Mommy Has to Work

Tips on Hosting the Perfect Family BBQ

May 13, 2018 By Anne

Springtime in Florida is an ideal time of year — there is plenty of sunshine and the heat of summer has not arrived yet. To celebrate this amazing weather and get outside with your loved ones, you have been thinking about hosting a big family BBQ. Of course, preparing for a get-together does require quite a bit of planning; everything from the menu and the food shopping to getting your backyard ready must be taken care of ahead of time.

Like many things in life, if you break down BBQ party prep work in to a number of smaller steps, you will hopefully avoid feeling overwhelmed. For example, consider the following tips:

Step 1: Protect your garden

If you have garden areas out back, it’s a good idea to set up some fences or other barriers prior to your BBQ. This way, your flowers and other plants won’t get trampled by your guests, and/or you won’t have to worry about Aunt Dottie doing a swan dive into your dahlias. You can either pick up some pre-made fences at a local retailer or if you are a DIYer, you can create your own.

Step 2: Make sure your backyard is party-ready

If it’s been awhile since your picnic table and other outdoor furniture have been cleaned, invest in a power washer and give everything a good scrubbing. Because the BBQ may go well into the evening hours, ensure that you have adequate lighting by investing in some light sets that are as gorgeous as they are functional. One current trend in outdoor lighting that looks great in the Florida evenings is string lights. A set of 25-light globe string lights can be run from the patio to a palm tree out back. Also consider a set of six solar-powered pathway lights that you can use to light up your landscaping. If you have a pool, make sure it is clean, and invest for a few fun new pool toys and games if you plan on swimming.

Step 3: Plan the menu

To keep things as stress-free as possible, plan your BBQ with tried-and-true favorites in mind. As Holidappy notes, stick with classics like hamburgers, hot dogs and/or simple chicken, beef and veggie skewers for the main course. For appetizers, chips and salsa or a veggie platter with dip are great options. For side dishes, you can make your own macaroni or potato salad or buy some from a local deli. Also, do not be shy about asking your guests to bring something; your cousins can pick up some cupcakes at the grocery store for dessert and your folks can spring for the beverages.

Step 4: Have a great time!

Now that you have the prep work all done, you can enjoy your family and food at your upcoming BBQ. As a bonus, much of the work you have done to prepare for this party will last well into the summer and beyond, so when you have your next outdoor party you won’t have to spring for new outdoor lighting or fencing again — you’ll mainly have to focus on having fun.

Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

Enter the “True Citrus – Be Healthy, Be Happy, Be True Sweepstakes” #HealthyHappyTrue

May 2, 2018 By Marijean

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To enter the sweepstakes and for details on how to increase chances of winning, visit www.truelemon.com/be-healthy-be-happy-be-true-sweepstakes through June 15.

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Marijean

My name is MJ. I have two wonderful children and work part time as well as volunteer at my children's school.

How to Secure Your Home While You Are Away

April 30, 2018 By Anne

As a career woman, chances are there will durations during which you are not at home due to work assignments or vacation. Even if you are a work-at-home mom there will be times when you have to leave the house for social functions, holidays and to get some supplies.

While a doorbell helps control the access into your house when you are there, most of them, even the wireless door bells that can be upgraded into a full home security system with motion sensors – see Wireless Doorbell Reviews for more – needs some reinforcement when it comes to unauthorized access when you are not at home. The best they can do is trigger the alarm.

Nonetheless, you need to keep your home and property secure even while you are away for a short period of time.

There is therefore the need to secure your home while you are away. Follow the tips below to keep your house safe while you are away. Here ways to protect your home while away.

Lock the house and carry the key

It’s surprising the number of people who forget to lock the house when leaving. Some even intentionally leave the doors open especially when going to run errands that may take a few hours.

This is dangerous since thieves may take advantage of the easy entry you have accorded them to quickly steal your valuables and leave before you return. The alarm system won’t even go off.

Secure all the doors and windows to your house when leaving, even if it’s for a few hours. If you will be away for a long duration then consider getting a pickproof padlock and reinforce the entry points into your house.

More importantly, don’t hide your spare keys outside the house. Underneath a rock or the mail box are not secure places to leave your keys.

If someone will need to access the house while you are away, give them a spare key or leave it with a trusted neighbour.

Upgrade to smarter entry control

Beyond traditional locks and alarms, consider incorporating more advanced access solutions to boost your home’s security. Electronic door locks for homes provide a convenient and secure way to manage who enters your house, especially when you’re away. These modern locks often allow you to create temporary access codes or manage entries remotely through a smartphone, reducing the need for spare keys altogether. This adds a layer of control and flexibility, especially useful if someone needs access in your absence or if you want to monitor entry logs. They are a smart investment for tech-savvy homeowners seeking peace of mind while traveling or working away from home.

Know your neighbours

Know your neighbours and have a good rapport with them. If they are trustworthy, let them know you will be away for a certain period of time and request them to watch over your house during your absence.

They will keep an eye over your property and notify you and/or the police should the notice suspicious activity or persons near your house.

Also, if you can, have some stay in your house while you are away. An occupied house acts as deterrence to most opportunistic burglars.

Don’t advertise your absence

If you must share your vacation pictures on social media then do so after you return. Sharing your travel plans and holiday pics notifies people of your absence and criminals may take advantage of this to raid your home.

Install a home security system

Clear any bushes and shrubs inside and around your home where burglars may hide. Look into alarms like, Verisure. It is also important that your home is well lit with CCTV cameras installed to monitor and record any happenings outside your house and an alarm system to alert you and the security agencies in case of a break in.

Anne

Wyndham Orlando Resort

April 30, 2018 By Anne

Orlando is not just for families. You can still go kid free and have a lot of fun!

Wyndham Orlando Resort invited me to stay over for the weekend last month. They included 2 tickets to I Drive 360 home of the Coca Cola Orlando Eye!

I took a friend and we headed over after work on a Friday. We are about 2.5 hours away so we arrived around 8pm. The check in staff was very friendly and the process was super easy. We went up to our room and found a wonderful surprise. There were cookies and milk waiting for us. Yumm!

The room was very spacious. We were given the Family Fun Suite. So we had a king sized bed and then off to the side were bunk beds. The bathroom was a nice size with a tub. There was even a big bean bag chair for kids. The room had wood floors which I loved! I’m not a fan of carpet in hotel rooms. Overall the room was awesome. I loved the spacious feel it had. Not cramped like some rooms are.

I want to note that had I brought kids I may have been disappointed as the bunk bed area had no door attached. So everyone was kind of in the same room. Although there was quite a bit of space in between.

All of the Orlando Wyndham Resort rooms feature; BeWell bedding, plush pillow-top mattresses, and feather pillows, 40-inch flat screen TVs with on-demand movies, Spacious work desks, Wolfgang Puck® Coffee makers, Blue Harmony™ bath amenities, Mini refrigerators, Massaging showerheads and Laptop compatible safe. They are pet- friendly and smoke free as well! Yeah!

There are two pools to choose from. Unfortunately it was a bit chilly so we did not go swimming. The fitness center is open 24 hours a day and includes a sauna.

You don’t have to drive anywhere! We never once got into our car except to go home. After we settled into the room, we took a walk around the hotel and a couple neighboring streets. Everything is within walking distance. I mean everything! Saturday we walked over to Denny’s for breakfast. They were busy but the wait was quick. We then just walked around a bit more. There is dining, shopping and attractions right there at your fingertips.

We headed over to the I-Drive 360 entertainment district which includes the Coca-Cola Orlando Eye, Madame Tussauds and SEA LIFE. Along with the 3 main attractions there is also dining and shopping near by. We headed to the SEA LIFE Aquarime first as I was a bit hesitant to ride the Orlando Eye. I was pleasetly surprised at how much there was to see and do at SEA LIFE. We then headed over to the Orlando Eye. The ferris wheel never stops. It goes slow enough that you can walk into your pod as it’s moving. I was a bit nervous going up but I really enjoyed the view.

After another break in the room to rest, we headed out again and had dinner at Kobe Japanese Steak House. We then went headed to a local karokee bar.

We really had a wonderful time and I highly recommend this little section of Orlando and the Wyndham Resort.

Save 30% off their Best Available Rate with NO minimum nights required! Check it out here.

Anne

Ideas For Your Baby Shower

April 26, 2018 By Anne

From the moment you find out you’re expecting a new arrival, you will no doubt be eagerly counting down the weeks and the days until you can meet your newborn. Celebrating is a fun part of announcing that you’re expanding your family, especially celebrating with your closest family and friends. If you wish to have a baby shower before your due date, then find out the best ways to organize the perfect day or evening, and how to throw a perfect soiree that you can look forward to through the journey of pregnancy. It’s important to have days to look forward to, as you’ll find that the time goes more quickly and you’ll be counting down before finally meeting your baby. Get ideas for your shower, and begin getting the wheels in motion. You’ll probably be quite used to planning by the six or seventh month, so preparing a small party should feel like a breeze!

Games

You don’t have to go overboard when organizing your shower, in fact, keeping it simple is the best policy. You also don’t want to spend too much money on the planning and activities as you’re most likely trying to save money in preparation of the birth of your baby, and taking the cost of decorating your baby’s bedroom into account. So, with this in mind, try and save some dollars where you can. You can download free printable baby shower games for the evening so that you can save money while having great fun with your friends and family. Keep games tasteful if you’ve invited young children to your shower, and bear in mind that you’ll not want to make too much of a mess for you to clean up after the evening, so maybe a hoisting a pinata in the room isn’t the finest idea.

Food

It’s crucial to pay close attention to your diet during pregnancy, as there are some foods that you should be absolutely avoiding. These include some cheese (mostly blue), raw fish, and undercooked meats. You should also be steering away from consuming alcohol as well as cutting smoking completely. Your diet should instead be rich in fiber, complex carbohydrates, protein, and fresh fruits and vegetables. If you’re unsure about what you should be eating, what you shouldn’t, and what supplements you should be taking, then be sure to ask your doctor and read the literature on how to get the diet you need during pregnancy and while you’re breastfeeding, too.

Decoration

Decorating need not take you all day, or cost too much money. You can create a lovely setting by stringing up fairy lights around your home and setting the dinner table so that it has some flowers and confetti scattered across it. If you haven’t already, you could reveal the sex of your baby at the party with the use of a colored cake. If you’re not aware of the craze, and you’re a little late to the gender reveal party, then find out a little more to see if you’re interested. If this sounds like something you’d like to do at your party, then find an idea you like and reveal what you’re having at your baby shower!