My birthday Present

Most women would put a day at the spa or a spa treatment at the top of their favorites list. Logic follows that a gift certificate would be the perfect birthday gift. However, there are three truths I have come to realize over my few years of parenthood regarding this so-called "perfect gift": (1) I rarely find the time to use the gift certificate, (2) I lose the gift certificate before I get the chance to use it, or (3) I hesitate to pay a babysitter $100, so that I can use the gift certificate to get my nails done.

With that said...I don't think I'll have to worry about gift certificate consumption this year. Aunt CC (in conjunction with my man) has organized a weekend getaway to downtown Charleston for my birthday. She and Uncle B will watch the kiddos all day Saturday and Sunday, so that Michael and I can spend some QT away from home. We're going to stay at The Planter's Inn, have dinner at Tristan's, and have brunch on Sunday at the Peninsula Grill. My only concern is we rely so heavily on Bowen, Kells, Talula and Wilhelmina for entertainment that I'm not sure we will know what to do without them under-foot for 48 hours; Michael assures me we will figure out a way to pass the time :).

NOTE: Don't get me wrong - I would never turn down a gift certificate for a facial or a pedicure, however, there is simply no price one can put on time away with your man! THANKS Aunt Corinne!

Raspberry Bars

So, I am the first to admit that I am not the greatest cook in town. I actually wouldn't even be comfortable saying the word "cook" and "Tami" in the same sentence. However, I have mastered the recipe for Raspberry Bars in the At Home, At Sea cookbook that I received from Lovey last year. This cookbook was written by the owners of Maine's very own J. & E. Riggin windjammer sailboat. The book is amazing and the recipes look amazing; however, I can only attest to the Raspberry Bars recipe. I am still getting up my courage to venture on to the next culinary attempt.

For those of you who want a simple recipe to make as a treat for the kiddos, here goes:

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temp
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 large egg
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup raspberry preserves

- preheat oven to 350
- butter 9x12 pan
- cream together butter and sugar
- stir in the egg until mixed well
- press half of the dough in prepared pan
- spread jam evenly on top
- crumble remaining dough on top of jam as best you can
- bake about 30 minutes until top is golden brown
- cool in pan and cut

These make an excellent addition to a Valentine's Day dinner!

Montessori Update

Well, I am pleased to report that I didn't uproot my family from Daniel Island and move to Charleston County (Isle of Palms) for nothing! The move was so exciting on one hand: we could see the beach from our back porch, have a shorter drive to Sundrops Montessori, be closer to Uncle B and Aunt CC, and MOST IMPORTANTLY put our names in the lottery for the FREE Charter Montessori school in Charleston County. However, the idea of moving again after only one short year in Charleston was a bit overwhelming - not to mention the fact that we were moving farther away from our Daniel Island friends and neighbors whom we had grown to love dearly!

Well, there were 170 children enrolled in the lottery for 1st grade, and 11 were picked (by a fireman out of a hat)...Bowen was one of eleven. So, this news is so huge for our family. We get to benefit from the Montessori schooling that we have grown to love and support and believe in, and we don't have to pay for it! All siblings get first preference, now that Bowen is in. So, once each child reaches first grade...No more private school tuition. Of course, Michael has an excel spreadsheet to share with anyone interested in knowing how much dinero this seemingly small event will save us over the next 12 years (that's when Mina finally reaches 8th grade!).

So, if anyone is interested in playing the lottery, betting at the tracks, or going to Vegas, please give us a call. Bowen is willing to share some of his good luck with y'all!

Bikram Yoga 30 Day Challenge

So, the 30 day challenge went a bit by the way-side, but all in all was a huge success. I had a few sick children, a traveling husband, a sinus infection, a trip to the emergency room, and a weekend out of town to deal with. But, I was able to get enough yoga inside my 30 day window to keep the sanity! And, that's why I have chosen this form of exercise. It is something just for me. Like most moms, I found that I was not putting myself or my own needs on the calendar. We pickup fresh eggs and raw milk from the farm on Mondays; we do a Montessori playdate on Tuesdays after school; we do art lessons on Thursdays; Michael does Jiu-Jitsu on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays; and I wonder why my backside gets bigger and bigger all the while. So, I finally said I'm ready to take on something for me (and, more importantly, for my backside)...

So, Bikram Yoga (hot yoga) is my choice of exercise. I go Monday - Friday every week. It's a 90 minute workout/meditation, and I am a different person (a better person) for taking the time and making the effort. I couldn't function my first week; I would go to sleep at 7pm with the kids. I was exhausted! But, if I am to be honest, I really haven't done any sort of strenuous exercise since being pregnant with Kells - and he'll be 5 next week! So, it makes sense my body would be a bit in shock.

The net of it is I am happier, healthier, stronger, leaner, more together, etc. I would highly recommend Bikram Yoga to anyone who is looking for a workout routine that does more than just get you in-shape. It is life altering...I haven't had any aches and pains since I started (I also gave my chiropractor the boot, and I feel better now than I did when I was seeing him twice weekly).

The golden rule in Bikram is "just stay in the room." No matter how you feel - just lie down, kneel on one knee, throw up, etc. Just don't break the seal (i.e. don't open the door to the outside). It is 105 degrees in the room, and it takes a bit of getting used to. But, once you learn "how to breathe through the heat," then it becomes addictive. I'm definitely hooked (and am not so terrified of bikini season now - still a bit queazy, but not afraid!) LOL!

For those of you who know how anti-bumper sticker I am...I now have a Bikram Yoga sticker underneath the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu sticker that my man put on the white whale years ago!!! I have to stick with it now.

What am I reading these days?

I don't even know where to start. I have been in a book club since moving to Charleston last year, but I recently dropped out. I have sooo many books and articles that I want to read (that no one else probably does) that I found I was putting the book club on the back burner. So, here is a core dump of my reading list for Q1 2010:

The Vegetarian Myth
The Real Story of Milk
Autobiography of a Yogi
Living Downstream
Omnivore's Dilemma
The No Grain Diet
The End of Overeating
The Weston Price Quarterly Magazine
The Mothering Quarterly Magazine
The YES! Magazine

If anyone wants a recommendation or condensed review, please let me know. I have taken golden nuggets from each of these readings! Looking for the next read to help me continue my journey in "Making the most of this life". Would love suggestions!