product review

BEAR! BEAR! BEAR!

 It’s Fernando the bear!  

Fernando is a cute and cuddly  bear.

Just pack him in a Beatrix Fernando suitcase or backpack, and he is happy as a bear.      

 

I know I am happy now that Beatrix New York is  featuring a line of creatures that comes straight out of Beatrix’s  lunch box, backpack, and suit case design-creatures like JuJu, the ladybug, ParPar the owl.

Beatrix New York has made it easy for children to wrap their tiny  little arms around these cuddly creatures.

Thanks, Beatrix New York.

Turning these lovable creatures  into squishable, squeezable, stuffed toys was a great idea! ! 

Even my grandson  Christian thinks so. 

Check out their new catalogue  –  http://www.beatrixny.com/catalogue

http://www.beatrixny.com/cuddly-creatures/fernando-the-bear

Family

Chilling at Chili’s With My Peeps

Saturday I spent the day with my daughter, Vera her husband Bill and my grandkids Natalie and Liam.  We watched The Zookeeper in the afternoon and after that, I turned to my daughter and asked, what’s for dinner??  She informed me that she was so very tired, she’s getting ready for Strutmoms Fashion Week  event on Thursday,  it was one thing after another, maybe we can go out or order in?  So I suggested we go out to eat and the kids really liked that idea.  That’s when Vera remembered she had received a perk gift card from Chili’s.  She said two of us had to have the steak dinner on the 2 for $20 menu  – Bill and I said, almost at the same time – No problem!!

We got there a little after 5 – the place was packed. After a short wait we were seated and Bill ordered a draft beer.  Seems the draft beer is a 2 for 1 deal all the time.  My son-in-law was trying to convince me to share the deal with him.  But to be honest, I don’t like draft beer so I got a bottle of Corona, which is not part of the special.

The 2 for $20 menu includes 1 starter and 2 dinners.  We ordered the chips with guacamole and salsa, it  was more than enough for the 5 of us. Calories are stated on the menu.

The steak dinner was perfect, Bill got the corn instead of the loaded potatoes (I was hungry). The kids got a burger, pineapples and chicken pieces and apples from a pretty good childrens menu.  Vera always gets the grilled chicken.

For dessert we shared one brownie sundae – 5 spoons please.

 

Chili’s is kid  friendly and the help is fast and very nice.  There is something for everyone on the menu and you cannot beat the 2 for 1 bar deal, for sure.

ls

http://www.chilis.com/EN/Pages/home.aspx

Time of the Season

Valentine’s Day

 

Today is February 14th, Valentine’s Day.

The ” I LOVE YOU” day.

I often wondered why this day is the official, ” I LOVE YOU” day…what about the rest of the 364 days?

Do you love me then?

I know, I know, Valentine’s Day is just the one day, out of the year, that  we take the time to show and tell  our  significant other that we love them.   So sweet.  

Well, after being married for almost 40 years the giving of candy, flowers, and an evening out just does not seem to impress me.

I do not need to receive any of the above mentioned.  Acts of love work better for me.

I want my husband to take over the cooking, help with the wash, go out and shop, especially when it is so cold out that only a polar bear would want  to step outside.   I want my husband to tell me how beautiful I am when I wake up in the morning with my hair disfigured, and my eyes all puffy from a sleepless night.  Am I asking for too much?  Maybe, not sure, but I want the sacrificial love, the love that does not come wrapped with a red ribbon, or in a heart shaped box, which will eventually get tossed.

When I was 20,30, 40 and 50, receiving candy and flowers, on Valentine’s Day, was very important, but now as I head into another decade of life, I need more than a store bought package of love.  I NEED ATTENTION!!  So what better person to get it from then the man ” I LOVE”.

 mb

Time of the Season

Keeping Warm This Leap Year

I cannot belive it is February and I really cannot believe the wonderful weather we are enjoying here in New York. I’m going to share this information with you because I know this nice weather won’t  last forever, maybe I’m wrong, but here it goes.  According to Huffpost Living (Canada), these are 8 easy and money-wise ways to stay warm and comfy during this extra long winter.

Get Up!!  Walk around, look out a window, clean something. You will feel better.

Convince someone in your home to cuddle with you.  So much nicer way to stop the shivers, than a blanket.
Make a big mug of your favorite hot drink.

Cook something.  Save some money and eat in.  A working kitchen adds alot of heat and good smelling memories.

Open your blinds. Let the sunshine in.

Bundle up!  Listen to your mom – put on a cozy pair of slippers.

Ditch the diet. Enjoy your Valentine treats. A little ( I said a little) extra insulation goes a long way.

Sit down – and make a list.  What needs to be fixed through out the house – stop drafts -minimize heat going to rooms you don’t use –  buy a throw rug for your bare floors.

Remember, when you are outside playing and having fun …..you forget about the cold. Get out, get busy, keep thinking happy thoughts, because Spring is right around the corner!

Family

I Won’t Grow Up – Peter Pan

Peter Pan, what a story.

I remember seeing Mary Martin, as Peter Pan, and watching in awe and delight the story of a lost boy who really did not want to grow up, that was it, he just did not want to grow up.  I was to young to  understood the whole,” I don’t want to grow up” concept, but now that I am grown up I understand where Peter was coming from.

 I wanted to have my granddaughter know and enjoy the story of Peter Pan.

I wondered why the story of Peter Pan has never been shown on TV/Cable .  How come only the Wizard of Oz is? Over and over again.  Sure, I love the Wizard story.  I have it taped on my DVR, and when Sophie comes to the house she watches it over, and over again.  Munchkin Land is our favorite part…But,“No Peter Pan!”

Then surprise, surprise, surprise, I find  out that the  Peter Pan is being performed  at  Madison Square Garden.   I quickly ordered the tickets, and  feeling like a kid again we took Sophie to see Peter Pan.  What a great Christmas present this was not just for Sophie, but for me.  

Here we are the two Grandmas excited that we will get to relive the story of Peter Pan, and watch it with our grand daughter.I can tell you the theater was packed with kids.  You know those kids  who just did not want to grow up, like me…

When the curtain went up I could not believe how quiet the audience got.  The show kept all of us mesmerized.   Without skipping a beat Kathy Rigby’s performance, as  Peter Pan, was  unbelievable.   You would/could not believe that Kathy was not this  young boy.  Flying around the stage with a style of her own, she truly kicked up a storm.

I could not believe that  Kathy Rigby made me forget all about Mary Martin, as Peter Pan…now I have two favorite Peter’s.

  Sophia left the show loving the story, as well as  singing the songs.

 Now Peter Pan is on her list of the best story ever.

This made me happy.  My granddaughter loves Peter Pan, and maybe she won’t grow up, too,

mb