show & tell & give & take

Little fancies mean BIG indulgence {Plus a $150 spa day giveaway!}

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Pepperidge Farm.

Why are miniature versions of just about anything more adorable than their original-sized counterpart?  Or am I the only one who has "fizzy affections for all things 'mini'"?  

I don't think I am the only one; retailers have latched onto the concept and I'd wager it's serving them well.  Think about all the individually-wrapped mini versions of cookies and snacks you see on grocery store shelves these days.  They're packaged for convenience and portion control, but dag GUM if they aren't just cuter!  I buy them for my kids' lunches, but it's not uncommon for me to slip a package in my purse or laptop bag to deter me from swerving into a fast food stop for greasy-but-yummy-but-heart-attack-inducing-and-butt-enlarging french fries.

Hmmm, little snack packages are keeping me healthy!  Who would've thunk it?

Pepperidge Farm^® has just introduced a line of cookies, once again proving dynamite comes in small packages.  

They sent canisters of all their new mini varieties to me just in time for my "Sister Party".  I'm still wondering how in THE world the people at Pepperidge Farm knew I was sick and needed some easy help with dessert!   What could be more simple than opening the canister, plopping some Petite Pirouette^® and Petite Twists^® in some pretty glasses, and Voila!  Dessert is served!

 

My favorite?  The Chocolate Crème Petite Pirouette, mainly because I've been eating their larger counterpart for years.  I can remember last week when I was much younger trying to suck the filling out and make the crispy outside into a cookie straw...hmmm, cookie straws...maybe I should pitch THAT to Pepperidge Farm :).

 

A 90-calorie indulgence...90 wee little calories (compared to, say, my caramel macchiato breve weighing in at 490 calories...or a bowl of chocolate fudge brownie ice cream weighing in at DON'T JUDGE ME!).  If I made it a habit to snack on these, I **might** just fit into a two piece again at my favorite indulgence--lying oceanside come mid-July.

 

Want more details that spell out the skinny on Pepperidge Farm Petite Pirouette and Petite Twists?

 

Petite Pirouette is a delicate, crispy rolled wafer with creamy, chocolaty filling on the inside. Try either the chocolate hazelnut or chocolate crème flavor - or both!  Three Petite Pirouette rolled wafers add up to 90 carefree calories! 

Petite Twists puffed pastries have layers of delicate, crisp pastry swirled with sweet cinnamon or raspberry. A delightful treat with 90 calories in two treats.  

Aren't you glad to indulge yourself with something so sweet with virtually no guilt attached?

 

Pepperidge Farm wants to hear how you'd indulge yourself given the opportunity & they're giving away seven $150 Spa Gift Cards to encourage you to share! 

With seven chances to win {click BlogHer.com special offers page for complete listing} chances are better than ever for you to walk away a winner!

To enter, leave a comment below and tell me if you had a day all to yourself, what would be your favorite way to spend it?   Or, if you're inspired to write a post answering that question on your blog, simply link to it in comments.   {After you meet that initial entry requirement, want another chance to win?  Subscribe to my blog in a reader or by Email and let me know in a separate comment you did!}

Contest period is 9:00 a.m. (PST) November 2, 2009 through 5:00 p.m. (PST) November 30, 2009. Make sure that the e-mail address you leave is correct.  Additional rules:

• No duplicate comments.
• You may receive an additional entry by tweeting about this contest and leaving a link to the tweet URL in the comments.
• You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
• This giveaway is open to US-residents, aged 18 and older.
• Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail.
• You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
• Please see the official rules here:  Official rules

 

Where I've been and what I've been doing

It has to be a very good reason for me to spend four nights away from my husband and kids....and it was.

From Wednesday to Sunday I had the pleasure of immersing myself in The Matrix aka the world of blogging.  Kelby Carr invited me to join a panel of fabulous speakers at her inaugural Type-A Mom Conference (she called me her "Token Type-B") and it was a long weekend of thinking in community with about 250 sharp, savvy, fun, inspiring, challenging women (and even a few men).

I'll share more details about the sessions I co-lead ("Writing with Authenticity and Passion" and "Balance") soon.  This was one of those times I wanted to clone myself and attend most all the sessions!

One of the sweetest bonuses of the conference was spending time with Amber (author of The Run-a-muck); I'm guaranteed to laugh until I cry--this time I swear I cracked a rib, something to do with "beef bourguignon (<---YOU try to pronounce it!).  Above, we're sharin' the love on the grounds of Asheville's famed Biltmore House.

Book recommendation for middle schoolers

My 12-year-old son loves this series; if you're looking for a good tween book for that age group, you might check it out! 

Got teens?

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Sprint.

Ten years ago I was looking toward this season of my life with dread:  our children's teenager years.  I was told, then, that as toddlers they would step on my toes, but as they grew up, they'd trample my heart. 

So far, we've escaped that herd of buffalo wreaking havoc on heart and home.

We're far from perfect parents; they're far from perfect kids.  And though I know we have many years to go and we'll make more mistakes along the way, I believe a few wise choices have contributed to relatively smooth sailing so far:

• prayer! 
• demonstrative love {figure out what "speaks" love to them and use that language often!}
  
• taking a parenting course when they were young
• reinforcing desired behavior
  
• discipline/consequences when they made purposeful bad decisions (a distinction between childish thoughtlessness)
• seeking and listening to the counsel of others whose children were older
• avoiding comparing them to others (siblings or friends)
  
• encouraging open communication

That last one--encouraging open communication--becomes increasingly important as children approach their tween years and as crucial as oxygen when they hit mid teens.  But how do you do that as they get older, gain more independence and freedom, and seem to be on the go all...the...time...!?

I don't claim to know all the answers, but doesn't living it qualify me to offer a little encouragement and advice? :)  Some suggestions:

• Start early.  If you start trying to communicate with your daughter when she's 16, she'll probably look at you like you're crazy.
• Be intentional.  Open lines of communication do not happen by accident.  If you think about it when they're young, you'll develop a style that evolves naturally.
• Encourage dialogue.  The fastest way to lose your kids is to lecture them; no one likes a droning monologue.  Good communication involves a volley of communication, not an ace of your words slammed at them.
• Make time.  There's no such thing as "quality time" if you want your children to share their heart with you, to invite you into their lives.  And you really can't force this; you have to provide one-on-one opportunity (sometimes multiple opportunities!) for them to open up.  Some of my best, most insightful conversations took place in my garage!!  
• Set loose boundaries.  Huh?  What am I talking about?  Foster an atmosphere where you children can tell you anything--ANYTHING--as long as they do so respectfully.  Let them disagree with you; but require them to state their case.
• Don't react, and heaven forbid, don't OVER react.  This is one of those gems a parent told me when my kids were toddlers; at the time I remember thinking, "How can I not react if my kids tell me someone's sexually active or drinking or WHATEVER?!"  It's fine for your insides to be shocked to smithereens, but if you want your kids to tell you The Big Stuff next time, it's in your best interest to develop a poker face.

Okay, enough from me :).  I conducted a quick Twitter poll and here's advice offered from a few followers.  

 

Your turn:

Do you have additional pearls of wisdom to add?  What about sharing how you learned from a mistake?  Have a question?  Maybe someone will have helpful suggestions for you about maintaining open communication with your children.

All commenters to this post will be eligible for a $200 Visa gift card drawing (see fine print below) & be sure to check out how other BlogHer Reviewers keep lines of communication open with their growing kids - with 8 additional chances to win a $200 Visa gift card!

Find more info for keeping in touch with your kids here. 

To enter, leave me a comment below or if you've written a similar post, leave a link to it in comments.  The contest will begin at 9:00 a.m. (PST) August 10, 2009 and will end 5:00 p.m. (PST) September 4, 2009.  Make sure that the e-mail address you leave is correct. 

Rules:

• No duplicate comments.
• Receive an additional entry by linking on twitter and leaving a separate link in comments.
• Receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in comments.
• This giveaway is open to US-residents, 18 and over.
• Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail.
• You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
• Please see the official rules here:  Official Rules

Text Education

With two cell phone-carrying teenagers in our house, it's critical for us as parents to get in their business and know the technology better than--or at least as well as--them.  And not just know the technology, but also to know what it is they're saying and to whom. 

Listen friends (and by "friends" I mean anyone who sees this post--whether you're a regular reader or landed on this page by a random search)...it's your business to get in their business.

Even if they protest.

Especially if they protest. 

I've heard too many stories from friends about good kids who made STUPID mistakes, exercised poor judgment, and under-estimated the consequences of their actions.  Sexting is a real problem according to recent news reports.  We're talking high school students...teenagers :(. 

That's why when BlogHer asked me to take a look at LG's DTXTR website (DEE-text-er} a tool to help equip parents with knowledge, I couldn't say no.  And wow...I realized that as much as I do know?  There's even more than I don't!  Heck, I didn't even know what SMS actually stood for!

DTXTR's features include:

• DTXTR Translator: A cool tool that allows you to translate your tool in to shorter, more hip messages at the push of a button.
• DTXTR Glossary: Thousands of text terms (hundreds gathered from the BlogHer community at this fall’s Reach Out Tour!)
• Do U Know TXT Quiz: Test your texting prowess (say that three times fast...)
• Texting Tips: Everything parents need to know about texting, managing a texting teen, and thinking smart about text plans

The glossary alone was VERY educational; I have no idea how some of the abbreviations were contrived ("420" = get high, let's party; JOOTT = just one of those things, which makes perfect sense once you know), but plenty of the terms make me sad to think teens have reason to use them.  Still, I think it's important to know what they are, so if you DO seem them when you are RANDOMLY SPOT-CHECKING YOUR KIDS' TEXTS, you'll understand what they're saying! 

{Our children know we might pick up their phone at any time to read through texts; I probably don't do this often enough, but we have a "no erasing til you ask" policy.  I'm not so foolish to believe they never erase without asking, but just knowing we "might" look serves as deterrent.}

I took the "Do U Know Txt Quiz" and scored an abysmal four out of ten.  Apparently, I don't know as much as I thought I did. 

The tips for parents didn't shed any new light for me, but they would've been helpful in the beginning; also, the "teen to English"/visa versa translater wasn't that helpful, but anything I could think of was found in the glossary.  

If you have children new to the cell phone world, this site is VERY helpful in bringing YOU up to speed.  A great parenting resource, it provides you information to help determine boundaries and limits before they become an issue.

Don't take it lightly, and FWIW?  I'd advise against unlimited texting.

BlogHer is giving away FIVE LG phone {click for details} in conjunction with the debut of LG's new DTXTR site--winners are chosen randomly and I think **you** just might be the lucky duck!! 

Photo credit

Wanna win the "funnest iPod ever"? Touch this!

Winning an iPod Touch could not be more simple:  all you have to do is look over my review of Norton's Online Family below and tell me (in comments) how you stay in the loop with your kids' online activity and how this wonderful new software might be of help; if you're a teen, tell me what your parents are doing to protect YOU! 

In addition to a simple comment response, earn additional entries by:

• tweeting about this giveaway and commenting below your tweet URL

• Writing a BRIEF post on your own blog or Facebook page and LINK BACK to this post; then comment that URL below as well.

Y'all, Norton is listening to your comments, so if you have any thoughts, please share--good, bad or ugly!  In doing so, you might just walk away with a FREE iPod Touch!  Be sure to check out all the reviews--there are1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 chances to win!  (Throw in multiple alternatives for entry and it's bumped up to 30 chances!)

Thanks for helping spread the word about this giveaway...I'm feelin' pretty good about your chances.  I mean, seriously...it's waaaay better odds than the Lottery or Vegas!

When you're done here, be sure and check out my real blog, PENSIEVE.  It's magically delicious! :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OF COURSE there's fine print:

Contest runs now through Sunday, February 22nd at 11:59 p.m. (PST). Make sure your email address is valid!   Rules: * No duplicate comments * This giveaway is open to U.S. residents * Winners will be selected by random draw and will be notified by email. * You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected. * See the official rules for details.

Safety first, even online. Especially online.

Do you remember the televised PSA "Do you know where your children are?" that ran 25-30 years ago?   I'm not sure it served real purpose (did parents really NOT know where their children were?!) but testimony to the campaign's effectiveness is that I still remember it decades later. 

If I were running that ad campaign today, I'd have to tack a word onto the end of that question:  online. 

Do you know where your children are online?

Over the past few years I've had friends--other mothers--come to me with broken hearts because their young tween and teen sons accessed porn sites from home computers.  In some cases they boys were caught early on; in others, the parents were unsure how long it had been going on. 

If I remember correctly, in every instance my friends discovered this activity by accident--not because they had reason to suspect it was going on.

Our day is marked by easy accessibility to adult sites; everyone who's reading this knows you don't even have to look for it--pop-ups and sidebar ads on legitimate sites act as a wicked siren's call with no regard for young and innocent eyes that might happen upon them. 

We need all the help we can get.

Norton has stepped in with a product that does a great job of monitoring everyone in your family's online activity...in real time.  You, as its administrator, determine what settings and parameters you want to place on each person who uses the computer.  With Norton Online Family, you can:

• View the Web sites that each child has visited.
• Block a Web site that you think is inappropriate for your child.
• Monitor all the Internet searches that your child performs with most search engines.
• Monitor the time that each child spends on the Internet.
• View all the social networking sites that the child has visited.
• View all the instant messages that your child sends and receives.
• Block the personal information that the child attempts to send.

It's "Big Brother" in the most helpful of senses for a parent.  You can never be too careful when it comes to this. 

If you read my last post, you know I've been out of town for the weekend; obviously, I'm not at home and can't check our PC's history.  How wild was it for me to log into my Norton account and see every site my family visited?  The best part for the mama in me was I received no emails that indicated questionable activity--no one could have accessed the sites I blocked because of the settings I installed, but had they tried?  I would have received an email notification immediately informing me, allowing me to deal with it even though I wasn't at home! 

Because it's been a crazy-busy week, I haven't explored everything Norton Online Family has to offer; I can tell already, it covers most everything I could anticipate. 

I'm writing to mothers and wives when I say with every ounce of conviction I can muster:  if you have children in your house, you need this product; and honestly, it's a safeguard for your husband as well.  Even men who want to avoid the temptations of online impropriety, may sometimes slip; if they know you're aware of what sites they're visiting, it will most likely keep them from trying. 

Please...don't just take my word for it; starting Monday you'll have opportunity to visit others who've had a chance to preview the software as well.  See what they have to say. 

To help get the word out about this wonderful help for families and protection for children, you'll have opportunity to win an iPod Touch!  I'm thrilled to offer one in conjunction with this review, but there will be nine additional chances to win from other bloggers.  Check back this afternoon when I'll have giveaway details posted!