Mommy is in Timeout

I try really, really hard to do it all when it comes to holidays.

I make sure the house is perfectly decorated.

I try to incorporate fun family traditions.

I even serve holiday-themed meals that come with your very own plastic dinosaur.

But, alas, I always seem to drop the ball here and there.

For Lanagan’s first Halloween, I completely forgot to order a costume. Granted, he was only 6 weeks at the time, but still.

Who forgets their child’s first Halloween?

Fortunately, my Mom had a backup.

The next year, I remembered to get a costume.

But, I forgot to get a candy bucket. Elmo had to trot around the neighborhood with a pastel-colored frog Easter basket.

You can see how that went over.

Last year, Lanagan picked out his costume, Thomas the Train, and I made sure I had a Halloween bucket, in order to give Easter frog the night off.

{Insert: Me patting myself on the back}

{Next insert: Not so fast. I forgot about Cooper!}

I then figured Cooper could wear a hand me down dino costume. I didn’t even think to try it on him until the day of.

Well, I zipped it up, then heard a large rrrriiiippppp go down the back.

He sat down in the stroller the whole time, not because he was tired, but so his costume would stay together.

I swore this year would be different. I would make sure BOTH of my kids had costumes. And buckets galore.

Then came Saturday.

We were going to a Halloween-themed concert with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the kids were to be in costume.

I packed up all the necessities but couldn’t find Cooper’s, once again hand me down, Elmo costume.

I searched and searched, but it was nowhere to be found.

Not in any closets. Not in any cars. Not in any drawers.

Seriously. SERIOUSLY! Why can’t I ever get both boys perfectly outfitted for Halloween?

So, onto Plan B: Dress Cooper up as Thomas the Train.

Plan B’s outcome: Cooper tripped over the Thomas front cape all day. And I still made him wear it Monday night.

Next year, watch out. I’m going to plan a Halloween like you’ve never seen.

First up: Costumes for the boys that, not only fit, but ones that I’m able to also locate on the actual day.

As you can see, they still had a spooktacular Halloween. Even if I did completely drop the costume ball again.

Be sure to check out the other VlogTalk videos this week.

I’m also linking up with Jessica and Tracy for Boo in the Blogosphere.

Lastly, Please, PLEASE, tell me that you all mess up on things like this as well?

Saturday night we had a battle royale after dinner.

It was the World Series of Oreo Cookies: Charlie vs. Elena.

I’m not proud of my teams performance. You’ll see why.

How do you eat your Oreo?

Be sure to check out the other vlogs linked up with VlogTalk today. We’ll see you for our Twitter chat on Tuesday night at 9pm EST.

For VlogTalk this week, I decided to do the previous prompt to create a Welcome video for your site.

Here is a quick sample of some of the things you’ll find at this blog.

Follow along with my adventures, and often mishaps, in mommydom, coupledom and familydom here at Mommy is in Timeout.

Be sure to join us for our #VlogTalk Twitter chat at 9pm EST – we’ll be discussing annotations in video this week.

Have you created a welcome video for your About Me page?

We’re huge NFL fans. Let me clarify, Detroit Lions fans.

There’s a reason the kids nap time is scheduled from 1-3:30 on Sunday.

Typically, Charlie makes us one of his amazing soups for watching Football, and then we cuddle under a blanket on the couch. However, sometimes we do make other items, one of them being wings.

Wings are easy to make at home and they’re really cheap. The amount of wings that I show you in the video cost $3.50. I know. What a bargain!

You’ll also see that I grabbed a toddler sous chef again. This time though I made sure they stayed away from the raw chicken so we didn’t have to pause for possible salmonella poisoning.

Ingredients used in the video:

1 Cup Trader Joe’s Island Soyaki (if you don’t have this, just use an equal mixture of soy & teriyaki sauce)
1/2 Cup Frank’s Red Hot
1 tbsp Brown Sugar
1 tsp Minced Garlic
1 tsp Honey
Sesame Seeds
Seasoning Salt
Wings (I used 16 in the video)

This Sunday’s recipe is also for the VlogTalk linkup, which opens Monday night at 10:30pm EST. Be sure to check out the prompts for this week and join us!

Today for VlogTalk, I’m going to share with you a quick and easy recipe for itty-bitty mini muffin egg cups.

They’re great for an on-the-go breakfast and also something fun to make in the kitchen with your kids.

Just as long as you don’t follow in my footsteps and your child isn’t playing with raw egg.

What you’ll need for the recipe in the video:

• 12 eggs (only use 8 yolks)
• 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 package sauteed mushrooms
• 2 heaping handfuls sauteed spinach (I sauteed mushroom & spinach with garlic, red hot & soy)
• 1 bell pepper, finely diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
• The zest of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon
• Salt & pepper
• Frank’s Red Hot
• Mini muffin or muffin tin

Enjoy!

For more great videos, be sure to check out the VlogTalk link-up today.

I love the Bravo network.

Maybe a little too much at times.

So much so, that now I’m making up awards to give myself from Bravo.

It’s a sick habit. Someone hide the remote.

Be sure to check VlogTalk for all the other great vlogs linked up with us this week.

Do you watch Bravo? What’s your favorite show?

Homepage photo credit: Google images

I love appliances, but there is one that really stands out.

It stands out to my husband as well.

Apparently, he doesn’t share the love I have for the object of my affection.

Be sure to check out the other great vlogs this week at VlogTalk. We’ll see you on Tuesday night at 9pm EST for the weekly #vlogtalk twitter chat.

What is your favorite appliance in your house?

Before we get to today’s post, I have an entry in Drink Michigan’s cocktail contest. If you like my recipe and then would be so kind to throw me a vote, I’d love it. Comment on my specific recipe post=vote. Thanks! I’ll make you one if you come visit.

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Today for VlogTalk I’m facing my fear.

I’m facing my nemesis.

The roaming peacocks at the Detroit Zoo.

Don’t worry, I stared them in the face and showed them who’s in charge.

Not really.

If you decide to face your roaming peacock fears at the Detroit Zoo, I highly recommend Dora & Diego’s 4D Adventure. Not only for the benefit of being safe indoors, but it’s also a really cool movie. I may have tried to grab the floating bananas several times. Definitely worth the price of admission.

An exhibit not to miss is the Arctic Ring of Life. It’s pretty awesome to be completely enclosed in a glass tunnel far and have a polar bear walk over your head. It’s safe. I’ve checked the thickness of the glass numerous times.

Be sure to check out the other great vlogs linked up with us today. We’ll see you for our #VlogTalk twitter chat Tuesday night at 9pm EST. We even have a giveaway for a lucky winner that links up with us and joins us for the chat.

What do you do with your kids that makes you face a fear? If you say peacocks – we’re forever best friends.

Disclosure: I was not compensated to discuss my fear of peacocks or mention the Detroit Zoo in any way.
Homepage photo credit: Google images.

I have belted out Ice Ice Baby for karaoke several times. At Gleek Retreat. At the Epic Tweetup last summer. At different #TechKaraoke events. Yes, I’m a bit addicted.

For VlogTalk this week, I decided to change the words to fit my life more. Watch out Robert Van Winkle. Mommy is on your tail.

Word to your blogmother.

For the lyrics to Blogging Ain’t Easy, in case you couldn’t understand my rapping, here they are:

Yo, tweeps, let’s kick it!

Alright post. Comment and share.
Blogging’s back and I vlog with flair.
Content, grabs ahold of me tightly
Blog like a mommy daily and nightly.
Will I ever stop? Yo; I don’t know?
Turn on the webcam, and I’ll glow.
To the extreme I rock a blog like a mommy
Write up a post and wordpress like a tsumani.

Blogging, you know it ain’t easy.
Deadline looms making you feel queasy.
Linkup, when I post a dope snapshot.
Check-in from a boat and call it my yacht.
Love it or leave it, you better page rank
If you don’t get the views, your hits will stank.
Got a full diaper? Yo, I’ll change it
Check out my redesign as soon as I arrange it.

As all of you VlogTalk participants know, I sound like a broken record on our chats the importance of tagging your YouTube videos.

This is why:

YouTube is the second largest search engine next to Google. It’s that important. Because of this, tagging is a step you don’t want to forget.

It’s very simple to do. I’ll show you two places you want to make sure you don’t miss.

Tagging your YouTube channel:

First, if you don’t have a YouTube channel, get one now. It will give you a specific URL and organize all your videos there. You can even customize it to match your blog theme. Will discuss on another post.

• Once you have logged in to your YouTube account, at the top by your username, click on the drop down and click “channel”
• At the top tabs, click on “settings”
• Once you are in there, you will see a space for “channel tags” – then start tagging
• Whatever you do videos about or whatever your blog is about – add them. For example, a few I have are “mom blogger”, “detroit”, etc.
• Click “save” and you’re done!

Tagging your individual video:

• When you are uploading your video, for example I upload from iMovie, you will be prompted with a screen that allows you to give a description of the video and tags – add them in at that point
• If you missed that step, it’s alright. You can still go back to each individual video and tag them
• Once you are logged in to your YouTube account, click at the top by your username and select “videos”
• You will see a list with thumbnails of your different videos. Select the one you want to tag and click “edit”
• You will then see the area where you are able to add tags and descriptions
• Side note: If you scroll down, you will also see that it gives you three thumbnail options for what will be the picture on your video when you embed it
• Scroll down and click “save”

Hope that helps. Happy tagging! Don’t forget to also tag your post itself whether your in WordPress or Blogger.

Can’t wait to see all your videos this Tuesday. Remember the linkup is live Monday night at 11pm (EST) and #VlogTalk chat is Tuesday night at 9pm (EST).

*Homepage image credit: Google images