Autumn Rose Reo

Show Your Kids that Storytelling is Fun and Important

October 21, 2012 By Autumn Rose Reo Leave a Comment

Sharing Saturdays & Sundays:
While most parents intend to spend time teaching and enjoying quality time with their children learning through arts and crafts, unfortunately, it don’t always happen. Too often life gets in front of us and too often we’re too quick to hand them an Ipad (which is hard when you love yours), turn on the TV or tell them to go play. I know I am guilty…not because I don’t love my kids, but that “spending time” seems like it has to be a big ordeal, project or outing and after all the “stuff” that has to be done, you just don’t have anything left.

Author Emily K. Neuburger of Thanks to Show Me a Story: 40 Craft Projects and Activities to Spark Children’s Storytelling makes sharing, learning moments easy for both parents and kids to enjoy with her award-wining book. This guide provides a plethora of easy ways to create a project or game with things you can find around your home in an easy-to-follow format. While many of the suggested ideas may seem as simple as building a list based on word association, it makes it possible for families to have a “moment” without putting much into the prep time and all your time into making a memory together.

Amazon.com describes the book as:

Children love to make up stories, and these 40 creative projects and activities encourage them to free their storytelling instincts. Younger children will love making story stones and a storytelling jar and then using them to create stories of their own, while older kids will enjoy word grab bags, story walks, and journaling exercises. For everyone ages 5 to 12, whatever their reading level, this book has everything needed to spark an infinite number of child-created stories.

While I have children ages 4 and 1, this book is something we can begin to use sparingly at this age and grow into as we head past our toddler years and even into young adults.

I loved the artwork and the format as it reads like a recipe book – which is may favorite guide to read.

Spend this weekend and even those 20 minutes breaks between one appointment to another with this great reference book for your family library.

DISCLAIMER:
I received one or more of the mentioned products for the sole purpose of this review. No other compensating was given and all opinions expressed are 100 percent my own. (Accordance with FTC’s 16 CFR Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)m

Everything’s Better with (Twisted) Butter

October 19, 2012 By Autumn Rose Reo Leave a Comment

Food Fridays:

One of my favorite trends is gourmet butters. I just love the Cabernet Goat Cheese Butter you can add to your burger at Chop House Burgers in Arlington or the sweet honey butter you get delivered with your bread at Saltgrass Steak House. It’s that extra buttery touch that takes it to the next level. And like my kids say, “it makes it taste GOOOD!”

And while I’d love to cook it up Paula Deen style, I don’t have the time or the calorie count. Thankfully, I’ve got a shortcut now for making those fancy butters without the time with Twister Butter. Available in savory and sweet flavors, these cute little tubs are filled with natural ingredients and come in six delicious flavors: Blueberry, Honey & Lemon Zest; Cinnamon, Honey & Brown Sugar; Cilantro & Lime; Chives & Parsley; Portobello Mushroom with Boursin-Garlic & Fine Herb Cheese; Bacon, Dijon Mustard & Green Onion. For now you can get them at DFW Albertsonsstores, so with Thanksgiving around the corner, I’d stock up on these now…especially before EveryDay with Rachael Ray Magazine’s November 2012 issue hits the stands featuring Twisted Butter as one of her top picks for best butters (which including some 60 sticks and tubs of butter).

Rachel Ray says this Twisted Butter is one of the best butters available!

Of course, I couldn’t just choose one flavor to try, so I decided to take one for the team and taste four of them (the mushroom and cilantro didn’t make it to the testing.) And to be fair, I enlisted a few panelists (my son, daughter, husband and bestie) to help me. To be fair, I decided the only way to really “try” them was to have something simple in which to taste them with (butter on a spoon just isn’t appetizing), so I purchased plain bagels as to not taint our taste buds.

What did the results say of our “official butter tasting?” While I thought the Blueberry, Honey & Lemon Zest would reign supreme, it was the Cinnamon, Honey & Brown Sugar and Bacon, Dijon Mustard & Green Onion that took top honors. The bacon one just screamed baked potato heaven and the blueberry seemed like a great topping on top of French toast. However, when we were done, I really wondered on the different ways I could use these butters to look like I had worked really hard at dinner and didn’t.

Thankfully, the good folks at Twisted Butter already went there for me! Their site was filled with recipes that made me look (almost) Paula Deen worthy. And of course with the holiday cooking season about to go into full gear, these little guys might be just the perfect pairing for a holiday gift to the neighbors with homemade bread. Just remember it’s always homemade if you wrapped it up at home. You don’t necessarily have to make it from scratch.

It’s the thought that counted, right?

DISCLAIMER:
I received one or more of the mentioned products for the sole purpose of this review. No other compensating was given and all opinions expressed are 100 percent my own. (Accordance with FTC’s 16 CFR Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)

To-Do DFW: Bears, butterflies, boos and blooms, Oct. 19-21

October 18, 2012 By Autumn Rose Reo 1 Comment

To-Do Thursdays

Everything about this weekend is FALL. And in Texas, this season is only about two weeks long. So between the bears, butterflies, boos and blooms, you’ve got all kinds of options! However, it looks like most of them are on Oct. 20, so you’re going to have to make some decisions.

Tip from me: Choose only 1-2 things to do and have a blast. Don’t try to make it too all of the events and not have any fun at any of them!

Here’s my roundup of a few events that will entertain your family this weekend in DFW:

Dust off your wings Oct. 20: Grapevine Butterfly Flutterby & Fall Roundup

Blooms, Tunes and Chili Spoons – Farmers Branch’s Bloomin’ Bluegrass 2012, Oct. 20 & 21

Go “Boo!” in the Zoo at the Fort Worth Zoo, Oct. 19-21 and Oct. 26-28

Build a free bear for needy children with Build-A-Bear’s Stuffed with Hugs, Oct 20-21

Travel the World in a Weekend with Addison WorldFest, Oct. 20 & 21

Have fun!

A Better Way to Bathe Your Baby

October 17, 2012 By Autumn Rose Reo Leave a Comment

Don’t you just love the smell of baby lotion? There’s something about that little pink bottle and massaging it all over my little ones that reminds me how innocent, sweet and soft they are. For a brief moment I forget how bad their diaper wreaked throughout the house and how the mere scent of “baby” is almost enough to get one thinking about popping out another bundle of joy…almost.

Anyhow, I’ve never questioned my go-to baby bath products. They’ve have been old reliables for my two kids and many, many families before us have used them (their campaign even refers to them as “ the classics.”) However, while the scent is amazing and it has proven to me time and time again that it won’t sting my kiddos eyes when mom accidently lets it, when you turn over the bottle to the list of ingredients, there’s a lot of things I don’t know how to say and certainly don’t know how to read. And since unfortunately, I’ve decided to be more cognizant of what I’m putting in and on our skin, it made me wonder, “what the heck is in here?”

When I went online I couldn’t even find a breakdown of the ingredients, but I did find a full breakdown of all the reasons that the product is “safe.” While I expect safe from my baby products, I really want to find something that not only smells good, but is organic, natural and doesn’t use anything artificial. And baby, did I find some really good smelling stuff with Dolphin Organics.

Photo courtesy of Dolphinorganics.com

The line recently rolled out their new Norfolk Lavender™ Shampoo Body Wash, Bubble Bath and Lotion line and it smells simply heavenly (have you picked up on the fact that olfaction is important to me?) When I turned off the bottle, the coconut and sunflower oil-based formula was nothing but impressive. Not only were the ingredients listed (and understandable), but the label had broken down what was organic, natural and artificial (note nothing was listed in the artificial column.) Additionally, it was tear-free like my “old standby,” and because lavender has naturally calming effects, it helped to soothe my baby (which is nothing but a happy thing in my world.) One thing I did learn Dolphin Organics products is that its Shampoo/Body Wash is based in organic aloe leaf juice, which has excellent healing properties, so it is perfect for the most delicate skin (which is important to us since both my kids have dry skin.)

Photo courtesy of Dolphinorganics.com

Unfortunately, Dolphin Organics products are a little harder to get in Texas at this time, but thanks to the Internet you can have these large-sized bottles sent to your home directly from their website. I’d suggest getting the whole line, so you can really appreciate the benefits of lavender aromatherapy while you get in the kids clean. (That’s mom multitasking!)

Social Media Rounded Up with a Donut

October 16, 2012 By Autumn Rose Reo Leave a Comment

Tech Tuesdays

While most of world involves social media and email on a minute-by-minute basis, that’s not the case with normal people. I’m often asked by clients as well as by friends (who don’t blog), “what is the difference between on all “that social media?”‘

I don’t consider myself a master of any of them, but like other things in my life, I know a little bit about a lot of things. However, it is nice to have a good frame of reference and to help you steer clear of all the “mess” that can happen when start swimming in the social media pool. And no matter how many things I’ve read or seen, nothing seems to keep it all in perspective than this Instagram photo from back in February of this year from Douglas Wray.

Hopefully this will keep you on track of what you should be doing and not doing on social media. My only warning is that after reading this, you will get hungry. And for donuts, no doubt.

Suck it Up and Suck it In (with a Corset)

October 15, 2012 By Autumn Rose Reo Leave a Comment

style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Me Mondays – Part of my never-ending challenge to create a better me…

When I think of the word ‘corset’ I immediately think of Scarlet and Aunt Mammy in “Gone with the Wind.” The two women working to lace her up before going to the Wilkes BBQ and then later again in the movie, when she talks about trying to make her 21 inch waist go back done to 19 inches. That actually makes me laugh now since it’s been a while since I was 21 inches – a very long time and I certainly haven’t been wearing a corset…at least not until now.

Scarlet and Aunt Mammy work together to cinch her waist back to 19 inches in “Gone With the Wind.”

However, what I used to think as that thing that women USED to wear back then (or if you are a pop star on stage) isn’t so passé anymore. Actually corsets are back on the rise reports the BBC; real women are actually wearing them again as daily undergarments in attempts to make things look a little smaller, a little smoother and in some cases, a little sexier. And after giving birth to two children, a girdle or a corset now seems like small potatoes to get all that mess in the middle to look a little better.

Then last week a special package ended up in my mailbox from corsetchick.com. With Halloween around the corner and a mama still without something to wear, I was intrigued to see what the box had in store for me. And of course, being committed to the cause to help other women like myself and in hopes to squeeze my ass into a pair of my B2K (before two kids) jeans, I happily pulled them out and began the siphoning process.

Devil costume includes corset, skirt and accessories. (Photo courtesy of corsetchick.com)

When I opened things up I found both a witch and a devil complete with a skirt and appropriate accessories. They were really hot outfits, although it was still going to take some guts and a few shots of liquor to wear thse out of my house. I will admit I now understand why it took Scarlet and Mammy to cinch her in – it really is a two-man process. I had intended to be THAT wife and put one of them on for show after a weekend away, but I really needed his help to put me in it or get it off of me when he got home (it was a lot less sexy and a lot more funny than you could have imagined.)

Add a hat and this corset and skirt becomes a witch costume. (Photo courtesy of corsetchick.com)

But once I got it on, I did feel pretty hot mama. I couldn’t breathe so great, but at least I looked good. And along with a pair of fishnet pantyhose and sexy shoes, I was going to conquer Halloween, even if the only trick-or-treat was going to be happening behind closed doors. ;>

As for suggesting if a corset is for you? That’s all up to you (and your waistline.) However, corsetchick.com can give you a chance to try one out without making a huge financial commitment. And they certainly make it fun with all kinds of cute outfits for Halloween (and more if you’re looking at adult dress up time.) The only thing you should know is to ignore the sizing and cut them off immediately when you receive them at home. For instance a size XL is an 8-10, so if your waistline is over 32 inches, get ready for 2XL. Not exactly what you want to see before you slide your tummy into a piece of lingerie, but that’s nothing a pair of scissors can’t fix.

Trick-or-Treat!

Food Fridays

While Jack’s Southern Comfort Food opened only last Friday, as soon as you walk in the doors at 1905 Greenville Avenue and take a seat, you feel like you are already home…at least a part of longtime Dallas/Fort Worth restaurateur Scott Jones’. His latest comfort food eatery pays homage to this culinarian’s humble roots – Louisiana Cajun creole from his Mother’s side with the big bold downhome Texas cooking of his dad (for which the place is named.)

Another perfect example of his southern hospitality can be tasted right at the counter with chocolate chip cookies, just like you would at home, giving you that I’m-home-kind-of-feeling.

Upside down pot pie, mac and cheese, real-deal gumbo, watermelon lemonade and deviled eggs served in vintage deviled-egg holders were just part of the warm and fuzzy afternoon spent at Jack’s. I love that the dishes were all served with mismatched plates all collected from sales and old cabinets to put together the spots plateware.

A perfect mix of bright colors among photos of retro toasters, deviled eggs and other fun finds (like Ross Perot’s smug mug) is a perfect example of Jones’ concept for the place. Just make sure you show respect to his mom (she’s the beautiful woman in the center.)

I’m obsessed with aprons, so I love this one that seemed so perfect for the Jack’s staff. The hand-made aprons are made from old jean shorts, skirts and more! Best of all, they offer the“It’s All Relative” aprons and tea towels for purchase, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Bridge Breast Network, a non-profit that saves lives by linking low income, uninsured individuals to diagnostic and treatment services for breast cancer.

Chow-chow, onion relish and something I’ve never heard of called Mayhaw jelly makes eating at Jack’s like a Sunday supper at my Grandma’s. The centerpieces used on the tables also include fresh cut green onions in small mason jars (giving the feeling that they just came from the garden.)

The best part of Jack’s isn’t even at the restaurant – it’s at home. There are several options for casseroles, ready-made salads and of course, desserts and sticky biscuits that you can take home. And for me, not only is that option awesome, but the fact they’ll serve my kids complimentary after-school snacks like pimento cheese roll-ups and fruit salad (to die for) while I pick out our take-home dinner for the night, makes it a new S.O.S (save our supper) kind-of-place. For our custom casserole choice, we mixed a little bit of everything that our family liked (corn, chicken, pasta and more) into a dish and then popped it in the oven for 30 minutes to create Tuesday night’s dinner. (If I hadn’t brought in a sack, no one would have know the difference…we’ll that and that it tasted good.)

While I can tell you the biscuits are reason enough to come on in for a spell, I know I’ll be back come the holidays with a special catering menu to make you look like a rockstar. Deep fried turkey, honey backed ham, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole and of course, dessert and rolls will be packaged up to take straight from their kitchen to your dining room table. Just make sure you throw away the sacks before everyone comes in, so when you tell them it’s homemade, your family will believe you.

Jack’s Southern Comfort Food
1905 Greenville Avenue
BYOB
Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
www.jackssoutherncomfortfood.com
214.821.0900
Facebook | Twitter

This story also appeared on DallasFoodNerd.com on October 9, 2012.

DISCLAIMER:
I received one or more of the mentioned products for the sole purpose of this review. No other compensating was given and all opinions expressed are 100 percent my own. (Accordance with FTC’s 16 CFR Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)

Pin This!

Pictures Say a 1000 Words

mamachallenge

Follow Along!