mamachallenge | Real Solutions for Real Parents | Dallas Blog
Real Solutions for Real Parents by Autumn Rose Reo
Thanks to The Little Gym for inviting me to experience the fun of The Little Gym with complimentary sessions. However, I’m now a paying customer and couldn’t endorse them more. Except to have a Starbucks inside:)
This year has been one of learning lessons for our family. Especially in terms of our kids’ education.
Our mindset is that adding an extracurricular activity to the mix is key to creating well-rounded people. I’m not talking about booking their schedules from morning to night, but giving them something that allows them to grow, exposes them to a hobby or sport, creates discipline and allows them to socialize with others. While the focus for the last few months has been on big brother going to first grade, it was time to give little sister something she could have of her own.
My little Rose is always moving to the rhythm, so I thought dance would be right up her alley. But at the ripe age of three, you have to wonder if that’s too young to really “learn” something and most of all, would she even care. Not to mention if I would be “wasting my money.”
After research and recommendations from friends, I felt that putting in her an intensive program to start (read no Dance Moms here) was totally the wrong approach. We needed a program that would let her show her own inclination towards tap, ballet and even better, gymnastics. And best of all, something that wasn’t going to break the bank or sign us up for life.
The Introductory Experience at The Little Gym allows parents to select a multi-week experience that allows their children to sample several different The Little Gym programs. Offered at a significantly reduced cost (on average 25% off), children build their skills through its Three-Dimensional Learning approach:
Instructors focus on individual learning and accomplishments, rather than competition, allowing every child to feel challenged and successful. The Little Gym offers parent-child classes, to gymnastics and sports skills classes for children ages 3 and up.
Looking at the list of offers we chose the Jazzy Bugs class, a program for 3 – 5 year-olds that breaks down ballet, tap and gymnastics into three, 15-minute intervals.
So with a small investment in shoes and leotards (which I purchased at Payless Shoes, Walmart and a Just Between Friends consignment sale), we were in business and ready to try this thing.
I’ll admit: our first class my baby girl wasn’t Ginger Rogers. Honestly, she was SO far from it. She didn’t listen to the teach and actually ended up starting out the window and playing with a little girl instead of paying attention. I was absolutely mortified. (I was already planning our escape at this point.)
Funny enough no one else seemed to be.
Thankfully, another mom let me know that at the ripe age of 3, they all did that. She insisted she was doing fine and to make sure to keep coming.
So we did.
After four classes of seeing her learn to shuffle, tumble and pirouette through a window, I can say we signed up for the full program! Just like the other moms insisted, she got better. She listens. She smiles. And she dances (well as much as this 3-year-old can.)
As for the teachers, I can’t recommend them more! The patience they have is extraordinary and each one knows how to engage with the class as well as each child on a personal basis. Mr. Bobby, the gymnastics teacher, is now one of my daughter’s favorite people as he allows her to have a good time, but knows how to reign her in.
And on top of all that, The Little Gym offers birthday parties and Parents’ Survival Night (date night!) as well, so they can become a real part of your kiddo’s like for many years to come!
If you want to track our progress, join me on Instagram! To start your own journey to fun at The Little Gym, visit their website or check it out at the your closest location to learn more.
Chili.
The word alone evokes huge divides in friends and family when you talk about what makes a good pot of chili.
Is it the meat?
Is it the amount of time it takes to cook?
Is it the secret ingredient that you add that makes a “bowl of red” go from ordinary to extraordinary?
I dunno either. I’ve eaten a lot of chili in my time. And some I’ve loved. Some I didn’t.
However, I’ve been able to classify chili into three categories:
And while I can spend the rest of my life learning and understanding what makes an award-winning bowl of Terlingua chili, I like to start with the basics.
Most recipes for chili I’ve found come with these basic ingredients:
From then on, it’s all up to you. But using just these few ingredients, considered the basic recipe for the first pot of chili made on the trail by cowboys up and down the cattle drives, it’s good without adding anything else. But you know you will.
The Secret Recipe
In my research I’ve found all kinds of things people put in their chili to perfect their recipe. From peanut butter, cocoa, cup of coffee, rum and much more.
However, for me, it’s the beer that really adds another level of flavor to the chili and really helps tenderize the meat. Not to mention, it gives you a great excuse to buy a six pack, use one beer for your chili and then share the rest as you enjoy a big piping bowl of chili.
[Tweet “Chili 101: Turkey, Bison & Venison make great chili, but make sure to add a little bacon fat or oil to recipe. #Chili #CookingTip “]
Topping Off Your Chili
Another very personal point to cover about chili is how you dress it. The extras are often what gives chili that final touch of deliciousness. Cornbread, cheese, sour cream, jalapenos, crackers, tortilla chips, Fritos corn chips – those are just the start of what I’ve seen grace the top of a bowl. I don’t think you can really put a science on what is the best topping, but I can promise you this: if you come to my house, we got ’em all. And I suggest you do too since some people might not even eat their chili if there’s not cheese and a little something crunchy to go with it.
Want s’more, please?
Want s’more, please?
Homemade Chili Seasoning Blend
Want s’more, please?
Homemade Chili Seasoning Blend
Want s’more, please?
Homemade Chili Seasoning Blend
This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Weave Made Media® and Barilla®, but all my opinions are my own. #weavemade #BarillaFiesta http://my-disclosur.es/RgFrEH
In our home, we never get tired of Mexican food. However, my family loves Italian food almost as much as Latin-inspired cuisine. That’s why choosing between whether we eat tortillas or pasta makes getting dinner decisions difficult. I decided there had to be a way to make everyone happy.
So of course, we compromised. And so was the birth of Mexican Manicotti. Taking a delicious favorite, chicken enchiladas with sour cream sauce, I substituted Barilla manicotti pasta for the tortillas.
The recipe is quick to make (taking on a 20 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook) and I made it even easier by using rotisserie chicken.
Step 1: Boil manicotti noodles.
Step 2: Mix chicken and cheese together.
Step 3: Stuff the noodles.
Step 4: Cook the noodles and then enjoy!
PrintThe perfect marriage of Italian and Mexican cuisines…this dish is like creamy Chicken Enchiladas, but with manicotti noodles!
After my little experiment, I had all kinds of new ideas on how to use all the Barilla pasta types I found at Walmart. I hadn’t even tried all the noodle types so the choices were endless. By checking out the Barilla Pinterest page, I found all types of recipes and dinner ideas for DAYS.
And if you need even more ideas, Barilla will be at selected Walmart stores, Nov. 6-9 sharing recipes featuring wavy lasagna and elbow pasta.
[Tweet “@Barilla hosts food demos at @Walmart, Nov. 6-9! Get recipe ideas + this one –> #ad http://wp.me/p574nU-mq #weavemade #BarillaFiesta”]
Whether it’s a momentous occasion or just a normal Monday, Barilla is the right way to celebrate with your family’s meals!
This is a sponsored post. #MyMemoryLane
Growing up we didn’t have a video or photo camera, so many memories of my childhood are only the visions I’ve played (or heard) over and over again in my head. So after the traumatic first months of my son’s life, my parents gifted us a video camera. We had all learned first-hand that life is too precious to just let go by, especially when you might only have a few days to create memories. No longer would we have to try to remember the moments of our children’s childhood, we could capture them for the future to remember and relive again and again.
Since then several years of videos have been recorded, but hadn’t been played back. The videos were full of Christmas mornings, school concerts and birthday candles and since my kids are still young and I could remember the memories, it didn’t seem necessary to press play – only record. Until I watched them (with the help of YesVideo.)
During our family’s young history, we’ve had lost two grandmothers, one great grandfather, my beautiful aunt and many friends had left us. And while none of my videos weren’t of those beloved family members, they were during the times they were still alive.
Like the second Christmas of my son where grandma and grandpa both were on the “first row” to see their kids, grandkids and great grandkids open up their gifts. Now watching the video, we can relive the moment of the two of them together – especially for grandma who now has to experience Christmas holding on to our hands instead of grandpa’s.
While our video skills have thankfully gotten better since these videos, just being able to relive the sounds, the sights and the memory, is sometimes exactly what you need to have another moment with someone you didn’t know you wouldn’t have. For 15 years YesVideo has helped families protect and share generations of memories, and we are now the largest and most trusted home movies transfer service worldwide. You can have your VHS tapes, camcorder tapes, movie film reels and 35mm slides converted to video by placing your order directly online or at the photo counter of any Costco, Sam’s Club, Walmart or CVS/pharmacy. And you can also send a part of your video to family and friends as a Hallmark Moment video or Facebook. The process is super easy using YesVideo: 
YesVideo’s process is very safe and secure. They handle customers’ memories as if they were their own. Their Memory Factory contains surveillance cameras at every stage, and digital copies of the transferred videos are archived for added security. Home movie memories make a special and unique holiday gift. While orders typically take 3-4 weeks to complete, please allow extra time as Holiday season is a very busy time in the Memory Factory. Holiday ordering deadline for receiving is Dec. 3 to have your DVDs by Dec. 24. Share the joy of the holidays by sharing your family memories this Christmas with YesVideo. 
Last week, legendary fashion designer Nicole Miller, hosted an in-store holiday event at JCPenney Stonebriar Centre. North Dallasites (and several fashionistas from downtown) made their way to the superb suburb to feast their eyes on the new nicole by Nicole Miller holiday collection and hear first hand from Nicole Miller’s top tips for holiday styling and entertaining.
While the full crowd enjoyed a first-look on her Holiday Collection available at JCPenney, it was the tips to make the most out of those few key pieces, rather than creating a new wardrobe that really caught my ear. And there’s nothing more staple for that special occasion than the LBD (little black dress.) But even according to this designer, there’s no need to go crazy to create a new look with the one piece.
How to Style the LBD:
However, I think even the LBD can be modified. For instance, the jumpsuit like this one featured at the fashion presentation, is versatile for flexible any occasion with the right accessories and a great pair of shoes. I can’t wait to get my hands on this one and pair it with the fur vest above and a beautiful reptile skin handbag.
Here’s another jumpsuit option that will be flying off the rack for the holidays, especially New Year’s as soon as it is released November 21 on JCPenney.com! 
What’s your go-to piece for your holiday style?
