March, 2010 | The Angel Forever

Monthly Archives March 2010

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Price Chopper hosts a Cook’s Ham blogging event

Posted on March 17, 2010 8:18 am by TheAngelForever

Long time readers are probably wondering: what is a nice Jewish girl that keeps kosher at home going to a blogging event about Cook’s Ham? Well, this blogger likes to support New York state businesses like Price Chopper grocery stores. This blogger is also trying to avoid Walmart because of something that they support in education that I am 110% against (story for another day).

A short time ago, Price Chopper announced on their Facebook fan page that they were looking for Mommy blogger to come to their first ever blogging event. Hello! Christina from CutestKidever and I quickly signed up and made contact with people from Price Chopper on Facebook and Twitter. I was excited to see what they had in store. Today, we learned that Price Chopper is branching out and trying to do more with social media. They are represented on Twitter, Facebook and reading blogs out there that mention their stores. Thanks to Cook’s ham, they decided to take the plunge and sponsor a Mommy blogging event at one of their stores.

Let me begin by saying that I went into this event with a completely open mind. I had no real idea what to expect. I knew that I would meet new people, learn about Cook’s Ham and hopefully have fun in the process. All of this was accomplished and so much more. As a person that keeps kosher at home, but has eaten and does eat pork products on occasion I did not think that I liked ham. I was not sure if I was going to try something – in the end I did (sorry to my relatives, but you know seafood also calls me when out).

I met Christina outside of the Price Chopper store. When we walked in, we were greeted by Liz and Heidi from Price Chopper. They were so sweet and knew us from Twitter. They could recall several of my Twitpics of items and knew that I had been Passover shopping recently. We also met the two women from Cook’s that would be doing the demonstrations and sampling of their products.

We sat down, looked at everything and then noticed something on the wall. Price Chopper has free Wifi in their food court. . . . sweet! Of course, we did not know this and never thought about bringing our computers to the event. I know I never would have kept up, but Christina is an amazing live blogger (saw it in person at Disney Social Media Moms Celebration last month). Several of us Tweeted during the event. @CutestKidEver and I used #CooksHam to make it easier to follow along. Here is a view of things in the food court area that held the event:

As I sat down with Christina and waited for other bloggers to arrive, I looked at the agenda for the Cook’s Ham Blogger Conference.

Introduction and Welcome

Meal Preparation Workshop

Spiral Sliced Ham

Ham carving demo

Recipe demo and tasting

Looking forward to Leftovers

Ham 3-ways

Grilling Ham Steaks

Shopping Cart Challenge

Group Discussion

Adjourn

Faith from Cook’s Ham introduced herself and explained about their products. Next, all of the people from Price Chopper were introduced. I even met the person in charge of buying all meat for the stores, including Kosher items – score! Kim and I chatted a lot about things during the event. After this, the nine bloggers, including myself, went around and told everyone who we are and why we started blogging. It was nice seeing many people that I had met online. From here, Faith started the demonstration on how to carve a spiral ham:

As someone who has never cooked a ham, and probably never will, I learned a lot. I did not know that you had to cut around the bone and slice it. I also learned that a lot of people have a hard time knowing how long to cook a ham. Eventually it was taste testing time. Here are some of the items that were given out to try:

From top right down to top left and down:

Slice of the Cook’s spiral ham
Piece of ham steak
Pasta salad with ham pieces in it
Panini sandwich with ham, cheese , olives and roasted red peppers
"Ham Tacos" – Crescent rolls with dijon mustard, ham, provolone cheese, and apple

Before we knew it, they were giving everyone a challenge of our own. The mission of sorts was to shop in the Price Chopper store and spend under $100 to supplement a ham to plan a list of meals. These included brunch/dinner, school lunch, after school activity, pot luck dinner, family game night and breakfast. Being the non-ham eater in the group, I opted to be paparazzi and follow Christina around to take photos as she planned her menu on the run.

The challengers were going to be awarded in three areas (1) Most Value (2) Most Creative and (3) Easiest Meals When the time was up, everyone went back to the food court area to present their meals. Let me tell you, I heard some amazing ideas. I especially loved the ones that really thought about kids and families and how they would be eating the items. There were items that I know I can switch up and even make in our kosher kitchen. I would love to link up to other bloggers at the event. If you were there, PLEASE leave me a note and I will add in a mention for you. Here are some photos of my fellow bloggers enjoying the afternoon event:

When we were wrapping things up, Maureen Murphy from Price Chopper came to let us know about new projects that Price Chopper is working on. I know that we will be signing up NHL for the Kids Cooking Club with Jodie Fitz. This program launched in September 2009 joins the Fuel AdvantEdge and Tools for Schools that are very popular in areas with Price Chopper stores. Price Chopper will also be launching tips very soon about healthy Easter basket options for kids and more fun cooking projects to do with your family.

Before I knew it, the three hours was up and it was time to head home. Here is my shopping cart as I left Price Chopper.

I know I look forward to many more events at Price Chopper! More items to share soon and a giveaway associated with the event as well.

Disclosure: Cook’s Ham and Price Chopper invited me to be a part of this blogging event. I did not pay for this, nor was I paid to go. I was not asked to blog about this, but wanted to share my experience with my readers. The opinions expressed in this are my own. I was not compensated, but did receive sample items, some groceries and flowers from Cook’s Ham and Price Chopper.

Categories:
bloggy friends customer service food glorious food fun me moments photos Product review shopping

Taking Daddy to the ENT

Posted on March 16, 2010 11:43 pm by TheAngelForever

A rough day for TechyDad. Went in to ENT for a sore throat, ear pain and bloody noses that will not end. Had to have his nose cauterized (more about it on his post –> A shocking experience) – not a happy camper tonight. All plugged up and miserable from the procedure. I love you and hope that this solves the problem so you can breathe easier in the long run.

Categories:
bad news doctor jl jsl sickness TechyDad Wordless Wednesday

Public schools – a dying breed

Posted on March 15, 2010 9:22 pm by TheAngelForever

As a child, I went though public schools. Some people may not want to admit that, but I am proud to say that I went from kindergarten to a senior in high school in the same school district. Like most schools at the time, things were rough in the middle school level, but if you kept your nose clean it was easy to get a good education. I had opportunities in the high school that no other schools in the area, state or country were doing at the time. I learned so many amazing things during my time as a student in the public schools. I also had teachers that inspired me in my teaching career and beyond.

Today, I find myself sitting here scratching my head after recent events.

Last week, I went to a meeting at our school where they revealed drafts of the new budget. I sat at the meeting feeling more and more disgusted by the minute. I shook my head, worried about the future of the schools for my son and his peers. Right now, NHL’s school may be on the chopping block.

Why?

That is a very good question. Something that I do not understand given the progress this school has made. It has steadily increased enrollement and done extremely well on state exams. The sad reality is this does not seem to matter in the district. They are willing to close one of the top performing schools because of the size.

Of course, the bigger issue is the cause of the budget issues. Like so many other school districts in New York state and beyond, budgets are being slashed. Thanks to sloppy work in the New York state government, the wrong amount of federal stimulus money was sent to districts thoughout the state last year. They were sent the money that should have been split over 2-3 years and they were JUST notified about this a few weeks ago. Don’t even get me started on how the individuals that screwed this up causing districts across the state to be short millions of dollars are still in their job. This is something I hope to continue to investigate.

The largest issue are the charter schools in our area that are sucking the tax money and literally killing off our public schools. What many people do not know is that charter schools are run by businesses, NOT educators. Where this may seem like a fabulous idea, it typically fails in the end. Tests are not developmentally appropriate for students, teachers are not licensed, business people run the school and make promises that can never be delivered. Worst yet – they correct their own state exams which are not audited (so DUH they do wonderfully). Having applied for a charter school teaching job I was floored with the line of questioning I received that had nothing to do with educating children. That is a topic for another day – we are talking major anger and pet peeve here.

For now though, my attention is on helping to save my school district and most importantly my son’s school. Here are some of the items on the chopping block with the first Tier of reductions even with another HIGH tax hike to all of us within the area:

Over 100 employees will be losing their jobs. This includes administrators, teachers, non-instructional staff, and substitute hall monitors. Note that last year over 100 also lost their job.
Discontinue Reading Recovery
Stop specials for PreK students (classroom teachers will be responsible for teaching art, music and I believe PE along with library)
Cuts in professional development and substitutes for this purpose (As a teacher, I do not know how this works when teachers are required by the state to have a certain number of continuing education credits)
Nurse teachers will be replaced by RNs. At the meeting, the district speaker tried to say that they are not in the classroom. I beg to differ. The nurse teacher at my son’s school is an amazing woman that teaches health education, nutrition, distributes healthy snacks to the kids and is a fabulous resource for the kids when they need another trusted person to talk with.

Tier 2 of reducations get even more frightening and includes some of these items:

Close 2 elementary schools
Reduce sports programing by 50%
Cut Special Education Teacher Assistants
Close down K-7 Summer School
Get rid of Literacy and math coaches

For the record – even if everything in Tier 1 is nixed, there will not be enough money generated to stop Tier 2 from going forward. The reality is that both are likely needed to just get the district out of the deficit and keep things at a status quo. Today, people received notices that they will likely not have a job next year. The reality is harsh and as a parent I fear for our children. Public schools are a dying breed and it makes me horribly sad.

So I am now on a mission. I need to write letters, let my voice be heard and find a way to save not only our school, but our district that is in a horrible mess thanks to the economy and our bankrupt state.

My question to you. Where should I start? Who should I write to outside of the school district to let them know how they are failing the future of our state with their incompetent spending and constant cuts to education? Where do I send a letter to let them know the truth about Charter Schools and how they are slowly making public schools in our area dinosaurs that will not be seen?

Categories:
bad news Educational looking back real world news school

Saying bye-bye to binky

Posted on March 14, 2010 8:12 pm by TheAngelForever

Dear JSL,

Tuesday was a big day for you. That was the evening you finished up the antibiotic for your strep throat. It was also the night that things changed forever in your little world.During the day, I noticed that a binky you had was chewed through. I did not know where another one was and told you it was broken. Little did you know that I was preparing you for something big. When it was time for bed we told you your binky was "broken" and there were no others in the house. It was time and we knew you were ready.

Much to my surprise, you only cried for a little while. When I was able to calm you down, I reminded you that it was your last binky and it was broken. You repeated the information back to me. I asked if you wanted your back patted to fall asleep. It took a while for you to quietly settle. For quite some time you simply looked at me and sulked.

When you woke up in the morning you asked for your "baby" right away. We told you it was broken and all gone. You wimped, but with a little diversion you were good. Several more times you mentioned it. I asked you if you wanted to go to the toy store to get a bye-bye binky toy. You said yes. When I asked what you wanted, you told me a Winne the Pooh toy.

Who knew that getting something with Winnie the Pooh would be so tricky? We went to four stores and then finally went to Toys R Us and found something. You were SO happy!

When NHL got out of school you proudly showed him your bye-bye binky presents. Now of course, we are going to work on a bye-bye diapers! I know you are ready and I am willing to deal with more laundry if need be. You are growing up so quickly, but you will always be my baby.

Love,

Mommy

_______________________________________

If you want to participate in Dear Kid Saturday, head on over to Cutest Kid Ever by clicking on the button below.

Categories:
Dear Kid Saturday decisions jsl milestone

mirra products (Review/Giveaway)

Posted on March 13, 2010 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Please raise your hand if you are always on the look out for new skin and hair care products.

*wildly flailing my arms around*

As a thirty something year old woman, I still have a hard time finding products to tame my thick, wavy/curly and very frizzy hair. Add to this, trouble locating items to moisturize my extremely dry and sensitive skin. Most of the products that are out there are too heavy on scents/perfumes and cause me to sneeze and/or make my skin to break out in a rash.

When I was asked by Global Influence to review some new beauty/hair products, I agreed and was sent items from the new line of mirra products sold at Kroger stores.

Information about mirra:

Launching now, mirra products include shampoos and conditioners; hair styling products; body washes and mists; facial and skin care lotions, cleansers and cleansing cloths; eye firming and age defying creams; and cosmetic brushes.

mirra products are made with natural ingredients, such as olive oil, aloe leaf juice, and cranberry, bamboo, honey and chicory root extracts. Proven technologies are used for many of the products too. For example, the revolutionary oleosome emulsion technology is used in skin care products to deliver long lasting moisture that keeps protecting and nourishing skin long after application.

mirra products can be found in the beauty care aisles exclusively at all stores that are part of the Kroger Co. family. For a limited time, mirra is offering $5 off when you purchase any two mirra products. To download the coupon visit www.kroger.com\coupons.

My thoughts about mirra:

For the last two weeks, I have been using the mirra products that I received. For my hair, I was sent the mirra Daily shampoo and conditioner along with the mirra Daily strong sculpting gel. As I have mentioned before, I have extremely thick hair that tends to have a frizzy life of it’s own thanks to unruly curls/waves. When I tried the shampoo, the first thing I noticed was the subtle scent. It was not overpowering and was thick in my hands. I can not stand shampoo and conditioner that is thin and runny. This held up nice. A small amount went a long way. When I was done washing my hair, there were no snarls. I was able to easily run my fingers through my tresses. Then, it was time to put in some sculpting gel. While my hair was still damp, I ran a small amount into my hair and crunched my hair to maximize my curls. As my hair dried, I was pleasantly surprised that there was little or no frizz throughout the day. In addition to this, the curl stayed the entire day and my hair did not feel crunchy from too much product.

I also received mirra Renew replenishing body wash and protective lotion. Time to admit something here. I am not a big fan of body wash. When I use them, I usually feel slimy when I am done. As someone with very dry and sensitive skin, with eczema in the winter months, I need items that are gentle and helps me to keep needed moisture. When I tried the body wash, there was a hint of fragrance, but nothing that made me stop using it. After my shower, my skin felt clean and I did not have a slimy feeling that I have experienced with some other body washes. I also liked that a very small amount lathered up significantly and went a long way. The winter is not kind to my skin. There are times when I feel like my skin is a desert and needs constant moisture or I get cracks from extreme dry areas. The lotion also had a light and natural smelling fragrance to it. When I used it, I immediately noticed that it was not very thick. I put it on my skin. It took a little while to completely sink into my skin, but I did not feel greasy. For my skin, this will probably do better in the summer when I am not lacking moisture from the lack of humidity.

For my face, I received the mirra Renew deep-moisture day cream and wrinkle reduction eye cream. The first thing that I noticed about both of these was they were extremely thick. A small amount of each went a long way on my face. When I used the Day Cream before my make up, my face and neck were ready and did not need more cream the rest of the day. It has been a little too short of a time to see if there is really a differece from the eye cream, but I will keep using it. The only thing I was not thrilled with was the lack of SPF in the day cream. As a red head with really pale skin, I need protection from the sun each day.

My overall thoughts are that I really like the mirra line of products. I only wish I had a Kroger store in my area to buy them in. Hopefully, they decide to offer them online for people like me to buy because I was really sold on the haircare products in particular and would like to try some of the other items that I was not sent.

Giveaway:

Thanks to Kroger, one lucky reader will win a package similar to the one that I received with a variety of mirra products.

Rules for Giveaway:

MAIN RULE – Answer the following question: Which mirra product are you most interested in trying?
1 Bonus Entry – Who will these products be for and why would you be excited to try them?
1 Bonus Entry – Tweet about the giveaway on Twitter. Be sure to include @TheAngelForever and mirra products Giveaway in the Tweet. Please leave a direct link to your Tweet in a separate comment for each daily entry. Example Tweet (feel free to use): Enter for a chance to win mirra products from @TheAngelForever –> http://bit.ly/dDp04A
1 Bonus Entry – Subscribe to my RSS feed (or let me know if you already are) in a separate comment.
1 Bonus Entry – Leave a comment on any of my non-giveaway posts from the month of January/February/March. Be sure to leave a comment here to let me know which one. This Bonus entry may be done only twice per person.
3 Bonus Entries – Add my blog button to your website and leave a link with the location. Be sure to give yourself 3 comments for credit.
5 Bonus Entries – Write a post on your blog linking to my blog about the giveaway. Be sure to leave 5 comments about this to get credit for all of your extra entries

To enter, please follow the rules above within the comment section. Contest starts today March 13th and ends at 10:59 EST on March 28, 2010. You do not have to be a blogger to enter, but must leave a valid e-mail address for me to contact you for mailing address once the giveaway is over. I will select the winner using random.org and contact you via e-mail. You will have 48 hours to claim the prize. If there is no response, another winner will be selected. Open to U.S. residents only.

Disclosure: I did not receive compensation for this post. Product samples were provided by The Kroger Company for review and giveaway as a part of the Global Influence Network. The opinions expressed in the review are my own feelings about the products.