The furious winds of Hurricane Sandy have long since subsided, but the devastation in Staten Island is still a reality for many families. That’s why Honda, a longtime supporter of Little Leagues, decided to give $50,000 to Staten Island’s Little League so they can get back to scoring home runs. Check out the video above to see how Honda put together an amazing opening day event with games, activities and tons of fun for folks whom they’re helping to get back on their feet.

You can donate direct to the State Island Little League at www.rebuildSILL.com.

10 simple life hacks for saving money on hand soap, cleaning using fabric refresher, new uses for aluminum foil, and basically making your life just a little bit easier and simpler. Passing it on and hoping it makes life better!

A “battle station.” Not to be confused with a “piano.”

Oh God, how I wish was talking about getting your grove on at a night club. A)I’m not that cool. I’m lucky I know what the “Harlem Shake” is. B) I think we all know that as a new mother the only club I’m seeing these days is a comedy club when I’m working OR the one in my dreams. But let’s be real, the night club in my dreams has the theme to “Elmo’s World” and “Baa Baa Black Sheep” playing on constant rotation. Believe me the only way it could be worse is if it was in techno.

No, the backing up I’m referring to is anything important on your cell phone. I mean ALL information (more…)

… to hold birdseed!

I’ve had these old pasta boxes around, and I wasn’t sure what we were going to do with them. I had one on the kitchen counter from making baked ziti, and boy was I glad it was there when our bag of birdseed broke! I was able to salvage most of it, and now I can put it safely in the cabinet. It’ll be easier for the kids to open and get their hands into as well, and now I don’t have to worry about spilled seed all over my floor

My small ones have been ridiculously sick for the past two weeks.  Kellan has missed 4 days of school which when you are in kindergarten, is like missing a whole month.  I made him recite the alphabet for me just to make sure he hasn’t backslid during his convalescence

Anyway, being trapped indoors is hell for me.  It actually ensures that I will forever remain a law-abiding citizen because I would never survive prison.  24/7 in a 6′x6′ cell?  I’d perish within days from my own insanity.  To preserve my mental state during this Dickensian time of suffering I’ve had to keep myself occupied in projects that can’t be derailed and/or devastated by constant interruptions or insistent assistance.  Usually that means baking.

Lately I have been on a sweet roll kick.  A friend from the gym (ironically) and I have been engaged in the pursuit of the perfect sweet roll and have subsequently been baking and swapping on a somewhat weekly basis.  I’m telling you, this winter better end soon before I develop diabetes, gain 20 pounds, or both.

Every Christmas I make The Pioneer Woman’s cinnamon rolls and give them as gifts to friends and neighbors.  Or at least that’s what I thought was happening.  Here’s what I found last week while searching for some spray paint in the garage:

Paradise lost.

Yes, that would indeed be (more…)

Woof. Yawn.

Birthday Dinner 2013
Dear Rob,

Your birthday fell on a Friday this year which was super inconvenient because it seemed that the days that preceded it were a tangled rush of work and school and kids and house and bad weather and illness.  I’d made plans for us to go out that night and at the last minute we almost changed our minds about leaving the house, but I’m glad that I kept the babysitter and stuck to the original plan because we needed that time together.

I always feel badly when it is your birthday or some similar holiday that requires a gift because you are terribly hard to shop for.  You buy yourself the things you want…as well as the things you need (like that underwear off Ebay??!!!)…and that leaves me holding the (empty) gift bag!  I am always at a loss for ideas and I never feel like what I do or give adequately communicates how I feel about you.  Friday I took you to a vegetarian restaurant (apparently the only one for a million miles as I discovered in my 40-minute Google search) because you’ve been so committed to your juice diet and taking care of your health.  (I’m proud of you!)  It was a great meal in a weird little restaurant where we were pretty much the only customers, but (more…)