New series starting soon on Sheilacakes!

I wanted to share with you guys some exciting news about what is coming up on my blog! I decided since Noah loves to cook, I would do a series about cooking with kids featuring products kid friendly cooking items and products that make kid friendly foods. I will also be including kid friendly recipes and cookbooks.

Noah loves to help me in the kitchen. He is in charge of dumping the ingredients complete with dump truck noises, he also likes mixing. He talks about cracking eggs, I haven’t been brave enough yet to let him try one but, I am sure I will soon. Of course I will share that experience with you. He likes to talk about what we have made together in the past. His favorite to date has to be the M&M cookies we made. I didn’t have a recipe that used regular M&M’s and I couldn’t find the minis or the baking ones so I had to do a little rough justice and wing it. It worked out perfectly just as I suspected. He asks me every other day if we can make more M&M cookies. We still have some in the freezer.

Yesterday, we made Triple Berry Muffins from a pouch; I learned that Noah loves muffins by sampling one at the store once. I was going to buy muffins but then I thought muffin mix is really cheap and homemade is better, because I can add my secret ingredient. I have a silicone mini muffin pan that I use. The muffins come out to be what I call baby size. They aren’t big and they aren’t the next smaller size. One pouch makes 6 regular sized muffins, using my pan it makes 24. So, hopefully that gives you an idea on how small they are. I think they are the perfect size for Noah. They aren’t too big and they are not messy! Those are both important when you have a three year old.

I hope this series will help me create many fun filled memories and instill a lifelong love of cooking for Noah. I also hope that it will encourage you all to get your kids in the kitchen and provide you all with the knowledge and resources to do so.

If you have a kid friendly cooking or baking product, or a product that makes food that kids would enjoy and want to be featured in my awesome series, please use my contact form or email me. I am really looking forward to my series and I hope you are too!

The Secret Life of the American Teenager Volume 3 Review

I have mentioned a couple times before about how much I love watching The Secret Life of the American Teenager. The show is written by Brenda Hampton who also wrote 7th Heaven. I have tuned in and watched every show. I really like it. The Secret Life of the American Teenager is an ABC Family original show about a 15 year old girl named Amy who finds out she is pregnant. She met the guy at band camp and now she is faced with many decisions and choices about what to do as a pregnant teenager and mother. You also follow the lives of Amy’s parents and friends. It reminds me of being in high school again. The show is really well done and is sadly really realistic with what is going on in high schools around the U.S. I own the first two DVD sets so, naturally I was ecstatic about having the opportunity to review the third one.

Amy is now a mother; the episodes discuss what it really is like to be a mom. She is learning the hard way that motherhood is not all cute clothes and pacifiers. She has to juggle school, motherhood, and her boyfriend Ben. The show isn’t just about Amy. There are many other characters that are trying to figure out what to do with the situations they are in. Ricky is John’s father and he has to balance going to school, being a father, working and spending time with his on again off again girl friend Adrienne. Grace is a Christian that is tempted to have sex with her boyfriend Jack. When she does for the first time she is plagued with guilt because a tragedy happens that night. She blames herself for what happened. I don’t want to ruin anymore of the surprises in store on the 3rd volume of The Secret Life of the American Teenager including some really awesome bonus features.

I know that there is a lot of controversy about this show. It is rated TV-14 and I wouldn’t recommend anyone under 14 watch the show. There is a lot of adult language but no more than any other show for teens. I love how they tie moral decisions in and how it doesn’t glamorize being a parent. I think that it would be a great way to open dialogue with your teens by sitting down and watching it with them. If that makes them uncomfortable then maybe watch it in another room or buy the DVD. I think it would be a good idea to discuss the real issues with your children and answer their questions about sex. Please remember that doesn’t mean they are having it. Opening the lines of communication and not brushing the issues under the rug is important. Honestly these things are happening all over the U.S. Kids are having sex and are getting pregnant, even middle school kids.

I highly recommend watching this show with your teenage children. If they want to watch it, then they can ask questions or start a conversation about sex. I know that a lot of adults like to watch it like I do. It is serious but, it also has a lot of humor to it. If you are close to my age you will recognize that Molly Ringwald plays Amy’s mom, Anne. The cast is full of great actors that are blossoming in to big stars. Please check out The Secret Life of the American Teenager volume 3 on DVD in stores now!

Thank you to Walt Disney Studios for the complimentary copy of The Secret Life of the American Teenager volume 3 DVD set for my review.

Look Ma, I am 6 months old!

Today is my SIXTH MONTH anniversary! Wow I have come so far from when I started. I am looking forward to going further. It both seems so long ago and just yesterday. I poured so much sweat and tears in my posts and work that it seems like a long time ago. It also seems just like yesterday when I had started because time has flown by so fast.

I have already learned so much from blogging and I hope you have learned a thing or two from me. I would like to thank my wonderful friends, the companies that continue to believe in me and of course last but not least my awesome readers. I know some of you have been with me since day one. I am so happy to get to know all of my readers and share my life with you all and I am excited to get to know you all more. Cheers to me and my six month anniversary!

So far I have learned that:

Blogging is hard work but, completely worth it.

Blogging friends are the greatest people to have as friends.

I just literally learned what SEO is after six months of hearing the term and now I can stop thinking of a girl’s last name that I went to school with.

If you write it they will come and read it.

Comments are like hugs you can never have too many uplifting comments.

When sad or bad things happen you will have an out pouring amount of support even from strangers.

Trust your gut when it comes to blogging stuff.

Ms. V is the one of the best public relations reps out there and she is a total sweetheart.

I have a voice and I will use it in all my blogging adventures.

Blogging is a combination of bodily fluids. Tears, sweat, blood and sometimes even pee from laughing so hard.

Thanks for reading my blog. I love you all. I am looking forward to my 50th blogging anniversary and I hope you are all there to celebrate with me!