Book Giveaway!

If you know me at all, you know that I'm all about getting your daily giggles. On Twitter, I post a #DailyGiggle any day that I'm on. I even wrote a blog post about why I do the Daily Giggle. Laughter really is the best medicine. It's benefits are immediate, and if you make sure to get your laughs every day, they can continually aid your physical and mental health.

I am also an avid reader. As a kid, I devoured books. Then I became a mom and for a while, I forgot all about the things that make me happy. So in the past few years, I've picked up books again. Each year, I try to increase my goal. The bookshelves are overflowing and there is never enough time to read them all.

Today, I'm combining my love of books with my love for laughter. I'm giving away a paperback copy of Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang! This book had me laughing so hard that my husband was giving me dirty looks because I was interrupting his TV watching. And he was the one who bought it for me! I loved it so much that I passed it to my sisters and I can't wait to read it again...and again...and again.

Now, while I have your attention...

I am looking to do a little guest posting on some other Mommy Blogs. There are so many of you out there and I have a VERY long list of the ones that I have read, but I'd like to send out an open invitation to all of you. If you have a mom-related blog, and are interested in having a guest poster, please send me an email at c_horos @ hotmail.com. We'll trade some details and get to know each other a little better!

HOLD ON! 

Having a blog, or having me guest post has NO influence on winning this book whatsoever. It was just a good way to get in touch with a lot of people at once. 

So....if you'd like to win this book, all you have to do is leave a comment that you'd like to win. 

AND...for a second entry, you can Retweet any of the tweets I post announcing the giveaway. Find me at @ChristineMarie_ on Twitter. And make sure to check my Twitter page on Sunday, June 17, to find out if you are a winner!

Good luck! 

My Own Silver Lining

As a kid, I constantly dreamed about acting. I imagined what it would be like to create the magic behind the scenes and write the scripts that built the stories. Time passed, life happened, and I never made that dream come true. However, I do check in with a local company, Heery Casting, for occasional work. I missed the filming of Limitless in 2009, starring Bradley Cooper and Robert DeNiro, but when I heard they were returning to film The Silver Linings Playbook, I immediately applied. I have always admired Robert DeNiro. A true natural, his movies have profoundly affected me. It was only just before Hangover 2 released that I discovered Bradley Cooper is from Jenkintown, only one town over from my own birthplace. 

I waited anxiously for the call, which I finally received near the end of October. The location was a cozy diner in Upper Darby and I was to bring a Halloween costume. I arrived early, which gave me time to make friends with some of the other extras. After some waiting in the holding area, we piled in vans and headed to a quiet neighborhood. We did a few quick shots as trick-or-treaters, then headed to the diner for more waiting in the parking lot. The crew members were scattered about communicating on headsets to organize who would go where. Taking the opportunity, I made sure to keep moving away from the outgoing vans that were carrying extras back to the holding location.

Eventually, we were herded into the diner and people were placed, filling the space like sardines. I spotted a table remaining empty in the middle of the room and slid myself into a seat at the counter directly across from it. I soon found my intuition was right as Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence came in and sat at the table.

I spent from 4pm until 4am on the set, adrenaline keeping me wide awake the entire time. I laughed. I nibbled cold French fries. I spent hours getting to know the incredible people in the seats around me. Most importantly, I soaked up every moment like a sponge. Being so close to the action allowed me to see how much effort is put into every moment of a film. While David O. Russell directed, the crew worked furiously to keep the extras quiet and moving when needed. When a better camera angle was needed, they swooped in to remove a seat and change the lighting. When squeaking counter seats were creating a distraction, they appeared with oil to grease each one. And all the while, they still worked with a smile and pandered to my penchant for playful banter.

The night was unforgettable. I went home floating on a cloud. When the next day came, all I could think about was getting back to the set. I wanted more. If I was an addict, I would have been doubled over from the withdrawal.

This video was not taken by me, but was from the same day I was on set.

Thankfully, I was called again. This time, the location was in the city. There was a much larger crowd of people and I wondered if I had made the right decision. Would the second time be as fun as the first? Would I be able to get as much out of it as I did before?

It wasn't long before I was assured it would be another memorable day. A more formal scene, we headed over to the Ben Franklin House. We were placed throughout the lobby and balcony hallways. Finding a crew member I recognized, I said hello and he sent me right upstairs with a few others. Wondering if I would be within view of a camera, I was thrilled when Bradley Cooper walked by and stood at the end of the hallway with the gathering crew members.

Again, I was in awe as David and Bradley hashed out the scenes, deciding the best camera angles and how it would be performed. As the day went on, I was placed in prime spots as the stars walked the hallways. David would read their lines, each time with different inflection and timing. They would repeat and repeat until they had what they wanted.

At the end of the day, I left with the same feeling of adrenaline and satisfaction. A dreamy smile plastered to my face. For so long I wondered what it would be like, and even though I didn't pursue the career I wanted, I spent two amazing days entranced with being in the center of it all. Hopefully, it will lead me to more days like this to come. 

Woolite Oxy Deep

Let's talk cleaning.

In my house, I have neutral colored rugs. Sandy brown, speckled beige, and I even chose a cream colored carpet for the dining room. The dining room!

What was I thinking? you say?

I have a secret weapon.

When it comes to cleaning messes, I battle juice spills, mud tracks, and my least favorite, animal puke. While the dog is an infrequent offender, the cat ruins my day several times a week. 

This little bottle of magic has erased every stain in its path. You spray it on, leave it a few minutes and come back to soak up the mess and POOF! Gone. I only use paper towels and it works every time.

I have never been so grateful for a stain remover. It has erased the big and small spots. I've even used it on the microfiber sofas...because the cat is not picky about where he chucks his hairballs.

Woolite OxyDeep is hands down the best stain remover I have used. Between kids and pets, there's nothing that has eliminated messes like this cleaner. 

If only it would watch the kids so I can go see a movie, it would be perfect.

*I was not compensated in any way for this review. I have used Woolite OxyDeep for a number of years and was not approached to post about it.  

Wordless Wednesday: Pi Edition

Back in Business

It's been a while since I've worked on this blog and I've been trying to make the time to pick it up again.

So, here I am.

I had discussed in a previous post about how I had made some changes to my diet and exercise routine. Let's start there...

While the holidays added a few expected pounds, I've kept up with making smarter choices and exercising on a regular basis. But, I'd like to be very clear here, I HATE exercise. And yes, I realize that this is not a revelation. Many people hate exercise. Hell, it's the reason why we don't do it! I think my husband underestimates my hatred, though.

First of all, let's point out that men lose weight faster than women. My gradual changes have drawn out over the past two years and my husband dropped 30 pounds in three months as easily as he takes off his shirt. I've lost weight, but I feel like I'm wading through three feet of mud.

I don't enjoy the pain. I don't enjoy the sweating. The tired muscles, the gasping for breath, and the soreness the next day all add to the pile of reasons not to exercise. And yet, I trudge on. I swear at the TV the entire time. I tell the instructor to go do horrible things that I should not repeat here. It's how I cope. So what?

Whatever.

Recently, we were in a sporting goods store checking out the available equipment looking for something we can both use to change our routine. We came across the Supreme 90 Day workout package which was only $14.99. We certainly didn't want to drop over $100 on the P90X or other similar workouts. Our funds are not currently disposable, but our health is something we both want to improve.

It's actually a solid workout. My body is killing me. They do include a booklet on an appropriate meal plan, but I don't follow those. Yes, I want to get stronger and be healthy, but I'm not trying to get ripped like a body builder. You won't catch me ingesting any of those protein shakes, either. Blech.

Because I hate working out so much, I don't want to talk about it. I'd like to forget about it the second it's over. My husband however, is obviously enjoying his workouts and likes to check in with me. "This one wasn't too bad, huh?" or "I think this one's going to hurt tomorrow."

I scowl at him and agree with "Mmhmm."

"Oh, c'mon, it's not that bad."

Um, yes, at a matter of fact it is. I'm doing this because I'm requiring myself to do it. Having free will means making the decision to do something on your own, it doesn't mean you have to like it. So, I've been keeping up with it all, I'm just loathing every minute of it.

Don't get me wrong. This is NOT supposed to be a post of my whining about exercise. The moral of today's story is: No matter how much you hate it, you can still keep doing it. You can plow through and come out better for it. Hate it all you want if you have to, just don't stop doing it. 




*Please note: I was not compensated for mentioning Supreme 90 Day workout and purchased the package with our personal money. I am not a doctor and will always recommend finding exercise that suits you best with your physician's help. Also, we have not completed the full 90 days, so I would not give a full review of the program until I have had a chance to finish it. 

Thanksgiving: Take 2

Every year, my husband and I take the kids to our parents' houses for multiple turkey dinners. But, in our own little world of insanity, we also cook a Thanksgiving meal of our own the next day.

If you know anything about me, you probably have heard me admit that I am a terrible cook. My husband, on the other hand is actually pretty talented. He's not one to create his own masterpieces, but give the man a recipe and he delivers every time.

We both like to experiment and find new recipes online. So, this year, I was really thrilled with our final products and thought maybe I'd gloat some of you guys might like to check 'em out. The sad part is, I didn't take any pictures. What can I say? I was too excited to eat.

The first thing we did was brine our turkey overnight. My ingenious friend, Seth Pollins, had a great instructional video, but the link no longer works, so we'll just go with outright instructions:

3 cups kosher salt
1 cup sugar
2 gallons water

For a 12 to 20 pound turkey, you can submerge it in this solution for 4 to 12 hours.

Then, when we cooked it, my husband found this Black Pepper Pomegranate Molasses Glaze recipe.

Holy bejeezus, this was the best turkey I have ever eaten. Even days later, the turkey is still juicy. I feel like I have Rubbermaid tubs full of crack in my fridge because I can't stop consuming it.

Another recipe that my husband tackled was this basic cranberry sauce. Growing up, all I ever saw was that tin can-mold of jelly slurp out into a bowl, so I never touched the stuff. Even though I wasn't excited about the recipe, once it started cooking, the whole house smelled incredible. And so, another addiction was born. The flavors burst in your mouth, coating it first with the tart of the cranberries, but then the sweetness of the brown sugar and honey smooth it out. It was super easy to make and an excellent dish to impress.

I actually made a sweet potato-marshmallow casserole, which is something I never even ate growing up. Never once did sweet potatoes cross the threshold into our home. I don't even like them that much. So, I took the time to bake the potatoes. I mashed them with the electric mixer and love. (Yes, I said that.) For the record, I love anything with brown sugar. I can eat brown sugar right out of the bag.

O_O

But, read carefully here...DO NOT add the marshmallows until the last 5 or 10 minutes of baking. Otherwise you will have burnt marshmallows. They neglected to mention that in the recipe, but thankfully, I was leery of cooking them that long and saved them before it was my usual disastrous ending. And surprise! I loved it.

These may be some fairly basic recipes for some, but they are all flavorful and simple ways to create a meal that everyone will drool over.

Bon appetit!

How Does This Happen??

I know a lot of people have issues with custody battles these days, but when I heard about this, it really makes my blood boil. Below is a letter from a guy I know from high school. We keep in touch on Facebook and this is what he's been going through recently:

Dear Sir,

Please allow me to express my concern with the way the Child Protective Services has been handling the case involving my 14 year old daughter Katty.
...
On April 8th, 2011, my daughter was taken by Texas CPS from her mother, my ex wife, for a variety of reasons. These reasons I do agree with.

Everything else from that point on I have many concerns with.

First, I was NEVER notified by the state that this had happened. After a month of not being able to reach my daughter on her cell phone that I was paying for, I finally got a hold of her mother who filled me in on what had happened.
I am not a hard man to reach. I am on numerous social networking sites, and a simple google search of my name would provide enough results to find me. I also was paying child support, so I would be easily found through them. One of the papers i recieved after i made contact with CPS which i believe was the "motion" stated clearly that " with due diligance, the natural father will be searched for and notified with in 24 hours". This clearly did not happen. I could have been on the next flight to Texas and this whole next 4-5 months could have been avoided. Granted, her mother also should have called me right away, but being she is deemed and unfit mother, I can not put all the blame on her when there is a system in place by our great goverment that should be followed to the T.

After finding out about my daughter being in protective custody, I immediately began my own google search to contact Texas CPS.
This was June 6th.

I learned of a hearing regarding my daughters placement to be held on July 7th in Houston.
I drove to Texas from SW Florida for this hearing and attended it, pleading for my daughter to be placed into my custody. I am a family man, with a new wife of 4 years and another daughter, Kattys half sister, I have a clean criminal record, I own my own business and am respected amongst my peers, professional and personal. I came to this hearing prepared with bank statements, photos of the inside and outside of my single family 3 bedroom home. letters of character from local law enforcement and professional peers, none of which the court was interested in looking at.

I was told that with in 2 months, Katty should be in my custody.

It has now been more than 3 months since this hearing, and my daughter is still in foster care.

I used to talk with my daughter on the phone a couple times a week, since she has been taken I have only been allowed to speak with her 3 times.

Since this has happened, my daughter has been admitted into a mental hospital twice for manic depression, for a week at a time. She never had any mental issues until all of this had happened.

A few weeks ago the case worker actually allowed my daughter to contact me while she was in the hospital. While speaking to my daughter, i was asking her about her feelings and explaining mine to her, as to do with her violent thoughts she was having. At this time, the case worker took the phone from Katty and began to BERATE me over the phone, telling me I was not allowed to speak the way I was speaking. We began a shouting match for more than 5 minutes, when all i wanted to do was try to understand what was wrong with my daughter. Completely unacceptable and unprofessional.

My daughter and I are being treated like we have done something wrong. All I want is whats best for my daughter, and her living with me, her biological father, is what is best for her.

I do not understand why this has been going on for so long. Her 15th birthday is the 31st of this month, and it seems like she will be spending it in foster care.

I love my daughter very much, and miss her terribly. I have spoken with supervisors and other people at CPS, writing you this letter is my last resort.

Everyone at CPS has passed the buck as to why this is taking so long. Ive been told that I had provided a bad address, or a bad phone number, yet the paperwork i recieved from the courts on July 7th had my correct address.
When i changed my phone number, I immediately called and left a voice mail for the case worker, which she claimed never happened. I changed my cell phone number in late July, but my old phone was not shut off until September 1st, and NEVER once recieved a voice mail on it from CPS, so the case workers point is moot, being she never tried to contact me on either phone about my daughters status, for over a month and a half.

I dont know if there is anything you can do about what is going on, I know you are a busy man and really am not sure if you will even get this letter.

Please, my daughter and I are at your mercy, if there is ANYTHING you can do about any of this, please, please help us.

..............................................................................................................
Now, the reason this makes me so angry is that there are fathers out there that don't give a damn and don't pay child support and act like they don't even have a kid. They have no consequences to face. But here is a man trying like hell to take care of his daughter and can't get a hold of her? How is this fair?

Just this week, he finally received a call from the police regarding a home check. If any of you out there have any advice for my friend, please let me know. And I hope you'll share this post with others, please. Maybe someone out there can share some advice. Thank you!