Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus In Chicago

On Thursday, we headed to the Allstate Arena for the annual Chicago visit of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Circus. The wee ones were beyond thrilled, as the circus coming to town is one of their favorite things.  The fact that this year the circus was all about dragons, well... I kept that a surprise until we got there!

I knew the show celebrated the year of the dragon, but I didn't know how they were going to do it.  The creativity was amazing, and the show was spectacular, as always, with a great mix of animal acts and acts of strength and agility and more.

We arrived in time for the all access preshow, where all ticketholders are invited to the show floor to try on costumes, interact with select performers, and watch some of the acts up close.  The jugglers were fun to watch, and the wee ones loved learning the "dragon dance" that the performers did later during the show.  The favorite, as always, was the elephant painting.  This year, we saw a young elephant out for her first show who didn't paint but was oh-so-cute, and the twist to the "show" was that a clown competed in a painting contest with the elephant.  Shockingly, the crowd voted that the elephant did the better job.

The other favorite (of mine, at least) preshow act was the dogs that did everything from play leapfrog jumping over each other to weaving through a person's legs as he walked to jumping though body part hoops.  Those were some talented dogs and oh so cute to watch.

The introduction of the show was, as always, a huge production with all the performers appearing.  I'll admit that I still have the song going through my head, which I think is a first for a production of this sort.  I adored the dragon "cars" that depicted the various traits required for calling a dragon forth.

I had several favorite acts, and I took some really cool pictures.  Of course with the dark and the way the lights are set up - and how fast some of the acts move! - many of my photos didn't turn out the way I wanted them to, but I'm happy that I have the memory of them.

The bareback riders were truly impressive.  I love horses and riding, and there is no way I could do any of what they were doing.  I thought it was really cool that they were standing while controlling the horses as they cantered into and around the ring.

I was wrong.  What was really cool was when they jumped onto and off the horses, from one side to the other.  And then when they crawled around the belly of the horse - all while it was cantering.  No, it was when they started creating a pyramid on horseback while the horses were cantering around.  Yikes!

I'm also a sucker for the big cats.  They make me a little nervous, but I love seeing the interaction between the trainer and the animals and the grace the big cats show.  Even the wee ones were oohing and ahhing over this one.

The perfect example of the cats making me smile with the interaction?  I loved the lazy lion who didn't seem to want to get up on his platform.  You can almost read his thoughts as he's lying there.

I was also fascinated by the new twist on the tightrope walkers.  Years ago, the silk ropes hung from arena rafters became the new trick.  The "dragon eyes" that the Sizzling Sirens of the Sky use for contortions within and outside of the balls.  It was beautiful and unique - and something I'm sure will be copied by many others.

And who can forget the Shaolin warriors?  Mister Man is way into martial arts, and he didn't move - and possibly didn't breathe - during the entire performance.  I was so agog I forgot to take pictures of much of it.  And they moved so fast my camera couldn't capture most of what I did take.  Watching them bend metal poles around their necks and then unbend them was impressive enough.  Balancing on the points of spears was eerie.  And they didn't break boards; they had wooden poles broken over their heads and other body parts.  This was the biggest proof of mind over matter I'd ever seen.  Oh, and did I mention that they jumped through a wheel of knives?  While it was on fire?  And spinning?  While wearing a black hood so they couldn't see?   Wow.  Just wow.

The one act that most freaked out Little Miss was the Medeiros Troupe.  After they performed acrobatics around a motorcycle on a high wire, they suspended themselves via their hair and did acrobatics that way.  As amazed as I was, I couldn't help but feel sympathetic pain for them.  Watching one girl juggle while she dangled from her hair that was attached to the other girl's hair (who was suspended upsidedown herself) was truly impressive.

The show continued with so many acts.  And of course, the four attributes displayed - heart, courage, wisdom, and strength - called forth the "dragon."  It was so well tied together.  I'm pretty sure this was my favorite circus ever.

As a reminder, the shows at Allstate Arena run:
Saturdays November 3 and 10 at 11:30am, 3:30pm, and 7:30pm
Sundays November 4 and 11 at 1pm and 5pm - special Spanish language concert after the 5pm show and tickets are $5 more
Wednesday through Friday November 7-9 at 7pm

The shows at the United Center are:
Wednesday November 14 at 7pm - $12 opening night tickets
Thursday and Friday November 15 and 16 at 10:30am and 7pm
Friday November 23 and Saturdays November 17 and 24 at 11:30am, 3:30pm, and 7:30pm
Sundays November 18 and 25 at 1pm and 5pm - special Spanish language concert after the 5pm show and tickets are $5 more
Tuesday November 20 at 7pm
Wednesday November 21 at 2pm and 7pm

Tickets range from $13 to $90 for the Circus Celebrity tickets (where you and your family are actually a part of the circus and which sell out quickly!), but I have a 40% discount code for weekday shows and 20% off all weekend shows.  Simply enter the promo code MOM when you order your tickets. (Fine print: Weekday is defined as any show Monday through Thursday or Friday matinee, not including holidays such as the day after Thanksgiving. Discount does not apply to Circus Celebrity, Front Row, or VIP seats. No double discounts. Service charges, handling, and facility fees may apply.)

If you haven't already purchased your tickets, it isn't too late to use the discount code.  Get your tickets quickly though, because Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Circus is only here for a little while longer!

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a Feld Family Ambassador.  As such, I am receiving complimentary tickets to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Circus as part of my outreach.  I am not otherwise compensated.  As always, all opinions expressed remain my own.

Review: Earth Footwear

Back in the middle of March, I got an email asking if I was interested in reviewing Earth Footwear. Since at the time it was 80 degrees and I hadn't bought any new shoes for the suddenly summer-like weather, I jumped all over it.  They have a ton of shoes that are both trendy and designed to be comfortable, perfect for showing off my newly pedicured toes.

I excitedly took to Twitter to ask a couple fashion forward friends their opinions of the pair I was trying to choose.  Thanks to Emily, I finally narrowed it down to the Paprika and the Tobasco.  A few weeks later, the Paprika shoes showed up at my house.

I was pleased to see how they were packaged.  There was cardboard holding the shoe's shape so that it would fit nicely once it arrived.  As much as I liked the look of the shoe online, I was even more happy with it once it arrived.  The leather was soft and gorgeous, and though it has a small heel, the shoes are extremely comfortable and well padded, including reinforced arch support.

The goal behind Earth Footwear is to make contemporary looking shoes that are comfortable and supportive for a variety of needs.  They all include a cushioned footbed, whether you're looking for dress shoes at work or something casual for hanging out.  And it looked like they had succeeded.

One other thing I really liked about the shoe is that it didn't require me to buckle and unbuckle the shoes every time I took them on and off.  Instead, there's a nifty zipper that has a lining to protect your foot from the zipper.  I thought that was an inspired piece of design.  On my right shoe, it worked beautifully, but my left shoe stuck somewhat and required quite a bit of effort to get over a hump in the middle - that was to be telling, later.

I put them on to test them out in the house, but unfortunately that gorgeous summer weather had long since disappeared, and these shoes require warm weather to be worn - which is part of the reason this review is so long in coming.  I didn't want to give only a partial review so waited for weather to warm again.

As I walked around the house, the shoes were comfortable, but a little loose.  That buckle on the shoe?  Although I didn't need to use it to put the shoes on and off, it was still functional.  I was able to tighten and loosen it until it was perfectly comfortable on both ankles.  And apparently I don't - yet - have cankles and needed to tighten the sandals.

And then I waited.  And waited.  And waited for the weather to warm up...

It finally did in the middle of May, and I happily put my sandals on and wore them for the day.  The zipper stuck again, though not as much, on my left shoe.  Where that bump was wore on my left heel, though my right foot was fine - leading me to believe it was an issue with my individual shoe and not anything with the design of the shoe.  I was also pretty sure that the shoes just needed to be broken in a little and didn't want to ding Earth Footwear quite yet.  Unfortunately, I ended up wearing the sandals the next day where I walked to and from a mani/pedi, well over a mile.  I had thought the Band-Aid I applied would solve everything, but it feel off and ... I wasn't able to wear the sandals for awhile.  That said, this was my fault.

Once my heel healed, I again attempted the shoes.  And yes, they were well broken in.  After a test run around my 'hood, I wore the sandals to Type A in Charlotte where I received a number of compliments on my fancy sandals.  I wore them for two solid days in Charlotte in the conference and walking to and from dinner.  They were supremely comfortable, and I didn't have so much as a scratch on my heel.

As for the comfort, I was on my feet the majority of the day there, and they didn't ache at all.  The padding and arch support was awesome and definitely needed.  When I danced the night away, I kept my sandals on - unlike the majority of women who had to discard their footwear.

In my mind, it cemented that I had one sandal with a small manufacturing issue that was unlikely to be common.  The sandals were gorgeous, and I continue to get compliments on them.  The fact that they're comfortable and I can wear them all day long is necessary given who I am.  I'm sold.  Though the Earth Footwear shoes aren't cheap - my Paprika sandals cost $89 - they were worth it. I'm currently browsing the catalogue to see what will be next.  What do you think about the Bonsai?

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a pair of Paprika sandals from Earth Footwear for the purposes of this review.  I was not compensated, and all opinions remain my own.

Review: Medieval Times

There are some places that I've never been but always intend to go. And there are some places the wee ones keep asking to go - especially when we drive past them on a regular basis. Medieval Times is one of those places. I don't have a good reason for not having gone, just life getting busy and not paying attention. Needless to say, when I was offered the chance to attend Medieval Times for their opening night of the new show, I jumped at the chance.

The wee ones loved the idea of seeing the horses and jousting, although they didn't know what that was prior to seeing the show. They were also intrigued at the idea of eating with their fingers - but when it came time to do so, they weren't quite so sure about how to do it.

The pageantry of the show is a lot of fun, from the royal court welcoming everyone in to the show to the knight we're assigned to cheer for (based on seating, which isn't assigned until you enter the castle). The night started with a gorgeous horse entering the arena and cantering amidst the mist before performing some trained maneuvers.

The king's Lord Chancellor introduces all the knights, and there is a great parade of all the knights' entourages supporting them. It is a great display, and the wee ones were happy to see their Green Knight and cheer him on, especially as he came to our corner of the arena. The show is in an arena, with seats on all sides. The action is readily visible everywhere. We were sitting in a corner and could see quite well. The only part we couldn't see was the royal court who sat behind us, but that didn't hinder our enjoyment of the show.

After the parade, there was another show of horse with trained Pure Spanish Horses (which looked like Andalusians to me) who piaffed - a very difficult maneuver - jumped and more without riders, just their master of horse who kept them in line. The wee ones were fascinated by the bowing at the end of the show.

Up next was the falconer. His falcon traversed the arena and dove towards a target the falconer swung. It was amazing how fast the falcon can fly. I've never seen one in action before, and it was a cool and unique addition. We spoke some with the falconer before the show began, and we learned more about how falcons are trained and how they hunt. I had always thought that falcons brought the animal back, but instead the hunter goes to the falcon and exchanges a piece of meat for the animal the falcon took down.

A dressage demonstration was up next, with riders showing their precision as the horses danced in an organized show around the arena. Having ridden as much as I have, I know how difficult this is, and it was impressive to see them staying as in rhythm as they were.

Next up was the meat of the show - if you'll pardon my pun. The wee ones were so excited to see the knights come out. It wasn't purely jousting, as I had initially thought. There were also relay races and games of skill where the knights had to capture rings on their lances at full speed. I can only imagine the coordination that would require.

As part of the show, a barbarian came to offer a gift to the king, which was mildly rebuffed. He ended up challenging the winner of the jousting tournament and added a necessary good versus evil element to the show.

The jousting was impressive. It started with knights going one on one and shattering their lances as they attempted to unseat their adversaries. Once the knights were on the ground, it was a fight to the "death" with a variety of weapons. The winner of each round continued until there was only one champion remaining. While our Green Knight won his first round, he was sadly defeated in the end. We still cheered for the ultimate champion as he battled the barbarian, of course.

While all this was going on, we were also being fed our finger food. With Little Miss's dairy allergy, I was a little concerned that she would have a challenge eating. I was reassured before that night that she would receive a dairy free menu, and the night of I discovered that this meant she could actually eat the majority of the regular menu. I requested and received a copy of both the ingredients and a listing showing the common allergens in each food served. Shockingly, the only food she couldn't eat was the focaccia. There are also vegetarian and gluten free options, which is a wonderful and surprising treat.

The wee ones enjoyed the food. Mister Man loved the tomato bisque where he dipped his focaccia, and Little Miss loved it by itself, although I had to show her how to eat soup without a spoon! The chicken and rib and potatoes were also well-received by everyone, and the apple strudel (yes, also shockingly dairy free) was devoured. There is a ton of food served, and Medieval Times smartly provides containers to take leftovers home.

The only part of the evening that I didn't enjoy was the wait staff's emphasis on the fact that they should be tipped. When our waiter introduced himself, he made sure we knew that tip was not included in the cost of the ticket. He also mentioned it after serving the food. And at the end, he placed a tip holder in front of us, reminding us again that we needed to tip him as it wasn't included in the cost of the ticket. I would so rather pay slightly more for the ticket and have that be his "tip" than have it pushed in my face repeatedly throughout the night.

The new show is now available at all Medieval Times locations across the country (and Canada). It was a great family event, and there are constantly ticket coupons and specials available to make it even more affordable.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received complimentary tickets to Medieval Times for myself and the wee ones. I was not compensated for this post. As always, all opinions are my own.

Review: Natural Versus Processed Cheese

If you know anything about me, you know that I tend to like my food natural. I would love to avoid all sorts of processed foods permanently if possible. I know not all my friends feel the same way, however, and that's fine. When Sargento approached me with the opportunity to do a natural versus processed cheese tasting with friends though? How fun could that be!

And so tonight they came over for dinner (a meal that Mister Man planned, which was so cute!) and before I fed them my food, I used them for a little taste test.

We had a little crackers and cheese appetizer. Before we dug in, we read a little about natural and processed cheese and read the tasting guide. I've done wine tastings before, and I sorta know how those go... cheese tastings though? This was new to me.

What do you do in a cheese tasting?

First, you look at the cheese. When comparing the two, it's obvious which is the processed cheese. Cheese shouldn't be shiny. It just flat out shouldn't. No matter the color of the natural cheese - and they will vary based on type - it should have a texture to it, and it should not be glossy.

Touching the cheese is next. When you bend it, it should break and not roll. Some cheese are soft, but natural cheeses in general shouldn't feel mushy. The processed cheese felt sticky and just ... not quite right to us.

Then we smelled the cheese. My husband picked up on the smell of cooked milk, which doesn't belong in cheese in our opinions. The natural cheese has a sharp smell. It smells like cheese and is much stronger than the more muted tones of the processed cheese.

Lastly, we tasted the cheese (see, it really is like a wine tasting, isn't it?). The processed cheese tasted flat to us. And it was very salty. While some natural cheese can be salty, that isn't the predominant note, as it was for the processed cheese. We enjoyed the flavor of the natural cheese better, especially the continuing flavor.

One of our tasters tried to eat the processed cheese. As she tried to peel it up from the plastic wrap it's surrounded by, it just broke apart every time she tried to pick it up. She did her best, but eventually she gave up about halfway through the slice.

That didn't sell all our tasters on the natural cheeses. Some of them purchase processed cheese for their families because their families ask for it, and they didn't really see the difference. As one friend stated, "Now that I've seen this and tasted the difference and read about the cheeses, I'm not buying the processed kind any more!" Another friend wanted me to point out to Sargento that "this was worthwhile. They just got a new customer in me!"

Why?

Natural cheese is made with only milk, cheese cultures, enzymes, and salt. It's aged naturally and tested by professional cheese graders to ensure the quality. It is made in a block and cut directly from the block, then packaged - not melted while being made. It needs to be refrigerated (that seems like a "duh" statement, doesn't it?). Interestingly, a 21 gram slice of Sargento cheddar has 130mg of sodium.

Processed cheese has emulsifiers added to it, as well as preservatives like Sorbic Acid. It is typically heated to 180 degrees and cooked with direct steam, removing delicate flavors. Many processed cheeses are sold on shelves and not refrigerated for months at a time. And creating that slice in the little plastic package? It is often pumped into plastic packaging and run over a series of rollers to form the slice. Tellingly, a 19 gram slice (smaller than the natural cheese slice) has 250mg of sodium. With the new recommendation that we get no more than 1500mg of sodium per day, that's a lot of our daily sodium in one small package!

I think I made some new converts to natural cheese. It wasn't necessarily my intention, but it was interesting to see the reactions not just to the nutritional information but to the cheeses side by side. Definitely a fun evening for all of us!

In the interest of full disclosure, I was provided with a sample of both Sargento sliced cheese and a processed cheese food, along with compensation courtesy TheMotherhood and Sargento. That said as always, all opinions expressed remain my own.

Review: Chevy Volt

It's time for our annual jaunt down to St. Louis to visit my in-laws. It's not a super long trip, but it puts a ton of miles on our cars to do it the three to four times a year we go. When GM offered to let me try out the Chevy Volt, I immediately thought of the trip as the perfect time, after all I wasn't driving carpool with five kids in the car at that point.

Then I thought about what the Volt was and briefly panicked about driving with four people to spend four days out of town in such a small car (after all, my car seats eight!). After thinking about it, I agreed, and I'm sorta glad I did. I had this fun little treat sitting in my driveway all ready to take me down to St. Louis and back - on less than 12 gallons of gas, total. My pocket book is a huge fan of the car for that reason alone, but we'll get there.

It's a really cute car, no? It was amazing to me how many people gave the car a once over (or simply stared) while we were driving it, and even the couple at Costco who were standing there having a conversation about it while I pushed my cart full of goodies towards it - and yes, the trunk did fit the me, the wee ones, and our Costco shopping trip.

So you know the Volt is an electric vehicle, right? It has a special long charge cord that is stored in the trunk that plugs in just outside the driver's side door. It clicks into place and stays there until you squeeze the handle to remove it when you're ready to go (the manual suggests leaving it plugged in when you aren't driving to help regulate the battery). I was a little taken aback the first time I unplugged it because both the handle and the plug were distinctively warm. It seemed to be less warm when I unplugged it after it had been fully charged for awhile, and it was never burning hot, just definitively warm.

The charge is good for about 37 miles according to the book on the car, although each time we drove it, we got significantly more. There is a cool screen on the "edutainment" center (their name, not mine - but I like it!) that shows how things have been going for your drive. When you look at this one, you can see that I got almost 43 miles on my charge and drove 4.4 miles using 0.13 gallons of gas (that's over 36 miles per gallon, though we frequently got much higher mileage when driving on the gas engine). The lifetime mpg is somewhat confusing, as it includes the electric miles where you use no gas so mentally (to me at least), it's inflated.

Another pretty cool screen is the standard dashboard, which isn't so standard on a Volt. Admittedly, it took me a bit of time to get used to it, but I eventually did. There is no traditional gas gauge. When there is a charge in the car, there is a ticker with a battery icon showing how many more miles you have before it switches to the gas engine. And I am happy to report that switching from the electric to the gas engine is smooth, with no scary bumps or jerks as I feared might happen the first time. Once you have the gas engine running, the miles remaining for gas pops up on the screen with a gas pump next to it so that you know which power source you're using.

That screen also has an "environmentally friendly" meter, as I'll call it. This seems to be the popular thing in new cars now to encourage people to drive in a way that maximizes fuel efficiency and reduce wear on cars. The Volt has a little green ball that you try to keep in the middle. If you accelerate too fast, it will raise up, lose its three leaves and start to turn yellow. If you decelerate too quickly, the same thing happens except that the ball lowers in the bar. I am proud to report that I drove the vast majority of my time in the middle of the bar with all three leaves firmly attached to my spinning earth ball.

One of the coolest features (and I apologize for the horrible picture - my "good" camera was in the shop when I had the Volt, so I was back to my point and shoot that really needs to be retired) is the backup camera. Now, I know backup cameras are sort of old hat. Just about every car made now has them, except mine of course. The one for the Volt is positioned in the "edutainment" center, too - just a different display option on the screen, of which there were many. This backup camera? First of all, it's in color, which not all of them are. Second, it was really large, which was helpful. Third - and coolest, the camera has a red grid that shows your driving path. If you turn the wheel, the red grid moves, too. It was so cool. And it's possible that I played with this a lot just for fun, and that I showed it off to every friend who came anywhere near the Volt during the week I had it. When something - or someone - gets into that red grid, it beeps and has a little hazard icon appear. It also works well at night as it must be lit from behind. I really, really want one for my car now. I got a little spoiled.

The car itself is not made for families, however. The five children I carpool daily during the school year would not fit in the car, even without me. This car very clearly only seats four people. It is a very narrow car, with little room between the seats.

And when I say four people, I really mean two people and two small children. This shot shows how much room the wee ones had between the ends of the back seats and the front seat. Had they been any older or bigger, this would not have been a comfortable ride for them around town, let alone to St. Louis and back.

This is a great car. I really enjoyed driving it. That said, I couldn't have this be my car at this point in my life. I would have loved to have had it before I had children, especially when I was single. It would also be great once the wee ones are out of the house, but this is not a car for more than two people unfortunately. And given the price tag - the car I drove was $43,700 - I have a feeling I wouldn't have had the money to buy it back when I was single, even counting for the greatly decreased fuel cost. A single charge that gets me personally about 43 miles costs approximately $1.07. Translating that to the current $3.90 per gallon we have by me, the equivalent miles per gallon are almost 157 for the same fuel cost. I could live with that. Happily. Someday, someday.

In the previous picture, you can also see part of my car charger. Odd, no? Well, yeah, sorta. There is no car charger in the usual spot. In the spot of every other car I've ever seen or driven, in fact. When I first got in and searched for the car charger, I couldn't find one at all. I eventually found one on top of the dashboard, inside a hidden container, but I don't want my devices and cords hanging down like that. The only other charger I found was actually in the console in the back seat, which wasn't the most convenient. We'll leave it at that. And no, there weren't as many cup holders as we're used to either - but then again, this isn't a family car. I did miss not having my adjustable cup holder that will hold my 40 ounce water bottle, but apparently I am lucky and this is an uncommon feature.

But what is in the place of the traditional power cord? It's actually the parking brake. Yep, the parking brake. I've never seen it anywhere but than down by my feet. I thought this was a very odd placement, along with the only place containing door locks. I kept reaching to the door to lock and unlock doors, but only the window controls were there. It took a little getting used to, but I survived.

I also found it a little odd that the window lock (which I use frequently, especially in car pool to keep kids from rolling down the windows when we - meaning "me" - don't want them down) also controls the child safety lock that allows the back seat passengers to open their own doors. I actually had to get help with that one, since Mister Man freaked out when he couldn't open his door. Fortunately, the wee ones are well-behaved enough that I trust them to not use the window lock, so we were fine after that.

My other pet peeve about the car was the controls in the edutainment center. They are all essentially touch driven (you can see some of them in the above picture). When driving, if I want to check something or change something - from making it warmer or cooler, turning up or down the fans, changing the radio - I have to look at the center and ensure I press the right button. There's no going by feel and pushing the button I know is there. On the flip side, when I'm scanning radio stations as an example, my hand would continually accidentally touch one of the buttons, changing the display and forcing me to start over again. I was not a fan of this feature, and I really hope that it is changed at some point. Ironically, with the super futuristic buttons on the edutainment center, the steering wheel buttons for cruise control, etc were ummm not. They were fairly cheap feeling, clicking back and forth and sticking out like old fashioned window power controls. The juxtaposition really surprised me. For both, I'd like the happy in between that features slightly raised buttons of various shapes that tell you what they are but that aren't overly sensitive.

My last comment is another really cool feature. I think. Instead of turning a key to turn on the car, you simply ensure you have the key fob with you, press your foot on the brake, and and push the power button. Both when you enter the car with the fob and when you turn the car on, there is a very cool futuristic noise that greets you, letting you know that you have the fob with you (phew!) and that the car is on, respectively, since in electric mode, the car is quiet. That said, because I didn't need to use the key fob for anything, I was constantly paranoid that I would lose the key or leave it locked in the car, and so forth. I'm not sure why using the key gives me such reassurance, but it did. I have a feeling that once I get into a routine of not plugging in a key, I'd be fine with this - and I'm sure this is the direction most cars are now going.

All in all, I really enjoyed the Volt. It's super cheap to operate, and it's got pretty good get up and go. It's good looking and functional. I had fun driving it and loved the looks I got. Were I in a different situation, I'd seriously look into buying one, especially as I see gas prices going up - again. Unfortunately, it is not made for people who have a family. It really is ideal for single people or those who are married with no children - or grown children. I'll keep waiting until they make a car like this that can help me drive my carpool around, dreaming instead of the fun I had in my Volt, pretending to be cool for a week!

In the interest of full disclosure, I was provided with the Chevy Volt to drive for a week for review purposes. That said, I have not received any compensation, and as always, all opinions expressed remain my own.

Sprinkles Cupcakes!

I love Food Network. And food. And desserts. And baking. And cupcakes. Yum. When I was invited to visit Sprinkles Cupcakes in Chicago - owned by Candace Nelson, a judge on Cupcake Wars on Food Network (PS Food Network, please renew them for a fourth season!) and the founder of the first cupcake bakery in the States, I was ummm beside myself with excitement.

Walking into the bakery was a tiny bit of nirvana. The different cupcake varieties available were daunting. Summer cherry. I will have to make a return trip for that one alone. Plus the key lime. And maybe one or ten others. The employees there are super nice and considerate - I love that they take people's names when they are ordering and then actually call them by name throughout the process.

We were ushered into the back where we were introduced to the incredibly skinny Candace Nelson (who had a baby eight months ago - do you hate her just a little bit yet?). She was the sweetest person to the point where it didn't dawn on me at first that this was Candace Nelson. And her husband. While she did reassure me that my decorated cupcake would end up in the cupcake graveyard, she was very sweet about it.

What is a cupcake graveyard, you ask? Well apparently the people at Sprinkles are a little more of a perfectionist about decorating than I am. Any cupcake that isn't perfect is set aside on a separate pan and not sold. They could have a little bump on them. The frosting might not go quite all the way to the edge. They might not be totally even on the top. The paper might be slightly separating from the cupcake. Ummm, really? I'd still buy those cupcakes. I wouldn't even require a discount. That said, the perfectionism speaks volumes for Sprinkles, doesn't it?

The decorators at Sprinkles are truly impressive. Watching them spin the frosting around in the bowls and then accurately and speedily decorate the cupcakes was fascinating. They had so many different options, and it was cool to see how beautiful each cupcake turned out. And no, I didn't see them make a single one that had to go to the graveyard!

We also got a chance to try out hands at decorating cupcakes. We were provided with red velvet cupcakes (their best selling flavor) and cream cheese frosting. I was a brave soul and went for it. It was a whole lot harder than I thought it would be, and it's possible that I nearly tore the top off the cupcake. It actually turned out sort of ok, especially once I added the Northwestern N to the top. But Candace told me it would end up in the graveyard anyway; it wasn't quite even enough. In my case, I got to take it home, and my husband didn't notice the graveyard quality frosting one bit.

One of the things I loved best was that Sprinkles thinks about those with food allergies. They make a vegan cupcake (yay, Little Miss can have one - she of the dairy allergy) and there is also a gluten free cupcake. Both are kept clean of the other cupcakes to avoid cross contamination, and they are also both made of red velvet cupcakes. Personally, I'd love to see these made with flavors that didn't include food dyes (especially red dye), as those are also frequent allergens and avoided, especially by those on the autism spectrum which is a big portion of those who are gluten free. That's for the future, right? Even now, I'm impressed that these have offerings like this at all. And Little Miss is rather grateful!

Yum. Let's just say that I'll be back, and I can't wait to try more flavors!

In the interest of full disclosure, I was invited to visit Sprinkles Cupcakes in Chicago to tour their kitchen. We were fed cupcakes while there and also able to take home a couple. There was no compensation of any kind, nor any expectation that we would write about the event. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.

Review: Here, Home, Hope

Ah, summer. The time for sitting on the beach or by the pool with a good book, soaking in the sun, and just relaxing. Or so goes the theory. Personally, I love curling up with a good book any time of year, but summer is my favorite. When I read, it is my downtime, my escape from the pressures of everything that has to be done now. It allows me to recharge my batteries.

Needless to say, I read a lot. I average at least two to three books a week - more if I have some "extra" time.

Because reading is my relaxation, I generally prefer books that are on the lighter side. They don't need to be brain candy - although I'm definitely not opposed to that - but I love a good fiction. I had the opportunity recently to read Here, Home, Hope by Kaira Rouda thanks to the One2One Network, and I really enjoyed it.

The novel shares Kelly Mills Johnson's midlife crisis. She's thirty-nine and vaguely unhappy with her life, frustrated with where she is but not quite sure where she wants to go or what she wants to do. Her sons are at camp, and her husband is busy with his career, while her friends have perfect lives she envies. The premise to me sounded rife for lots of whining and complaining. I wasn't sure if I would like this, afraid it would be a downer.

I was surprised that I really enjoyed it. Kelly is not your typical protagonist. She may be vaguely unhappy with her life, but she doesn't just whine about it. She has spunk and is forthright with herself, with plenty of wit and sarcasm to keep me interested in her. She isn't a perfect size six, and her goal isn't to become one - something I found refreshing. Her marriage wasn't in trouble, and her husband was refreshingly supportive - while being realistically clueless periodically. Let's just say I'd enjoy hanging out with Kelly.

As she decides to reinvent her life, she creates a "Things to Change" (T2C) list on Post-It Notes that she places throughout her life. They range from remembering her blessings to yelling without crying (when in a disagreement) to not comparing herself to others. So many of the items on her list are ones that we all need to focus on more and live by, and this book was a great way to put it all in perspective.

Kelly didn't, of course, simply make the T2C list. She put it into action. She wasn't successful with all the items immediately, nor did she stick to any given one all the time. That simply made her more human, along with her hair angst and other personality quirks that made her so easy to relate to. I know I've been there!

As she worked on her T2C list, she began to find that she wasn't so much a victim. She had a lot of power and a lot going for her, and things began to fall into place because of how she was taking charge of her life. I found it inspiring, as there are so many times I feel that way myself - vaguely dissatisfied but not quite sure what to do next. Kelly took that leap, and her gambles repaid themselves in so many ways from becoming so much closer and more open with her friends to finding her passion and being able to run with it to finally telling off that mom who consistently finds little things to nit pick with everyone.

The novel isn't perfect, but that's part of what makes it so enjoyable. It doesn't go in the direction you expect it to, but the reactions of the characters to each of the situations is definitely realistic. Granted, some of the situations are a little out there and unrealistic, but hey - it's a novel. And I enjoyed it enough that I'll seek out her other two novels this summer as I'm looking for something to read.

Want to buy the book yourself? You can also follow Kaira Rouda on Twitter or like her on Facebook.



In the interest of full disclosure, I received a copy of "Here, Home, Hope" for review purposes only. I have not received any compensation, and as always, all opinions expressed remain my own.