Questionable Choices in Parenting

Laughing at life as a parent so they don't commit me

Country Roads Take Me Home: Amanda Speaking at a WVU Pioneer Session

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My love for my alma mater runs deep. There is plenty of blue and gold WVU attire in my wardrobe, when a fellow Mountaineer achieves success, I swell with pride, and my husband and I still sing the unofficial school song, Country Roads, to our children as a lullaby–sorry, it was one off the few songs we BOTH knew every word.

Years after graduating from WVU, I have always felt that so many of the really wonderful things in my life were a result from attending my beloved university. So when I was asked to speak at a Pioneer Session about my experiences as a vlogger, blogger, and TV segment gal, I jumped at the chance. First I checked to make sure that I didn’t have anymore outstanding parking tickets from my glory days and then I got down to work.

So what is a Pioneer Session, you may ask? Well lucky for you, I can tell you!  Pioneer Sessions at WVU are a way to celebrate alumni who are considered pioneers in their areas of expertise and careers, and a way to connect current students and alumni to facilitate learning and networking. Students and alumi can attend the sessions or watch the session streamed live.

What could I– a little older and wiser Mountaineer–offer to a generation of college students embarking on their futures. Mainly I told them to drink more water, wear sunscreen and NEVER LEAVE college, but then I shared the story of my career, how to use their social media as a powerful tool in connecting with others and landing a job, and the importance of developing their own brand.

To watch my Pioneer Session, click right here!

Ice Cubes Gone Wild: The Best Ice Cube Tray Hacks

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If you are only using your ice cube trays to make ice, you need to put them to work! Yesterday I spent the morning over at Good Morning Washington to share my favorite ice cube tray hacks. Since live news can be so unpredictable, breaking news unfolded and part of my segment was cut! However, I’ve got the video of the segment and a few pictures and the details for the ideas that I didn’t get to share. I love spending my morning over at GMW, and I’ll let you know when I’ll be back!

Freeze Veggies: If you’ve got kiddos that refuse to eat their veggies, make veggie cubes! Buy vegetables like spinach and kale in bulk, chop them up, and place them in ice cube trays with hot water. The hot water will blanch the veggies so they keep their color and healthy nutrients. Freeze the cubes and when you are cooking, toss a few cubes into things like soups, sauce, or smoothies. Or when you bake, add a few veggie cubes to muffins for a sweet but healthy treat!

Seed Bombs– I’m not a fan of Easter grass but here’s a fun way to re-purpose that messy grass. Using paper grass–or colorful construction paper- cut or tear into small chunks and soak in a bowl of water for 15 minutes. Then pop it into the food processor to make a pulp. Push the pulp into ice cube trays–I used a fun heart shaped tray- and add a packet of seeds. Top off with more pulp and let it dry for 24 hours. Let your kids put the seed bombs into a garden or spread in the grass. They will love watching the seed bombs bloom!

Make a New Crayon- If you are a mom, there’s a good chance you have a few broken crayons in your bag and probably all over your house, too. So take those broken crayons and use them to make new and fun shaped crayons. Start by taking the paper off the crayons– soaking in hot, soapy water helps to make this process faster. Then break up the crayons and place them in a silicone ice cube tray. Fill the tray to the top because the wax shrinks when it melts. Then pop in the oven at 200 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Let the crayon cool completely before taking it out the mold. When it’s all done, you’ll have a giant crayon that colors every color of the rainbow. So much fun!

 

Lyla makes her Life TV Debut with me on Fox 5

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While I’ve included the kids in vlogs and other videos, they’ve never done a live segment with me before. Because IT’S LIVE TV! All the things that can go wrong with having your child on live TV, believe me, I’ve imagined it. Today I was at Fox 5 in DC sharing a few products that are all natural and perfect for moms and kids, and Lyla made her TV debut with me. Check out my little lady in action! Clearly, this won’t be her last segment. I think we have another TV segment gal on our hands! Click right here to see our segment!

 

 

Laundry Hacks on Good Morning Washington

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Laundry can seem like a never-ending task. By the time you’ve finished washing a load, the hamper is already building up again. To help ease the process with several time-cutting laundry hacks, I stopped by to see my pals at Good Morning Washington share how to fold shirts in two seconds, de-wrinkle a shirt without an iron, and how to save clothes that have shrunk in the dryer!

Here’s my segment from Good Morning Washington!

 

Super Bowl Party Hacks: DIY on a Budget

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It’s almost time for Super Bowl Sunday and no matter which team you are cheering for (or if you’re like me and just watching for the commercials and halftime show) you can still put together an amazing Super Bowl party without breaking the bank. Today I was visiting my pals at Good Morning Washington and I shared some football-friendly party hacks that will help you score big during the Big Game. See the segment here!

Click right here to see the segment!

 

Game Day Mason Jar and Mug

I love how these mason jars turned out, and they were SO easy to make. Just a little craft paint and a few sponge brushes and you have the perfect silverware and straw holders for your party. These mason jars were such a hit, my husband has already claimed them for next football season when he hosts tailgates.

If you’re serving up beer, soda, or cocktails, skip the plastic cups and grab a few mason jars with handles. I used a little white tape and turned them into football mugs that are perfect for any pigskin party.

Guacamole Stadium

I’ve been obsessed with these dip stadiums ever since they started popping up on Pinterest. Even though they look super impressive, turns out, they’re easy to make. The trick is in the tin foil wall. Just grab two tin rectangle containers–one large and one small. In the smaller container, build two tin foil “walls” and place them inside the container. Pour the guacamole in the center and the salsa and queso on either side. Now you have the field and two end zones. Put sour cream inside a plastic bag and cut off one end. Draw lines to mimic the field and the tin foil walls. Place the smaller container inside the larger container and fill with chips and crackers.  Boom–you’ve got an entire stadium!

Field Goal Drink Station

For this fun centerpiece and drink station, it’s time to head to your favorite hardware store. With a few pieces of PVC piping and connector pieces and an indoor/outdoor carpet wrapped around a plastic container, you have the perfect place to keep all your drinks cold for the Big Game. When the party is over, this would make the perfect addition for your game room or as a laundry basket for your favorite young football fan’s bathroom. You can ask to have the PVC piping cut at the store or grab a small piping cutter if you want to cut the PVC at home.

DIY Field Tablecloth and Turn Bunting

I grabbed this green table cloth from the dollar store, added white duct tape to look like the lines on the field, and white paint for the numbers. That’s it! So easy and so cute.

For the bunting use leftover pieces from the indoor/outdoor carpet into trianlges, white paint or tape and hot glue to attach to white ribbon.

Football Brownie Bites

No need to make these brownie from scratch! Grab the brownie bites from the bakery and with a little white icing, add the laces for a bite size yummy treat.

 

 

 

Check Everyone Off Your List with these 6 Holiday Gift Hacks

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We all have folks on our holiday list that are hard to shop for, but rather than spend hours at the store or searching online, why not make something that’s one-of-a-kind? Here’s my segment from Good Morning Washington where I’m sharing six holiday gift hacks that are personal and so EASY to make. Seriously, I love them all.

I always love stopping by GMW and have a blast with everyone there! So much fun and basically I adore Eileen Whelan. Can’t wait to go back soon!

Click here to see my segment!

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Thanksgiving Boredom Busters

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You’re busy cooking Thanksgiving dinner, but your little turkeys are diving you crazy waiting for everything to be done and on the table! I’m here to help—just save me some leftovers, OK? Here’s my segment from Good Morning Washington where I’m sharing super easy and super fun Thanksgiving activities that you can make in a a few minutes. The best part, you already have everything you need to make everything in my segment! So no running back to the store! Woo Hoo! Happy Thanksgiving!

Kid-friendly Thanksgiving food hacks on Good Morning Washington

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As we count down the hours to Thanksgiving, you might be feeling the pressure to keep your family fed and entertained. When it comes to the guests around the kid’s table, I’ve got you covered. I stopped by Good Morning Washington to share my kid-friendly Thanksgiving food hacks for food and treats that are easy and yummy!

Amanda on The Rachael Ray Show!

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Take look around my kitchen and you’ll see that I LOVE Rachael Ray. I have her pots and pans, her knives, her cookbooks, and I even have her fancy little EVOO thingy (I think that’s its official name). Last fall I was over-the-moon excited to make a pumpkin hacks video that was featured on her show. So recently when I was asked to come on the show with Rachael to share more of my favorite pumpkin hacks and to demo one of my hacks,  I basically SQUEEEEEED, and then calmly said “Oh sure, I can do that.”  Real cool, Amanda.

So if you missed my appearance, here it is! I had a blast on the show. Rachael’s staff and crew were beyond amazing and kind, and I was honored to be on the show with Rachael and Bob Harper. Hope you enjoy the segment as much as I enjoyed making it!