Archives for April 2013

Confessions of a No Prom Mom

prom picturesWould you believe that my oldest child is having her senior prom tonight…but she is not going. Although I have waited for the past 17 years to go shopping for her prom dress, shoes and jewelry, to hire a make up artist, to help her in the selection of her prom date, and to go all out paparazzi style in my photos of her, those experiences will pass me and her by since she decided not to go at all. So, I will have no pictures and no memories of this once in a lifetime event. I was really disappointed at first, but then I had to realize something that every parent must realize: Your child is NOT you. Sure, they have some of your qualities and attributes, but ultimately they are their own person. And the older and more independent they get, the more you will see that. Socially, my daughter tends to be more like my husband (who only agreed to go to his senoir prom 2 weeks beforehand after his friends pulled everything together for him). I am quite to the opposite. I was the social butterfly in both high school and college, and I still enjoy being social today. I was active in anything that involved social activities. I would not even think of missing a party, not to mention any of my once in a lifetime senior year moments, especially PROM! But again, my daughter is NOT me. I have to constantly remember not to put MY expectations on HER. I must give her space to fully be who God created her to be.

Every parent has or will walk down this road. We want things for our kids that they may not want for themselves. Many of us have our own set of expectations for their lives. If we played basketball as a child, we get disappointed if our child is not the least bit interested in sports. If we excelled academically in school, we certainly expect our kids to do the same. Most of us already have expectations that our kids will get married and have grandkids for us to love. What if our kids decide to remain single and never have kids? DISAPPOINTMENT! I know my situation just involves a prom (Yes, I can be a bit of a DRAMA MAMA). In the grand scheme of things, SO WHAT, right? It’s not like my daughter is bringing any dishonor to our family by not attending the prom. She is a great kid that does not cause us any trouble at all. I am very proud to be her mom, even though I am a no prom mom. Plus, I have two younger kids, (daughter and a son). I just may get my chance to be a prom mom someday after all! (Keeping hope ALIVE).

 

P.S. -YES, my daughter ok’d this blog post. 🙂

 

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Supermomdecoded Tip: Our kids won’t always be or do what WE think they should be or do. Stop tripping! Commit to love them anyway. Give them space to be who THEY are, not who YOU want them to be.

Easy Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe

Strawberry ice cream is one my daughter’s favorite flavor of ice cream. When I discovered a recipe that did not require a ice cream machine, I was determined to try it. I tweaked an ice cream recipe I found on the back of the can of sweetened condensed milk and made my own flavor.  I topped the finished ice cream scoops with caramel and garnished it with a fresh strawberry. It a delicious treat.

strawberry ice cream

 

Follow this easy recipe and watch the how-to instructional video below.

Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 cups of strawberries, diced into small chunks

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, whisk heavy cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks are formed.

In a separate bowl, blend sweetened condensed milk and strawberries until mixed well.

Fold strawberry and condensed milk blend into whipped cream evenly.

Transfer contents into a 2 quart bowl with a lid.

Cover and freeze for 8 or more hours.

Scoop and enjoy!

Watch this quick instructional video.

 

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Supermomdecoded tip: The best way to learn new recipes is to try new recipes. Leave a comment below to let me know if you plan to try this. Be sure to follow up to let me know how it turned out.

Party Like A Rock Star

Me at my birthday party. CHEEESE!

Me at my birthday party. CHEEESE!

I love to celebrate special occasions. My mother raised me that way. There was not one birthday of mine that went by without being celebrated. What great memories she created for me. During that time, there was no Chuck E. Cheese’s. At best, my party would be at McDonald’s. But typically all of my parties were held right under our carport on a beautiful summer Saturday. My mother and I were the party planners. She would have me choose the theme of the party which would be reflected on the white sheet cake overloaded with colorful butter cream icing. Bozo the Clown, Winnie the Pooh, and Barbie were some of my most memorable themes. The invitation list always consisted of family members, neighborhood kids, and occasionally a few friends from school. My guests and I proudly wore our coned-shaped paper birthday hats until the elastic holding it down broke or became too unbearable around our little faces. Our entertainment consisted of us playing pin the tail on the donkey, bingo, or running around chasing each other. Capturing the memories was easy with our Polaroid camera that developed pictures right on the spot as we fanned the photos back and forth. Those were the good old days. Memories were made. Mission was accomplished!When I my oldest daughter turned one, my mother and I got together once again to plan the ultimate house party for her. We invited lots of guests, hired a clown, ordered tons of pizza, and had plenty to drink. We were so excited to pass this party tradition on to my daughter. To our dismay, my daughter slept through most of the party. The preparation of the house before hand and the clean up after wards was more than we could have imagined. We vowed to never throw a house party again.

Bowling birthday party for my son's 11th birthday.

Bowling birthday party for my son’s 11th birthday.

The next year we went to Chuck E. Cheese’s for her party. We paid our money, walked in when the party started and walked out when it was over. Ahhhh…..we had found our answer to a stress-free party. Like most parents, I despised being at Chuck E. Cheese’s but my kids loved it. Party places like that served us for most of my three kid’s birthdays. Then, finally, they outgrew those places. That’s when I had to dig in and find creative ways to celebrate their birthdays. We have had spa parties, dinner and a movie parties, scavenger hunts, bowling parties, America’s Next Top Model parties, and a candy themed Sweet 16 party. Let me warn you, the parties get more expensive. In our home, we throw a party to celebrate every time our child turns a year older. We throw a big party at 13 and 16 with smaller celebrations for the ages reached in between. Not a year goes by without being celebrated at all.

My daughter True's America's Next Top Model Sweet 16 Party

My daughter True’s America’s Next Top Model Sweet 16 Party

Let me start by saying, I enjoy planning parties and various events for my loved ones. It’s a fun hobby for me, but if event planning is not your thing, HIRE an event planner. There are way too many details that go into having a successful event. If it’s not your thing, put it in the hands of a pro. If you want to plan and execute the event yourself, here’s a few helpful tips:

1) Pick a theme. The internet is a great source of inspiration. Be sure to pick something that really represents your child’s personality. For instance, don’t choose a 70’s theme if your child is uncomfortable with wearing crazy costumes and dancing. I can sense when I have found the right theme because the moment I find it, my mind begins to race with ideas on how to customize it for my event. I don’t want to totally copy someone’s idea, I want it to inspire me to create my own.

2) Create memories inside of memories. As if throwing a sweet 16 party isn’t memorable enough, find ways to create memories while creating the party memory. My daughter and I created additional memories by constructing all her invitations together by hand. We also had fun shopping together for her outfit and for some of the party decorations. Consider having a party planning meeting with your child over their favorite meal. Perhaps you can go to the spa together to have your nails done for the party. Create memories leading up to the event to make it special every step of the way!

Sweet 16 Candy Themed Party for my daughter Fahrelle.

Sweet 16 Candy Themed Party for my daughter Fahrelle.

3) Venues & menus. The type of party you want to have should weigh heavily on your menu and venue selection. If you don’t want a sit down dinner, serve finger foods on small plates instead of heavy dishes that require the use of silverware. Find a venue that suits the type of party you want to have, at the location and price you desire. Every venue has different restrictions, so read the contract carefully before signing.

My daughter True's 17th birthday dinner at P.F. Chang's. Attire: neckties

My daughter True’s 17th birthday dinner at P.F. Chang’s. Attire: neckties

4) Budgets & Buddies. Creativity can cost you extra money or save you extra money. Predetermine your budget for decorating, food, photographer, wardrobe, entertainment, venue, etc. Use online shopping to get decorations for much less than many of your retail craft stores offer. The best budget saver is a creative buddy! Get a creative friend on your team that has a knack for finding cost effective ways to bring your vision to pass. Having a fresh set of creative eyes can offer you a fresh perspective. Two are better than one!

5) Get some FUN out of your FUNction. Don’t allow the party details to stress you out to the extent where you forget to have fun at the party. Participate in a game, dance, chat and take pictures with the guests, laugh with your kids. At the end of the day, you want to walk away with some great memories, too.

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Supermom Decoded Tip: I encourage all parents out there to celebrate each year of your child’s life. Find a way to create a memory around that special day. Remember, it doesn’t have to be expensive to be memorable.

 

 

 

 

 

Other Birthday Celebration Ideas

  • Create a scavenger hunt for the birthday child to find their gifts around the house.
  • Cook their favorite meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
  • Take them out to their favorite restaurant (for an extra bonus, check them out of school and take them)
  • Invite their friends over for pizza and movie night.
  • Have a small dinner party at a restaurant for them and their closest friends.
  • Add some excitement to smaller parties by requesting all the guests dress in a certain wardrobe. (Football jersey of their favorite team and player, your child’s favorite color, etc. For my daughter’s 17th birthday, we had a dinner party at P.F. Chang’s and had all the guests, guys and girls, dress in white shirts and black neckties)