Julie's Journal

So who’s going to be ordering mothers day flowers for their mom next month? I have in the past but I’ve been slacking off the last few years. Bad daughter. I need to get on the ball! I would be thrilled if my kids got them for me, so I imagine that would be her reaction as well. This Lily Bouquet from 1800flowers.com is so beautiful, I want it! What are your plans for you mom on Mother’s Day this year?

I don’t consider myself a photographer, but I do carry around my digital camera with me wherever I go. I take pictures every single day, and I have quite a few pictures that I have taken, printed out, and framed. They are hanging up all around my house, but there is only so much wall space left for them! I have one digital picture frame now that sits on my desk, but I would love one for every room, especially one that would display directly from my Flickr account. I think the technology is just amazing, but it doesn’t just stop there.

Have you ever thought of having a live video chat from a digital picture frame? Digital Spectrum has and they will be launching the World’s First Live Video Chat Digital Digital Picture Frame this summer.

Take a look at the demo by Digital Spectrum Solutions to show live video chat on a digital picture frame. The picture is so crystal clear and I never thought I would see that from such a small device. It will be really interesting to see all the other features of this product. I hope they make more video demonstrations soon. Those always get people pumped up when it comes to new technology.

Parents Just Don’t Understand – We’re Not Perfect. We’re Parents. And We Mean It.

That’s the motto for ParentsConnect.com and I couldn’t agree with them more. As most of you know I’ve got two teenage boys. A 17 year old (18 in May) and a 15 year old, and let me tell you! I’ve made plenty mistakes over the years when it comes to parenting them. As parents, we’ve all heard the old saying that they don’t come with instructional manuals, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t help out there for us who struggle with making parenting decisions.

Have you ever asked yourself any of these questions? I think that hair pulling one is probably my top question on a daily basis, HA!

• How do I discipline without being too harsh?
• Why should I let my children fail at things?
• How do I teach my child to be a safe driver?
• When will I stop pulling my hair out?

ParentsConnect.com seems to be a great place to help you with your daily questions on parenting, and get feedback or support from other parents just like yourselves. They cover all stages of parenting including pregnancy, babies, toddlers, preschoolers, kids, preteens, and teens. There is something for everyone, so go connect with other parents and stop feeling so alone when it comes to parenting.

We’re Not Perfect. We’re Parents.

I had the chance to try out the Romano’s Macaroni Grill Restaurant Favorites and you know what? They are pretty good. I normally don’t like these types of box dinners, but this one was full of flavor and really delicious. We had the Creamy Basil Parmesan Chicken & Pasta. Included in the box is, Linguine pasta, grated Parmesan & Romano Cheeses, Basil & Cheese Seasoning, creamy sauce, and sun dried tomatoes. All you need to add is the boneless skinless chicken breast. My husband and boys inhaled it, LOL!

They currently have 4 flavors that are sure to suit your taste buds.

• Garlic & Herb Chicken Penne
• Creamy Basil Parmesan Chicken & Pasta
• Chicken Alfredo with Linguine
• Chicken Marsala with Linguine

If you go to their site you can print out a $1 off coupon or you can enter my contest where I am giving away three What’s For Dinner gift baskets that include a sample of the Creamy Basil Parmesan Chicken Pasta variety, three coupons for you to try the other varieties the next time you visit your local grocer, a colander, serving spoon and cheese grater, like the one pictured below.

All you need to do is leave a comment on this post answering one of the following questions:

1. How often to you eat dinner together as a family?
2. What is your biggest struggle with preparing dinner for your family?
3. What is your favorite thing to talk about with your family at the dinner table?

This contest will run for one week, ending April 21, 2009 at 12:00PM PST. I will pick three winners randomly from my comments to win a What’s For Dinner gift basket (shown above). U.S. residence only. Have fun and enjoy!

WINNERS

Practicing safe sex isn’t an option, it’s an absolute necessity. The best way to practice safe sex is obviously to use condoms, and you can buy condoms online very easily. They carry over one hundred different types so I’m sure you can find just the right ones for you and your partner. Condoms Direct was established in 1996 and has grown to be the UK’s leading online condom store.