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Monday

eBay's 2012 Mother's Day Gift Guide

With Mother’s Day right around the corner and men being men, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that most of us reading (and writing) this post have yet to begin shopping for the big day. Are you shopping for your one and only mother or will you be buying for the mother (maybe plural depending on your relationship status) of your kids?

My reason for not grasping how close this holiday comes has very little to do with lack of concern for the mothers in my life. But it might have a little to do with being able to outdo myself. Last year I bought my wife a cream-colored Marin California Cruiser complete with cork handles and a stitched leather seat. In any case the fact remains the date is just 14 days away, May 13th.

Mondays with Michelle: Seasonal Eats

 
Happy Monday! 
I haven't been doing a whole lot of cooking lately, mostly just brown rice, lean protein and veggies, but a girl can dream, right? Check out these delish seasonal dishes I can't wait to try...
Picture of Rhubarb and Strawberry Pie with Almond Crumb Topping Recipe


Friday

Smart Phones, Teens And Parents

Two days ago around 2 am I walked right into my son's room. The lights were on, he was wearing a scully (winter cap) and talking on the phone. He popped up, shocked and said, "Oh, I have a cramp in my leg and couldn't sleep."

Me: *Blank Stare* Then I said, "Shut it down and go to bed."

I breathed a sigh of relief that that was all he was doing. Gone are the days of jumping on the hardline and screaming at both children for being on the phone in the middle of the night. Or listening with your hand over the mouthpiece so they can't hear you breathing.

That gosh-darn iPhone circumvents parental controls. Looks like I'm going to have to turn off the circuit breaker at bedtime.


Thanks for reading! To learn more about me, you can read my story.

Wednesday

Money and Teens: How To Get Them On A Budget

This article first appeared at Black And Married With Kids.

As a young man I struggled with the management of my finances. This was due in part to my father’s control and silence over the money I made from my neighborhood lawn-mowing gig. He would leave me with a couple dollars, take the bulk of the money I made, deposit it into a credit union account and that was that. No explanation and no conversation. And he almost dared me to suggest otherwise.

Then when I went to college he made a huge deposit into a checking account he set up for me. Pretty admirable…until I spent it all over the course of maybe two months. Then I moved on to the seductive lure of credit cards. There were signups everywhere I could see offering hundreds of dollars of credit for free! And I just had to have one of those Frisbees or squeegee bottles with some bank’s ugly logo on it. If I could go back in time I would slap myself silly, for being so silly.

Monday

Mondays With Michelle: Vacay Foodie Report

Happy Monday! 


After vacation blues are in full effect. I am still finding myself wishing I had just a little bit more time to lounge around with my family, relax and EAT! And trust me, I did plenty of that last thing while I was away. I indulged in all the yummy goodies that I can't get in good ol' ATL, and man was it all delish. 

Here is some of the deliciousness I enjoyed while I was away...

Spinach salad with strawberries, radishes, tomatoes,
 feta cheese and a orange yogurt vinaigrette
White Asparagus season at the farmers market

Wednesday

VIDEO: How To Break "Blogger's Block"

If you're a blogger then you know as I do that sooner or later blogging can become a bit much. The idea frequently sitting down to type onto "the Internets" can be maddening even. It's even worse when you don't have anything to say.

When these times come, and they will come, consider pushing your content to your blog in a different format:



Agree? Disagree? Any questions? Please sound off in the comments.


Thanks for reading! To learn more about me, you can read my story.

Monday

How To Take Timeless Portraits

For those of you who began reading with me 860+ posts ago (or maybe even 700) you know that I began to dabble in photography right here on this blog. My love for it predates this blog, but my skill in it has grown from merely a fan of it to my being a student of it. It is yet another way for me to express myself when words just aren't enough or I just don't feel like talking.

As family folks there is no shortage of opportunities to capture images of the people who matter most to you. Make them count on film by capturing the timeless quality each and every one of us possesses. I hope the video below will help you in your efforts.



If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to "speak" your mind in the comments below or sending me an email via my Contact page. For this and more videos, please subscribe to my YouTube Channel.

Peace.


Thanks for reading! To learn more about me, you can read my story.

Thursday

[Music Video]: Living by Arrested Development

From my brother and my friend, SPEECH. He's breaking it down about...everything --- these days and times, fatherhood, staying relevant and really knowing what's up.




Thanks for reading! To learn more about me, you can read my story.

Friday

Local Spring Attractions & Destinations: Stone Mountain

I've been an Atlanta resident for a little over a year and I've struggled with putting most things New York behind me. It has been particularly hard accepting Atlanta's cultural events and attractions. I have to admit, I've been a snob. Stone Mountain is such a place that I've been told is the place to be --- to visit, to chill, to run, to bike to walk to hike and to picnic. My response each time I've visited has been a mix of missing home and wanting just a little more. After abandoning my disintegrating plans to haul the family to Disney World this Spring Break I was forced by finances to stay put. But staying put doesn't mean staying still.

On Tuesday, a friend and his daughter and my daughter and I drove up to Stone Mountain for a day of unexpected, wonderful family experiences. Their Spring FUN Break 2012, ending on April 7, is a home run!

First and foremost is their newest attraction, Geyser Towers. It is a water-infused, climbing attraction. The more than two-story tall climbing attraction is all about getting families out of the house, moving and if they choose, getting soaked. With a mixture of geysers, mister and sprayers, kids climb through multiple levels of suspended rope bridges and net tunnels and can either play in

Monday

Mondays With Michelle: Germany Bound

Happy Monday! This week is a super exciting one for me, because at the end of it I will be headed home to Germany for 2 weeks! Yay for vacation!  That being said...I won't be posting while I'm gone, so you can expect to see me back here on April 23. Now on to fun stuff...food!

I don't know about you, but one of my favorite things about going home is the food. My Mom and Oma cook all my favorite dishes...and I usually come back a few pounds heavier happy and satisfied. 

Here a few of my favs....

Kartoffelpuffer: Potato pancakes with apple sauce... yum!
Jagerschnitzel.... soooo good!
German Potato Salad... made by Oma is the best thing ever!
Currywurst (pork sausage with curry ketchup= delicious!)
Fresh German bread= heaven!

That is just  little peak into all the yummy things I am going to consume. I'll will be sure to have a full report upon my return. 

What is your favorite thing to eat when you go home? Post your comments below!

Don't forget to visit my Foodie blog for more recipes, food tips and other foodie fun. 

Thanks for reading!

Thanks for reading! To learn more about me, you can read my story.

INFOGRAPHIC: Girls Are Smarter Than Boys

As the father of a little girl I was heartened and then disheartened by the following INFOGRAPHIC.

What do you think of the information here?

Girls in STEM
Created by: Engineering Degree


Thanks for reading! To learn more about me, you can read my story.