tried to utilize facial expressions to convey my confusion but the assistant was either unable or unwilling to clue me in.  Lucky for me, I happened to be sitting next to a Disney PR professional, far more polished than I in the refined distinctions that go hand in hand with true sophistication.   She came to my rescue when she leaned over and whispered, “it’s because you’re wearing dark pants…to keep the lint from showing.”

Oh {light bulb moment}.  OH!

Brilliant, right?

Nowadays, when I happen to wear a pair of dark pants to a nice restaurant?  I beat them to the punch and ask for a black napkin.

Now who’s the sophisticated one? ;)

Try it next time.

You’re welcome.

For more great ideas, head over to That Family.

I have a new love.

A surprising new love at that because–until now–I’d never considered myself the type.

Too much work–I’d always believed.  Not enough reward.

But then I read something that changed my mind–changed that “not enough reward” bit.

Turns out, there are benefits.

To what, you ask?  To houseplants.

Who knew?

It’s true though.  Check this out:

• they disperse airborne toxins
• they decrease dust and mold particles
• they increase creativity (which is HUGE considering I’m working on my second novel)
• they boost energy (which is equally HUGE considering I’m the mother of four)
• they reduce stress
• they also have a positive effect on Feng Shui if you buy that sorta thing (which I don’t–for the record)

Those were reason enough for me to invest in my very own house plants this past weekend.  And now that they’ve been placed into a formerly desolate corner of the living room, I’m actually quite fond of them.

Before I purchased them, though, I did scour the internet for recommendations as to which species of plants would go furthest in boosting our air quality.  Here are ten plants you might consider:

1. Janet Craig
2. Sweet Chico
3. Kentia Palm
4. Philodendron
5. Golden Pothos
6. English Ivy
7. Spider Plants
8. Snake Plants
9. Peace Lilly
10. African Violet

I had no idea I was the house plant type.  Turns out I am; I’m on the lookout for more greenery this weekend.

Two thing to remember though: don’t water your house plants with softened water because the salt can mess with sodium levels and cause your greens to die a slow and painful death; and to positively affect the air in an 1800 sq. ft. house you would need 15-20 plants.

For more Works For Me Wednesday ideas, check out Rocks In My Dryer.

Any mother of young children can look at the picture below and immediately identify what will happen when her son or daughter attempts to pour a tablespoon or two of salad dressing.

How do we know what will happen?  We’ve experienced one too many incidents in which half the bottle is inadvertently poured out upon poor, unsuspecting greens.  It’s not pretty.

Which is why I, personally, prefer to buy salad dressings that have tops that look more like this.

Unfortunately, though, the salad dressing manufacturers sort of frown upon consumers opening up their products in the store to check for child-friendly pourability, citing something or other about sanitation.  Hmph.

This little problem resulted in many a wasted salad in my child-heavy household.

Until.

Until my wise {young} grandmother taught me a thing or two about resourcefulness.

You see, what I never realized was that the difference between those two bottles was nothing more than a removable plastic funnel.  Key word: removable.  See for yourself.

Really.  It pops right out.  You just stick a butter knife in the hole and pry it on out.  Easy peasy.  Then you give it a good wash–you know, so that your oil and vinegar dressing doesn’t mix and mingle with the kids’ ranch.  And the next time you come across a funnel-less bottle of dressing?  Voila.  Just pop this one right in.  It’ll fit, even if it’s not the same brand of salad dressing. But don’t take my word for it; check it out for yourself.

Now I always collect the funnel before washing an empty bottle and tossing it into the recycling bin.  I keep many a spare funnels on hand–just in case.

Isn’t my Gram genius?

I think so too.

*Check out more Works For Me Wednesday ideas at That Family.

I discovered a new lunch superstar this week.  Superstar because not only is it a hit with me, but also with all of the kids – and that, let me assure you, is no small feat.

It’s a wrap, which means it’s as easy to throw together as peanut butter and jelly.  And it has hummus, and avocado, and feta–which means it is seriously delicious.

Here’s what you need:
- tortillas (I prefer the whole wheat ones from Trader Joe’s).
- deli turkey
- Feta
- lettuce
- hummus (I prefer the edamame hummus, also from Trader Joe’s).
- avocado

Here’s what you do:
- Warm the tortilla in the microwave for a few seconds so that it won’t split when you wrap it.
- Spread some hummus all over it.
- Layer with turkey, sliced avocado, Feta, and lettuce.
- Roll it up.  Enjoy.
- Come back and leave me a comment telling me how delicious it was.

Have you made your big plans for New Years Eve yet?

We have.

Jeff, Jayce and I have reservations at our favorite Mexican restaurant.  We’ll have an early dinner and then come home so that Jayce can get to bed at a decent hour.  Jeff and I will probably hit the hot tub for a bit before crawling into bed by, eh, 10:30 at the latest.

We know how to live it up, don’t we?

It’s okay; we’re homebodies by nature.  And anything but late night’ers.

The girls won’t be home for New Years Eve this year.  But in years past we’ve done some fun things to ring in the new year.  I thought I’d share a few ideas for those of you who are looking for a festive, family-friendly first night.

1. Midnight Balloon Drop: Times Square has its ball drop, but a balloon drop in your living room is WAY more family friendly.  We did this one year by taping together two oblong plastic tablecloths (readily available in the party supply section of most stores). We also taped curling ribbon along the entire length of one side and left a decent portion of ribbon dangling (to later use as a rip-cord).  We then used packing tape to adhere the tablecloths to the ceiling in our living room.  Once three of the sides had been secured, we filled the “pocket” with colorful balloons (not helium!), confetti, and streamers.  We used a broom handle to push the balloons all the way to the far corners of the “pocket” we’d created.  Once it was stuffed with all the balloons it could hold we taped up the final edge.  At the designated hour (which for us was 9 o’clock – midnight central time), we pulled the cord and shouted our “Happy New Year!” wishes as the balloons rained down from the ceiling.  The kids were thoroughly impressed!

2. Mocktails: Have you ever seen these glowcubes?  They’re fabulous.  And quite festive.  They’re lighted ice cubes that are safe to drop into drinks.  It may be too late to order them online (which is the best way I know of to score great bulk pricing) but in the past I’ve seen them at Z Gallerie and Target (near the party napkins/ paper products).  You could make good use of them in various mocktails that are a-okay for kid consumption.  Check out great recipes here.

3.  Bubble Wrap Stomp: Forget noisemakers.  Forget horns and shakers and all those obnoxious poppers.  All you need to do is head to a shipping supply store and purchase a length (preferably five’ish feet or more) of bubble wrap.  Place it on a hard, flat surface (like a concrete porch, patio or sidewalk) and when midnight rolls around, let the kids stomp away.

4. List of Firsts: Think resolutions with a twist.  Kids aren’t typically prone to making goals of changing habits or behaviors like us old folk, but who says they can’t resolve to do something new this year?  That’s where the idea for a list of first comes in.  Sit down with a pen and paper and think up a few goals for the next 12 months.  Perhaps this will be the year in which you bake cookies for a local fire station.  Or visit an art museum.  Or learn to ski.  The only rule is that everything that makes the list has to be new to you.  Aptly titled a list of firsts, right?

5. First Night Food: A festive menu can make or break any party – this one included.  Why not spend a little extra time whipping up one or two treats that will make their eyes light up?  I’m especially partial to these.  Or this.  And for a breakfast treat while you watch the Rose parade?  These are sure to elicit smiles!

Check out THAT family for more WFMW ideas!

Okay.  I know that I’m running the risk of becoming known as the magazine queen.  But I can’t help it.  When I find fabulous deals I feel inclined to pass them on to my friends.  And I found some serious deals this week. All of the magazines below have instant discounts ranging from $3-$5. Once you add them to your cart on Amazon, each subscription (all 12 months with the exception of Redbook & Marie Claire which are a 2 year subscription) will show up for $5 or less. For real. Talk about great holiday gifts! Act fast though – you never know how long these will last. 

*Oh yeah.  And it is my duty to inform you that should you decide to click on the provided Amazon affiliate links and purchase a subscription, I will earn a few odd cents off of your purchase.  You know.  In the interest of full disclosure and all.  Carry on.*