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Posts tonen met het label Perfect. Alle posts tonen
Posts tonen met het label Perfect. Alle posts tonen

10 Reasons I Can't Be That Perfect Mom

Penulis : Unknown on zaterdag 21 september 2013 | 09:23

zaterdag 21 september 2013

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AppId is over the quota

I recently wrote about the 10 moms no one wants to get stuck talking to. Yes, there are many of "Those Moms," but I'm speaking of one we all know, the "perfect mom." She's president of the PTA, she plans all the fundraisers.  She bakes homemade goodies for bake sales. She has a position on every board. She recommends who should be room mom to all the teachers and you can pretty much call her for any bit of information. I like to joke that if you need anything changed, explained or rerouted you could call her and it would get done with meticulous speed and accuracy.

"Can you do something about the traffic on 95?" "How many reformers will they have at the new Pilates studio?" "Will I have to take a connecting flight on my trip to Utah?"

I also like to imagine that she walks around with a Tide Stain Stick, righting the wrongs of the slovenly.

As much as I would like to be involved in every facet of my child's life, I could never ever be that chick and here's why:

1. Perfect Mom is chipper and efficient 24/7

Her: By 6AM her coffee pot (which she set the night before) is half empty, she's already eaten and made a breakfast for her children that involves protein and food groups, and possibly a pan.

Me: I'm barely up in time for my children to make it to school without a mad rush to get out of the house.  At some point I throw a bowl of cereal in their general vicinity and we call it healthy if it the name of said cereal doesn't have the word sugar in the title.

2. Perfect Mom actually has her memory in tact.

Her: She is a veritable Rolodex -- remembering the name of every mother, teacher, administrator and child she's ever met. And she addresses each one by name and throws out a timely personal reference. "Hey, Joey how's it having a new baby sister around the house?"

Me: There are times when I see someone I've known for a decade, but for the life of me, I cannot recall their name.  I just stare blankly and stutter, give them the old "Hey honey," or I pretend someone's yelling for me and run away.

3.  Perfect Mom is clean and tidy.

Her: She is always showered and never arrives to a meeting or carpool in her pajamas.

Me: There are days that I rush to carpool in PJs and realize I haven't brushed my teeth since the night before. (PS This example may include afternoon carpool).

4. Perfect Mom is always thinking about education.

Her: When her family plays games, they are always educational. Counting apples, forming words, sliding down things, critical thinking with clay...

Me: We have a Guitar Hero battle of the bands, we have actual Dance revolutions, and I'm pretty certain game night involved black jack, poker, and gin rummy by the time my kids were 4.

5. Perfect Mom never wishes she had a personal assistant.

Her: She answers every text, email, and phone message as they come in, with perfect precision. 

Me: I show up at most child's birthday parties and may hear this "Oh, I wish you'd RSVP'd I hope we have enough goodie bags."

6. Perfect Mom makes sure her children don't watch inane or inappropriate programs.

Her: She shows her children specials on the National Geographic channel and takes them to age appropriate flicks.

Me: I consider the watching of Big Brother to be an educational family event that teaches socialization and negotiation tactics. At least that's what I tell my kids when I shush them while it's on. And I showed them Airplane and other awesome slapstick classics at 6 years old because I thought it'd be fun to quote lines with them (it is).

7. Perfect Mom thinks Martha Stewart could do better.

Her: Not only does she run the school sales and other events, she hand makes the items to sell there, then dips them in her chocolate fount and rolls them in sprinkles -- whether it's a bake sale or a book fair. Yes, even books taste good smothered in chocolate.

Me: If you ask me to donate something to a bake sale, not only will I not bake it, I may enlist another mother to pick it up from the store for me. "What Kelly, you have to run to the store? Could you grab some Entenmann's?"

8. Perfect Mom started in the womb.

Her: Her kids are prepared for every test, project and homework assignment as she has worked with them since birth to ensure they are learning at a grade level far beyond their years. (Plus, I'm pretty sure she does most the projects for them.)

Me: I sign my kid's homework agendas and reading logs based on the honor system. Even though I'm pretty sure one of them is still illiterate (but, it's OK because I'm not certain).

9. Perfect Mom is punctual.

Her: She is always the first one at any meeting, event, function, or party (usually setting up). She may have 17 kids and still not one of them seems to make her a second late.

Me: I'm late for ridiculous reasons like, my kids are busy fighting over who the dog loves more, or I spent 20 minutes looking for my phone (which was in my hand).

10. Perfect Mom may be a robot.

Her: I'm quite certain that like Martha Stewart and Ryan Seacrest, she is some sort of robot, alien or vampire (that doesn't shimmer or burn in daylight). Having 24 hours a day to accomplish things would make anyone seem like a super hero. Well, that and a continuously running chocolate fount.

Me: I am simply human, sometimes I don't have a minute to shower, some meals my kids don't get all the nutrients on the food pyramid, sometimes we watch pointless reality tv and boo when the wrong people get voted off, but I do my best and they're pretty awesome, so something's working.

Can you keep up with Perfect Mom?

Image Via JenEcards/TheSuburbanJungle.com

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Apple Pancakes With Caramel Syrup Recipe Make 'Dessert for Breakfast' Seem Perfect

Penulis : Unknown on zondag 15 september 2013 | 15:11

zondag 15 september 2013

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AppId is over the quota
by Nicole Fabian-Weber 9 hours ago in Food & Party

pancakeNow that the weather is cooling down (sigh), I think it's technically illegal to ingest foods that don't contain the ingredients pumpkin, cinnamon, apple, nutmeg, or caramel. So these Apple Pancakes With Caramel Syrup are the perfect way to stay within legal confines, and you basically get to have dessert for breakfast. They're delicious. Nutritious(ish). And fantastically easy to make.

Apple Pancakes With Caramel Syrup

Ingredients:

Pancakes:

1/4 cup butter, melted1 egg1 cup milk1 cup shredded tart apple1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon1 tablespoon white sugarSyrup:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon1 tablespoon white sugar

Instructions:

Pancakes:

1. In a large bowl, combine butter, egg, milk and apple. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and sugar. Stir flour mixture into apple mixture, just until combined.

2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Syrup:

Mix the brown sugar, half-and-half, butter and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook while whisking gently for 5 to 7 minutes, until it gets thicker. Add the vanilla and cook another minute to thicken further. Drizzle over pancakes.

Image via Kitchen Life of a Navy/Wife

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Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe Is the Perfect Fall Meal

Penulis : Unknown on vrijdag 13 september 2013 | 15:25

vrijdag 13 september 2013

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

slow cooker beef stewOk ok, so it's not technically fall quite yet, but it is mid-September. The kids are back in school. There's football on TV. New television shows are premiering. It's time to put away the flip-flops. The leaves are changing. And the temperatures are cooling. So time to celebrate the coming of a new season with an easy, time-saving, delicious, savory beef stew made in a slow cooker. Sounds pretty awesome right about now, huh? And you can indulge a little since you don't have to worry about rocking that bikini until next summer (thank goodness).

Not only is fall a gorgeous time of year, it's the best to come home to the warm, inviting scents of classic comfort food. Of course, the best part of any beef stew is how versatile it is. Throw in any kind of vegetables you want, but after a day's worth of slow cooking, they're sure to taste amazing and perfectly complement the tender, juicy beef. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Beef Stew from AllRecipes

Ingredients:

2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 onion, chopped

1 1/2 cups beef broth

3 potatoes, diced

4 carrots, sliced

1 stalk celery, chopped

Directions:

1. Place meat in slow cooker. In a small bowl mix together the flour, salt, and pepper; pour over meat, and stir to coat meat with flour mixture. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, onion, beef broth, potatoes, carrots, and celery.

2. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 10 to 12 hours, or on High setting for 4 to 6 hours.

Image via vauvau/Flickr

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Scarlett Johansson's Relationship With Fiance Sounds Far From Perfect

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
by Maressa Brown 14 hours ago

scarlett johansson romain dauriacGoing from Ryan Reynolds's wife to divorced to engaged to boyfriend Romain Dauriac over the course of the last five years, Scarlett Johansson may feel like she's been on a romance roller coaster. But she seems to have come off of the ride stronger than ever. The actress, who stars in the new flick Don Jon with Joseph Gordon-Levitt about a porn addict who dates a woman obsessed with romance films, opened up to E! recently about what she's learned about conflict in love ...

She admitted, "We all are guilty of holding our partner or our imaginary partner up to these standards that are sort of impossible to fulfill. It would be much easier if the people we fell in love with behaved the way we wanted them to!" 

'Course that's raaarely the case! Ha. So how has she made peace with that?

ScarJo confessed:

I've learned over time that what makes life interesting, relationships interesting, are the complexities of relationships and people and the fact that we can become more evolved ourselves if we are forced to compromise and accept the differences amongst one another.

She is so, so right! Whether it's from movies or even conversations with our girlfriends, we're so brainwashed into thinking that life and relationships have the ability to be "perfect" and predictable, and a solid relationship means being in harmonious sync with your partner 24/7/365. Puhhleeez! The faster we learn that's BS, the better -- and the faster we embrace the rough patches that come with the territory of living alongside another human being, the happier we'll be overall!

I agree also that being able to work through your differences is a boon for us as individuals. Being in a healthfully complex relationship totally lends itself to helping you evolve, mature, have an even more enlightened perspective, etc.

Case in point: ScarJo! She sounds more sophisticated, grown-up, healthier, and happier than ever. Which I would think makes it safe to assume her relationship with her future husband Romain isn't necessarily always easy ... but sure is rewarding.

Do you agree with Scarlett that accepting the differences you have with your partner is better for your relationship -- and for you?

Image via Pascal LeSegretain/Getty

Maressa Brown ABOUT THE AUTHOR Maressa Brown

has enjoyed reporting and writing for a variety of entertainment and women's magazines and websites. More often than not, you'll find her blogging, hitting the gym, reading, researching something on her iPhone, laughing, chatting at an above-"normal" volume, or getting her caffeine fix.

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Emilia Clarke May Be the Perfect Anastasia Steele but ‘Game of Thrones’ Could Ruin It

Penulis : Unknown on vrijdag 30 augustus 2013 | 07:11

vrijdag 30 augustus 2013

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
by Jill Baughman 13 hours ago

Emilia ClarkeThere is one thing that I'm sick to death of: The rumors running rampant about casting Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele in the Fifty Shades of Grey movie. Can't they just figure it out already??? There is also one thing I will never, ever get sick of: Game of Thrones. So when Emilia Clarke, who plays Daenerys Targaryen on the hit HBO show, is rumored yet again to be a front-runner to play Ana Steele, it's hard to reconcile the fact that these two worlds are indeed colliding.

From all the Game of Thrones season 4 reports out there in Internet Land, filming is well underway. Daenerys had a major part to play in season 3, but in season 4, her role may be scaled back a little bit. Still, going back and forth between Dany and Ana, from Westeros to the Pacific Northwest, if she is indeed cast, would be quite the challenge.

Talk about a busy year! How the heck is she going to be able to pull it off?

According to Entertainmentwise, producers for the Fifty Shades movie have pegged Emilia as a favorite to play young, sweet, innocent Ana. She's also got the support of a legion of fans, though many others are arguing for Alexis Bledel, Amanda Seyfried, Nina Dobrev, and Kristen Stewart.

But let me just say, none of these actresses have starred in a show as incredible and epic as Game of Thrones. Nor did they walk into a fire and come out naked with three baby dragons! Which I thought was one of the most amazing scenes in all of television! (I have issues.) And could any sex scene with Christian Grey top the love Daenerys once had for her beloved Khal Drogo? You see, this is what I mean about worlds colliding.

Daenerys Drogo

Anyway, so Game of Thrones season 4 is set to premiere some time in spring 2014. The release date for Fifty Shades is reported to be August 2014. The filming schedule for Fifty Shades is currently unknown (the cosmos are still writhing in agony over who the hell is going to be cast, after all), but it definitely seems like the two would have to overlap.

Plus, playing Khalessi, the mother of dragons, has to be a grueling, intense, and emotionally taxing experience. Taking on the role of Ana would also be a huge responsibility. Millions of fans can't wait to see the movie and have put tons of pressure on the leads. Would it even be fair to burden her with both, considering how crazed fans of both franchises can get? Kind of sounds like a recipe for disaster if you ask me.

Well, needless to say, Daenerys, I mean Khalessi, I mean Emilia definitely has the look, the body, the acting chops, the sex appeal, the innocence, and the bad-ass-ness to play Ana. If she doesn't end up being cast (and between you and me and the rest of the Internet, I don't think she will be, as focusing on GoT probably trumps anything else for her right now), let's hope the producers in charge can find someone else just like her.

Do you think there is any way Emilia Clarke could play both Daenerys and Ana in these two hugely popular franchises?

Image via Pacific Coast News

Click the "Like" button below if you're a fan of Fifty Shades of Grey! Jill Baughman ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jill Baughman

is the copy chief of The Stir and geeks out over all the nuances and weirdness of the English language.

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