Happy Thanksgiving!

What I didn't expect to learn in martial arts

When I first started Martial Arts (at age 25), I never thought it would change my life.  I never had any desire to do martial arts and always thought of it as 'learning to fight' which did not appeal to me at all.  A few years after college, I saw a sign for a kick boxing class and decided it was time to lose the 'freshman 15' that was hanging on for dear life to my tush.  I began taking classes and quickly fell in love with Martial Arts.  Not only did I lose the weight (and learned how to kick some ass) but I learned so much about life.  I learned that life is easier when things are simplified.  I also learned that when my life seems out of control, I really need to look at what I'm doing on a daily basis. Am I eating healthy? Am I exercising? Am I surrounding myself with people that motivate me? If we don't fill our gas tanks up with gas in our cars, our cars won't run.  That makes perfect sense, right?  So why are we so surprised when we can't think clearly or feel depressed after putting crap in our bodies, not exercising, or spending too much time with people who aren't 'filling our bucket'?  It doesn't add up.

Martial arts really helped me step back and take responsibility for what's happening in my life. I learned the importance of structure and discipline in so many aspects of my life but more importantly... self discipline.  As Americans, we often want an easy solution to our problems and we'll even spend a fortune for someone to take care of our problems for us.  Don't get me wrong, sometimes we need help and need to make big changes in our lives but it's important that we first look at our daily habits and make sure that the fundamentals aren't what's holding us back.

Theodore Roosevelt said, "With self discipline most anything is possible." and it all begins with baby steps. Sometimes it's as easy as switching a cup of coffee with a tall glass of water in the morning or taking a little walk instead of going on Facebook.  I find church and inspirational podcasts like The 5AM Miracle to be a great way fill my tank when I need some motivation.  Using self discipline will really help you to create a healthier, happier, and more successful life.

If you're looking for a great martial arts program for yourself or your children, I highly recommend Mr. Stuart's Martial Arts in West Chester, PA.  You can learn more by visiting his website Mr. Stuarts Martial Arts.

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How to make the ULTIMATE personalized schedule for kids!

You know you're losing your mind when...

You look in the passenger seat and see the bank deposit canister.

I returned it to the bank within 10 minutes.  I really wish that I had a picture of the nasty look the teller gave me when he saw me at his window with the above face.  

He did NOT think I find me entertaining. 

MUST HAVE Baby Products

If you're looking for the best baby products, look no further!

Here are some of my favorites and all the links you need to buy the items you want!

Graco FastAction Fold Jogger Click Connect Travel System, Chili Red

Boppy Pillow

Sophie the girafe teether

Cute Diaper Bag

Baby Monitor

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The Best EVER french toast!

It is a pleasure to guest post for Tickles and Timeouts.  The start of the school year is fast approaching and the first day is always so special...

Let's face it, there are days when we don't always give our kids a good breakfast (you know the days when we throw the kids a granola bar as they are running out the door) but the first day of school is always special and deserves a YUMMY breakfast!

This is always a hit for my family! We like to try variations with the stuffing. Peach is really good. It would also be great with cherry, apple, banana or chocolate chips. Why not pull up a chair and let the kids help you make it. They do great sprinkling the blueberries in and helping to seal the slices.Ingredients: thick sliced bread (I used Pepperidge Farm’s Cinnamon Swirl Bread) 1 (8 oz. pkg) cream cheese 4 egg ¼ cup half and half or heavy cream 1 pint of blueberries 1 cup powdered sugar 4 T. butter 1 T. maple syrup Serve with fresh blueberries, maple syrup and confectioner’s sugar.Preheat a cast iron pan to medium.Next beat the cream cheese with a 1/2 cup of powdered sugar. Add a teaspoon of maple syrup. Set aside. Wash fresh blueberries. Drain well. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg. Gradually add in the cream. Set aside.Take one slice of bread, generously spread the cream cheese mixture on one side. Add a handful of blueberries. Be sure to leave a border around the outside to seal the slices. Carefully, press another slice of bread on top. The cream cheese acts like glue to hold everything together. Press all sides closed. Prep the rest of the stuffed french toast and place on a plate.Add butter to pan. When butter is melted, begin by dipping each stuffed french toast into the egg mixture. Allow each piece to soak for at least 10 seconds. Then cook for about 4 minutes on each side. Happy Cooking! Kate All images taken by Kate Mazzi Photography

Stuffed French Toast with cream cheese and blueberries

Recipe Type: dinner, breakfast

Author: Kate Mazzi

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 3.5

Delicious french toast with a sweet creamy cheese and blueberry filling that just melts in you mouth

Ingredients

• 1 loaf of thick sliced bread (I used Pepperidge Farm’s Cinnamon Swirl Bread)
• 1 (8 oz. pkg) cream cheese
• 4 egg
• ¼ cup half and half or heavy cream
• 1 pint of blueberries
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 4 T. butter
• 1 T. maple syrup

Instructions

1. Preheat a cast iron pan to medium.
2. Next beat the cream cheese with a 1/2 cup of powdered sugar. Add a teaspoon of maple syrup. Set aside.
3. Wash fresh blueberries. Drain well.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg. Gradually add in the cream. Set aside.
5. Take one slice of bread, generously spread the cream cheese mixture on one side. Add a handful of blueberries.
6. Be sure to leave a border around the outside to seal the slices. Carefully, press another slice of bread on top. The cream cheese acts like glue to hold everything together. Press all sides closed.
7. Prep the rest of the stuffed french toast and place on a plate.
8. Add butter to pan. When butter is melted, begin by dipping each stuffed french toast into the egg mixture. Allow each piece to soak for at least 10 seconds. Then cook for about 4 minutes on each side.

Do you have what it takes?

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Thoughts about recent tragedies in Chester County

Most of the families in Chester County are settling into our back to school routines. My daughter just had her teacher conference and I've been enjoying the beautiful fall foliage while cheering kids on at the soccer fields. We've been talking about gratitude as we prepare for the upcoming holidays and playing charades after dinner.  After the kids are in bed, I'm willing to bed that I'm like many parents stressing about finances, wishing I could volunteer more with the PTA and wondering if my kids are eating too much sugar from their Halloween baskets.  Last week I was writing on my blog about fun things to do with your kids in Chester County and where to go for the best pumpkin spice latte.

Then came the week of hell in Chester County, Pennsylvania.  Jacinda Miller, age 41 was shot and killed in the YMCA parking lot as she was arriving to teach her fitness class on Monday evening. Her estranged boyfriend then turned the gun on himself.  Not only did he end her life but he left her two sons without a mother.

Then another tragedy is announced which happened 5 miles away from the first one (neither having to do with one another).  It's announced that 3 year old Scotty McMillian was brutally beaten by his mother and her boyfriend because he wouldn't eat his dinner.  Scotty died while his Mom and boyfriend went out for pizza and shopping.  If you haven't read the story about little Scotty McMillian, I suggest you don't.  The details are gruesome and absolutely unbelievable. It's been reported as one of the most heinous crimes that the Philadelphia area has EVER seen.

I'm willing to bet that I'm not the only person in Chester County feeling anger, sadness, and heartache over these 2 beautiful and innocent individuals who lost their lives to domestic violence.

Not only were these incidents not that far from where I live, but as a mother around the same age as Jacinda Miller and having a 3 year old myself, I can't help but feel so confused and angry about these heinous crimes.  I realize that there could be many factors including drugs and mental illness but it's still so hard for me to imagine what could cause someone to do these things.

This tragedy makes me wonder how can this kind of evil exist in the world?  What would make someone commit this kind of horrible crime towards another human being?

If you follow my blog, then you know that I am someone who constantly looks for the silver lining and always try to ask myself, "What can we learn from this?"  When something like this happens, it's pretty hard to imagine that anything good can come out of it.  I know that the community will need time to go through the grieving process (including anger and sadness) but we are an amazing community that will come together and help each other in any way possible!!  I have already seen some amazing things happening on Facebook, in schools, and churches that are supporting the victims families.  I am so proud of my community for stepping up and helping one another.  I'm proud of the Brandywine YMCA for keeping all the children safe inside and handling everything perfectly and I'm proud of the amazing law enforcement, medical professionals, and people in social work in our area that keep us safe and help us to grieve.

Yesterday, I logged off social media entirely because I couldn't bear to hear any more about what's happening as these stories unfold.  Then, I asked myself, how can I make a difference?  I'm hoping that sharing my feelings with all of you as well as some facts about domestic violence, maybe, just MAYBE we can prevent someone from having this happen in their family (or someone they love) in the future. Domestic violence is rarely talked about but we need to realize that it's REAL and it happens EVERYWHERE.

Here are some facts and resources I found...

This blog post was written by a mother expressing her sadness.  I am NOT a professional.  If you or someone you know needs help, contact this 24 hour domestic violence hotline at 888-711-6270.  If you need to talk to a licensed professional to process your feelings,  you can contact Annemarie Lange at Annemarie Lange LPC.

Tips for Raising Empathetic Children

Is empathy innate in children or is it a learned behavior...or both?
I remember an incident when Sienna was 3 and Jacklyn was 1.  Jacklyn fell down and started crying and Sienna just walked right by her not even paying attention.  I responded to Jacklyn's needs and helped her.  Does it mean that Sienna is selfish because she didn't help her sister?  Of course not. Well, actually she is.  Kids naturally have to be somewhat selfish as a survival mechanism in order to cope with life as a child.  As they get older they start learning empathy through others modeling the behavior and also receiving empathy when they are having a challenging time.

Here are a few ways to help your child learn empathy.

1.  Ask questions.  Asking questions is a great way to allow your children to learn empathy by thinking for themselves.  This is much more effective than simply telling them what to do or how to feel.  Here are a few examples.

• If your child is doing something unkind to a friend or sibling...ask them to look at the child and ask the child if he or she looks like they like what your child is doing.  I use this a lot with Sienna when she is playing too rough with her sister. 
• If you hear about something challenging that happened to someone...ask your child, "How do you think they felt when that happened?".  You could also ask questions like, "What if you were REALLY, REALLY hungry but didn't have any food? Do you think it would be hard to live that way?"  These types of questions provoke some understanding of other people's hard ships.

2.  Get involved. Life gets hectic when you are trying to juggle activities, school, work, etc. but if you take just an hour a month to give back (in any capacity) you will find volunteering very rewarding and easy.  You can find many opportunities at local churches or on this website
http://www.volunteermatch.org


3.  Look into Kids Start Up Organizations.  Have you heard about all the amazing start up organizations founded by kids?  It is truly amazing how many children are coming up with great ideas to give money to charities.  If your child is an innovative, creative kid than why not help them start their own organization to give back to those in need!  It could be something good you do together and your child will love it!!
Check out this cool site!
Kids giving back  http://kidsgivingback.org/

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VIDEO! How I teach kindness (and have fun) at the dinner table

Looking for ways to have fun at the dinner table with your little ones? Want to encourage kindness, sharing, and gratitude while enjoying family time? If so, you will love our game called "What I like about you..." During this game, each person tells another person 2 things that they like about them.  It's a simple game but my kids LOVE it (and so do I)! 

Another way that we make dinnertime fun is to use the

special plate.   

We use this special plate all the time and I love the way that my kids get excited about it!  We often take turns and give it to guests that we have for dinner. I think it's a great opportunity to teach manners, gratitude, and kindness while spending quality time with each other!

OK, now it's your turn! Tell me fun things you do at your dinner table! Can't wait to hear!