We are only a few weeks off from our first cold snap. Please remember that where I live in Florida a cold snap in October only means we won’t hit 90 degrees for a day or two. But I’ll take what I can get. To ready myself for the frigid temps, I have begun my annual boot shopping extravaganza. Tennison is getting in on the fun this year too. At 4, I think she is ready for a REAL pair of boots. I have always loved the look of Frye boots but for some reason never purchased a pair. It’s time to give my AmEx a good workout. It sadly atrophied over the summer.

The Veronica Slouch would look casual cool with my faded black skinnies or my gray skinnies or my army green jeggings. Throw on a snug long-sleeved tee with some tousled hair and you have got yourself one sexy look.

Grayson once slept with a new pair of shoes for a week straight. At the time, I thought that was strange. But with the irresistible 4 1/2 inch heel, and incredible leather quality, I can actually picture myself snuggled up to the Harlow Campus Boot.

I am really digging the Engineer 12r. It is a classic, all-American boot. That pesky budget needs to be minded so I will only be able to buy one pair. Decisions, decisions. While I think, let’s move on to Tennison’s…

My choice for Tennison. Girly and cute yet practical. What 4 year old wouldn’t appreciate pink leather??

Tennison’s choice. She actually said “Yee-haw! I’m a cowgirl” and galloped out of the room when she saw this pair. We’ll see.

*Okay, decision made. I’m going with the Veronica Slouch. It’s gorgeous and seems like it would be the most versatile. What’s your favorite Frye boot?

Written by Lea Barlow • 2 Comments

It is quite possibly one of the cutest sights to behold…babies in leg warmers. Today, H&H welcomes HappyCrawlers, a company dedicated to protecting those precious little legs by providing comfortable and stylish leg warmers. They are not just for crawlers. Take a look at the versatility…

A perfect accessory to complete your little ballerina’s look.

Unlike typical leggings, these leg warmers make quick diaper changes a reality.

They also provide sun protection for those dangling chunky stroller legs.

Boys can get in on the fun too! Protect your tumbling toddler’s knees with my favorite boy patterns, Striking Stripes and Oh My Stars.

For today’s giveaway, HappyCrawlers is offering 3 pairs of your choosing! Even if your kid’s have outgrown this stage these adorable leg warmers would make an excellent gift idea.

Rules of Entry:

1. Send an email through the H&H Contact page and state your favorite pattern.

2. ‘Like’ the HappyCrawlers Facebook page (optional)

3. The contest will run through Friday. A winner will be selected at random and posted on Saturday morning.

4. *Reader Bonus: Use the coupon code HHMOM and receive 10% off all orders. How great is that?!

*Good Luck!*

Written by Lea Barlow • 3 Comments

by Alexis Novak

I think I could conduct a Parent Teacher Conference whilst in a coma.  I sat through hundreds of  6:30  a.m. ones with my same co-teachers until these meetings morphed into a script:

Parent: “I just can’t get Billy to do his homework. He plays video games all night long and then I can’t get him out of bed in the morning”.

Teacher 1: “Have you tried taking something away that he cares about? Like his XBOX?”

Teacher 2: “I think he needs a heart to heart about your expectations.”

Parent: “What can be done at this point in the semester?”

Teacher 3: “He can’t do extra credit now. He earned a D. Extra credit is just extra crap. He’ll have to try harder next grading period.”

Guidance Counselor: “I think Billy can do it, but he has to want it. Here are our recommendations so that Billy can be successful at our school…”

The parents looked exhausted.  Frustrated. They would glare at their teen who stared at his shoes. Or worse, try to defend himself.  Some ended with weepy moms pleading for help.

The irony wasn’t lost on me that exasperated parents were asking me, a green 23-year-old new-ish teacher, for parenting advice.  I had no freaking idea how to make their kid come to school every morning.  My skill set encompassed how to get 15-year-olds jazzed about Romeo and Juliet, how to show them that Eminem was poetry in disguise, and how to follow my only classroom rule, “Be a decent human being.” After that, parents were on their own.

Fast forward a decade.

Now I am the parent.  And Punky has a 23-year-old teacher.

Punky, my introverted “Barnacle Babe”, became a preschooler three weeks ago. It felt like the little cocoon that I had protectively woven around my sensitive child for three years was bursting open and she was flying out into the big scary world, without me. Even though I love her school. Even though I am confident she has an awesome teacher.

Punky drew a picture that week that she described as, “It’s you Mommy, when your head popped off.” I had to remind myself that I’ve been her devoted teacher for the last 3 years, 3 months and 7 days, and it was time for a team approach. Or the whole village. She was bored. I was frizzle-frazzled-fried.  Punky was ready to socialize; she just didn’t know it yet.

On the first day I couldn’t get feedback from the teacher soon enough. I wanted to hear from her the first few hours. Did she make friends? Did she cry all day in the corner?  Did she play on the playground? Did I dress her correctly? Did she pee?  Did I label everything the right way? My teacher self knew that this kind of communication expectation is straight-up Helicopter Parenting, a style I do not identify with, but, I now understood how anxious parents are about their kids’ school lives. Especially since kids are mum on the subject.

Grilling Punky that first week I never got anything more than, “I like it but I don’t want to go back. I want to stay with you and sissy all the time.” I took no behavioral notes in her folder to be good news.

This week her teacher said, “She sure is coming out of her shell”. My heart leapt.  Punky’s been holding her head higher; she seems proud that she’s no longer functioning as one of my appendages. Since I haven’t cried to her teacher yet or written her an email a day I’m holding my head higher too.  We detached. We really did it.

Next week: I explore why moms in our generation are homeschooling in droves.

Written by Alexis Novak • 1 Comment

Last year I posted some rather fantastic dip recipes that proved to be major party pleasers. Who doesn’t like large amounts of cream cheese and chips?? But this football season I am going to try and be more responsible. Hopefully, the guys won’t notice all the missing cheese. Here are five dips that at least won’t leave you feeling guilty come Monday…

Roasted Red Pepper & Almond Dip

Serve this delicious dip with celery, sliced cucumber, or whole wheat crackers.

Nonfat vegetable cooking spray

1 large garlic clove, smashed

1⁄2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

3 roasted red bell peppers, halved, membranes removed

1⁄2 cup organic raw almonds, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt, Pepper

Preparation

Coat a medium nonstick skillet with cooking spray.

Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.

Place cooled roasted red peppers in a food processor, and pulse until coarsely chopped.

Add the almonds, garlic, and red pepper flakes.

Pulse just until coarsely ground.

Slowly add the oil, and pulse one or two more times.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Black Bean Dip

2 cups canned black beans, drained and rinsed

4 teaspoons tomato paste

3 tablespoons water

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 scallions, green parts chopped

2 tablespoons canned green chilies, chopped

Preparation

Combine beans, tomato paste, water, garlic, lime juice, cumin, salt, and cayenne in a food processor. Puree until it reaches a dip-like consistency. If you find it’s lacking something, add more.  Pour into a bowl.

Add scallions and green chilies to dip. Stir thoroughly to combine. Top with extra scallions and a few lime wedges. Serve with pita chips or vegetables.

Chickpea Cilantro Dip

An innovative twist for the traditional hummus:

1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup chopped cilantro (fresh is best)

1 small garlic clove, chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon water

Salt to taste

Preparation

Using your fingers, slip the skins off the chickpeas. Place in the mixer and puree. Add yogurt, cilantro, garlic, lemon juice and water and blend until smooth. Serve with fresh bell peppers, cucumber sticks and celery.

Healthier Hot Artichoke & Garlic Dip

two 14-ounce cans artichoke hearts, organic if possible, rinsed and drained

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (divided)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese or Italian 4-cheese blend, organic if possible

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced (use less if you are not a garlic lover)

1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest, preferably from a Meyer lemon

smoked paprika or cayenne pepper, to taste- optional

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Chop artichoke hearts by hand (or use a food processor for a smoother dip).

In a large bowl, mix the artichoke hearts with 1 cup Parmesan cheese, 1 cup shredded mozzarella or 4-cheese blend, Greek yogurt, garlic, and lemon zest. Note that if you want a smooth dip, you can puree all the ingredients in a food processor; I personally prefer a chunky dip.

Transfer to a suitable sized baking dish (I use a round pie plate) and sprinkle with the reserved 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese.

Cover the dish with foil and bake until the dip is heated through and bubbly, about 20 minutes. You can uncover it for the last 5 minutes so it browns a bit on the top, if you like. Sprinkle with the optional smoked paprika or cayenne pepper, and serve warm with sliced baguette, pita bread, all natural chips or rice crackers, and/or raw vegetables.

Almond Coconut Dip

1 cup raw almonds (pre-soaked overnight in water)

1/2 cup water

3 tbsp shredded unsweetened coconut

1 tbsp raw agave nectar

*Raw agave nectar is a natural, unrefined sweetener that can be used anywhere you would normally use white sugar. Raw agave is pulled from the agave plant of Mexico. It’s absolutely nectar-like and is actually sweeter than refined sugar, but it doesn’t spike your blood sugar. Because it is raw and unrefined, all of its nutrients and enzymes are intact.

Preparation

Drain almonds.

Put all ingredients into a high-speed or other powerful blender and blend until ingredients are thoroughly mixed together. Almonds should be completely shredded.

The mixture should have a thick consistency

Written by Lea Barlow • Leave a comment