Family * Travel * Food

Celebrate Halloween with Books! (Giveaway)

It's October and this means all things candy corn, pumpkins and little ghosts and goblins. Halloween has always been a fun and memorable time for my kids. We have done various craft projects, baking and decorating over the years. One thing every little kid loves is a good Halloween story. I have seen my kids at story time and they give their full attention to the pictures and stories.

I received 3 super cute picture books right in time to get my little guy excited for all the Halloween festivities. My husband plans on making a surprise visit to our son's class to read Pumpkin Time! since they are studying a unit on pumpkins in his first grade class.
Pumpkin Time! by Erzsi Deák

The day the cows strolled down Main Street in fancy hats...Evy didn't notice.
What was Evy doing? Evy is so focused on watching her garden grow that she misses all the silliness going on around her―pigs DANCING, donkeys FLYING, and sheep HAVING A PICNIC. But after Evy's spent all year taking care of her garden, everyone's invited to pumpkin time!
Happy Halloween! By Lillian Jaine 

It’s Halloween night, and Count von Count is dozing off in front of his fireplace. Suddenly, he hears someone knocking at his castle door, but when he opens the door, nobody’s there! Could it be a spooky Halloween spirit playing a trick on him, or is it something less sinister? Join Count, Elmo, and all of the Sesame friends as they celebrate Halloween!
A Halloween Scare by Eric James

It’s Halloween night, and creatures and critters from near and far are starting to gather outside the front door. And now here comes a whole army of monsters, on broomsticks, buses, and bikes, all clamoring in the darkness. What is it they want? Are they coming for you?This humorous, creative story is the perfect Halloween adventure for children and parents to share.

All three books have very nice illustrations that fall in line perfectly with each story. My son adores them all! These books would be perfect to surprise your little ghoul or goblin with for Halloween. Enter below to win a copy of all three titles.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This giveaway is open to US and Canada Residents only and will end on October 11, 2014. One winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. Mom files is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes.

Books were provided to me, as well as giveaway prize from Sourcebooks. All opinions are 100% my own as always. 
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Wordless Wednesday | Halloween 2012

William dressed up as a scary dinosaur this year...a Carnotaurus, to be exact! That's what he says he was so we just went with it. We were so lucky to find this great quality costume at T.J. Maxx for only $21! We looked in the Halloween Express store and was not impressed by the cheap quality and marked up prices. If you haven't found a costume yet for you little one, I highly recommend T.J. Maxx!

Such enthusiasm, eh?
Shelly, Mom Files
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A typical Guyanese breakfast

I often times get a lot of questions about my Guyanese heritage. So many want to know what language is spoken in Guyana, what types of food is eaten and what some customs might be. Although I was born in Guyana, I left when I was 3. My parents did bring me and my siblings up with a lot of Guyanese culture. I wanted to show you what a typical breakfast in a Guyanese household might looks like.

This dish is what we would call "Channa and boiled egg". It is very simple and is nothing more than heavily seasoned chick peas/garbanzo beans and a boiled egg. I make it by starting off with some sliced onion, scallion and tomato. I saute my veggies in a splash of oil for a few and add one can of chick peas with the liquid. I season with Spanish style seasonings, Creole seasoning, black pepper, garlic powder, cumin and hot pepper sauce. I cook it until it gets tender. I serve it with fresh, sliced scallion on top and a boiled egg cut in half. Simple, filling and flavorful. I made this dish today because I had a taste for it. 

I will periodically share recipes and interesting facts from my culture. If there is anything you are curious about please leave me a comment or you can always email me. Have a great weekend! :)

Shelly, Mom Files
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Old school JELL-O treat

I wanted to share one of my most favorite desserts that is so easy to make and only requires 3 ingredients. Some of you might remember this classic JELL-O treat from back in the day...


What you need:
3 cups of boiling water
1 6 ounce box of JELL-O (any flavor)
1 small container of COOL WHIP

How to make it:
Add boiling water to JELL-O and stir until dissolved. Stir in COOL WHIP until completely mixed in. Pour into glasses or cups (I like using little "crystal cut" plastic cups) I recommend using a measuring cup with a spout to pour even amounts in your glasses/cups. Chill until firm at least 4 hours.

Enjoy!

Have you ever tried this recipe before? My favorites are the raspberry and pineapple flavors. These are so good during the warm weather months! Let me know if you try it.
Shelly, Mom Files
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Looking back

I came across this photo today and it made me smile. This was taken before Will turned 2.


Shelly, Mom Files
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My Very Happy Birthday Review & Giveaway

Today is our little William's 4th birthday. Although he does not fully understand birthdays, it has not dulled his excitement! He is at such a fun and curious age. We were so thrilled to receive a personalized board book from I See Me! in the "My Very Happy Birthday" version... right in time for his birthday! William recognizes his name and squealed in excitement when he saw a book that was made just for him.

This sweet book has cute pictures and personal details throughout. The ordering process is so simple. You can take a virtual tour here. William really enjoyed listening to the whole birthday adventure that was all about himself. I love that he can have this sturdy book for many years as a keepsake that he can show his own children. This is such a neat gift idea for your own children, grandkids, family or friends and also for the kid who has everything. Right now you can sign up for the Refer-a-friend program to get $5 off for each customer you refer. There is no limit to how many people you can refer!

I am so thrilled that my friends at I See Me! are offering one lucky Momfiles reader a chance to win a personalized birthday book. Enter below...

*Mandatory- Let us know who you plan to give this book to if you are selected as the winner. What other I See Me! titles do you like? 

For extra entries please leave a separate comment per entry method:
~ Like I See Me! and Momfiles on Facebook
~ Share this giveaway on Facebook 
~ Follow I See Me! and Momfiles on Pinterest
~ Follow I See Me! and Momfiles on Twitter
~ Tweet this giveaway (once daily):

#Win a personalized #book from @ISeeMe_Maia and @momfiles  http://tinyurl.com/732d7nr  #giveaway

~ Follow Momfiles via GFC and leave the name you are following as.
~ Subscribe to Momfiles via email (upper right hand side)

This contest is open to US Residents only and will end on April 1, 2012 at 12:00 AM EST. Please leave your email address in your comment if you do not have a Blogger profile. One winner will be chosen at random. Failure to follow the rules will disqualify your entries. Momfiles is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!

I received a book for review purposes. All thoughts/opinions are 100% my own.
Shelly, Mom Files
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The boy knows what he likes {Grits update}

I wrote a post about grits the other day and talked about buying instant grits for my boy. Of course I am the queen of homemade so this was a stretch for me. The majority of comments were against instant. Well I'm sorry but I can't cook grits in a matter of minutes when I have a hungry 3 year old.
We went to Walmart and picked up a box of Quaker butter flavor grits. Honestly, William was thrilled that those were especially for him. As a matter of fact, he bragged to other people in the store that he was getting grits. I don't cook them in the way the box tells you though. What I do is boil water and add it slowly while stirring to prevent lumps. I make it a little on the watery side. I then put it in the microwave on medium power for 1 minute, stirring every 20 seconds. In the end I throw a half slice of cheese on top and add a little bit of freshly cracked pepper. After William's first bite he put both hands up to his heart and squealed out loud followed by a BIG "YUMMMMYYY!!" He actually did a grits and cheese dance throughout the time he ate it. After he was finished he asked for another bowl. I think we have a winner here!!
Shelly, Mom Files
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Saying farewell after 34 years

Last year I wrote a post about the cancellation of two ABC Soap Operas, All My Children and One Life To Live. Well AMC has been gone for a few months now and OLTL is due to end this Friday. I know that it is just a show and that life won't end but I feel like a part of my childhood, teenage and adult years are being taken away from me. I have been watching for 34 years of my life! Although the story lines have gotten a bit outlandish, I can't help but tune into SoapNet each night with my daughters to see the goings on in Landview. It has been a fun time for us girls to watch the show and just hang out and spend quality time together.

We planned for the girls' best friend Haley to come over Friday evening to watch the last episode together. We got Haley hooked on OLTL years ago and she has become quite a fan! I will make some nice snacks and grab a box of tissues to partake in the last viewing of the show. My girls requested plenty of chocolate. We are all so sad! I know it sounds silly but I will miss One Life To Live! *sigh*

Shelly, Mom Files
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Grits are... gritty

Growing up in a West Indian home, we ate many interesting things for breakfast. We had everything from sardines, fried eggs, channa (chick peas), toast and sometimes even crepe-like pancakes. Our breakfast food was far from the traditional American fare. When I moved out on my own I learned a lot about American breakfast foods including grits. I had never even heard of grits to say I grew up in the states. My husband grew up on them and it was the daily breakfast staple for him. I remember tasting it for the first time. I was very disgusted and blurted out that "grits are gritty!" Since my husband has grown up eating grits I figured I better learn how to cook them so I did not take away from what he was used to. It took some practice and it turns out that I am an excellent grits cook. I cook them low and slow. Although I am still not a big fan of grits, I will eat them on occasion if I have something yummy to eat along with it. My family loves them and little William recently discovered his love for grits with cheese. I prefer to cook it on the stove-top but since he wants to eat it every day I am going to try him out with the instant kind. Knowing him he will prefer the slow cooked type. My kids are mini food snobs like their mommy :-)

What about you? Did you grow up eating grits? Do you like them?

Shelly, Mom Files
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Wordfull Wednesday | A priceless keepsake

Growing up as a child was not very easy for me. I had a very different upbringing from my peers and had a lot of self-esteem issues. Honestly, a lot of my days were very sad. I had this sheet I slept with every single night since I was very little (maybe  4 or 5). There was nothing glamorous about it. It was just a simple light blue bed sheet with butterflies on it.



There was something so special about this sheet though. Over the years it had become so worn that you can practically see through it. It feels like silk and has not one single hole in it. I left my parent's home when I was just 17 years old. I was not allowed to take anything with me but I did manage to grab my "blue sheet". I went through so much over the years but always had my sheet to comfort me. I still have this special sheet after all these years and have even put it in my will for Briahnna to have when I pass away. She has always had a thing for butterflies and it seemed fitting for her to have it. I no longer sleep with my sheet but I do keep it around the house to remind me how much I have grown as a person. 

Do you have a special keepsake that you won't let go of?
Shelly, Mom Files
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A special project I am working on

For about 2 years now I have been compiling a small collection of some of my secret recipes for my children. I have this great plan that I will give the girls a cookbook as part of a graduation present. I have at least 6 recipes typed up and I even have a photo to go with each recipe. I was going to surprise them but I ended up telling them about it. It touched them so deeply and they had teary eyes and were so happy that I was doing this for them. Now the downside is every time I cook something they love, they ask me to add the recipe to the "book". Are they kidding me? I will be up to 100 before you know it! I am just glad to be able to pass along these recipes and hope they will do the same with their children. I really need to focus a little more on this special project since Chardie will graduate in a year and a half. It is very time consuming since my cooking style is so far from using actual recipes. It really takes a lot of thought to make the recipes make sense. My wish for the end result is a full-color, full-sized book made from waterproof photo paper filled with all of the girls favorites...most of all, filled with love ♥

Shelly, Mom Files
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Keepsakes wrapped in 3D

Do you find that your little ones bring home all kinds of cute things that they made in school? It can range from clay artwork to jewelry and what do you do with it all? I know that we have quite a few items from when the girls were little and they are packed away in boxes. How cool would it be to display some of those creative works of art? Now you can do it with a Z-Access frame.



With a Z-Access 3D frame you can proudly display any of those prized possessions in a very unique way. These frames are 100% American made and come in a variety of colors. There are so many creative uses for these frames...everything from wedding, graduation, baby shower or any kinds of personal keepsakes. These frames would make a neat, one-of-a-kind gift for grandparents with a handmade item from the grand kids. You can learn how to load your frame here and order frames here.

I wish these frames were around years ago! I think we would need to have an entire room dedicated to our family memories.

I received a product sample for review and all opinions are 100% mine as always.

Shelly, Mom Files
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Meet Puppy

Little William has a best friend named Puppy. Puppy is.... a puppy. He got Puppy when he was a newborn from our neighbor. Of course Will had no interest in toys or stuffed animals for quite some time. About 6 months ago he really started to to show an interest in wanting to play with Puppy. Now Puppy gets included with all of his day-to-day activities. He travels in the car, he goes to the playground, he goes to the store and even into the bathroom.
 Yep, Puppy had been EVERYWHERE! Puppy became so filthy it wasn't even right. Every time I asked Will if I could give Puppy a bath he would say "Um, no thanks". He does not like parting with Puppy for any reason. Of course I was getting tired of seeing a blue puppy turn gray.
I had to be sneaky and throw Puppy in the washing machine when Will was watching Caillou. Of course he noticed that Puppy was missing after about 5 minutes. He searched high and low and called for Puppy throughout the house. It was so cute and funny at the same time. After about an hour I was able to reunite the two of them. I told Will to smell Puppy and he was all smiles :)
Is your little one attached to a particular toy or item?
Shelly, Mom Files
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AMC & OLTL cancelled? :-(

Ever since I was 4 years old I can remember watching All My Children, One Life To Live and General Hospital. I know that soap operas are sometimes cheesy and the acting isn't always Emmy award worthy but the soaps have always been a daily part of my life. I found out that ABC is getting rid of All My Children and One Life To Live. I am so sad. I actually stopped watching AMC for a few years now but I do consistently watch OLTL and if I miss it in the daytime then I can catch up on Soapnet at night or the following morning. ABC says that the ratings are down so much that they can't afford to keep the shows. I heard one radio person say that it might be the fact that more moms (the main watchers of soap operas) are now working in the daytime. I even have my daughters hooked on OLTL and it has been a great teaching tool. How you ask? They have touched on the subjects of teen pregnancy, gay relationships, abusive relationships, mental disorders and more. These are in fact real-life things and it has been a great way for us to talk about certain subjects during the show that might otherwise be embarrassing being brought up at the dinner table. The girls are going to be devastated to find out that their favorite show is being cancelled. I guess they will have to find something else. My guess is they will get deeper into the Law & Order shows. They enjoy those shows. I feel like it beats the "reality" shows that are out there any day! Are you an ABC Soaps watcher? What are your thoughts about the cancellations?
Shelly, Mom Files
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Family trip to Bass Pro Shops in Concord, NC

10 years ago, our family visited the Bass Pro Shops store in Concord, NC. I took this photo of Dwayne and the girls. We all had such a wonderful time. Some great memories were made.

Now 10 years later, we have revisited the same place (this time with an additional family member). It seemed even bigger and better than we remembered! Our main purpose for going was for Dwayne to purchase Briahnna her very first fishing pole since she has shown interest in her dad's favorite sport.
Dwayne was really enjoying showing the kids the fish in the HUGE tank as well as all the cool gadgets that were on the showroom floor. Do you notice what is in William's hand? He never leaves home without it!

Look at this enormous catfish! I overheard a gentleman saying that it was likely a 130 pounder. You should have seen how many people were crowding around this area.

William really enjoyed seeing all the fishies. He was smiling from ear to ear :)

At one point I could not find Dwayne. He was tucked away in the fishing rods section. He was truly in his playground. He said that growing up, fishing kept him out of trouble. He wants to pass on his love for fishing to the kids. Chardie is more of a girlie girl like her momma so she said she would just watch.
We live on a big pond and Dwayne sometimes sneaks William out there (thinking I would not know) so that they could cast out a few lines. William loves it. When the weather warms up we plan to go check out some fishing spots in some of the state parks. Of course there better be a nice cabin with electricity if this girl is going to be convinced to partake!

Have you ever been to a Bass Pro Shops store before?

Shelly, Mom Files
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He finally gets it!

It is really exciting to see how much little William is flourishing with his vocabulary. The neat thing is seeing him interact with others as well as the TV. Yes, I do let him watch TV but only Nick Jr. and PBS Kids. I won't let him watch anything with commercials and of course there are limits to how much he gets to watch. I love seeing him follow the lessons that Moose and Zee teach in between programs. He is really into his letters and numbers and is starting to memorize them in order! He also like to point out everything and tell you 10 times what it is. He is becoming a chatterbox and I love it. It gets me excited to know that all I teach him is sinking in and he really does get it!~
Shelly, Mom Files
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My taste has changed

I don't know what has been going on with me lately but I have found that my taste has changed a whole lot. For instance, I have always loved basil. I grow it every year in my mini herb garden. All of a sudden the taste of basil makes me feel like throwing up. Basil has been replaced with cilantro now. I used to despise cilantro. There was something that used to disturb me about the smell and taste of it and now I can't seem to get enough of it. What's up with that?? Also I have never been a big fan of condiments, especially ketchup. Now I want to dip all kinds of things in ketchup. I even buy the biggest bottle I can find. As a kid and well into my adult years I have loved plain M&M's. Now Peanut M&M's are my favorite. The plain ones just don't appeal to me anymore. Isn't that odd? I think my taste changed tremendously when I had William. Has that happened to you before?

Shelly, Mom Files
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This bread is so Yummy!

I was walking up my front steps last week to find a package sitting at my front door. It was from my cousin Sabina, from Miami. I was not expecting anything so it was a surprise. I opened the box and found some random items including a homemade fruitcake (You haven't had real fruitcake until you have experienced Guyanese style). Another item was this loaf of bread.


I am sure you are thinking "did she say a loaf of bread?" This is not just any loaf of bread, it is Yummy Hardough bread! I have not eaten it since I moved from Miami over 14 years ago. Every West Indian home has it as a staple in their kitchen. We used to call it "hardo bread" as kids. This bread has a special texture that is very smooth, dense and light all at the same time. It has a subtle sweetness that is irresistible. I was happy to get to introduce it to the girls and they loved it just like I thought they would. Out of all the things I have received recently this was the highlight and most appreciated of all! Hey, I'm simple :)
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