Thanksgiving

Here in the Fabulous Mom house we are making our Thanksgiving plans. We will be headed to Palm Beach with family.


I have often said when people call the holidays a "vacation", that it is NOT a vacation. It is time with family. This is a big difference. When you fly to Hawaii with your husband alone, or with a nanny, that's a vacation. When you fly with a four year old and nineteen month old across country, to a different time zone, where the sleeping arrangements will be confusing, that is time with family. I digress.


I am still hoping that some aspects of my time with family over Thanksgiving will be "vacationy." Here's a few things I would love to do:


1. Rollerblade. Betcha didn't know the Mrs. loves to don a pair of blades and feel the wind in her ears didja?
2. Shop in Hobe Sound at places like Seaside Daze and C. Orrico!
3. Go to Bice and have lunch or dinner.

4. Go to the beach with the kids and play in the ocean.
5. Have a sunset cocktail on the golf course.
6. See bestie Rye Rye!!


I think it sounds wonderful! We'll see what happens!!


On another notes, here's something I plan on making with the kids as a crafty/fun dessert! See below the brilliance I found on line!!




"For her preschool class's Thanksgiving party last year, my daughter, Marissa, four-and-a-half, and I made these sweet turkey treats. We dropped chocolate frosting on graham crackers and pressed on small Almond Joy candy bars for the body. We added striped cookies for the tail feathers and gel frosting for the eyes. Marissa loved making them, and they were the hit of the party!"
--Yvonne S., Kenosha, Wisconsin 


Thank you Yvonne, for making me feel like I could do something fun with my kids this Thanksgiving!







Give Away Friday! Hillary Thomas Designs Bedding!!!

I am starting a new column for Fridays! Give away Friday!!!


My first give away is with the fabulous Hillary Thomas of Hillary Thomas Designs!!!


Hillary believes that good design is not something off-the-shelf or necessarily one particular style. Rather, it’s an eclectic mix of the high and the low where inexpensive flea market finds and fine antiques can coexist effortlessly. 

Hillary Thomas Designs was launched when Hillary collaborated with architect Mark Appleton to redesign and decorate a Spanish-style cottage in Santa Monica. Through that experience, a lifelong passion for design, decorating and color was realized. Since then, Hillary has been helping clients identify their true aesthetic and mixing it with her own great style to make something that is unique and all together different than the status quo.

Hillary has several exciting home lines that reflect her East Coast background and love of different cultures. And now something from her bedding line can be yours!!!! From her Liberty Gardens Cosmo Collection, soft white textures pique cotton, brown and white gingham, with a Liberty of London floral print as an accent!


Hillary is giving away:


The duvet, in twin or full/queen sizing, reverses from white piqué to brown and white gingham. Both sides have center seams trimmed in Liberty floral fabric. Coordinating brown 4-hole buttons close the duvet up in style.

A boudoir and euro sham featuring white piqué with a Liberty floral band and brown and white gingham bows and trim at the side, while the standard sham is brown and white gingham with a flat-flange style and Liberty floral trim.

AND: pieces for the crib: a bumper made from brown and white gingham with Liberty floral piping and bows and a white piqué crib skirt with Liberty floral trim. 


Items:
1 Crib Bumper
1 Crib Bed Skirt
1 Twin Duvet cover
1 Euro Sham
1 Standard Sham
1 Boudoir Sham

Total cost Retail of collection: $1,100
!!!!!








Okay here's how you win!!


Follow Hillary Thomas Designs on twitter for one entry
Follow Hillary Thomas Designs on Facebook for 2 entries!
Follow One Fabulous Mom On Twitter for 3 entries!
Follow One Fabulous Mom on Facebook for 4 entries!
Leave a comment with each entry!

Good luck! Winner will be revealed on Thursday Nov 11th! Good luck!

Ask The Mrs- Sports Anyone?





Dear Mrs,

I require that my daughter (15) takes a sport each semester. I want to make sure she is getting enough exercise. She wants to do a play this year at school, so the only sport that would fit in her schedule would be soccer. She doesn't really like soccer but will do it if I make her. What she really loves is dance! She loves her dance class but it is outside of school and expensive. She would love to take more dance classes as her exercise, but the expense is making it hard. I would rather her take a sport at school. What do I do?! Am I being mean by making her take soccer and not letting her dance more?

Mean Mommie


Dear Mean Mommie,

You are hardly mean. I think you are brilliant for requiring that she take a sport. Childhood obesity is an epidemic in this country. That being said there is something for kids finding a sport of form of exercise they love. Give her the choice. If she wants to do another dance class or two instead of sports at school,  have her work around the house to earn the money. Then you'll know how serious she is. She may feel it's not worth it and choose soccer. Either way it's her choice and she has to earn it.






Being Teresa Guidice A Skinny Italian- Chicken Feast!

Once again Teresa hit's it out of the park with her Skinny Italian cookbook. After my success with the Sexy Swordfish, I moved on to the One Pan Oven Roasted Chicken Feast. First of all one dish meals are my absolute favorite and this was one of the lightest and most flavorful. Talk about Skinny Italian!

I served it with a "Vinnie's Salad", which I love to make. Iceberg, blue cheese, cucumber, tomato, red onion with an Italian vinaigrette dressing. Yummy! (my own recipe not Teresa's.



I am so impressed with this book. I even feel my Jersey accent getting better after practicing as I cook. I imagine I am home with juicy Joe and the kids wearing my leopard leggings and talking about what an idiot Danielle is. Heaven. Can't wait to make the rest of the recipes. The Mr is impressed that I am enjoying cooking!

PS Don't miss my amazing give away with Hillary Thomas this Friday!!

Halloween Trick Or Treat Party Recap!

Our Halloween Trick Or Treat Party went very well! Friends gathered to have dinner and then trick or treat in our neighborhood. The kids table was set with spiderweb table cloth and treat buckets with glow bracelets! The kids had mummy dogs and ghostly grilled cheese sandwiches.

While the kids ate we cocktailed. We served Vampires Kisses (vodka and cherry juice) for the ladies and Eyeball highballs (Martinis with ice with an olive frozen inside) for the guys.

When the kids were finished, they watched Halloween Spooktacular and the adults dined on:


Spinach Salad With Garlic Dressing
Ghostly Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (Smoked Gouda and tomato on pumpernickle/ rye swirl bread, Cheddar with bacon on Egg bread, and Mozzarella, pesto, tomato on sour dough bread)
and
Tomato Consume Soup!
Then we went off to trick or treat with the kids. If you think you don't like Halloween, go trick or treat with some 4 and 5 year olds. The excitement was tangible. The neighbors who we never see were so excited to see our little dragons, snow white's, pirates and princesses. It made me remember how wonderful it is to be a kid. To feel safe enough to be scared of silly things. To race home with your bucket of candy excited to see what you got. The kids said it was the best night of their lives. Mine too.






Thank God

We had a wonderful Halloween, recap tomorrow! But first I had to share a touching story with you. Many of you know the story of Landon and his arm. You can read the whole story here, but Landon was born with a blood clot in his arm. We've had many surgeries, therapies, and he has been so great about it all. I knew there would come a day when he would have to answer questions about his arm. In the past he used to say "I had a little surgery". We like to let him talk or not talk about his arm. It's his arm and he can say what he wants.

At our annual block party Landon was cornered by a group of girls asking what happened to his arm. He seemed confused, but walked away. Later one of the girls asked him again. Since I was standing there I tried to encourage him. When she asked what happened to his arm, I asked him too. He looked sad and said "I don't know.". I broke my heart.

One of the smartest things we did for Landon was to make him a snapfish photo book about his arm. Pictures and a simple story of what happened and what a miracle he is. We got out the book and read it. Then later The Mr and I asked Landon what he would like to say about his arm. Would you like to say "you had surgery?", it was something "I was born with"?


Landon thought about it and said.


I want to say "Thank God".


There you go. A better answer then I gave him. After all he's been through he wants to tell people he's graetful to God. 


Learning lessons from a four year old in your house is the best thing ever.

Pumpkin Snake!

We do it every year and we're gonna do it again! You can do it too! Here's how! http://www.marthastewart.com/article/pumpkin-snake

Halloween Menu

I am having a few kids and adults over for a little pre-trick or treating dinner and I am getting my menu together. Love all this inspiration! I could do these Mummie Dogs with mustard dot eyes for the kids... Or these witchy grilled cheese sandwiches maybe served with tomato soup! I could even do different grilled cheeses cheddar, mozzarella, on different breads. Or cut out bread like these witches and look at that tomato soup in test tubes!  That way adults and kids would love them...
Or I could do chicken "fingers" for the kids with a romesco sauce for dipping...
It's supposed to be 70 degrees that day and lower at night so I could make Beef Bourguignon for the adults and call it goulash!



Either way I thought this dip (blue cheese) in a gourd is fabulous. What do you think? Do you have a Halloween menu?

Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills- I thought I had a stroke but it was my false eyelashes making my eye look smaller

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills had a lot of hype but did not disappoint. I must admit that even though I live in Los Angeles, and am in Beverly Hills quite a bit, this is NOT the crowd I run in so I find it FASCINATING. The first episode was an introduction to the wives of Beverly Hills.

Lisa, Joan Collins looking British bomb shell has more money than God and lives in what looks like Caesar's Palace. They have spared no expense, I personally love the king bed by the pool. She's been married to Ken since she was 21. She says" My husband calls me a sex object, my husband asks for sex and I object". Hilarious. They have grown kids and are empty nesters unless you count their stupid little dog and fabulous gay houseboy. I loved Lisa right away. 

Adrienne Maloof, is the sister of the Maloof brothers that own the Palms in Las Vegas, a basketball team, a music label, and whatever else they feel like. She's married to Paul, but they already seem divorced. She is little and fiesty, and likes things her way. She also thinks Paul's an idiot. I personally think he is pretty sweet and she needs to be nicer! Adrienne is a big fan of a colorful silk blouse and rhinestone belt.

Camille Grammar, wants us all to know she is a dancer and she danced on club MTV and she is her own person. They even show her dancing and it is NOT GOOD. I want to tell her to thank her lucky stars she married Kelsey Grammar (yes they are already divorced). I think Camille missed the Bravo in house publicity meeting where they tell you what not to say on camera, and how to make people actually like you. For instance, admitting you have four nannies for two kids is retarded. Their house is amazing, pool, pond, tennis court, 17 acre wonderland. Kelsey says it's time for Camille to get a little attention. Oh, so that's what this is about. PS I am glad you really are Fraisure Crane, cause you are him in real life! Camille always says something inappropriate which makes her kinda fun.

Taylor Armstrong is the duck lipped wife of some big shot. She looks like a She-nene so it's hard to really listen to anything she says. She heads right over to Adriennes husband Paul to put some filler into her temples. She literally looked like the elephant man with the mumps. She is doing all of this because she thinks her husband will leave her for a twenty year old. She is constantly preparing to be left by him. She says her relationship is 80% business and 20% romance. Good God that is depressing. Can't wait to see what happens.

Kim Richards is the sister of Kathy Hilton. More than that she is the girl from Escape From Witch Mountain. I freaked out when she said this because I loved her! Despite this, she quickly became my least favorite on the show. A bad attitude, mixed with her obsession with her kids, and her clinging to her long gone career made me sick. She loved to tell how her niece Paris Hilton was amazed at how famous she is. Barf.

Kyle Richards is the sister of Kim, and seems to be the only normal one. Yes, she buts into her sisters life but at least she tells her the truth. They are co-dependent as hell so it's like watching to cats fight in a bag. She was a child actress as well. I remember her from Little House On The Prairie! Too funny. She seems like a good mother and wife and her husband Mauricio, seems like a sweetheart. I think I would really like to get into her closet and borrow her clothes. By far she has some of the best one liners.

The girls head to Sacramento to watch a Kings game (courtesy of Adrienne) and Kyle freaks out on the plane. She hates to fly. She apparently is a hypochondriac. She actually said one time "I thought I had a stroke but it was my fake eyelashes making my eye look smaller." Hysterical. Camille on the other hand loves to stop the conversation with phrases like "cover your rat". Pretty. She even danced these sexy dances with the basketball team mascot. KLASSY.  Kim just dials out and puts up a wall when she's with he girls. Kind of a party pooper.

What's next for these ladies? Cat fights, betrayals, sex, divorce and a lot of botox. That's how they do it in Beverly Hills.