On Building Strong Children

If you hang out with Mommy Delicious on Facebook, you probably already know that Aiden's teacher and I email each other quite frequently. Sometimes we email several times in the week, but we communicate at least once per week.

It's my way of staying connected since I work full time and cannot physically be present at his school.

Last week, the kid was having a hard time turn-taking and being gentle with his peers. His teachers and I developed a short-term plan to get him where he needed to be. And fast. We were consistent in our actions -- at home and in school.

The results?

Well, let's just say that today's email from his teachers made me smile.

"We would like to thank you so much for working with Aiden.  This week he has shown much improvement.  We thanked him today in our large groups meeting for asking someone if he could play with them, for telling someone else, very politely, that he was still working with a work and then for telling a friend that we are all winners! Thanks again for your hard work and support!"

As the saying goes... "It's easier to build strong children than to repair broken men." ~ Frederick Douglass 

Five Must Have Accessories for Fall

Written by Debra Johnson

You already have the bold royal blue skinny jeans and the blood red lipstick for the fall, now all you need is the ultimate accessory or two (or five) to complete your look. Here are five items you don’t want to miss out on this year:

Fringe purse: Fringe may have been a really popular summer item but good news this look can carry you into the fall. Fringe in a neutral shade (grey, camel, burgundy and black) purse is a must have for your carrying needs. Whether you choose a clutch, hobo or cross body just make sure it’s sporting some fringe. 

 

IPhone 5 : Of course you have to have the latest and greatest from the folks over at Apple. iPhone 5 has been released and the lines have formed. It’s the ultimate accessory for the woman on the go and that wants to keep up with the tech trends. On a budget? Wait for your upgrade or stick to the iPhone 4S, they are being sold for pretty inexpensive prices. 

Red plaid scarf: It’s cuter than it sounds. If it reminds you of the Seattle grunge music scene circa 1994 or of the English horse riders, then get it. It’s in this fall. It adds a touch of class and fun to any neutral outfit. Have fun with it! 

Grey booties: It’s all about the booties. And this fall, they need to be in a lighter grey color. These go with just about any outfit in your wardrobe and add some pizazz to any outfit. You can find grey booties anywhere right now, they are that hot! 

Old school eyeglasses: There is a fine line when it comes to wearing old school eyeglasses. First rule, you must have a prescription for glasses or you will be classified as a ‘hipster’. Second rule, avoid the overused black, square (and hipster) looking ones that were all over the place last year. Try out a different shape and the tortoise shell pattern. Ultra fab and a look anyone can pull off! 

You can find any of these trendy pieces online or at your local shopping mall. The rule of thumb is to take the trend and make it your own. Add your own personal style and touch! Be you, be bold and be beautiful as you are! 

About the Author: This guest post is contributed by Debra Johnson, blogger and editor of Liveinnanny.com. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: - jdebra84 @ gmail.com.

Sesame Place's Halloween Spooktacular {Review}

Over the weekend, Aiden and I had the opportunity to hang out with the entire Sesame Street clan at Sesame Place for The Count's Halloween Spooktacular, and I must say, I was thoroughly impressed with the way the parked is decorated for the season!

[The kid started out as a Transformer and ended up as a Ninja Turtle. Sorta.]

I'm so used to seeing water rides and sunshine that I wasn't too sure what to expect of The Count's Halloween Spooktacular. But, nevertheless the kid and I were still able to smile and sing, "Sunny days, drifting the clouds away..."

[Trick or Treat!]

In lieu of water rides, there was a hayride, several trick or treat stations (where kids were given candy, chips, toothbrushes... you name it!), an Un-Haunted House (which was particularly fun to go through), and a maze where we had to help Abby find her wand. (Aiden liked it so much that he requested to go back to it. Twice).

The pumpkin patch proved to be a fun way to get in the spirit of things, and Aiden soaked it all up.

[Strike a silly pose!]

I loved that all of the characters were dressed in costume -- it really brought the entire theme to life and made the experience that much more magical.

["Mean Aiden," as Aiden puts it.]

I'm also happy that one lucky reader will win a family pack to experience Sesame Place's Halloween Spooktacular. The contest ends tomorrow so head HERE to enter!

Good luck!

[Obviously Aiden and I are #TeamBigBird]

{Disclaimer: Our visit to Sesame Place was a sponsored event. All opinions expressed herein are my own.}

{Personal Style} Casually Chic in Fall Colors

Since the month of September kicked my ass like no other, I was pretty psyched about the start of this epic month. And this weekend was an epic one, from beginning to end.

["Be inspired, be brave." ~ Jay-Z's closing words on Friday night.]

From the Jay-Z concert on Friday night, to Sesame Place Halloween Spooktacular on Saturday, to getting together with... ahem... someone, to hanging out with the Harlem Globetrotters at the new Barclays Center last night, it was a weekend to remember.

[blouse: F21, jeans: Express, shoes, ring: Aldos]

For the basketball game, I decided to rock it out in fall colors in a very casually chic way. It was love at first site with this navy blouse that features a necktie and sequins on the cuffs and collar, which made for a very soft and feminine look. Love it!

[jacket: H&M]

Although I had on 4-inch heels (always), I dressed the look down with one of my favorite pair of jeans (that I had since sophomore year of college!) and finished off the look with a cropped burnt orange jacket that's perfect for Fall temps and a slightly messy top knot.

[wrist band: Harlem Globetrotters; sticker: Aiden]

If you hang out with Mommy Delicious on Instagram, then you probably saw that I'm crushing on a Globetrotter. He's hott!

And Aiden enjoyed his time in The 40/40 Club at Barclays Center and seeing the game from the press section. Sweetness.

In addition to my little guy turning five, I can't wait to see what the rest of October brings. Stay tuned...

I hope you all have a very stylish week!

Sesame Place The Count's Halloween Spooktacular Giveaway!

Although I always dread saying "goodbye" to lovely Summer days and lovelier Summer nights, I am always happy to see the month of October. It's one of my favorite months, and not only because it's Aiden's birthday month. October means that Fall and Fall activities are in full swing. Apple picking, pumpkin picking, Fall festivals, and costume events really makes this delicious single momma smile.

One of the first things that Aiden and I are getting ourselves into this Fall is hanging out with the Sesame Street crew at Sesame Place for The Count's Halloween Spooktacular. And, umm, is it strange that I may be more excited about this than Aiden? 

From now until October 28th (Aiden's actual birthday), "Sesame Place will be transformed into a not-too-spooky Halloween haven," which will include two-themed mazes, a character hayride (woot!), three Halloween shows (Not-Too-Spooky Howl-o-ween Radio Show, Elmo's World Live! Halloween Show, and the Countdown to Halloween Show).

Oh yeah, and the entire Sesame Street gang will be decked out in their favorite Halloween attire. Don't worry though because the characters won't be the only ones in costume. Yep, you read that right. Sesame Street guests are encouraged to come dressed in costume (I still haven't decided on a costume, but I have two contenders), enjoy the park, and take in the awesomeness. Did I mention that there will be trick-or-treating throughout the park and that the park will be decorated in Halloween decor?!

See why I'm excited?!

GIVEAWAY!
Well, now you can get excited too because Sesame Place is graciously offering one reader a 4 pack of single day tickets to the theme park, which can be used in the next couple of weekends. (Please note: Sesame Place is now only open on the weekends.)

To enter:
Leave a comment below telling who your favorite Sesame Place character is and why.

Extra Entries:

1. "Like" Mommy Delicious on Facebook AND share this giveaway on your Facebook timeline. Be sure to tag Mommy Delicious in your post. Please leave a SEPARATE comment stating that you've done so.
2. Follow Mommy Delicious on Twitter AND tweet about this giveaway. Be sure to @SesamePlace and @MommyDelicious in your tweet. Please leave a SEPARATE comment stating that you've done so. 

**Please leave your contact information so that I can get in touch with you if you win.
**Please do the right thing and leave a SEPARATE comment per entry.
**Three entries total.
**The winner will be chosen on Wednesday, October 10th at 5pm via random.org.

Good luck lovelies!

UPDATED: The winner of this giveaway has been selected. Congratulations to Miss SP! Have a great time at Sesame Place!

{Disclaimer: I was chosen as a Sesame Place Ambassador, and this giveaway is being sponsored by Sesame Place. All opinions expressed herein are my own.}

Ten Lessons To Learn From A Stressful Month

As I said in this post, the month of September pretty much kicked my ass. It always seems to prove to be a difficult one for me as I always seem to have a hard time saying goodbye to summer months and transitioning into the school year, new routines and procedures and life. This September was no different, especially with me starting a new job and Aiden starting a new school.

I worked. A lot. I worked. Hard. It was crazy.

Between motherhood, my demanding day job, freelance projects, deadlines, missed deadlines, socializing, and sleeping (in that order), I found myself quite literally counting down the days until October. (I always get into a regular routine by October and I need routines in my life in order to be effective.)

But this September and this time around, I learned a few things. And if I can take some lessons away from the stressful month, I guess it's worth it.

1. It's impossible to do everything all at once and do it well. Prioritizing makes life easier.

2. I can't please everyone at all times and still make myself happy. It just ain't feasible, y'all.

3. No matter how busy life gets, it's important to keep promises. Or at least try to.

4. When I can't keep promises (because that'll happen from time to time), apologize for it, and keep it moving. I'm only human and can't dwell on one thing gone wrong.

5. "No" is a complete sentence. And sometimes putting my best foot forward means saying "no" to things that'll deserve more time than I can devote to it.

6. Being busy is one thing. But it's important to make time for the things that truly matter.

7. It's important to be conscious of how I treat other people. Often times we can get so caught up on someone else hurting us and our feelings that we don't realize we are capable of hurting other people's feelings. Unfortunately, that'll happen and we'll have to deal with it. Gracefully.

8. Motherhood has a way of teaching you the true meaning of sacrifice. Funny thing is, it doesn't feel like sacrifice. It just feels a lot like love.

9. Working out consistently will make you happy. True story.

10. This too, shall pass. It always does. And it always turns out to be okay. 

Life is funny in that way...

Sweet October

The month of September pretty much kicked my ass so I'm really happy that (1) it's October, (2) it's Aiden's birthday month, and (3) the month of October is looking pretty good for this delicious single momma!

For those of you who live in NYC, you already know that The Barclays Center opened in Brooklyn over the weekend with a performance by Jay-Z (which, I will be in attendance for this Friday night... so excited!).

In addition to hanging out at The Barclays Center to scream, "Turn my music high, high, high, high-er" (that was a Jay-Z reference), I'll be hanging out with The Original Harlem Globetrotters for their first game of the season on Sunday, October 7th.

So dope!

If you're in the NYC area and want to join me for The Original Harlem Globetrotters' game, you can click this link and use the code MOMDEL to save $7.00 off of individual tickets.

I remember seeing The Harlem Globetrotters when I was growing up and they are so much fun. So I'm happy to be able to take Aiden to see them in action. By the way, I'm telling him that this event is part of his birthday present, because, hey, why not?

By the way, we're heading to Sesame Place on Saturday for a media event and I'm telling Aiden that this is also part of his birthday present. I might as well, right? I can't believe I'm about to have a 5-year-old! That ish cray. (Another Jay-Z reference.)

Hope to see you at The Harlem Globetrotters game!

And here's to a pretty sweet October!

{Disclaimer: I was chosen to be apart of The Harlem Globetrotter blogger affiliate program and will receive tickets to the game. All opinions expressed herein are my own.}