Last night I was happy to be a part of the benefit for the Oakland School For the Arts. It is an outstanding charter school that was founded by Jerry Brown in 2002. The first graduating class of 2006, graduated with 100 percent of the class. Oakland charter school continues to excel with help of Jerry Brown and the board of directors. The school is a unique educational art institution. It has more than 500 students in the middle and high school. Recently it was named a California distinguished school.

The event was held in beautifully renovated Fox Theater.  Oscar-winning actor Sean Penn spoke at a benefit and helped to raise more than one million dollars for the school. I wish than more people will help to the art schools all over the country.

For more info and donations visit www.oakarts.org

You do not have to plan in advance to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!

Just follow our recommendations.

1.    Dress in a little green with taste and style.
2.    Pinch everybody (or who you like) who doesn’t wear green.
3.    Remember you do not have to drink green bear. It looks and tastes gross. Instead enjoy the Guinness.
4.    Prepare traditional lamb stew or salmon.
5.    Attend local St. Patrick’s Day parade and make new friends.

Enjoy and stay out of the troubles!

For those of us who are divorced or widowed, we may often wonder if the man in our lives was the one love in our lives. Or, are we going to have another. Many women spend a great deal of time debating with themselves or discussing with others about this question. While there is no way to really know, most women of today believe that we can have many loves within our lifetime.
As divorce and split families have become more of the standard than the exception, many women are finding second chances for love later in their lives. And with the continued use of technology, there are so many more opportunities to meet men than there used to be.
The first thing to ask yourself is whether you are ready to meet someone new. Is it the right time in your life? Have you thought about how you plan to date with children? Do you plan to introduce men to your children and if so, at what time is the appropriate time? Once you are comfortable putting yourself out there to fall in love again, you need to determine how you are going to meet new people.
Today there are so many available options for meeting men. Most people meet their mates or relationship partners through family, friends or current circles of influence. Consider where you are currently spending your time. Is there the possibility that you will meet a new man in your current schedule? Or are you so busy working, shuttling kids to and from school and their activities that there are not any opportunities to meet someone new? If you are too busy, you may consider online dating. While this may sound scary, there are many women who have had very positive experiences using this technique.
So, a few things to consider. Do you believe that you can fall in love more than once? If so, do you believe that you have already had your chance? Or, are you more open to the idea that you could fall in love more than once throughout your lifetime? Neither answer is the right answer. Your answer is simply your answer.
I can share from personal experience that I have had more than one love in my lifetime. While it was not always comfortable initially to open myself up to a new love, every man that I have loved has had a very special place in my life. And while I may have just been lucky, I personally believe that we can love more than once. And while I certainly am a hopeless romantic and would like to think that one man will be it for me for the rest of my life, sometimes life throws us curveballs and points us down a different and unexpected path.

Dear Readers,

Enjoy our Mom’s Life Blog Carnival!

1. Starting Early and Saving Often

http://www.destroydebt.com/blogs/debbie/325-starting-early-and-saving-often.html

2.  Family Travel Lanes Take Off in Time for Holiday Travel

http://www.travel-advocate.com/2008/11/23/family-travel-lanes-take-off-in-time-for-holiday-travel/

3. A Beginner guide to life Insurance

http://www.insurance-toolbox.com/2008/11/28/insurance-toolboxs-guide-to-life-insurance/

4. Four Simple Ways to Reduce Your Grocery Bill

http://www.discoverdebtfreedom.com/2008/11/26/4-simple-ways-to-reduce-your-grocery-bill/

Ever have a fight with a sibling as a kid? Did your mom lock you in a room with each other till you kissed and hugged and made up?  For many parents, kids that fight constantly are shrugged of as “Oh, it’s sibling rivalry”.

The thing with kids, though - they will push you as far as you let them. My two oldest were always exceptionally close - until this summer.

All of a sudden my daughter, who is nine, decided she couldn’t stand her brother (aged seven).

Well, I could brush it off as sibling rivalry (and ignore my seven year old’s tears - he LOVES his sister) or I could do something about it.

Every time she takes her friends side against her brother or says something mean, she gets grounded.

She’s gotten grounded a lot this year, but she is getting better. My son is ecstatic that she is playing with him again, albeit a little grumpily.

On the other side, I am trying to see her point of view, that she is trying to grow up (one of those pesky things about kids, growing up)!

I try to take her on girls only outings once in a while, and sometimes she goes with Daddy to run an errand while I play with the boys.

We are all much happier now!  How do you deal with ‘Sibling Rivalry’?

As moms, we sometimes get so caught up in taking care of everyone else that we forget to monitor our own health! If we get sick, the whole family can grind to a halt, so here are some tips for taking care of yourself and making sure you stay well!!

1.  Get enough sleep. No, I mean it! If your kids are small, take a nap when they do. If they are in school, steal that hour in the early afternoon before they come home. 60% of  moms say if they had an extra hour to do something and not feel guilty about it, they would choose to sleep!

2.  Eat right. Whether you get in the habit of not eating alone inn an empty house, or snacking uncontrollably, neither is a healthy option. You make your kids eat good meals - do the same for yourself! When you shop pick up a slice of that gourmet tomato basil turkey breast only you like, and treat yourself to half an avocado and some broccoli coleslaw! This is the perfect time to eat those little things that you’ve stopped preparing because no-one else in your family cares for them.

3. Take a vitamin. You would be amazed at how much better a simple multivitamin can make you feel. Make it a part of your daily routine!

4. Drink water. You need to stay hydrated. Invest in a water cooler or an in fridge filter, and make a habit of drinking at least one glass with every meal and twice a day besides that!

5. Get downtime. I take Sunday mornings from 10 to 12 to read a book, paint my toes or take a long hot bath. You have to have ‘me’ time or you will have a breakdown!  Don’t feel guilty - treat it like preventative medicine and explain to your family that you really NEED this time.

If you take care of yourself, you can take better care of your family, and avoid getting run down to the point that an allergy or common cold shifts into the flu. Trust me!

Summer is done, and it’s time to get ready for fall!  Those of you who own or rent homes - cleaning is in order!

Clean your house from top to bottom. While it is still warm is the best time to clean the carpets and throw open the doors for a good airing out. Drag your refrigerator shelves and drawers outside and wash them thoroughly; same for your oven racks!

Now is the best time to make sure your vents are clean and the fireplace flue is clear. You don’t want to deal with problem once the fall chill starts to kick in. Make sure that you are ready for the first cold snap by laying in mulch and pipe wrap.

Go through all of your bedding. Many families stubbornly hang onto linens for beds they no longer own, which will fit nothing else in the house. Tear them up to use as disposable dust rags, or use them to make a dustcover for an item stored in a shed or garage.

Start getting your summer things sorted through and find space to keep them. If you won’t be using it next year, donate it or throw it away. Have a garage sale and give the proceeds to charity! This is the perfect time to de-clutter your life.

Your reward for all of your hard work is the clean house you will have when you are done!

I used to have birthday celebrations, invite people over and make a lot of food. This year I decided to take it easy. Several of my closest friends have moved to other states or abroad. The economic slow down and the election is bringing a lot of uncertainty into our lives!

So I made a decision this year that I was not going to make a big deal about it. However, I do like my birthday, and the fact that I was born is very pleasant for me! So I decided to do something special and unusual for myself.

Finally, it is a beautiful, sunny morning and it is my birthday. My husband is so sweet - he got me flowers at the beginning of the day so I can enjoy the smell of lilies. My oldest daughter is in Europe. She texts me a very sweet message. My friends have sent me cards and emails with congratulations. I like that!

I drive my daughter to school, have a cup of my favorite black tea and sit down with my photographs and the new photo album, which I bought last night especially for this. The album is called “My Family”. I spend an enjoyable time organizing all the pictures of my loved ones. The finished album looks great!

Next, I catch up on my usual computer work and then it’s time to rush off to the 80 minute massage I have booked for myself. It feels sooo good! I feel like seventeen again but I guess still look the same. Oh, well!

I pick up my daughter from school, and we drive to her swimming lesson. While she swims with the instructor I decide to swim too! I am a terrible swimmer and I never even try to swim for more than 10 minutes. My weekly cardio exercises include running and elliptical machine in the gym. But today is a special day. Why not try something new? For the first time in my life I swam for 30 minutes non-stop!! I did it!

My husband, daughter, my mom and I had a nice early dinner. We went to the nice but not very expensive restaurant not far from our house. What a great way to finish off the day!

What did I get for my birthday? I did three nice little things for myself, and have the three most precious people with me at my birthday dinner. What else could I wish for?

My fifteen month old wanted his big sisters cat. The cat is spotted like a cow on a Chick-Fil-A commercial and probably weighs as much as he does! Plus, she doesn’t care to be mauled.

So, of course I go get a kitten. This kitten is the BEST CAT EVER! She fits in my cupped hands (I think the folks we got her from lied about her age). The baby is funny, he will chase her down, pick her up and wag her around like a rag doll.

I can’t rock him to sleep now without the cat being on his tummy. When I say ‘rocky-time’, my baby goes and gets the kitten, and plops her on my lap. Then he gets the book I am currently reading, and throws it up on my lap too! Then he crawls up and pats his tummy and makes kissy noises. The kitten curls up on his chest, I flip open my paperback, and it’s rocky-time!

It’s too funny and cute!  Kind of gets me, though, cause he still won’t give me kisses. Just kisses at the kitten, and she comes running. She sleeps in his bed, and last night I heard him shrieking in the middle of the night. I rushed in, thinking he had rolled on her and she scratched him, even though I clipped her nails blunt.

He was standing up in the crib, shrieking with laughter, while she jumped in, attacked his foot, and darted out the other side to run around the room! Then she would jump up in the bed again from behind him and slap his bottom with her paws and run away again!

We are VERY GLAD we got the kitten!!  (Her name is Mitzi.)