Last month I shared information with you about my role in the Check-in for Checkups campaign and the goal of the program. As a reminder, the Check-in for Checkups program was designed to help the Children’s Health Fund provide health checkups to children in need. The idea is that for every healthy habit shared on checkinforcheckups.com, Clorox donates $.10 to the Children’s Health Fund, up to $100,000.

Personally, I think this is a great program and love that it benefits children. I know there are plenty of struggling families out there, so providing health checkups is extremely important, especially for the children of such families.

Health Checkups for Latinos

Though I know families of all ethnicities are affected by the economy and assisted by the Children’s Health Fund, I was curious to know how the Latino community in particular has benefited from the Children’s Health Fund. Here is some information I was provided regarding their work within the Latino community.

• In 2010, overall, 43.6% of the Children’s Health Fund’s national network patients were Hispanic.
• The highest incidence of Hispanic patients were in the following regions:
  • Southern Arizona — 90% Hispanic
  • Los Angeles — 84%  Hispanic
  • Austin, TX — 78% Hispanic
  • South Florida/South Bronx, NY — 68% Hispanic

I was also informed that the Children’s Health Fund provides some of their Health Education materials in Spanish. While the page itself is not in Spanish, the linked titles and materials are.

Small Steps Towards Healthy Habits

Since my participation in the Check-in for Checkups program began, I’ve noticed that I’m more conscious of when my family and I accomplish a healthy habit, even if it’s small. The fact that I can share my healthy habits and benefit the Children’s Health Fund (either with a tweet or via checkinforcheckups.com) definitely helps me recognize when we do something healthy. I commend my daughter when she chooses water over juice. I point out if we walk a significant distance. I feel proud if I eat more vegetables in a day. These small steps count and will help our family build long-term healthy habits; and that’s something to be happy about.

ModernMami™.com Reader Giveaway

The Check-in for Checkups campaign has also partnered with Bethenny Frankel, and we’ve got an autographed copy of Bethenny Frankel’s book, A Place of Yes, for one of you! See details below.

How to Enter

Required entry: If you’d like to enter this contest, simply leave a comment below sharing one of your healthy habits. *While you’re at it, why not head over to checkinforcheckups.com and share it there as well?! (Not required to enter giveaway, but doing so will give the Children’s Health Fund $.10!)

Extra entries (optional):
Each of the following will count as 1 extra entry. You’ll need to leave a separate comment for each entry.

1. Follow @modernmami on Twitter.
2. Tweet the following: Enter to win signed copy of @Bethenny Frankel book from @modernmami & learn abt #checkinforcheckups! http://bit.ly/pla97Q #giveaway #contest
3. Tweet your healthy habit using the #checkinforcheckups hashtag.
4. Receive post updates by subscribing to our RSS feed. You can do so either via email or through a RSS reader. Leave a comment saying you did so or are already a subscriber.
5. Subscribe on friendfeed and leave a comment with your friendfeed ID.
6. Like ModernMami™.com on Facebook.
7. Write a blog post on your own blog sharing the details of this contest. Be sure to include a link back to this post. Leave a comment with your post link.

All entries must be in by Friday, September 16, 2011 at 11:59 pm EST. You must be 18 or older and a U.S. resident. No purchase necessary. Remember to leave a separate comment for each entry. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email. (Please be sure to provide a valid email address with your entry.) Winner will have 48 hours to respond and claim prize, otherwise a new winner will be chosen. See rules and promotions standards set forth by Clorox for more information: http://www.clorox.com/legal/promotions/

Disclosure: I am currently working on a compensated campaign with The Clorox Company for the Check-in for Checkups program that benefits the Children’s Health Fund.

Last month I attended a McDonald’s First Taste event in New York City. The event was designed for media and bloggers to be able to sample some new menu items, meet with key McDonald’s representatives, and speak with McDonald’s nutrition manager and chef. We also had the opportunity to speak with a registered dietitian who focuses on nutrition in the Latino community.

While our family is not against fast food and do occasionally eat it, we realize that we need to be careful with our choices and monitor how much and how often we eat fast food. Attending the McDonald’s First Taste event allowed me to learn more about the various choices McDonald’s offers that will make a visit to the restaurant a more balanced visit, food-wise. I also learned about the Bag a McMeal section of the McDonald’s website, where you can choose menu items to create a more-balanced meal and monitor the nutritional information. This is good if you’re wanting to choose lower-calorie or lower-fat options from the McDonald’s menu before heading to your local McDonald’s. It definitely gives you a good perspective on what you may have been eating thus far and how you can choose better options.

I spoke with both Julia Braun, McDonald’s nutrition manager, and Sylvia Melendez-Klinger, an independent registered dietitian who focuses on nutrition in the Hispanic community. Both ladies provided insightful information regarding the McDonald’s menu. Check out the videos below to learn some tips from Sylvia on putting together a meal that meets your calorie needs, plus her take on what the Latino community can do to make healthier eating choices.

Sylvia Melendez-Klinger on Creating a Balanced Meal at McDonald’s

Sylvia Melendez-Klinger on How Latinos Can Eat Healthier

I also took the opportunity to ask Julia Braun about marketing to children at McDonald’s. Hear her response regarding McDonald’s stance on responsible marketing to children.

Julia Braun on Marketing to Children at McDonald’s

A couple of the new menu items we sampled included a mango pineapple smoothie, an Asian salad McDonald’s is bringing back for a limited time, and new sauces for the Chicken McNuggets, including a ranch sauce which will please my daughter who dips pretty much everything into ranch dressing. Of course, McDonald’s wants you to try out some of their new menu items, so they’re offering a giveaway to ModernMami™ readers with a gift card so you can do just that. Remember to also give the Bag a McMeal site a try and see what meal combinations you can come up with. Sylvia provided some tips on how you can even keep your meals around the 500 calorie mark. What 500-600 calorie meals can you create for a better fast food meal choice?

McDonald’s Gift Bag Giveaway

One Three* readers will win a McDonald’s gift bag, which contains the following items:
*Update 6/11/11: I’ve been told by the PR company that I can giveaway three bags instead of just one!

• Tips and recipes from Chef Dan
• Lavender scented eye mask
• Pineapple scented candle
• Mango scented candle
• Notebook with pen
• Bamboo pen
• Balance bracelet
• $25 McDonald’s Arch Card

How to Enter

Required entry: If you’d like to enter this contest, simply leave a comment below telling us which McDonald’s 600-calorie (or less) meal combination you prefer.

Extra entries (optional):

Each of the following will count as 1 extra entry. You’ll need to leave a separate comment for each entry.

1. Follow @modernmami on twitter.
2. Tweet the following: Enter to win a McDonald’s gift bag & gift card from @modernmami! http://bit.ly/lKjQxv #mcdonalds #giveaway #contest
3. Receive post updates by subscribing to our RSS feed. You can do so either via email or through a RSS reader. Leave a comment saying you did so or are already a subscriber.
4. Subscribe on friendfeed and leave a comment with your friendfeed ID.
5. Like ModernMami™.com on Facebook.
6. Write a blog post on your own blog sharing the details of this contest. Be sure to include a link back to this post. Leave a comment with your post link.

All entries must be in by Friday, June 17, 2011 at 11:59 pm EST. You must be 18 or older and have a valid U.S. address to enter. Remember to leave a separate comment for each entry. The winners will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email. (Please be sure to provide a valid email address with your entry.) Winners will have 48 hours to respond and claim prize, otherwise a new winner will be chosen.

Disclosure: I attended the McDonald’s First Taste event courtesy of VPE PR and McDonald’s. All expenses paid. No compensation received.

Photo credits: McDonald’s

A few months ago, we took our baby girl to see the movie Tangled. I was still pregnant at the time, and it’s the last movie we’ve seen at a movie theater and will remain so for a few more months since baby boy is too young to go. Our girl was excited to see the movie as she’d been seeing the commercials for a while, and like most girls her age, she LOVES princesses. Naturally, she wanted to see Disney’s latest princess movie; their 50th animated film I later found out!

We all really enjoyed the movie and laughed thoroughly, as there are many funny moments in the movie. Even my husband laughed, particularly at Maximus’ antics with Flynn Rider. Rapunzel’s strong will and energy was also contagious and appreciated by my daughter, who is also strong and energetic.

I actually asked my daughter, “Why do you like the movie Tangled?” Her answer: “It’s funny and even though Flynn Rider is a thief, he finds someone that loves him [Rapunzel] and they get married.” The girl has recently become obsessed with all things love and marriage.

Incidentally, the movie’s executive producer, John Lasseter, incorporated a special moment from his own marriage into the movie. Here’s how he explains it:

One of my favorite sequences in the movie is the one we developed with the floating lanterns. Personally, these sequences are very special to me. Why? Well, let me tell you a little story… My wife and I headed to Bora Bora, Tahiti, for our 20th wedding anniversary. The Head Of Food Service at the resort we were staying at was an Italian guy, but he married an Indonesian woman and he had lived in Indonesia for years. He said to us, “I have something special for you.” And on our 20th anniversary, he brought out a lantern. He had us sign a little note to each other, which we taped to the top of the lantern, and then he lit it. It was dusk, we were on the beach and it was very romantic. The guy then said, “Kiss and let it go.” So we let it go and that beautiful lantern floated up into the Tahitian sky and drifted off into the distance.

It was beautiful. We had dinner on the beach that night and we watched the lantern float away for about two hours until it was a tiny, little speck in the sky. It looked like a star up there. It was one of the most magical things that has ever happened to me, so when we started talking about doing something special for Tangled, I mentioned this story to the team. We got on the internet and we discovered that there are festivals in Southeast Asia where thousands of these lanterns light up the sky. We’d never seen anything quite like it, so it became an inspiration for the movie.

If you wish, you can read more from John Lasseter, in this Q&A interview I was provided. [PDF] (Note: These are not questions I personally asked him.)

Also, check out this slide show featuring the concept sketches and drawings for Mother Gothel:

Tangled is due to be released on DVD/Blu-Ray on March 29. And, you have a chance at sharing the story of Rapunzel with your family by entering to win your own copy of Tangled below!

Giveaway

Enter for your chance to win a TANGLED DVD/Blu-Ray Combo pack.

How to Enter

Required entry: If you’d like to enter this contest, simply leave a comment below telling us what you liked best about this movie (if you’ve seen it) or what you think you’ll like based on the previews! You can view a trailer and find out more info about the movie here.

Extra entries (optional):

Each of the following will count as 1 extra entry. You’ll need to leave a separate comment for each entry.

1. Follow @modernmami on twitter.
2. Tweet the following: Enter to win a Tangled DVD/Bluray pack from @modernmami! http://bit.ly/tangleddvd #giveaway #contest #disney #movies
3. Receive post updates by subscribing to our RSS feed. You can do so either via email or through a RSS reader. Leave a comment saying you did so or are already a subscriber.
4. Subscribe on friendfeed and leave a comment with your friendfeed ID.
5. Like ModernMami™.com on Facebook.
6. Write a blog post on your own blog sharing the details of this contest. Be sure to include a link back to this post. Leave a comment with your post link.

All entries must be in by Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at 11:59 pm EST. You must have a valid U.S. address to enter. Remember to leave a separate comment for each entry. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email. (Please be sure to provide a valid email address with your entry.) Winner will have 48 hours to respond and claim prize, otherwise a new winner will be chosen. DVD/Blu-ray combo provided may be a different version than pictured.

Disclosure: I received information and product in order to facilitate this review/giveaway. No compensation received. As always, all opinions and thoughts are my own.

Photos provided

This post is part of a paid campaign.

My baby girl started Prekindergarten this past Monday. Here in Florida they actually call it Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK), and the state funds the program. So, if you properly enroll your child with the state, various local child care centers will provide VPK free of charge 3 hours a day, five days a week. But, even though the state funds the program, I found myself receiving a school supply list from her preschool and having to purchase school supplies. We didn’t mind at all, and of course, it was very exciting for her to get her school supplies and take them to school. After all, starting next year when she starts Kindergarten, I’ll be buying school supplies every year thereafter – so this was good training.

Still, it reminded me of how underfunded the general school system is. Here in Florida, there have been many budget cuts for the Education industry, some that even recently affected the program where just eight months ago I was working full-time. The program no longer exists. I also know that most teachers purchase school supplies for their classrooms and students out of their own pocket. I know this because my mother-in-law is an elementary school teacher in South Florida and she is constantly looking for items at stores for “her kids” and her classroom. And, I think that’s how most teachers feel too – their students are “their kids” and they wholeheartedly embrace their role of educating those kids.

A major way that schools are affected by budget cuts are through critical enrichment programs such as music, arts, and sports. Sadly, many schools have had to cut back on or eliminate such programs. This year, Clorox wishes to help schools by awarding four grants, totaling $110,000, to help fund school programs that will brighten and enrich the lives of kids. Through the Power A Bright Future grant program, Clorox is seeking nominations for schools to win a $50,000 grand-prize grant or one of three $20,000 grants. All you have to do, is visit the Clorox site from August 12 to September 27, 2010 and submit a photo and information about the program in the appropriate category for your idea: Learn, Play or Create. For more information, official rules and to nominate a school program, visit Clorox.

Additional Ways To Help Your School and Children

• I’m sure this is stuff we all already know, but as a reminder, taking several easy steps can help prevent the spread of germs:
  • Sing and Scrub: Wash hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds (the time it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice).
  • Do the Elbow Cough: Cough and sneeze into your elbow instead of your hands to help prevent the spread of germs by touch.
  • Disinfect Hot Spots: School staff and adults should routinely clean areas that people touch often, like desktops, remote controls and light switches.
• In addition to nominating a school, there’s also plenty that can be done to support teachers in keeping his or her classroom clean and ready to inspire students. Consider bringing teachers hand sanitizer or canisters of Clorox Disinfecting Wipes to help make clean-up easier. Similar to school supplies, many teachers also provide cleaning supplies at their own expense.

Power A Bright Future and Have Fun Too!

Through this campaign, Clorox is offering us a few ways to have fun while learning more about the Power A Bright Future program and helping schools. First up, there is a contest at the bottom of this post for you to win a prize, and next week, I’ll be co-hosting a Twitter party to discuss the program and learn tips from each other – with more prizes!

Bilingual Power a Bright Future Twitter Party

Come ready to share and receive advice from fellow moms on how you can help in keeping a healthier and happier school. The party will be in both English and Spanish, so feel free to tweet in either language! Be sure to follow the party hosts and organizers:

• Migdalia Rivera – @MsLatina
• Silvia Martinez – @mamalatina
• Melanie Edwards – @modernmami
• Ana Flores – @laflowers
• Clorox – @clorox

Party Details:

Date: Thursday, August 26
Time: 9-10 pm EST
Hashtag: #CloroxBrightFuture
Prizes: Three (3) $25 AMEX gift cards will be given out during the twitter party.
RSVP: It’s not mandatory to RSVP in order to join us, but if you want to connect with fellow party attendees ahead of time, RSVP on the Facebook Event page.

Twitter Party Giveaway Rules: Three winners will be chosen at random from all #CloroxBrightFuture tagged tweets between 9:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m EST 8/26/10. Winner must be present and using the tag between these times to win. Winner must be 18 years of age or older and have a valid U.S. address.

ModernMami.com Reader Giveaway

One of you could win a $50 AMEX gift card.

How to Enter

Required entry: If you’d like to enter this contest, simply leave a comment below answering one of the following questions:

1. Now that you’re preparing for back-to-school, how can you help in keeping a healthier and happier school for your children?
2. If you had $50,000 to fund one program in your child’s school, what would it be?
3. How have state budget cuts affected your child’s school?

Extra entries (optional):

Each of the following will count as 1 extra entry. You’ll need to leave a separate comment for each entry.

1. Follow @modernmami on twitter.
2. Tweet the following: Enter to win a $50 AMEX gift card from @modernmami. Ends 9/3. http://bit.ly/cloroxmodernmami #giveaway #contest #CloroxBrightFuture
3. Subscribe to this blog via email and leave a comment with the email you used to subscribe. (You can use the email field to do this instead of putting your email in the comment if you prefer.)
4. Subscribe on friendfeed and leave a comment with your friendfeed ID.
5. Write a blog post on your own blog sharing the Power A Bright Future program with your readers; make sure to link back to this contest page in your post. Leave a comment with your post link.

All entries must be in by Friday, September 3 at 11:59 pm EST. Remember to leave a separate comment for each entry. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email. (Please be sure to provide a valid email address with your entry.)

Be sure to also check out my co-hosts’ blogs for additional giveaway opportunities. They are each hosting the same giveaway.

• Migdalia Rivera – Latina on a Mission
• Silvia Martinez – Mamá Latina Tips

Official Rules: Entrants can only win a $50 American Express gift card on one (1) Bilingual Power a Bright Future Twitter party host’s blog. If an entrant chooses to comment on more than one host’s blog post, he/she is only eligible to win one (1) prize, even if randomly selected as the winner more than once. Entrants for the Giveaways may not participate with multiple e-mail addresses. Any entrant who attempts to enter with multiple e-mail addresses, under multiple identities, or uses any other device will be disqualified from participation in the promotion, and all entries submitted by that entrant will be void.

Disclosure: I am being compensated for co-hosting the Bilingual Power a Bright Future Twitter party. This post was written in conjunction with the campaign, but all opinions and thoughts are original.

More and more my 4 year old is taking an interest in art and enjoys coloring, drawing, and painting more than she used to when she was younger. Something she often asks to do, but that I hesitate to let her, is finger painting. It is about the messiest activity you can give a preschooler and though I know I shouldn’t let that get to me, I’d much rather she use another medium for creating art.

Another common issue with art supplies is using them on the road. Crayons and colored pencils might work out fine, but markers are not allowed in our cars. I can’t supervise while she’s using them in the backseat and it’s almost guaranteed that marker will end up all over her hands and clothes.

With us taking a trip later this week to New York City, as well as frequent lengthy car rides, I was excited when I had the opportunity to try out the Crayola Color Wonder “Summer Travel Imagination” pack. The pack is full of items you can take on the road and not have to worry about any messes. All of the items are part of the Color Wonder product family, which means the markers, paints, and stamps only work on the special Color Wonder paper.

Here are the items included in the Crayola Color Wonder “Summer Travel Imagination” pack with descriptions from the manufacturer:

• Crayola Color Wonder Lap Desk provides a large, hard-top surface for kids to create on the go. The sturdy desk has a built-in handle and a soft detachable pillow that can be used as a storage unit for Color Wonder markers and paper. The Lap Desk is equipped with 12 re-stickable pieces of Color Wonder paper to keep kids’ drawings in place and 5 Color Wonder mess-free mini markers in red, orange, yellow, green and blue.
• Crayola Color Wonder Fingerpaints & Paper make the once impossible possible – fingerpainting in the car! The set includes clear, fast-drying gels that feel just like traditional fingerpaint. The set comes with 5 mess-free colors (red, yellow, green, blue and orange) in a hand-shaped storage container, a built-in finger cleaning sponge and 12 extra-wide sheets of Color Wonder paper. When kids are finished painting, they simply snap the fingerprint lids closed and paint stays fresh and ready to use again!
• Crayola Color Wonder Markers and Paper – The set includes 5 Color Wonder markers and a 24-page Color Wonder drawing pad where your kids can create anything they want while you’re on the road!
• Crayola Color Wonder Stow & Go Studio provides a solid, compact drawing surface with stay-put clips that can secure a single piece of paper or an entire Color Wonder activity book. Kids will enjoy creating with mess-free Color Wonder markers that make colors magically appear on special paper and reveal special hidden surprises.
• Crayola Color Wonder Story Stampers includes 5 Color Wonder markers in red, blue, green, purple and orange, a Color Wonder stamp pad, 6 sea creature stamps, and an 18-page coloring pad with undersea background settings. Each setting is unique, so every page will inspire a different fish tale just waiting to be told! Kids’ imaginations will take them beneath the sea as they stamp color sea creatures using the colorless Color Wonder stamp pad to create innovative stories and scenarios then can then color in. It’s like high tide for your imagination!

Crayola is also offering some fun travel-themed activities on their Facebook page. If you share a photo of your children’s Color Wonder artwork on their page, your photo and any links to a blog post may be featured on the “Crayola Color Wonder Wonders Across America” splash page on Crayola.com.

If you wish to try out the Color Wonder products, you can enter to win the “Summer Travel Imagination” pack below or you can print out a coupon for $1.00 off a Crayola Color Wonder product.

The Giveaway

One of you will win a “Summer Travel Imagination” pack like the one pictured and with the items described above.

How to Enter

Required entry: If you’d like to enter this contest, simply leave a comment below and tell us either a) what you like best about Color Wonder products or b) a favorite story about traveling with your children.

Extra entries (optional):

Each of the following will count as 1 extra entry. You’ll need to leave a separate comment for each entry.

1. Follow @modernmami on twitter.
2. Tweet the following: Enter to win a Crayola Color Wonder pack from @modernmami. Ends 8/9. http://bit.ly/crayolamodernmami #giveaway #contest #mbsspark
3. Subscribe to this blog via email and leave a comment with the email you used to subscribe. (You can use the email field to do this instead of putting your email in the comment if you prefer.)
4. Subscribe on friendfeed and leave a comment with your friendfeed ID.
5. Write a blog post on your own blog sharing this contest with your readers; make sure to link back to this contest page in your post. Leave a comment with your post link.

All entries must be in by Monday, August 9 at 11:59 pm EST. Remember to leave a separate comment for each entry. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email. (Please be sure to provide a valid email address with your entry.)

Disclosure: Crayola Color Wonder products received, information, and giveaway were all provided by Crayola through MyBlogSpark.

This post is part of a paid campaign.

When I was little, my mami taught me how to cook as soon as I could reach the back-burner of the stove. I helped make rice, beans, soup, and any other dish she thought I could handle. As I got older and into my tween/teenage years, I no longer helped her cook, but instead would often cook half of the meal when I got home from school by myself.

My daughter has shown an interest in helping to cook since she was about 2 years old. At first, we’d let her “stir” things or have her play with a bowl and spoon as either one of us did the real cooking. But, now that she’s 4 and becoming (a little) more coordinated and can reach better, she actually helps quite a bit. She still stirs, but she can also put ingredients together, layer, and “cut” with some help. She loves to help and I love to see her be so proud of helping the family. Plus, I love that she has an interest in cooking. It makes for some fun times in the kitchen.

Of course, one of the very first things she “cooked” was Rice Krispies Treats with her dad. How easy is it for her to throw the marshmallows into the pot and help stir? So, when I was contacted by The Motherhood about participating in the Rice Krispies Summer Recipe Challenge, I happily accepted knowing it would give my baby girl and I a chance to have some fun creating a Rice Krispies recipe.

The challenge included working with 9 other bloggers and figuring out the clues we each received in a mystery box. After putting the clues together, we realized our challenge was Fourth of July’s “cooler” when kids help create Rice Krispies Treats recipes. This meant that our recipes needed to include a “cooler” (i.e., frozen or cold) ingredient. Here’s what we made.

Cheesecake Rice Krispies Treats Squares

Instead of using a traditional honey graham crust for your cheesecake, I used the Rice Krispies Treats as the “crust.” Here’s what you’ll need.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 package (10 oz.) regular marshmallows
• 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
• 1 box No-Bake Cheesecake dessert (minus crust)

To make the rice krispies treats, melt the butter and add the marshmallows. Once the marshmallows are fully melted, remove from heat and add in the cereal. Stir to coat well and press into a 9 in. pie pan to make the “crust.” This is the really tricky part, since it can be quite messy and the rice krispies treats are a little sticky to work with. But, after much laughter and work, my baby girl and I were able to get it pressed into the bottom of the pan to make our “crust.”

While the rice krispies treats cool and settle, prepare the cheesecake according to the box instructions. Remember you won’t need the crust included in the box, just the filling. Pour the filling into your pie pan over the rice krispies treats and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Once you take it out of the fridge, cut into square pieces, serve and enjoy!

Oreo Rice Krispies Treats Squares

This is a variation of the above recipe, using Oreo No-Bake dessert, for the chocolate lovers out there.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 package (10 oz.) regular marshmallows
• 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
• 1 box Oreo No-Bake dessert (minus crust)

Prepare this dish, the same way as the cheesecake squares, except that you’ll use a 8 in. square pan instead of a pie pan (though you really could use a pie pan, if you wanted to). Again, remember you won’t need the crust that comes with the box, since your rice krispies treats will be the “crust.”

If you want to see what the other bloggers participating in this challenge created, visit their blogs for some yummy recipes:

• Mommy Mandy: http://www.mommymandy.com
• Naptime Chef: http://www.thenaptimechef.com/
• Mom’s Favorite Stuff: http://www.momsfavoritestuff.com
• The Plus Size Mommy: http://www.theplussizemommy.com
• GirlyMama: http://www.girlymama.typepad.com/
• Zen Mama Ventures: http://zenforyou.dalefg.net
• The Mommy Insider: http://www.themommyinsider.com
• Mommin’ It Up: http://momminitup.com/
• Pretty Pink Momma: http://prettypinkmomma.blogspot.com

I also have a quick 24-hour giveaway in conjunction with this challenge. One of you can win a Rice Krispies Treats Cookbook. To enter, just leave a comment on this post and let me know what fun Rice Krispies Treats recipes you’ve tried in the past, or if you stick to the traditional treats. Contest ends at 5 pm EST on June 24th. I’ll choose a winner using random.org and contact him/her via e-mail. Note: View official giveaway rules here.

Disclosure: As a Rice Krispies Brand Ambassador for TheMotherhood.com, I was compensated for participating in this challenge.

Photos by Melanie Edwards (apologies for the blurriness – I am no good at food photography apparently). Badge provided by The Motherhood.

What do you normally do on Mother’s Day? Do you stay home and relax? Go out to eat?

This will be my 5th year celebrating Mother’s Day for myself; before that it was all about my mami. Of course, that means that I share the celebrations with my mom now. Usually, this means I do a little relaxing at home with my family and then visit my mother for the other half of the day. I think once we all went out to eat together. But, we’ve never really done a family day out for Mother’s Day. I think maybe next year I will plan a beach trip so we can all enjoy the wonderful May weather and both my mom and I can relax by the ocean.

To celebrate Mother’s Day, Nestle Family is currently holding a national giveaway on their site and also offering a giveaway for ModernMami.com readers.

Mother’s Day to Remember National Sweepstakes

You could win $8,000 toward a family dream vacation plus $2,000 for a spa day or night out on the town with your friends. See details and enter at Nestle Family by May 31, 2010.

ModernMami.com Reader Giveaway

One of you could win a prize pack full of the following coupons and products ($150 value):

• $29.99 Shutterfly gift card
• 30-day supply of Glowelle
• Carnation Instant Breakfast Essentials
• Juicy Juice
• Dreyer’s ice cream
• Toll House
• Nesquik
• Cranberry Raisinets
• Stouffer’s
• Nestle Pure Life
• Wonka Exceptionals
• Wonka Sploshberries
• Recipe cards featuring recipes from meals.com

How to Enter

Required entry: If you’d like to enter this contest, simply leave a comment below and tell us how you normally celebrate Mother’s Day.

Extra entries (optional):

Each of the following will count as 1 extra entry. You’ll need to leave a separate comment for each entry.

1. Follow @modernmami on twitter.
2. Tweet the following: Enter to win $150 worth of Nestle products at @modernmami. Ends 5/13. http://bit.ly/dcoTFJ #giveaway #contest
3. Like ModernMami.com on Facebook and leave a comment on this post with your Facebook name.
4. Subscribe to this blog via email and leave a comment with the email you used to subscribe. (You can use the email field to do this instead of putting your email in the comment if you prefer.)
5. Subscribe on friendfeed and leave a comment with your friendfeed ID.
6. Write a blog post on your own blog sharing with your readers how you celebrate Mother’s Day and make sure to link back to this contest page in your post. Leave a comment with your post link.

All entries must be in by Thursday, May 13 at 11:59 pm EST. Remember to leave a separate comment for each entry. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email. (Please be sure to provide a valid email address with your entry.)

Hope all you mamis have a wonderful Mother’s Day!

Disclosure: In conjunction with hosting this giveaway, I will also receive a Nestle Family prize pack.

Disclosure: In conjunction with hosting this giveaway, I will receive two months of personal assistant service from TaskUs.com and a 2-night stay at Hyatt Place.

What does every busy working parent need? Besides more sleep, of course – that’s not something I can help you with.

Take another guess. Go ahead….give up? Oh ok.

Personal assistant. Am I right?

I know there’s been many times I’ve said, “If only I had a personal assistant to…” – you fill in the blank. From keeping up with work, the house, finances, our families, and the many many responsibilities we have every day, maintaining your sanity can be hard at times. We work hard to achieve work-life balance in our lives and we need every little bit of help we can get. In fact, a recent national study conducted by Hyatt Place found that the number of Americans struggling with work-life balance has nearly doubled to 71% since 2006.

It seems that one of the reasons we’re having a harder time finding our balance is that we’re no longer splitting up our various roles. The average 2010 American is instead multitasking all day, every day. Some interesting stats from the study:

• 83% of Americans said they often take care of work matters from home
• 59% stated that they often handle personal matters at work
• 62% of respondents said they are constantly multitasking
• On average, someone working from home is doing five tasks simultaneously

Sound familiar?

To help with your busy multitasking life, Hyatt Place is currently giving away 2 months of virtual personal assistant service to 20 people. The service will be provided by TaskUs.com and you can enter through April 9.

But, you can enter for an even better giveaway right here. In addition to the 2 months of virtual assistance, you can also win a 2-night stay at a Hyatt Place hotel of your choice. Oh, and, two of you will win!

Giveaway

Two readers will win a 2-night Hyatt Place hotel stay and 2 months virtual personal assistant service from TaskUs.com

How to Enter

If you’d like to enter this contest for a 2-night stay/2 months service package, simply leave a comment below and tell us why you need a personal assistant.

For extra entries:

1. Tweet about this contest with a link back to this post and include @modernmami in your tweet. You must leave a separate comment with a link to your tweet for your entry to count.
2. Become a fan of ModernMami.com on Facebook and leave a comment on this post with your Facebook name.
3. Subscribe to this blog via email and leave a comment with the email you used to subscribe. (You can use the email field to do this instead of putting your email in the comment if you prefer.)
4. Subscribe on friendfeed and leave a comment with your friendfeed ID.
5. Write a blog post on your own blog sharing with your readers why you need a personal assistant and make sure to link back to this contest page in your post. Leave a comment with your post link.

All entries must be in by Wednesday, April 7 at 11:59 pm EST. Make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry. The winners will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email. (Please be sure to provide a valid email address with your entry.

Additional Contest Information

• There are no blackout dates for the Hyatt Place hotel stay.
• The TaskUs.com personal assistant service hours must be used by August.
• Official rules for the nationwide Hyatt Place sweepstakes can be found on the contest website.

Disclosure: As a Nintendo Brand Enthusiast through Brand About Town, I received a copy of the Wii Fit™ Plus game and the opportunity to host a Wii Fit Plus yoga party free of charge. No other compensation received. In addition, Nintendo has given me a Wii™ system and the Wii Fit Plus bundle (Balance Board™ & game) which I am giving away for this contest.

A few months ago, a few of my friends and even some family, got together on a Sunday morning and headed downtown to have a Wii Fit™ Plus yoga party. This was my first duty as a Wii Fit Plus Brand Enthusiast. It’s such a hard job. I swear. Ok, fine, I can’t lie. I just get to have fun and bring you along with me for the ride.

I wasn’t sure what to expect since all I had been told was that we’d have a yoga session and get to learn about the new features of Wii Fit Plus. I already owned Wii Fit™ and loved it, so I was excited to get together with friends and do some yoga together. When I arrived, I started giggling like a school girl when I saw this:

My husband rolled his eyes so far up that I’m surprised they didn’t get stuck in the back of his head. My mom on the other hand, giggled along with me. She’s awesome.

Once inside, I couldn’t help but keep smiling. The set-up was NICE! There were cushions, yoga mats, and 10 TV/Wii Fit stations with each one having a Buddha statue and candle underneath. It was very peaceful and soothing and the party hadn’t even started. There were also the most adorable fruit smoothies in shot glasses, which was good because many hadn’t eaten breakfast. The guests, I mean. Not me. {ahem}

Our party started with an awesome trainer guiding us through the new options of Wii Fit Plus and later showing us some yoga poses that we’d try out as a group. What I love is that you can now create your own exercise routine, track your calorie burning, and customize your workout based on what you ate. Then we broke out into partners.

We saluted the sun.

We were trees.

We were warriors.

After a break for lunch, we had a chance to play the new balance games. I love love love the Rhythm Kung Fu and Rhythm Parade games. I also like the multiplayer function that’s now available. Add some mimosas to the party and we definitely had a fun time trying to balance ourselves.

It was a lot of fun and all who attended had a great time. We all want to know when we can have another party!

Oh, and did I forget to mention that all attendees received their very own Wii Fit Plus bundle? Imagine their surprise when the boxes came out!

Thanks Brand About Town and Nintendo for the awesome party and opportunity to share with friends and family! The trainer and entire team were wonderful and need to come to my house to make sure I work out regularly. Just saying.

Now for your very own fun!

Giveaway

You too have a chance at trying out the new Wii Fit Plus and its features! One of you can win not only the Wii Fit Plus bundle with a board, but also a Wii SYSTEM. The winner will receive both. That’s right ladies and gentlemen…LOVE ME!

Find out how to enter…

How to Enter

• If you’d like to enter this contest, leave a comment answering the question: “How will you fit some fit in with Wii Fit Plus from Nintendo?“

All entries must be in by Monday, April 5 at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email. (Please be sure to provide a valid email address with your entry so I can contact you.)

Additional Contest Rules

• The prize will be awarded together as one gift to include (1) Wii system and (1) Wii Fit Plus to a single individual.
• Contest is only open to U.S. residents over the age of 18.
• Contest is not open to my family members and/or Nintendo employees.

Disclosure: This post is part of a “I Heart Beef” campaign with TheMotherhood.com on behalf of The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. I will receive compensation for sharing my memories with you, but my opinions are mine. In fact, I have always loved beef.

We are what you would call meat lovers. That is to say that we could never be vegetarians. The word itself is one that would get you looks of “Are you crazy?” in our family. Now that’s not to say there’s anything wrong with being a vegetarian (Seinfeld anyone?), it’s just that we are carnivorous by nature.

Join me in a flashback real quick…

We had only been married a few months. Times were tough, of course, as is normal for a young couple just starting out. We were living off of rice, beans, and PB & J sandwiches. (How’s that for multicultural?) Since meat was the biggest expense on our grocery bill at the time, I began to make it last as long as I could. One day, after a tiring day at work, I came home and decided not to cook any meat that night. I remember my mami would sometimes make a great meal out of just yellow rice, beans, and a big salad. I opted to do the same.

A proud new wife, I set a plate of my home-cooked dinner in front of my husband and said “Buen provecho!” as I sat down across from him. He looked down at his plate, looked back up at me and said, “Where’s the meat?”

I can still remember that day. We laugh about it now, of course, but believe me that every meal since then has had some sort of meat in it. As I said…meat lovers.

Image from Wikipedia

And, though we’re equal opportunity meat lovers, this post will be all about the beef. We often ate beef growing up in a Puerto Rican house. From carne molida to bistec encebollado to barbecuing steaks at parties, many meals I grew up eating – and some of my favorites – involve beef. One of my all time favorites is bistec encebollado. I wish I had a nice video showing you how to make it, but I didn’t have time to make one right now (Note to self: Make video in the future!). So, I’m going to give you the basic recipe.

Image from CSU Meat Sciences

The key to making bistec encebollado is that you have to use cubed steak. If you can’t find it pre-packaged, just ask the butcher to run a piece of beef through the machine and it’ll come out cubed for you. Then, you really only need some onions and the basic ingredients for making sofrito – a staple when cooking Puerto Rican food.

Image from Puerto Rican Recipes Online

Recipe for Bistec Encebollado – Puerto Rican Cubed Steak with Onions

Ingredients

• Cubed Steak
• Onions
• Cooking Oil
• Adobo
• Meat Tenderizer
• Black Pepper

Cooking the Steak

1. Season el bistec with adobo, black pepper, and meat tenderizer.
2. Cut your onions into nice ring slices.
3. Using a large covered pan, heat a bit of cooking oil.
4. Put your steaks in and drizzle a little water under to help create steam.
5. Cover the pan and cook on low-medium heat.
6. When the steak is tender and nearly done, add your onions on top of the steaks.
7. The steak will cook slowly on low heat and the onions will wilt creating a perfect combination of steak and onions.
8. I highly suggest you serve over white rice and red beans with a side of tostones. Heaven!

I apologize for the lack in detail with the ingredients and the steps, but it is true to how I and everyone in my family cooks. We do not measure and just go along pouring items into the pot.

If you want to get some more ideas for cooking with beef, check out Beef It’s What’s for Dinner, which has many recipes, videos, and information for buying, cooking, and handling beef. February is actually “I Heart Beef” month so have fun looking up fun ideas for dinner this week; they even have a Quick Meals section with simple recipes fit for any busy parent.

Now, let’s get on to the contest.

Giveaway

One of you will win a $100 Omaha Steaks gift card!

How to Enter

If you’d like to enter this contest for a $100 Omaha Steaks gift card, simply leave a comment below and share your favorite memories of making everyday occasions special with beef and let me know your favorite recipe from the Beef It’s What’s for Dinner site.

For extra entries:

1. Tweet about this contest with a link back to this post and include @modernmami in your tweet. You must leave a separate comment with a link to your tweet for your entry to count.
2. Follow @BeefForDinner on twitter and tweet them with a recipe you like from their site.
3. Become a fan of ModernMami.com on Facebook and leave a comment with your Facebook name.
4. Become a fan of Beef It’s What’s for Dinner on Facebook.
5. Subscribe to this blog via email and leave a comment with the email you used to subscribe. (You can use the email field to do this instead of putting your email in the comment if you prefer.)
6. Subscribe on friendfeed and leave a comment with your friendfeed ID.
7. Write a blog post on your own blog sharing with your readers something you found helpful on the Beef It’s What’s for Dinner site. Make sure to link back to this contest page in your post. Leave a comment with your post link.

All entries must be in by Sunday, February 28 at 11:59 pm EST. Make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email. (Please be sure to provide a valid email address with your entry.)