Got Chocolate Milk?

Did you know that lowfat chocolate milk is the official drink of Halloween?  This fun fact is something I learned a couple of days ago when my kids and I were invited to Paramount Studios in Hollywood by “Got Milk” to kick off the Halloween season and meet the new Milk Mustache celebrity mom.  It was a really fun event with Quick the Rabbit, lots of chocolate milk and trick-or-treating on New York Street.  New York Street is the “fake” city street that is a permanent set on the Paramount Lot.  Songs are written about it never raining in Southern California.  How ironic that it was actually raining, although sporadically.  It hadn’t rained since last April.  So my hair looks really bad and/or was covered by a baseball cap.  The rain did not dampen our fun one bit and the good folks from “Got Milk” even provided us with chocolate milk colored umbrellas!  It was fun to run into some of my blogging buddies, including Tara and Liz.

Angie Harmon was unveiled as the new “Got Milk” mustache mom.  Angie was at the event along with her husband Jason Sehorn and their three daughters.  I got to meet and speak with both Angie and Jason.  We compared some notes about having little kids and being Republicans in Hollywood.  Yep, uh-huh, just me and the famous actress and NFL player kicking back, sipping chocolate milk as our kids played in the bales of hay at a movie studio.  Just an ordinary day for a Hollywood Mom like me…

Angie’s ad debuted in People magazine this week.  It’s a beautiful picture of her with her three girls.  Thanks to the wonders of technology, you too can make your own Halloween-themed milk mustache digital card using the “Make Your Own Milk Mustache Ad” tool online at WhyMilk.com.  I learned quite a bit about lowfat chocolate milk: it is a major source of calcium and provides other important bone-building nutrients including vitamin D, protein, potassium and phosphorus.  Each 8-ounce serving provides 300 milligrams of calcium—or 30% of the Daily Value for this vital bone building nutrient.  Research suggests that kids who avoid milk are more likely to suffer bone fractures, have lower bone mass and may even be shorter than their milk-drinking peers.  Well, if that doesn’t get you running to the fridge?!

Throughout October, the Chocolate Milk: The Official Drink of Halloween team will host free Halloween events at local children’s museums in 25 cities across the US.  Check out the tour schedule below.  Definitely visit WhyMilk.com for more healthy Halloween tips, to find festive recipes—such as Goblin Good Rice Pudding and Minty Witch’s Brew (which I sampled at the party and loved!).  There is so much info on the WhyMilk.com site, including tips, contests and other fun stuff that I bookmarked it under my “mom stuff” tab.  Yummy chocolate milk and Halloween go great together!

 The Official Drink of Halloween Tour Schedule:

• Dallas (10/21) Museum of Nature & Science 11 am – 1 pm
• Greenville (10/21) Sky Top Apple Orchard 11 am – 1 pm
• Corpus Christi (10/22) Texas State Aquarium 2 pm – 4 pm
• Detroit (10/25) Detroit Historical Museum 1 pm – 4 pm
• Portland (10/26) Portland Children’s Museum 9:30 am – 11: 30 pm
• Lexington (10/29) Explorium of Lexington 12:30 pm – 2: 30 pm
• Denver (10/29) Children’s Museum of Denver 3 pm – 5 pm
• Madison (10/30) Madison’s Children’s Museum 6 pm – 8 pm
• Minneapolis/St. Paul (10/30) Minnesota Children’s Museum 10 am – 12 pm
• Boston (10/30) The Children’s Museum in Easton 11 am – 1 pm

Disneyland at Halloween

In the past week, I’ve been to The Disneyland Resort twice to check out the Halloween Time scene.  Last Tuesday, I was at Disneyland with a couple of friends and our kids (6 toddlers and 1 newborn).  Then this past Friday I was at Disney’s California Adventure for Mickey’s Trick or Treat Party.  This year, Disneyland is featuring Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy for the first time.  Ghosts appear out of the starry darkness and swirling galaxies of Space Mountain, reaching out as if to grab guests as they speed through space. The exhilarating drops and curves of the journey are punctuated by piercing screams, creepy sound effects and haunting music.  I did not get the chance to take a ride on it but I have a friend who went on it with her two tween daughters.  She said they all loved it but it was a bit scary.  One of my favorite attractions is The Haunted Mansion.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get to go on this one either!  Team Toddler nixed it.  Oh, well, maybe one day I can shake the kids and go by myself!  Transformed to a mix of Halloween spookiness and Christmas tradition, Haunted Mansion Holiday is inspired by the classic animated film “Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas.” Jack Skellington and his friends provide plenty of havoc and surprises as they celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Haunted Mansion in their unusual style.  Jack’s return to the Haunted Mansion includes the traditional Halloween/Christmas gingerbread house in the Mansion Ballroom, with some special spooky surprises in this year’s design.
My favorite area of the park is the Big Thunder Ranch.  I can’t totally explain why, but I just think it’s so fun and a peaceful vibe.  During Halloween Time, visitors will sometimes find the ranch animals dressed in costume for a seasonal Halloween Roundup, with pumpkin carvers, Halloween décor and activities for youngsters, all presided over by Sheriff Woody.  Next door at Big Thunder Barbecue (my favorite restaurant in Disneyland), Miss Chris and the Roundup musicians add Halloween songs to their repertoire.  I love fireworks!  Luckily, I was able to catch “Halloween Screams – A Villainous Surprise in the Skies,” a fireworks spectacular that haunts the nighttime sky of Disneyland throughout the Halloween season.  To start the show, “Master of Scare-omonies” Jack Skellington appears in a flash of fire above Sleeping Beauty Castle.  I really enjoyed the show as did Team Toddler.  There were several, “how’d they do that?” moments.  It’s more than just a fireworks display.
This past Friday, Chip and I were invited to attend Mickey’s Trick or Treat Party at Disney’s California Adventure.  Our neighbors heard we were going and wanted to join us, so eight of us: 3 parents, 3 toddlers, 1 13 yr old and 1 20 yr old all set off for Anaheim.  Mickey’s Trick or Treat Party is a separate admission event held at Disney’s California Adventure for 12 nights in October (2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30 and 31).  This party lets adults and children alike dress up and trick-or-treat in the ultimate Disney neighborhood.  The event starts at 7:30pm on Fridays (6:30 pm other nights) and goes for four hours.  We arrived around 8:00pm due to Friday traffic.  So, although the party is described as being for younger kids, I wouldn’t recommend it for the under 8 year old crowd.  Chip is 3 and our neighbor twins are 4.  It was a late night for them and with only about 3.5 hours do do things like meet characters in special Halloween Costumes, participate in some Halloween activities, see the Character Cavalcade, Trick or Treat and go on 2 rides, we just couldn’t do very much and the kids were tired and overwhelmed.  I did see lots of tweens having a blast.  There are two party areas, Candy Corn Acres and Hollywood “Bat-Lot” Bash where tweens and teens were dancing around and having a really great time.  The 13 yr old and 20 yr old in our group went off together and had an awesome time.  It was the perfect event for them.  So my recommendation is to take your younger kids during the day to Disneyland or Disney’s California Adventure.  There is still plenty of Halloween feeling in the decorations and you will be able to pace yourself and maybe just wrap things up after the fireworks.  For more information about Halloween Time at Disneyland Resort, see www.disneyland.com/halloween. This site will be updated as frightfully fun details become available.
Value-minded vacationers can celebrate Halloween Time with a special travel offer this fall: savings of $400* at the Disneyland Resort. From Aug. 12 through Dec. 19, 2009, guests will save $400 when they book a 4-Day/4-Night Disneyland Resort vacation package, featuring Disneyland Resort hotel accommodations – Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Paradise Pier – and park hopper tickets. The offer is valid for arrivals through Dec. 20, 2009, with a final booking day of Dec. 19. Details are at www.disneyland.com/Save400 .
I’m planning to be back at The Disneyland Resort at least two more times before Halloween Time (September 25-November 1) is over.  It really is a great time of year to go!

For some great reviews and info about Disneyland, visit Uptake.com

Win a Shred Sled

We have a winner.....#4!  Beth from CA!  Thanks for reading and entering.  Please check back as we will have some really neat giveaways for the remainder of the year.

Over the course of my lifetime I have: skateboarded, inline skated and snowboarded.  Surfer Guy does all that as well as, y’know, surf.  So when I was offered the opportunity to review a Shred Sled, I was all over it.  I tried it, yes…Yes, I did.  I tried it and if I didn’t have two babies and a to-do list about a mile long, I may have mastered it.  However, I pride myself in doing things efficiently.  So, I grabbed the Shred Sled and walked across the street to Seth’s house.  Seth is 13 and a wicked good skateboarder.  He also doesn’t have to worry about breaking something and then having to fly his mother out to take care of his two toddlers while he is laid-up.  Seth graciously offered to be my Shred Sled Tester stand-in.  So off he went….Whipping down the street.  Then, I was totally thrown off by what happened next: He skated back up the hill towards me without having to take his feet off the board to “push off”.  This is the beauty of the Shred Sled, you use your arms, hips and whatever else, to create the motion that propels you!
So, you ask: What is a Shred Sled?  It’s the next generation caster board and first 4-wheel inline, dual-deck board.  Instead of pushing off the board like a regular skateboard, riders use their hips, legs and arms to move The Shred Sled, similar to movements used to propel surfboards and snowboards.  It really combines skateboarding, surfing and snowboarding into one unique sport.   The Shred Sled is great for strengthening kids' legs and waist muscles and encourages them to get off the couch and get active outdoors.  The Shred Sled is appropriate for kids ages 8 and up.
So back to my stand in tester.  Seth’s feedback is that it is cool, fun to whip around in circles and generally cool for carving.  Carving is a snowboarding term where you use the edges of the board to “carve” down the hill.  However, he said he wouldn’t give up his skateboard for a Shred Sled.  In my opinion, it’s a fun variation on all the board sports.  You can jump out your front door and just go for it.  No need to find snow or waves.  Speaking of waves, Surfer Guy went surfing on his way home from the office today.  When he got home, he took one look at the Shred Sled and told me not to wait up for him.  He’s been out there for about 45 minutes now ripping it up in the ‘hood.
Check out the video to see the Shred Sled in action.  Then keep reading to win!

The good shredders at Shred Sled have offered to give one of my readers a Shred Sled!  So here is how you enter: With a price of $119.99, The Shred Sled is a blast and something your family will be able to use for years. Here is how you enter: Contest period runs from Thursday, October 1, 2009 at midnight (Pacific) until Thursday, October 8, 2009 at midnight (Pacific). Enter by leaving a comment, any comment and leave your e-mail address. If you don't leave your e-mail address, I cannot contact you if you win and your entry will be disqualified. One entry per person. Winner must provide a US mailing address. At the end of the contest period, I will utilize Random.org to randomly choose a winner. Winner will be contacted by e-mail the business day following the end of the contest period. Winner has 72 hours to respond to my e-mail. If winner does not respond within 72 hours, The Shred Sled will go to the second place winner as decided by Random.org. Good luck!

They Say Good Food Comes in Threes

Isn't it funny how all of a sudden you have a theme in your life and you had nothing to do with it?  Over the past couple of weeks, that's been happening to me with cooking.  First off, many of you know I'm a Wii Enthusiast and just love video games.  I was totally pumped to be invited to an event being put on by The Food Network with Iron Chef Michael Symon.  The party was to announce the new Wii game, Food Network: Cook or be Cooked!  By Namco Bandai Games.  I had so much fun at the event.  First of all, I got to meet Chef Symon and spoke with him for a quite a few minutes.  He is so cool and such a fun guy.  He and I had a really funny exchange about Iron Chef America.  I asked him about the Chef line up at the beginning of the show.  I had heard that the chef's weren't really there if they weren't going to be competing in that show.  He confirmed that was true.  Then I asked him if he was going to take his model home to keep and to freak people out.  Turns out it's a real person who looks like the chefs, but is a stand in.  I had thought they were mannequins!  We both cracked up laughing.  See what you learn at these parties?

Namco Bandai had a bunch of plasma tvs set up with the game and we all got to take a turn.  You actually get to use the Wii controls as if you are cooking and using real utensils.  There are recipe challenges and you really learn how to cook and use proper professional technique.  The highlight for me was when Michael Morishita of Namco Bandai made a dish playing the game while Chef Symon made the exact same dish following along with the game, but in the demonstration kitchen!  It was so fun to watch them compete.  They both made a chicken broccoli stir fry from scratch.  The best part of the event was the fact that I really got to taste Chef Symon's stir fry.  On the way out, I received a couple of cool gifts: Food Network Magazine, which I didn't know about and a utensil from The Food Network products line that looks like a giant tweezers.  Food Network: Cooked or Be Cooked is coming out next month.  Stay tuned to my blog for a giveaway.

The second part of the cooking theme was when I was invited to have lunch with cookbook author Annabel Karmel.  I had actually heard Annabel interviewed on a radio show about cooking a few years back and was intrigued with her angle: Healthy cooking for kids.  In advance of our lunch meeting, Annabel's publisher sent over a sampling of her cookbooks (she has written about 20 of them!)  Some of my favorite titles: I Can Eat a Rainbow which is set up like a child's board book and shows fruits and vegetables in a colorful fun way. Mom and Me Cookbook which I really love because it actually shows photos of each step in the preparation of each recipe.  This is really helpful to someone like me, who isn't super confident in the kitchen AND children who are not yet able to read. 

Next I was off to The Ivy to meet Annabel for lunch.  Annabel is an absolutely lovely woman.  She is British and resides in London with her husband and 3 children.  Her motivation for launching her cookbook career was the tragic death of her first baby, Natasha.  She then became very over protective of what her next baby ate.  Her books are not just cookbooks, they contain many nutrition tips and information in a really manageable format.  Annabel's books are extremely easy to read and fun to look at.  Chip and I made Sweet and Sour Chicken which was soooo easy to make, I was really surprised.  The recipes are for meals that the whole family can eat.  I highly recommend Annabel Karmel's cookbooks to anyone with kids.  You can find a lot of recipes on AnnabelKarmel.com....Isn't Annabel Karmel just the best name for someone who writes cookbooks for children?

Now for number three!  My very good friend Maria works on the show Top Chef which was nominated for eleven Emmy Awards.  She invited me to be her guest at the Top Chef Emmy party!  It was so much fun and the food was my favorite, Mexican.  It was really great to meet the people Maria works with.  Top Chef is a fun show and the current season is underway.  New episodes every Wednesday night, check your local listings for times.
So now you see.....Good food does come in threes.

The Emmys and My Hair

I'm really excited because I'm going to an Emmy party on Sunday.  I love TV.  I mean, like a TV in every room, love TV.  Plus, having worked in Hollywood for years, I know a lot of people who are at the show and parties.  Famous and behind the scenes famous people.  Hollywood is a small town.  So, imagine the small town coincidence that happened to me at the BlogHer conference in Chicago in July:  I had been invited by Suave Professionals to stop by their booth to check out the Suave Professionals line of products and to get my hair done.  I sat down in stylist Anna Vidito's chair and learned that she is a stylist at Lukaro Salon in Beverly Hills.  The other stylist working with her was Luke O'Connor, owner of Lukaro, and celebrity stylist for Suave Professionals.  It just so happens that the only person I allow to touch my eyebrows, Robert Bolanos, is at Lukaro!  Anna, Luke and I all got a kick out of the connection.  I love Lukaro's space, it has a really unique, sunny, Spanish courtyard feel, right in the middle of Beverly Hills.  Everyone who works there is so nice and welcoming.  If you are in LA and want a fun, glamorous salon experience, book an appointment at Lukaro.  With that coincidental connection out of the way, Anna, set about helping me figure out an easy hair styling routine and explained how to do it and which Suave products to use.  When I even get the chance to wash my hair (that's what happens with two toddlers) I tend to just let it air dry.  Anna's tips showed me how I could actually do my hair in five minutes!  I even got full size samples of each of the products Anna used on my hair.  Later that evening I got a chance to speak with Anna and Luke again at the party Suave Professionals hosted at Roof on the Wit Hotel.  The party was a blast and The Wit is THE place to be in Chicago.  Luke, Anna and I got to talk more about The Suave Professionals line.  Our conversation really gave me a whole new perspective on Suave.  To be honest, I tend to be a hair product snob, buying expensive products only available at salons.  The fact that Suave is available at stores and is less expensive is really appealing.  I'm really happy I got to use the products at home and create the same salon look that Anna gave me in Chicago.  This just proves that you don't have to buy expensive products to have great hair.

Here is where it all comes together:  The Suave team contacted me this week to tell me some fun news.  Actress Kate Walsh who plays Dr. Addison Montgomery on “Private Practice” is putting America in the stylists’ chair  and asking them to choose her hairstyle for the award show this Sunday!  Suave Celebrity Stylist Luke O’Connor will be styling her hair for the show, but first, she is asking fans to visit www.SuaveStyledForASteal.com to view and vote for their favorite hair style for her to rock on the red carpet.  After voting, visitors can enter for a chance to win one of 100 red carpet swag bags and download coupons for Suave Professionals products.   They will also be sending out Luke’s tips on how to get the look after the show… so you can recreate it at home.  I swear, Luke and his team make it so easy to style your own hair.  Go ahead and vote for Kate's hairstyle, you can vote every day up until the Emmys.  I'll be on the lookout for Kate this Sunday.  Won't it be funny if we end up at the same party?  Luckily, I know how to do my hair...Even if I have no idea what I'm going to wear...

I'm in Sweden

No...Not Switzerland, Sweden. It amazes me how often Americans confuse the two countries JUST because they both start with "Sw". One of my pet peeves about Americans is that so many of us are absolutely terrible at geography. There, I've said it: I'm a geography snob. I can pretty much point out and name any country on an unlabeled map. Understanding geography is so vital to understanding wars, politics, culture and people. A tool that so many Americans sadly lack. Anyway, enough with my rant. I love my home and God Bless the USA.

However, my mother-in-law happens to live in Sweden so we are here for a visit. Sweden is a nice place, although very Swedish. I've finally got a few minutes to post because I'm at Bus Fabriken, an indoor play place that is nicer than any I've ever seen at home. It's also funny to look around and all the kids here look like The Village of the Damned. Ok, I'm off to climb a volcano with Chip!

Zippy Dippy - Adobo Dip

I'm not much of a chef, but every now and then, I get inspired. My inspiration today was a Mom's Night Out Potluck. A friend had passed along a dip recipe a few months ago. Since I like extreme cooking (making something for the first time to serve to other people), the Adobo Dip seemed to fit the bill. So I'm home from the party now and the dip was a hit. Several moms were camped out chowing down and praising the spicy, tangy, smoky, yummy-ness that was my offering. So, I share the recipe with you:

Adobo Dip

1 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
3 medium scallions, trimmed and sliced thin
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
3 small chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced to a paste, plus 1/2 teaspoon adobo sauce
1 teaspoon grated zest plus 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lime

Combine all the ingredients in medium bowl and mix until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate for at least 40 minutes; serve cold with tortilla chips. The dip will keep refrigerated for 2 days.

The chiles are sold in the Mexican Food section at the market.