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Theta Mom®

Redefining Motherhood

Spice It Up

I want to start out by expressing how much I appreciate the blog love so many of you have bestowed upon me these last few days! I so appreciate the amazing comments and I am grateful for all of you who took the time to vote for me over at The Bump! I am so honored to have been selected as a finalist and if it wasn’t for the following bloggers to nominate me, I wouldn’t have had the chance in the first place! I want to take a moment to recognize:

Sophia’s Mom from The Wanna Be WAHM
Shelly from The Attic Girl
Sonya from Curly Girl’s Crochet
Alaina from Telecommuting Moms

These fabulous ladies all nominated me, so please swing by their blogs, show them some love and tell them I sent you. Although I wasn’t selected to move forward at The Bump, I’ve been added to Top Mommy Blogs (link is on my right side bar) so I’m sure with a little help from you just one more time, we’ll get Theta Mom to the top! Thanks again for the bloggy love and I’ll say it a million times, I have the BEST followers!!!

Alright, let’s Spice It Up…

If you haven’t figured it out by now, I hate to cook. I actually don’t cook, I cut and dump. If you missed that post, you can find it here.

That’s right ladies, I just cut open the package and dump it in. So you will most likely never find me posting any kind of cooking advice…unless of course it was such a good secret that I just had to share.

Well, Halloween is fast approaching and my son (with his nut allergy) is so limited to the kinds of candy he can eat, I always make the most unbelievable cut and dump that he enjoys, especially this time of year. Yes, even my picky-eater-allergy-suffering son LOVES it!

It takes me approximately 1 minute and 30 seconds to pull this beauty together.

Ready?

Cut and dump Spice Cake Mix: *Don’t follow the directions on the box, just cut and dump!

Cut and Dump Pure Pumpkin (use half of the big can, 15 oz…I always make two cakes at a time so I buy the big one)

Dump ¼ cup of water and stir it all up in one big bowl. (Actually, you should probably use a mixer, but I think a few turns with a spoon does the job…you decide).

Dump this into your favorite baking dish (sprayed of course) and bake for 30 minutes at 350.

You. Are. Done.

Note: When serving, I usually spice it up by dumping some powdered sugar on top after it cools.

I kid you not, this will make your family think you slaved in the kitchen for hours and preparation time is less than 3 minutes. However, I can’t take the credit. This is actually a Weight Watchers Recipe and only 1 point per serving!

Now ladies, a good cut and dump doesn’t get much better than that, so go spice it up and tell me how it goes!

e.l.f. Cosmetics Review and Giveaway!

***This contest is now closed. Congratulations Heather! You will be contacted via email. Thank you for all who entered!***

Guided by celebrity and beauty professional Scott-Vincent Borba, e.l.f. (eyes lips face) was launched in 2004. This revolutionary company is able to create cosmetics that moisturize your skin, giving your complexion that natural glow without breaking the bank. The great news? These products will be available at Target beginning November 1st! I had the amazing opportunity to review the e.l.f. mini makeup collection, 2 in 1 conditioning gloss, mineral booster and mineral eye shadow.

What impressed me most about this cosmetics line is the look and feel of the makeup. When I applied the products to my skin, they felt natural. They didn’t feel heavy or “cakey.” I’ve tried other brands in the past that made me feel as though the makeup was wearing me instead of me wearing the makeup! I also have very sensitive skin and these products didn’t bother my skin in any way. Each product went on smooth and lasted the entire day. The mineral eye shadow has such a sparkle to it, too. It gave me that “natural glow” look that we all crave.

The mini makeup collection has it all! From eye-shadows, to blush and bronzers, it’s all included in one sleek compact. What I love most about this product is that I can slip it into my bag and bring it with me anywhere I go. So perfect for traveling! It has everything I need, including three brushes to boot! Whether I need it for a quick touch up or that extra beauty glow, this will be my go-to compact. It has definitely become a staple in my makeup bag.

So here’s the best part…e.l.f. is going to give one of my lucky readers the chance to win their very own 27 piece mini makeup collection!

Here’s what the collection includes:
9 eyeshadow shades
1 cream eyeshadow shade
1 blush
1 bronzer
10 lip gloss shades
1 brow powder
1 eye liner pencil
1 dual ended eyeshadow applicator and brush
1 face brush
1 lip brush

So get your groove on Theta Moms and enter for your chance to win this awesome collection!

How to Enter the e.l.f. Giveaway:

Required Entry: Visit e.l.f. and check out their website. Come back and tell me about a product you love. Be sure you include your email in the required entry if it is not found in your profile.

Extra Entries: (You must leave a separate entry for each extra entry to count)

1. Follow my blog publicly and tell me you do. (1 entry)
2. Follow me on Twitter and leave me your twitter name. (1 entry)
3. Grab one of my cute buttons and add it to your website. (2 entries per button)
4. Subscribe to my Blog. (1 entry)
5. Tweet this giveaway! Just copy/paste the following:
Enter to win a 27 piece mini makeup collection #giveaway from e.l.f. @ThetaMom http://tinyurl.com/ykat2rf Please RT (1 entry per daily tweet)
6. Fave my blog to Technorati (1 entry)
7. Post about this giveaway on your blog and link back to me. Leave me your link to show the post. (2 entries)

Giveaway Rules:

This giveaway is open to US residents only. It begins on October 16, 2009 and will end at 11 PM on October 29, 2009. One winner with a valid entry will be selected at random using random.org. The winner will be announced and must respond with a current email address within 48 hours to claim. Otherwise, another eligible entry will be chosen.

Enter as many extra entries as you would like Theta Moms and good luck!

Time Out For Theta Mom Thursday!

It’s Time Out for Theta Mom Thursday! For those of you visiting for the first time, the goal is to grab one hour of time within one week to do whatever you want…without the kids. It’s such an amazing proposition, I know! On Thursdays, post how you spent your “time out” (add my button from the right side bar or link to me) and be sure to stop here to link up and meet other Theta Moms to see how they spent their time out!

My husband and I are going to a wedding at the end of the month. I’ve been a little bummed out about the fact that I am still not in my pre-preggers clothing, especially since my daughter is now more than a year old! So frustrating! Despite my efforts (and sometimes lack thereof) I am forced to find something cute to wear even though I am still…ahem…between sizes.

The fact of the matter is I don’t feel like spending a fortune on yet another dress I will probably wear only once and since I am determined to get back into those “skinny” clothes, the new dress would just hang in my closet for all eternity.

So, after a little digging, I pulled out a good old little black dress. I know all of you have that one, “always-feel-good-in-it-no-matter-what” little black dress.

It’s classic.

Never goes out of style.

Makes me feel confident, attractive, sexy…regardless of my “in-between-size” right now.

Here is a picture of my LBD:

How did I spend my time out? Although I feel pretty good about the way I look in this little number, I thought I deserved to go shopping for some cute accessories to make it even more smashing.

So, that’s exactly what I did Theta Moms! I went shopping for an adorable little wrap to add a little “something” to my LBD. Here’s a small picture of the wrap. How cute will that look together?

And since I’ll be sporting my sparkling new Lauren Nicole Fine Silver Wax Seal Bracelet (giveaway ends tonight at 11 pm so enter here), I managed to find an adorable set of earrings that will look fabulous with the rest of my ensemble!

It felt so good to get out and do some real “grown-up” shopping. After taking this hour, I have turned an old LBD into a stunning new look! And now I can’t wait to show it off at the wedding!

How did you spend your one hour? If you are participating in Theta Mom Thursday, link up and share your time out with other Theta Moms!

PLEASE VOTE FOR THETA MOM!!!

OMG! I have been chosen as a finalist for the Best Work at Home Mommy Blog from The Bump and now I need you to help me WIN!

Please go here and scroll down to the bottom of the page to cast your vote for Theta Mom! You can vote as often as you want. I am so thrilled about this and I really appreciate your bloggy love!

I know I have the BEST readers and followers! Love you guys!!!

The Rush

I am going to admit right now that I am a reality television junkie. One of my favorites? MTV’s The City.

I was watching the most recent episode and I get all pumped up when I watch the intro. I hear the Pussycat Dolls begin their song, “Gimme them bright lights, all night..” and I think back to the time in my life when I was in my early twenties, commuting to the city, attending graduate school and loving every minute of it.

I actually looked forward to driving over the George Washington Bridge, overlooking the Hudson River that would bring me into one of the best cities in the world. Working full-time and attending graduate school at night, driving along Riverside Drive three times a week was my life. And I loved it.

I loved the city, the people, the energy, the rush.

Earning a degree from one of the most prestigious institutions of higher education in the nation was one of the most memorable moments of my life. But, it’s not the degree itself that makes me feel this way. It’s the experience I had while attending Columbia University that made an impact.

*All photos above courtesy of Columbia University.
Maybe it was the City of New York itself, the community, the individuals that live and work there everyday that helped to shape my experiences. There is an energy at that Ivy League School like no other. Perhaps it was “those bright lights all night…” in the city that never sleeps. Or maybe it was just the sheer passion of its students and professors that made a difference. These were the people who wanted to change the world. And I was one of them.

When I watch The City and I see Whitney experiencing all of what New York has to offer, I see myself in her in so many ways. I was single, in my early twenties, ready to take on the world, right there in New York City. It was a rush that is hard to put into words. I felt a part of something bigger than myself. It was such an exciting and memorable time in my life.

The Pussycat Dolls say it best in that song, “Got my whole life here in front of me, I’m taking over when I hit the streets…” and that’s exactly how I felt, too. I had my whole life ahead of me and the world was at my fingertips in the city.

Years later…
Where is my rush now?

In these faces.

In their smiles, hugs, and unconditional love for me.

It’s the kind of rush that no city (no matter how great) or other experience could ever fulfill.