Kourtney Kardashian - Fashionista, Model, Celebrity...Mommy Blogger!

Credit: E! Online

Kourtney Kardashian doesn't just have a following because of all of her endeavors with the Kardashian "Klan," such as fashion, perfumes, modeling, name it, name it, name it.

She is now the latest "Mommy Blogger" and has stocked up her site with 10 videos to start off her debut on E!

You Go Girl!

On "Kourtney's Mommy Blog", she's going to be giving kid tips, parent philosophy, and she'll be sharing what works for her.

Fashion, fashion, and more fashion (of course)!

I look forward to checking all of her videos out.

It's funny, in the comments section of an article posted about her starting a mommy blog, some numb skull wrote,

"How can you start a mommy blog 
with one kid? You know nothing!"

Well, all knowing (small minded) commenter, I had one kid when I started this mommy blog (featured on ABC's Nightline on Monday night!)! 


So, Kourtney is more than qualified to start a mommy blog, and not only that...she is now pregnant with baby number 2!

Congratulations, Kourtney... 
Blog on, Momma!

It's Snack Time - Holiday Snow Balls Recipe

Holiday Snow Balls

This yummy little recipe was sent to me by Chef William Bednar, from the National Museum of American History.

Since Chef Bednar knows how much Isabella loves to make quick and easy recipes, he was kind enough to send a recipe I know she will enjoy making.

It's an easy recipe for any kids to try. So, I am sharing it before we even get started.

Since we had so much fun welcoming William on a previous episode of "It's Snack Time" with Isabella, I'm hoping to get him back into the kitchen to create a holiday dessert just for us (moms) really soon!

Until then, grab your kids and the following...

Ingredients:
1 Cup Un Salted Butter
1/2 Cup 10X Sugar
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
2.25 Cup All-Purpose Flour
.25 Tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Walnuts
1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries
1 Cup 10X Sugar for Rolling Cookies in after Baking

Directions:

• In Food Processor Place all ingredients except the Cranberries
• Mix until dough comes together approximately 30 seconds
• Add cranberries and mix in by hand
• CHILL DOUGH FOR 1/2 HOUR
• Preheat oven to 400*
• Roll dough into 1 inch balls and Place on parchment lined cookie sheet
• Bake until set but not brown ( 10-12 minutes)
• While Still Warm roll in Powdered Sugar

Happy Holidays, Enjoy!

"Working It Out" on the Zumba Fitness 2 for Wii

How many times have you said you can't stand video games?

I have said that more than a thousand times, and usually I am not lying.

Well, kind of.

It depends on what the game is.

With the release of all of the new physical activity games, such as dancing, sports, and aerobics, I'm starting to look like Pinocchio.

I LOVE VIDEO GAMES...REALLY!

Recently I shared my Zumba Fitness 2 for the Wii game from House Party with my family over the Thanksgiving holiday, and let me tell you...I am addicted.

It was some of the best "game night" fun I've had in a long time!

Zumba Fitness 2 isn't any old ordinary video game that you think of when you think of video games. It's actually like having a real live Zumba class in the privacy of your own home.

Zumba creator, Alberto "Beto" Perez, joins you on the screen and leads the workout of your life. It's fast, it's hot, and it's a Zumba class that you're not paying to attend.

I love that!

I'm not going to pretend it wasn't hard. The game kicked my butt. I was getting so tired and sweaty. To me it was the same as going to the gym.

Zumba Fitness 2 really is a workout!


The neat part about the game is that it monitors your movement and gives you a score based on your performance.

I enjoyed using Zumba Fitness 2 a lot. Check out this video of me in action...

Wasn't that awesome?

I bet you lost 5lbs just watching me shake it!

If you haven't considered getting the Wii yet, check it out. Don't forget to throw in the Zumba Fitness 2 and I also recommend Just Dance 3. I had a ball dancing with my girlfriends at the Clever Girls Just Dance 3 party during Blogalicious last month.

Who doesn't love a dance party?

These are fun games to share with family and friends or to use alone at home.

The gym is not the only place to get fit!

Check out the Zumba Fitness 2 Features:

• Total body workout
• 32 exhilarating new routines 
• Hot music tracks from Pitbull and Nicole Scherzinger
• Learn 24 different dance styles
• Zumba instructors Tanya Beardsley, Gina Grant and Zumba’s creator, Beto guide you through each exercise
• 5 dynamic Zumba environments
• Hands-free dancing with the included Zumba Fitness belt
• Monitor calories with Calorie Tracker

Stay Fit Moms!

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I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free for the purpose of reviewing the mentioned product and/or doing a giveaway. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Affiliate links included.

Tonight! Watch 'The Chatty Momma' on ABC's Nightline!

Tonight on Nightline, ABC is featuring a story on moms who have turned blogging opportunities into income. 

Highlighted will be former child-star turned "mom-trepreneur," Soleil Moon Frye (Punky Brewster). She's not only an actress, but she's a "Mommy Ambassador" for Target stores as well as an author.

I will be sharing my experiences from The Chatty Momma as well!

The Chatty Momma in home interview with ABC

Click here to see the full story on 

Nightline tonight at 11:35 p.m. ET

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Welcoming Guests in Small Spaces

The holidays are here and many of us will be entertaining family and friends for a few nights if not more. 

This is by far my favorite part of the year. I love welcoming guests and having parties. 

Since we moved into a smaller home last year, it just hasn't been the same. We used to have a nice big house with lots of space to spread out. We were fortunate to have a family room separate from the living room as well as a really huge bonus room for entertaining upstairs. We also had a designated guest room that I always keep warm and cozy for any family and friends to stay with us. It was ready at all times!

Now, we don't have that kind of space. 

Some might see this as a problem when faced with overnight guests for the holidays, but there are ways to welcome guests even when you have very little space. All it takes is some design planning on your part.

One of my favorite pieces of furniture that can turn any ordinary family room or small space into a room that is fit for guests is a sleeper chair.

By adding a simple sleeper chair to your living space instead of a regular love seat or chair you will create more uses for the room and you will always have a place for family and friends to stay.

If you have an office in your home, you can pick out a sleeper chair that matches the furniture style and blends in just like any other chair would.

This option is very convenient since you don't have to give up your living room in the evenings.

As a guest in someone's home I like having my own space, but when it's not possible I desire to be comfortable regardless. A problem I often have when staying with others is temperature control. Some people keep it hot, others too cold.

The host should always be mindful of their guests temperature preferences and try to accommodate them when possible.

A nice addition to any space for overnight guest would be a small oscillating fan.

When guests can adjust the temperature in the space without affecting the host, their stay will be much more pleasant for everyone.

Having a small oscillating fan with heat and air controls is ideal.

If you have a spare room and would like to design a space that is comfortable to guests but don't want to  designate the space as only a guest room or office, you could start by adding the sleeper chair and fan. Next you may consider adding an armoire for a television, electronics, a few spare blankets, and your guests clothes.

This space can double as an entertainment room when no guests are present.

To warm up the space, I would add a few plants, artwork, and standing picture frames on the nightstands or side tables. 

My favorite type of standing picture frames are digital. Digital frames are perfect for small spaces, because it only takes one frame to liven up any room. You can add pictures of family and friends.

Adding photos of your city's sites and attractions is also a nice touch.

Your guests will not only be entertained, they will feel at home from the effort you put into making their stay in your space cozy and inviting for them.

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Sponsored by become.com. I only recommend products or services I use personally and/or believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Holiday Gift Ideas from Brookstone [VIDEO]

Black Friday in Photos

Family Friendly Games for You and Your Holiday Guests

I'm guessing right about now that friends and family are packing their bags and jumping in their cars for the Thanksgiving weekend at your place.

Have any ideas on how to keep everyone entertained?

Games!

Check out my video of fun family friendly games that I love...





Don't forget, if you're not the host for this years festivities, it's still a great idea to bring a game to share at the host's home.

I suggest you bring your favorite game, just in case all of the other options stink.

Hasbro " Family Game Night" at the Sanders

Game face on!
(I'm really competitive)

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Top 5 Sweet Potato Casserole Recipes

With only two days until Thanksgiving, I'm sure you've started planning up what to make for everyone.

My favorite dish is always the sweet potatoes.

Preparing to bake the most delicious sweet potato casserole ever (contrary to what my family might say), I've tapped into some online resources to help me out.

There are plenty of options out there, but here are the Top 5 Sweet Potato Casseroles I found!

• McCormick - Candied Sweet Potato Casserole
• Paula Dean - Sweet Potato Bake
• Martha Stewart - Sweet Potato Casserole 
• All Recipes - Yummy Sweet Potato Casserole
• Food Network - Sweet Potato Casserole

What's your favorite?

KRE-O Transformers Construction Sets

The KRE-O Transformers Construction Sets are great gifts for the holidays for my kids, because right now the Transformers are very popular with the release of the modern movies and each construction set is so unique.

The sets are perfect for family members of any age, because they're creative and fun to build with. It's an activity we all can enjoy.

When I was a kid I had my own Transformers toy, and now that I have children, it's fun to share my love of Transformers with them. For any parent who enjoyed the Transformers in the 80's, using the KRE-O sets to build with our children today is a great way to connect with them.

Both Isabella and Gabriella love to build everything from forts to animals with their current construction sets that they have. I love it, because they are learning to be creative at such young ages.

Another great reason why the KRE-O Transformers sets are a great gift for the holidays is that they're compatible with other leading brick based construction sets on the market, and kids are able to use them with what they already have.

This is perfect for my kids, because they seem to receive a construction set of some sort every year.

What I like about the KRE-O Transformers sets is that each set has two types of builds you can create. Kids can start with a robot and then disassemble the robot to build a vehicle then build a robot again. So each KRE-O Transformers set is a 2 in 1.

I really think children will have a lot of fun having a 2 in 1 set versus just being able to build one thing.

I also think kids will really enjoy receiving construction sets from the Transformers movies that they love watching.

There are 12 KRE-O Transformers sets available and they start at the basic level for beginners to the deluxe sets for pros.

All KRE-O Transformers Construction set ranges from $7.99 to $59.99.

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The holidays are such a special time for families and every time our family gets together it's not just my immediate family but it's also my extended family (and some friends), so it's really important that everyone feels comfortable and that we're all having a good time.

Here are my "Top Tips to Keeping Everyone's Spirits Lifted During Holiday Gatherings!"

• Welcome everyone at the door.
• When guests arrive take their coats and get them a drink.
• Introduce any guests who are new to the party or who are not members of the family to make sure that they have met everyone and that they feel comfortable talking to anyone in the room.
• Focus on the on the meaning of the holidays and discuss that as a group, sharing is something that always brings us closer.
• Go around the room and make sure that you spend a little time with every guest.
• If time permits make sure to set the table with place cards for guests to keep as a gift.
• Keep the glasses full and the conversation flowing!

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I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Hasbro blogging program, for 8,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points and a KRE-O gift. The opinions expressed in this post are mine and don’t necessarily reflect the opinions of SocialMoms or Hasbro. For more information on how you can participate, click here

Top 10 Rented Family Movies

It's Friday, and for many of us that also means "Family Movie Night!"

So, here are the top rented family movies at Redbox 11/7-11/13:

1. Zookeeper
2. Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer
3. Cars 2
4. Rio
5. The True Story of Puss 'N Boots
6. Barbie: Princess Charm School
7. Winnie the Pooh (2011)
8. Spooky Buddies
9. ZhuZhu Pets: Quest for Zhu
10. Rango

Check out the trailer for The Zookeeper, a top rental this week:

It looks as though it may be fun for the kids. I'll be sure to reserve my movies online early today, because last week when I got to the kiosk everything I wanted was rented already.

Halloween is over, but we ended up getting Spooky Buddies (#8 on the list) for the girls and they enjoyed it.

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I'm Giving Tori Spelling a "Mommy Pass" for Flashing the World

Photo: US Weekly

Yesterday, all of Twitter (and the rest of the world) got a free showing of the girls, courtesy of Dean McDermott, Tori's husband.

He was innocently taking a picture of their son Liam, and low and behold, Tori was lying in the background...topless.

You can't see her face, only her breasts, and the picture of Liam turned out to be not just cute, but hilarious.

Well kind of...

It's only funny if Tori thinks it's funny.

(It's great when you can laugh at yourself despite the mishap and move on)

If she's embarrassed, then I'm embarrassed for her.

The way I see it it is this, we all know that in October, Tori delivered, Hattie, the latest addition to their family, and as a mom, I know what it's like to be nursing 24/7.

My babies stayed on the breast day and night. I called them "marathon nursers."

Think I wore a top all day? Please! What for?

I actually have a toddler who I never expected to nurse this long still exposing my breasts at her leisure.

So, all that to say, if my hubby is innocently snapping pictures around our house at any time, it is likely that something like this could happen to me.

Would it suck? Yes! So, he better be careful.

But, I wouldn't let anyone hold it against me, and that is why I'm giving Tori Spelling a "Mommy Pass" for flashing the world.

Dean most likely wasn't using a Canon, but a camera phone, and he just didn't notice Tori until his Twitter fans alerted him.

His bad!

Oh well, what's done is done, and the photo was removed immediately as it should have been.

On breastfeeding: [Nursing] is hard, 

but I love it. That’s our time together, 

and I can give him the one thing he 

wants: food. Dean took a photo of me 

nursing and I was horrified. I was like, 

‘Oh, this poor baby must be so scared

 of this giant thing coming at him!’

Tori Spelling

on Nursing Liam

People Magazine

April 7, 2007

Right now, a flash like that doesn't even qualify as x-rated or obscene.

Tori just delivered a baby and is topless in the privacy of her own home.

She wasn't hanging off a balcony in the French Quarter during Mardi Gras screaming, "Toss me some beads, Mr. Twitter!"

At first, like a lot of skeptics, a little part of me wanted to call this a publicity stunt when I saw the headline.

Tori is famous and we all know all press is, well...press!

After seeing the picture and understanding the life of a mom who has just given birth, I decided although she is a celebrity, she is just like me...a mom!

So, Tori...Take this "Mommy Pass," You only get one, and we'll act like we never saw anything!

(All nursing mothers are eligible)

Let's just hope that Dean is paying close attention to the exposure of future Twitpics!

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How the Chow iPhone App Saved Thanksgiving

Well, the app hasn't really saved Thanksgiving yet, but it definitely could!

See, just this week, my family decided to 86 my plans to make the candied yams for our family Thanksgiving dinner.

Their response, "We actually want to EAT the food this year!"

That's mean, huh? 

I know...they should be ashamed. *winks*

We all know I don't brag about any domestic skills, but I do try and THAT'S what counts.

Can I get an "A" for effort someone?

Anyway, you're probably wondering what I did.

I cancelled Thanksgiving! Well, at least my appearance at the family Thanksgiving dinner. 

I told my family I can take my kids to get fast food (fingers crossed).

I know lying is bad...blah blah.

Of course you know and I know I'm not canceling Thanksgiving. I like turkey just as much as the next mom. I don't care who makes it. 

But, I'm not going to get my meals 86'd without a fight.

So, here's how the Chow app for my iPhone saved Thanksgiving (well almost)...

The app, known as the Thanksgiving Dinner Coach, provides every bit of information you need to make a delicious Thanksgiving meal for your guests.

To start, it has a preinstalled list of recipes to make. You can either leave the list as it is or click items to remove, and they will be crossed off your dinner list and excluded from your meal plans.

All of the ingredients for the recipes you decide to make will go into a preinstalled Shopping List.

As you go through the list of items to purchase, you can check off the items you already have and they will be crossed off your Shopping List.

Next is planning and preparation. This section of the app will show you what you need to prepare on the days leading up to Thanksgiving and instructions on how to do it..

Then it's down to the nitty gritty of how to prepare the meal. All you have to do is follow the steps and voila...dinner is done!

Fortunately, it doesn't end there. There are many more options on the More screen that will take you even further if you choose.

I checked out the other recipe options online and found the Chow site to be rather informative and a perfect companion to folks such as myself who not only like to make meals, but also like entertaining and throwing parties.

One of my favorite pieces that Chow put together was this video on seating dinner guests...check it out:

So, I haven't quite decided on what to bring for Thanksgiving anymore, but I'm pretty positive Chow is going to be helping me figure it out.

Bon Appetit

Sweet 16! Kendall Jenner Got a Range Rover, How Will We Top That?

So Moms, if you haven't heard the latest from the Kardashian Klan (nearly impossible), here it is...

Kendall Jenner, the oldest of the two girls, from Bruce and Kris Jenner, also baby sister to Kourtney, Khloe, and Kim Kardashian, has just turned 16.

And you know what that means...

Yes, we get to have a little glimpse into the future to see exactly how out of pocket we will be once that momentous day arrives for our little ones.

YAY!

Ok, so let me start by telling you the deets...


Kendall received:

• An E! TV Special all about her 16th birthday (air date TBA)
• Permission from her parents to get either a piercing or a tattoo

and last but NOT least...(drumroll)

• A brand spanking new Range Rover

WOW...clutching my pearls and my coat, as I consider heading for the pawn shop right now.

Why Kardashians? Why?

I know they're super rich and super famous, but EVERY kid in America is going to hear this news (it's plastered in every paper), and as well off as the majority of the world's families aren't, kids are still going to want the same gifts (if not better).

It's a fact!

And don't get me wrong, I'm not one to raise my kids coveting what others have. I never did myself, but I am a spoiler.

Most parents are spoilers!

We look at our kids. They're so cute, so talented, so well mannered (well some). We think they're just so darn good and they "deserve" the world!

Right?

At least that's what WE tell ourselves, and that's how they end up getting things we never even had, but most likely wanted (if they ask).

We sometimes live vicariously through them. No?

I sure didn't get a car at 16 though.

Heck, I didn't even get my driver's license until I was 18 and accepted to college!

WTH? *side eye*

Anyway, thankfully my oldest just turned 5.

Basically, that gives me all of ...um, about 10 minutes to save up for whatever magnificent gift she's going to look like a deer in headlights over.

Time flies...

And yes, I do plan on wowing her (as long as what she wants is a year studying abroad)!

Oh wait, that was "MY" Sweet 16 birthday wish.

Well, whose birthday is it anyway?

Side note: Perhaps it would've been wise 

for my parents to let me get my license at 16, 

then they wouldn't have had to purchase me

 5 cars between my 18th to 25th birthdays.

Just sayin'... ACCIDENTS!

"Happy Sweet 16, Kendall"

Enjoy the spoils girl!

(and remember to look left-right-left)

Photo Credit: 4tnz.com