Is it just me, or do birthdays and holidays have a way sneaking up on you? I tried to be ready this year and got our Mother’s Day gifts ready early. Unfortunately, because of work and sleep schedules it took two days to get everyone in the house to sign the cards, and then I forgot to tell my husband (a.k.a. my own personal postman) that they were ready to mail. And then he forgot they were in his car until Friday . . .

Even with good intentions, things go wrong.

Well, I’ve got good news for you if you’re still searching for a thoughtful gift. Perfect for any day and any mom, the Mother Letters ebook features a collection of letters written to mothers by mothers. It’s filled to the brim with encouragement, one of the greatest gifts you can give a mom.

I downloaded Mother Letters to my iPad and what I’ve read so far has blessed my socks off. The letter from Ann alone was worth it, gently encouraging a change in my attitude about the work I do in my home.

{One of my photos was chosen as a winner in the Mother Letters camera phone photo contest and is featured in the book! That’s it on the right.}

Guess what? Right now you can buy one copy of the ebook PDF and get a second free to give to someone else when you enter code Buy1Give1 at checkout. That way you’re guaranteed to get something you’ll like for Mother’s Day!

If you’re looking for more in-the-trenches-of-motherhood encouragement, check out Lisa-Jo’s new ebook, The Cheerleader for Tired Moms!

[I'm a Mother Letters affiliate and will receive commission on sales generated from my links.]

In Case Mother’s Day Sneaked Up on You is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

My journey as a driver began in reverse, no pun intended. Most of us initially drive a modest, new-driver kind of a vehicle while our parents quake at home, praying we—and the car—make it back in one piece. As an adult, I more fully appreciate the generosity of my daddy, who let me drive his ’73 Mustang, a car he ordered when Ford decided to quit producing them as convertibles (thankfully they returned again in 1983).

All the boys wanted to know what kind of engine sat under the hood, so I asked Daddy. From that day forward I’d answer, “a 351 Cleveland” as if fully understanding what that meant. Which I didn’t. I just knew that when you really gave it the gas it pulled back for a split second before surging forward in a delicious sort of a way. Not that I ever did that, but in theory I think that’s exactly how it would happen.

One day I asked, “Daddy, is the Mustang a hot car?” His response? “You tell me.” Yeah, I knew the answer to that one.

Good times.

Fast forward to the mid-80s when motherhood initiated the progression from mini- to maxi-van, as I call the 15-passenger I now drive. My E350 packs a lot of horsepower, but let’s just say I haven’t experienced the primal thrill that only a muscle car can deliver in well over two decades.

Until my trip to BlissDom.

When Chevy told me they’d sponsor a vehicle, I had no idea they’d offer a 2012 Camaro Convertible. A 2012 Camaro Convertible.

We spent one week together and I wish I’d counted how many people took a spin in her with me or my husband: the car is irresistible. Kids lined up in a restaurant parking lot one night when some homeschool families ate out together after classes and my husband rode them around the parking lot a few at a time until everyone had their chance.

One night I cruised through Nashville in it with a bunch of girlfriends and honestly, it felt like high school again in the very best sort of way, laughter and music and smiles all around.

Sara Sophia made the trip home to Atlanta with me and then my husband and I drove to Birmingham to pick up our son who flew from Dallas, TX, that day. I’ve never owned a car with a stereo like this, or one that can play music from my iPhone. My phone isn’t overloaded with music; I prefer to add songs that are special in some way.

I don’t have words to describe the three and a half hour trip home from Birmingham—the feel of gliding along the interstate at night, eyes closed, accompanied by songs I love the most—but I felt the magic in it and knew it was a night to remember.

The last tune was Home (When Shadows Fall) from Paul McCartney’s newest album Kisses on the Bottom. That song holds the power to make me cry, especially poignant as we neared home returning one of our own to the flock.

I can honestly say that hardly a day goes by that I don’t think about that sweet car. Fondly. When I see one on the road I smile and sigh.

It’s one dreamy ride.

I’ve joked about driving a convertible again someday when the kids are grown and gone. It’s not a mid-life crisis if you’ve planned it for years, right?

Thank you Chevy, so much, for a dream come true week for this van-driving mother of eight.

Daddy, is this a hot car? is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

[Entries are now closed for this giveaway. The winner is comment #20, Elizabeth Johnson.]

I try to be as transparent as possible, but admittedly things on my blog don’t always look the same as they do in reality . . .

Yep, sometimes I perform the Photoshop equivalent of dusting and vacuuming my home for blog photos. Unfortunately, Photoshop won’t clean my house in real life.

The good news is that I like to vacuum.

Even better news is that now my kids want to, too, thanks to our new Oreck Magnesium vacuum cleaner and Ultimate Handheld Vac.

I knew the Magnesium and I would get along just fine when I watched the video on their website (the arrow in the picture will show you where to find it). My favorite part is when they drop the vacuum cleaner down a flight of stairs. They’d be crazy to include that if it wasn’t tough, right?

At first I was surprised by how simple the Magnesium is: no pull-out hose and no attachments. I thought I would really miss those things until I remembered that the hose on my old vacuum cleaner hasn’t worked for months and the attachments are all broken or lost.

I like having the Ultimate Handheld Vac as a separate unit. When we’re in frantic, somebody’s-coming-over power-cleaning mode—which is how most of ours occurs—one person can vacuum while another uses the handheld vac to clean stairs or baseboards or blinds or those AC intake vents that always look dirty.

My eight-year-old daughter is responsible for cleaning the stairs going up to her room, but she’s never been able to vacuum them. Now she does it easily using the handheld vac with its shoulder strap.

There’s a lot to love about the Oreck Magnesium:

• It’s lightweight—only about 7 1/2 pounds.
• The cord is long enough to stretch across the whole room.
• It feels self-propelled.
• It has a high setting for carpet and a low setting for hardwood or tile.
• It can lay almost flat to slide under furniture.
• I was able to assemble it by myself!

The Magnesium has a hefty pricetag—$500—but feels built to last. We’ve used a bagless vacuum cleaner for the past few years and I felt smart saving that extra expense, although it seemed like a decent amount of dust escaped again when I emptied the canister. I was afraid that the Magnesium bags would fill up instantaneously, but we’re still on the originals. I need to find out where to get replacement bags.

One of you will win both an Oreck Magnesium Vacuum Cleaner and the Ultimate Handheld Vac, a combined retail value of $600!

How to Enter

Mandatory entry: Visit Oreck.com and tell us one thing you learned about the Magnesium.

Additional entries (if you really need this vacuum!):

• Follow @Oreck on Twitter.
• Like Oreck on Facebook.
• Sign up for Oreck’s email list by clicking on “Sign up for Email” in the top navigation bar and entering your email address.
• Tweet about the giveaway, mentioning @dawnmhsh and @oreck with a link to this post. Sample tweet: Win a vacuum cleaner dynamic duo from @Oreck and @dawnmhsh http://bit.ly/HSX2HR     {Click here to tweet it!}
• if you have a Giveaways board on Pinterest.

If you jump through these extra hoops please come back here and leave separate comments for each of them so that you’ll get the extra entries! 

{Contest closes next Monday, April 25, 2012, at 12:00 noon EST. I hope you win! Visit The Gypsy Mama and Amy Bayliss for more Oreck giveaways.}

This shiny new vacuum cleaner was given to me to review for free from Oreck. I can’t guarantee that your children will ask to vacuum, but it seems to be working for me. Opinions expressed are my own. 

The giveaway winner must be a resident of the U.S. 48 contiguous states. Oreck Corporation provided the prize for the sweepstakes but is not the sponsor of the sweepstakes.

The Oreck Magnesium Vacuum Giveaway: Because Photoshop Can’t Clean Your Carpets in Real Life is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

TCBY and I go way back. My high school had open campus, which meant we could eat out for lunch. My friends and I usually went to a plaza next to the mall that had both a TCBY and a Burger King. Lunch usually consisted of one or both of them.

We ate there each month on the days after my braces were adjusted. If you’ve ever had braces, you’ll remember how your teeth felt then. I’ll never forget the first time, when I ordered my usual toppings: hot fudge and M&Ms. OUCH! I thought it was a stroke of brilliance to eat TCBY when my teeth were sore. Yogurt may be soft, but cold M&Ms aren’t.

Fast forward to 2012: In case you haven’t heard, TCBY is now available in Walmart! I hosted a Girls’ Night Out last Friday night to try the new products and we loved them. I arrived at my Walmart on the release date, but before they had stocked the shelves—scary, to say the least, since my party was that day. Thankfully, I was able to find an employee who went in the back and emerged with quart containers in four flavors: Strawberry Swirl, Supreme Cookies and Cream, English Toffee Crunch, and Mint Chocolate Chunk.

I can’t wait to go back when the store is fully stocked and try the novelties. I’m especially looking forward to the Orange Vanilla Bars.

At the party, the first four requests were each for a different flavor, which I thought was interesting and shows their appeal. I honestly wish I’d filmed Tina, who took the first bite. She chose Strawberry Swirl and I think she moaned when she tasted it. Seriously.

As the hostess, I felt it necessary to try them all. Wouldn’t you? Yes?

I tried to recreate that experience of picking a yummy flavor and topping it to perfection, so I also served hot fudge, hot caramel, M&Ms (regular and mini), chopped peanuts, crushed Oreos, and a couple of funky syrups that my kids picked.

I sent a quart home with a friend, who later emailed me this note: “I don’t eat yogurt at all but I lavish myself in TCBY English Toffee Yogurt!  It is the exception to my tastebuds!”

My kids went through a serious amount of TCBY over the weekend. At one point I was told, “Just stop calling it yogurt because we know it’s ice cream.” I thought my son created a pretty impressive sundae topping his TCBY Supreme Cookies and Cream with M&Ms, crushed Oreos, and cherries.

We ladies enjoyed our sweet treats and time together at our TCBY party. It was an easy way to get together with girlfriends and it didn’t require much prep; I’m all about that.

Which flavor would you choose and what’s your favorite yogurt topping?

{Disclosure: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. Opinions expressed are my own.}

Treat Yourself: TCBY Now in Walmart! is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

This week’s theme in the Good and Good for You Challenge is Heart-y and Healthy Valentines and the sale cut of pork is bone-in pork loin roast at Publix until next Wednesday, February 15. I chose Pork Roast with Sweet Potatoes, Pears, and Rosemary to serve my family. As far as my workout progress goes, I’ve completed 17 days of the 30 Day Shred—over halfway there! I missed a few days this week, but I’m still plugging along.

Pork Roast with Sweet Potatoes, Pears, and Rosemary

• 3 1/2 pound bone-in pork center loin roast, excess fat trimmed to thin layer*
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped, plus more for serving (or 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 1/2 pounds (6 medium) sweet potatoes, peeled, and cut lengthwise into sixths
• 3 firm-ripe Bosc pears, cut lengthwise into quarters, cored
• 1 12-oz bottle hard cider, **

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Rub pork all over with oil. Mix rosemary, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in small bowl. Rub all over pork.
Place pork, bone side down, in large flameproof roasting pan. Roast 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Roast 15 minutes more. Add sweet potatoes and pears to pan, stir gently to coat with pan juices, and spread as evenly as possible around roast. Season with salt and pepper. Roast, occasionally stirring sweet potato mixture, until instant-read food thermometer inserted in center of roast reads 145 degrees F and the potatoes and pears are tender, about 1 hour more. Transfer pork to carving board. Transfer sweet potato mixture to ovenproof bowl, tent with aluminum foil, and keep warm in turned-off oven. (If needed, increase oven temperature to 400 degrees F, and continue roasting sweet potato mixture until tender, up to 15 minutes longer.) Let pork stand for 10 to 15 minutes.
Heat roasting pan over high heat. Add cider, bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits in pan with wooden spoon, and boil until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Pour into sauceboat.
Carve pork. Transfer to serving platter, surround with sweet potato mixture, drizzle with 3 tablespoons of cider sauce, and sprinkle with rosemary. Serve with remaining sauce on the side.

*Tip: If you desire to tie the roast, cotton kitchen twine (also called butcher’s twine) is handy to have on hand for a number of chores, especially tying roasts to help them keep their shape during cooking. If you don’t have it, use unwaxed and unflavored dental floss.

**Substitute 1 cup apple juice and 1/2 cup dry vermouth for the hard cider, or use all apple juice.

12 3-ounce servings

From the cook’s point-of-view, this recipe was a little trickier. I’m paying close attention to the recommended safe cooking temperature of 145° and my roast took about an extra 20 minutes to get there. That apple cider gravy was extra yummy—don’t skip it!

Click here for more information about pork as part of a healthy diet. Don’t forget to enter the Love Me Tenderloin giveaway through the Pork Be Inspired Facebook page for your chance to win $50 worth of pork tenderloin, given away daily. Just “like” the page and then click the Win with Pork link on the left for more details.

Here’s to photogenic fruits and vegetables!

{I will be compensated for writing this post series and received coupons and a gift card for Publix. Opinions expressed are my own.}

The Good and Good for You Challenge: Week 3 is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

As part of our fitness plan for the new year, we participated in the second week of the Good and Good for You Challenge from the National Pork Board and their partner, Publix. We used boneless pork loin chops to make Braised Pork Chops with Peppers and Onions.

I’m moving right along with the 30 Day Shred, too: today was day 14!

This week’s theme is Game Day, but one of my kids requested this recipe and I couldn’t resist the peppers and onions. If you’re looking for a game day recipe, Game Day Pork and Chile Wraps sounds like a winner (pun intended).

This recipe is quick, easy, and a real crowd pleaser. The boneless pork loin chops are lean and cook in no time. I used chicken broth instead of wine in the recipe; I actually used more out of the resealable carton from last week’s Sage Pork Tenderloin Medallions with White Wine Jus.

More time was devoted to photographing the veggies than prepping them.

Braised Pork with Peppers and Onions

4 boneless pork loin chops, about 1-inch thick, trimmed
2 teaspoons olive oil
Salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 small red bell peppers, or yellow bell peppers, quartered and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 small red or yellow onion, quartered and cut into 1/4-inch slices
4 cloves garlic , thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry red wine, (for non-alcoholic, substitute chicken or vegetable broth)

In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, warm oil. Sprinkle chops with salt and pepper and cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove chops to a plate and set aside.
Add tomato paste to skillet and cook, stirring, for 15 seconds. Add bell peppers and onion to skillet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute.
Add wine and bring to a boil, scraping up and stirring in any browned bits in the skillet. Return chops to skillet, nestling them in the liquid, and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook 4 minutes. Turn chops, cover, and cook until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit, followed by a 3-minute rest time. Serve pork with pepper and onion mixture spooned on top. Serves 4

Enter the Love Me Tenderloin giveaway through the Pork Be Inspired Facebook page for your chance to win $50 worth of pork tenderloin, given away daily. Just “like” the page and then click the Win with Pork link on the left for more details.

{I will be compensated for writing this post series and received coupons and a gift card for Publix. Opinions expressed are my own.}

Good and Good for You Challenge: Week 2 is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

Last week my 10-year-old son and I went on a mother/son date to see Space! at the Center for Puppetry Arts. Space! is a rollicking romp through the solar system: if you’re looking for a fun day in Atlanta with your child and a great learning opportunity, too, it’s a good choice for a trip into Atlanta.

We enjoyed the zany characters and slick puppet effects, which were explained after the show. The songs entertained and informed at the same time; we clapped our hands and tapped our feet and sang along.

As a mom, however, the thing that impressed me most was the way Space! presents factual information about the solar system in a way that doesn’t make a Bible-believing, Creationist parent cringe and take note of the things they’ll need to further discuss after the show. Well done!

One of the highlights of our trip to the Center for Puppetry Arts was a visit upstairs after the show to the Create-a-Puppet Workshop. My son and I made silly alien puppets and we loved it!

Periodically the kids got to stand behind a puppet stage and perform a black-light production with their puppets, completely with wacky soundtrack. I filmed it with my phone, but apparently I don’t have enough memory left to save it.

Any trip downtown is a good excuse to visit The Varsity, which rounded out our big day.

Space! runs a the Center for Puppetry Arts until March 11. Don’t miss it!

Our Trip to Space! at the Center For Puppetry Arts is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

I‘m trying to lose some weight using the 30 Day Shred, however it’s apparent that my diet needs to improve, too—a win-win prospect for both me and my family. Lean meat like pork provide the protein we need with less fat. I’m participating in the National Pork Board’s “Good and Good for You Challenge” during the four-week period of January 26-February 22 and I’ll let you know about weekly pork specials at Publix and recipes that you and I can try.

Check out this quote from pork, knife, and spoon:

Consumption of extra-lean protein like the flavorful pork tenderloin has been linked to a greater feeling of fullness, retention of muscle mass and a reduced urge to eat.

That’s exactly what I need!

This week’s special is pork tenderloin and last night I made Sage Pork Tenderloin Medallions with White Wine Jus. I’m a directions-follower and panicked when I realized that I didn’t have the dry white wine, only a sweet red and a sweet white. One of my best friends assured me that you should “cook with wine you’d drink,” so I used the sweet red. Here’s a picture in the middle of the cooking process. It wasn’t until everything was devoured that I realized I’d missed capturing the finished product.

Sage Pork Tenderloin Medallions with White Wine Jus

• 2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 1 pork tenderloin, (about 1 1/4 pounds), trimmed if needed
• 1/2 cup chicken broth, reduced sodium or organic
• 1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Chardonnay*
• 2 teaspoons spreadable butter with canola oil, or substitute butter

Stir together flour, sage, salt, pepper and garlic powder in a shallow dish or plate, and preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Slice pork crosswise into 3/4-inch thick medallions and arrange flat on a cutting board. Pound with a mallet to 1/2-inch thickness and coat pork in flour on all sides.
Add 2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Once the oil shimmers, place the pork in a single layer. You may need to divide the pork into two batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Brown on one side for 2 to 3 minutes and turn to brown the other side. Remove pork onto a plate and scrape the brown bits up from the bottom of pan with a wooden spoon, putting them into the measured broth or wine. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to pan and repeat the cooking procedure. Add the pork to the plate.
Remove pan from heat, add wine, place back on heat, and simmer for 4 minutes or until wine reduces down to a couple of tablespoons. Add broth and simmer 3 minutes or until reduced by half.
Remove from heat, swirl in butter, and add pork back to the pan to coat. Arrange pork on plates and spoon sauce on top.

Makes 4 servings

*or substitute with 1/2 cup apple juice + 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

On the right is a picture of it from the Pork Be Inspired website, because apparently they have the patience to photograph the food before someone eats it.

I’ve also had a request for Roast Pork Tenderloin with Asian Dry Rub and I’d like to try the Apple-Pecan Tenderloin Medallions. I tend to get in a rut in the kitchen, so I’m thankful for the fresh inspiration.

Do you cook with pork? Are you trying to eat healthier this year?

{I am being compensated for writing this post series and received coupons and a gift card for Publix. All shopping, cooking, eating, and opinions were done or made by me.}

The “Good and Good for You Challenge” is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

I occasionally apologize to my kids about the music of their generation, where popularity is garnered by bad behavior instead of talent, by style rather than substance. My parents reminisced about artists who wore suits on stage and whose dress and behavior showed respect for their audience. Even today’s talented artists sometimes fail on the respect issue.

Sunday night my 16-year-old son and I saw Straight No Chaser at the Atlanta Civic Center. It was my 4th SNC concert, so I expected a great show. The guys don’t disappoint: they look good and sound even better.

It’s amazing how unimportant gimmicks are when you actually have talent.

They obviously enjoy what they do, and when they have fun, we have fun. SNC isn’t afraid to be silly or make fun of themselves (and occasionally the audience, when they really ask for it).

My camera hearts Straight No Chaser.

Straight No Chaser understands the power of social media—they were discovered when an old college video of them went viral after being uploaded to YouTube. Photography and video are not only allowed but encouraged at SNC concerts and the guys always sign autographs afterwards. 

If you get the chance to catch Straight No Chaser in concert, you won’t be disappointed!

{Disclosure: Tickets provided by Atlantic Records (no review required). Opinions are my own!}

Concerts Done Right: Straight No Chaser is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

Feeding a family our size provides a constant challenge. Breakfast is fairly easy (cereal or bagels anyone?) and supper requires some planning, but it’s really lunch that sneaks up on me most days. We get busy and before I know it it’s early afternoon.

Everyone wants something different and we usually have sandwiches, pancakes, Ramen noodles, or mac ‘n’ cheese. I’ve well exceeded the quota of PB&Js that a grown woman should have eaten in her lifetime. By a long shot.

Honestly, sometimes I get tired of what the kids want for lunch, so taste testing Healthy Choice’s new line of Top Chef inspired Café Steamers was a welcome change. The two I received were Grilled Chicken Pesto with Vegetables and Chicken Margherita with Balsamic (check out the full line-up here).

The packaging surprised me: no peeling back a corner or cutting slits in the film on top. Instead, Healthy Choice uses a unique steaming technology separates the sauce from the rest of the entrée to steam the meal in the microwave, allowing for crisp vegetables, tender meats and al dente pastas. You just stick the bowl in the microwave (it’s really a bowl stacked inside a bowl) and then pour the sauce on top of the entree—surprisingly good and easy!

I felt spoiled, as if one of the Bravo’s Top Chefs whipped up those meals just for me. I’m sure you understand if you’re the one who usually cooks for your family. Cooking can be satisfying and a lot of fun, but occasionally I need a break. The Top Chef Café Steamers were a real treat.

Today was actually easy: we got home last night and discovered that the slow cooker of chili that should have been simmering all day was actually unplugged. It cooked overnight and made a delicious (and on time, for once!) lunch today. Sadly enough, it took a supper fail to make a lunch success. {sigh}

Do you struggle to find fresh, healthy lunch options for your family? Do you eat frozen meals? If you’re a mom, are you able to shed the mommy guilt and make something separate for you.

{Disclosure: I received two frozen meals and will be compensated for writing this post. Opinions expressed are my own.}

Daily Lunch Dilemmas and a Solution from Healthy Choice is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved