The First Time I....

The FIRST of anything is momentous, no?

Your first kiss. Your first love. The first time you....ahem. The first time you feel your baby kick. Your baby's first little poop.

Somehow, I'm only listing ten.

10 FIRSTS I REMEMBER WELL

1. First time I hiked up a mountain - I was REALLY little

2. Learning to ride a bike - With my dad, on a hill.

3. The day I realized the stop sign was blurry - got my first pair of glasses at age 7.

4. Went to my first concert when I was 12 - Bon Jovi of course!

5. Making out with a boy for the first time - Jeff, during lunch, just outside our high school grounds. It was so cool.

6. My first eye surgery - was also the first time I had ever been in the hospital (since birth)

7. The first time I got drunk - I was 16. Ssshh, don't tell my kids!

8. The day I knew I liked a guy named Mark.

9. The first time I threw up from morning sickness - throwing up is terribly traumatic for me so I tried so hard not to and bawled my eyes out because I did.

10. The day I found out my second child was a boy after five girls had been born on Mark's side (I don't have any siblings), and I got to call my father-in-law to tell him there was "a stem on the apple" and then go pick out some blue baby things.

OMG that was hard! I typed out so many other things that I ended up deleting. There are just too many firsts. I'm really good at remembering dates, so there's a lot in my head.

Creamy Bean Dip Casserole

As you may recall in my "I am not selfish" post, I mentioned an increased interest in cooking.

Truly. I now know how June Cleaver did it. Her kids weren't home all day!

Also, she didn't have blogging and social media to suck up time.

Anyhoo....today is a first on this blog as I am sharing a recipe. Ooh. Aah. Gasp!

So my friend Jessica introduced me to her super yummy creamy bean dip not long after meeting her 9 years ago. It has been the hit at parties she, me and other friends have thrown over the years. It is refried beans covered with a mixture of cream cheese, sour cream and taco seasoning, which is then topped with shredded cheese and baked in the oven until warm and bubbly. Eat just like with any dip, with chips. SO GOOD.

I love Mexican food so much I could probably eat it every other day and not get sick of it, and wanted to make a meal out of this dip. So I came up with the following recipe. Yes, it has many ingredients that could be unhealthy, but I chose options that would make it a little healthier.

Creamy Bean Dip Casserole

1 pound hamburger
1 can no fat refried beans
1 1/2 cups light sour cream
8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
1 cup salsa
1 1/2-2 cups frozen corn
Taco seasoning
Shredded fiesta blend cheese
Tortillas of choice

Brown hamburger in a skillet. In a saucepan warm refried beans, sour cream, cream cheese and taco seasoning to taste. Add salsa and corn to hamburger.

Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray. cover bottom with a single layer of tortillas. Begin layering ingredients: spread bean mixture, hamburger mixture, sprinkle some cheese, top with a layer of tortillas, repeat 3-4 times as amounts allow. End with a little of the bean mixture and generous amount of shredded cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake 5 more minutes.

Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes. Cut and serve garnished with toppings such as sour cream, avocado, olives, tomato, salsa and/or lettuce.

My family loved it. My son was underwhelmed, but he often is with casseroles. He still ate some, though.

I think there are many variations that could be done with this. Such as chicken instead of hamburger, or no meat. Could add black beans, peppers, onion or even rice. I used flour tortillas, but of course you could use corn, or even make it crunchy with tostada shells. Could probably through the two mixtures and some cheese into a a baking dish and top with cornbread batter and bake. Yum!

Let me know if you make it and....Enjoy!

TGIF: Funny Shit My Son Says #2

This is technically the second post like this because I previously posted about the Cheeto and the Spider (just didn't call it "funny shit my son says").

Regardless, AJ is pretty damn funny.

The other night I was up in my room watching a TV show when, close to bedtime, AJ walks in, clearly upset.

ME: Hey little man, what's up?

AJ: Mommy, I can't find my sound sort homework ANYWHERE!

ME: What? Why are you worried about your homework right now?

AJ: Because I really have to do that one with the /t/ /th/ sounds.

ME: But sweetie, that one was from last week. You have a new one with /c/ /h/ and /ch/ sounds for this week.

AJ: But I just can't find it! You didn't throw it away did you? I'm supposed to do it! Mrs. V wants me to!

ME: OK, calm down. No, I didn't throw it away.

AJ: Well then *starting to cry* WHERE IS IT??

ME: *sigh* I'm pretty sure it's on the table. I promise I'll find it. CHILL OUT.

AJ: NOW, Mommy! PLEASE! *sniffle*

So we head downstairs, I locate the missing homework and all is right with the world.

A little while later we are upstairs to get the kids into bed. AJ is lying in his bed and both Mark and Camryn are sitting there, all three talking about something, when I walk in.

I don't know what they're talking about and don't care. I crack the whip: "Bedtime!"

So Camryn leans over and kisses AJ on the forehead and says, "I love you, AJ".

To which he replies, "I hate you."

Awhile later as Mark and I are watching TV I, forgetting about the "I hate you" moment, start gushing about how good of a little student AJ is becoming and how sweet I think he is to worry about his schoolwork so much.

Mark agrees, and points out how sweet Camryn is too because of how she kissed AJ and said she loves him at bedtime.

Total moment of parental pride, right?

So I ask, "Well did you hear AJ's response?" He says he didn't.

I tell Mark that AJ said "I hate you".

Mark starts laughing and I'm all, "What?"

I guess my brain wasn't firing on all synapses because I wasn't getting the irony.

Mark goes, "Oh yeah, AJ is so sweet! One minute he's all emotional about his homework and the next he hates his sister."

We both start cracking up!

And it's all downhill from there. We start dissecting the Jekyll and Hyde intricacies of our son, sweet vs. evil, and we're laughing so hard we can hardly breathe!

So then I go, "I'm gonna have to blog about this."

Now it's you're turn!

Bring me your happy, funny, special....

And link it up!

(Button in the sidebar. Keeping linky open until the 1st now!)

IDK if it's weird to link a linky to a linky, but , you know...it just fits!

I am not selfish.

We women love and nurture and care. It's part of our inherent nature.

Not that men don't. But there is a clear difference. In my 38 1/2 years on this planet I've noticed this fact: women carry an abundance of guilt, where men do not. Men have no problem taking care of their own needs without feeling guilty about it. I'm pretty sure that all too often sometimes we women resent them for it.

Mothers love and nurture and care. For others. Notsomuch for ourselves.

The simple act of getting a haircut can feel like an indulgence.

At night after the kids are tucked into bed, we pull out our hidden stashes of chocolate, grab a glass of red wine and tweet or facebook that we're enjoying them and do not feel guilty about it, dammit!

Yet we still do. Deep down.

Guilt is the bane of our existence.

We rationalize that we're "giving up" our own needs for the needs of the "greater good", which makes us feel like we're doing the right thing, not being selfish. Of course often financial concerns require prioritizing the needs of the family. Believe me, I know this well.

BUT, and it's a big BUT, the things that don't cost money, shouldn't have to be put on the back-burner.

Things like alone time, hot baths, getting out for a walk to clear your head, taking a nap, not doing the dishes just one freaking day, letting your kids eat cereal for dinner once in awhile, read a book, do a craft or taking some time to chat with a girlfriend.

__________

I've come to what I now believe is one of the so-called "change of life" milestones: when all your children are in full-time school. Granted, this may not affect working moms as much as those who stay at home.....although....just the savings on day care must be fantastic.....

I don't think I'm being too dramatic when I say this has been huge for me. In good ways and bad. or rather, positives and negatives. I shall focus on the positives for the purpose of this post.

It is now my time to become fully ME. The title of my blog has never been more apropos. Now is the time when I can have the best of both worlds. I can, dare I say, have my cake and eat it to.

I will always be a mother. I am still a wife. I utterly adore my family. they will always come first in my heart. I already feel like a better mom. I look forward to my kids coming home each day and show them more patience.

Now though, I have some freedom to explore the other parts of me.....wait for it.....without feeling like it's selfish.

To take better care of my health, both physical and mental. To keep plugging along this blogging journey and sift through the possibilities therein. To be creative. To maybe figure-out-how-to-get-some-new-glasses-especially-since-one-of-my-nose-pieces-just-broke-off. To feel like cooking more (I already do). To maybe become a little more independent. And for gosh sakes, to possibly RELAX a little...??

It's not selfish. It's fair. I'm not selfish. It's my turn.

My Politics...for what it's worth

*This is kind of a BIG post. So....you've been warned.


Unless you've been hiding under a rock, and maybe you are, this is a presidential election year.

Sigh.

I've been saying it for months now, I really just want to skip this one. Since we can't, I have been trying to pay attention to the campaigns, the debates, jokes....

I took a presidential election quiz several weeks ago that showed I side with President Barack Obama.

My results went on to show who I side with by party

• 88% Democratic
• 74% Green
• 44% Libertarian
• 43% Republican

Does knowing this make you feel any differently about me? I find that sometimes learning someone's political persuasions can be hard to reconcile with how we feel about the rest of who they are. Especially if you're in another camp.

For years I thought I was very middle-of-the-road, sitting on the fence between Democrat and Republican. I would describe myself as a "liberal Republican" or a "conservative Democrat". But apparently I am now actually quite far removed from being a Republican at all, and that I could be Green or Libertarian. Oh, but those parties don't count, do they?

Since this election season began, and helped by taking this quiz, I now see how I'm not really on the fence at all. In fact, I'm having a hard time understanding how anyone would be proud to call themselves a Republican right about now. Mitt Romney just keeps sticking his foot fully into his mouth and then looks around like, "What??".

__________

The 47%

The other thing I'm having a hard time with is how anyone who knows my family and everything we've been through can be a supporter of Mitt Romney.

You see, my family is part of this 47% he spoke of. Both Mark and I have legal disabilities. Mark is chronically ill. But let me clarify something. We are very GRATEFUL that our government has programs in place that have been helpful to us over the years, and we've both paid taxes. It's not about "entitlement".

Then again, I do believe I'm "entitled to healthcare, to food, to housing!"

I believe EVERYONE is entitled to those things. They are BASIC necessities you asshat. And yeah, I think if someone is in need of help, someone should help them.

Look, I know there are "welfare moms" and junkies who abuse the system. But they can't be allowed to ruin it for those who are just trying to get by. Honest, decent people who have simply been dealt a crappy hand. There are ways to weed out those who are less deserving.

Abortion

I don't know if I should even get started on women's rights, but being that I am a woman..... The abortion issue is so beyond frustrating, I'm not sure I can adequately express how I feel about it. I  never thought I would terminate a pregnancy....until I was 16 and pregnant. I didn't want to and it was really hard. But it was the CHOICE I made. And honestly -- hold onto your hats -- at this stage in my life, and considering my family circumstances, I'd probably do it again. I still wouldn't want to and it would still be hard, but I should be allowed to make that choice if I believe it's what's best.

There are so many reasons and varying situations that CHOICES simply MUST be available. I will never understand how someone can think they have the right to take someone else's rights away.

At the debate on Tuesday, when asked what he would do to help ensure equal pay for women, Mitt Romney only talked about making sure women have flexible schedules so we have time to cook dinner for our kids. He would cut funding to Planned Parenthood and I'm 100% sure he would do everything he can to limit access to birth control and abortions. And the correlation he made to single mothers and gun violence? Don't even get me started.

None of this is about religion. People like to use religion as an excuse for their nonsense. Religion is PERSONAL, and so too is a woman's reproductive choices. I believe in God, but I don't believe I have the right to tell others what to believe or to condemn them for anything. Isn't managing your own life enough?

The Economy

I learned in high school civics that our government has a system of checks and balances. That the President is the leader of our country, but we also have Congress and the Supreme Court who get their say. Both the President and Congress have the power to stop legislation in its tracks. And even when something is passed into law, the matter can be taken before the Supreme Court where nine highly qualified judges can be the deciding factor.

In this sort of government, how can any one person be wholly to blame for something? And in turn, how can any one person be expected to fix a problem all by themselves?

I didn't watch any of the post-debate spin and commentary on Tuesday, so I wasn't sure if anyone else was as shocked as I was when Romney exclaimed not once, but twice, "Government does not create jobs!" Um. What? Then why do you blame Obama for the current unemployment rate and how can you promise to create more jobs if you become President? I'm so confused. Sometimes I wonder if that man has Terrets.

By the way, it was Obama's tax incentives of 2009-10 that made it possible for Mark and I to become homeowners.

Education

More needs to be invested into our children. Period. My daughter doesn't have any textbooks for crying out loud! Not paper, PDF or eBook. Nada. Her math teacher has a text book which he uses to verbally give the kids the information they need and they take notes. There are history textbooks but not enough for each student. I don't know how teachers are teaching.

Improving education in America has been pushed down to the bottom of the political to-do list since 9/11. I completely understand that we had some shit to take care of after that. But it's time to move on and re-prioritize some things in this country. Politicians go an and on about how important education is for the future of our children. Obama has made some changes in regards to student loans and grants for college. But more needs to be done for K-12 too.

I was pleased to hear Obama talk about education as it relates to PREVENTING crime and violence. I like that he doesn't want to throw more gun control laws on the books, but rather look at how we can ensure less desperation which leads to crime.

Health Care

If you know me and my life at all, you know health care is a HUGE part of our lives. Having a pre-existing condition means my husband has to apply for and get denied good health insurance, and then apply for the only insurance that will cover him, which costs nearly $300 a month. That combined with Medicare parts A, B and D, and he STILL has some out-of-pocket medical expenses. All of that is JUST for Mark. The kids and I have to fend for ourselves. This is one of the reasons it's so difficult for people with disabilities and/or health problems to get ahead in life. It's a vicious cycle.

My brain is ill-equipped to dissect the legal jargon of "Obamacare", so I can't say with any authority if the changes being implemented will benefit my family. But I applaud the President for trying and CARING. He pushed and pushed for some kind of change. He didn't back down. I appreciate that.

(Actually, I think it already has benefited us. We all got FREE flu shots this year. Did you get yours?)

__________

These are the things I PERSONALLY feel strongly about. So these are the things I have to base my voting on. The things I care about fly in the face of the Republican platform. Not only that, but I just don't feel like Mitt Romney cares about me and my family.

Heck, I also think there should be marriage equality and will be voting YES on Washington's Referendum 74. Oh oops, did I just say that out loud? My bad.


Image credits: I got all of the above images from fan pages on Facebook such as Being Liberal, MoveOn.org, The Christian Left, One Million Vaginas, Miss R-EVOLutionaries and Upworthy.

__________
I did not write this to piss anyone off or to try to change votes. I wrote it for the same reason I write everything I do, because it's my PERSPECTIVE, and people can learn from others' perspectives. So, if you want to leave a comment on this post, I expect you to be respectful. If you can't do that, I will delete it. Because saying something rude on my blog is, to me, the equivalent of saying it right to my face.

The Beauty All Around

I am the last person I would have thought would ever be into taking photos. I distinctly remember many years ago thinking I would never need to even own a camera because I'm visually impaired, so pictures probably just wouldn't be a big part of my life. Fine for others to take all the pictures they want, but me? Naw.

And then some important things started to happen. Like my wedding. Then a baby. Scrapbooking was suggested to me when my daughter was born and I totally poo-pooed it. "I can't see well enough to scrapbook!", I said.

How wrong I was. About all of it. Not only did I still need to care about pictures, but yes, I could scrapbook if I wanted to!

But that's not even the point. By thinking in such a narrow way, I was limiting my experiences, limiting their impact on me and not fully APPRECIATING them.

Shame on me.

I read the book The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold several years ago. In it was a perspective changer for me:

Now I love taking pictures. Of everything from the awesome to the mundane. Because I am visually impaired they will never be the caliber of a professional photographer. I don't care. Besides, there are so many widgets and whatnot to help me make them look better. The pictures I take mean I am present, that I am PAYING ATTENTION.

This is why Instagram is so freaking fabulous!

That book quote may have given me a great way to think about photographs, but having a visual impairment gives me a special perspective as well. Every single time I step outside, I take it all in. I look up at the sky, down at the ground, at my neighbor's house or the car parked on the street. The color of a bright flower will catch my eye and I have to stop and LOOK. Often this requires walking right up to it. Also often, stopping to take a picture affords me a clearer look later on.

Sunsets! Clouds! Flowers! Fall Leaves! My children's faces! My kids catch me staring at them. It's all so BEAUTIFUL to me. I will never take SEEING these things for granted. No. In fact, I cherish the vision I still have because it was nearly taken away from me.

All this is to lead up to sharing some of the Fall beauty I've captured this year, just right around my neighborhood. The colors and contrasts never cease to amaze me.

A Latte Bloggy Love

I think I've made my love of coffee crystal clear, yes?

Warm, comforting, energizing....

Since I take my coffee sweet and creamy, I enjoy a good latte. And because I'm trying to take better care of my health, I was thrilled to learn that drinking a latte made with fat free milk delivers NINE essential nutrients. Not only that, but milk costs only $.25 per eight ounce serving. Which means....making a latte at home is a great way to save money and give yourself a treat at the same time.

You don't even need to have a fancy espresso machine to do it. You can heat milk on the stove and use a whisk to create foam! Don't believe me? Go try it! MilkMustache.com's "The Breakfast Project" offers several flavored latte recipes.

So, when the #LatteLove folks asked what blogs I like to read with my morning coffee I immediately started forming a mental list. I mean, I have liked many on Facebook and I probably follow even more on Twitter, not to mention those in my Reader....

Oy, my list could be very long! I mean, there are WAY more blogs out there than I even know about. So I gotta throw a little disclaimer out there, that those I list today are simply the ones I've gotten to know fairly well, and have become a staple in my blog reading. Doesn't mean I don't like others. OK? OK.

1. Guaranteed to make me LOL is The Sarcasm Goddess' For the Love of Writing. Obviously. Not to mention she's my long lost little sister.

2. Someone who loves coffee even more than me is Amy the Coffee Lovin' Mom. She may even think lattes are for sissies.

3. When I'm looking for a slightly quirky take on things, it's gotta be the robot mommy. I secretly love that Kristi is a little bit older than me.

4. I enjoy making lists because of my neighbor, Stasha at The Good Life. Seriously, not just Listicles, but other lists too like this one.

5. Jamie at Chosen Chaos keeps me motivated to exercise. And she has some adorable kids.

6. g*funk*ified Greta has a heart of gold. And some more cute kids.

7. I've "met" many Canadians since I began blogging and one whom I've really come to care about is Jenn at Fox in the City.

8. Speaking of Canadians, my Canuck BFF is Les (or Rory? that really confuses me) at Time Out for Mom. She's sweet and funny and even kinda wise.

9. Another neighbor here in Washington is Stasha at Ponderings of a Middle Aged Mom, who also has a Diabetic husband experiencing complications.

10. And for some good food, my bloggy protege and BFF, Jen at Mom Rocks Mealtime is the bomb!

Of course there are many others I follow, but like I said, I can't possibly list them ALL. Why do I feel so bad about it??

So, you see that latte mug up there? The other side looks like this:

You want one, don't you? Today's your lucky day, because I get to give away a Latte @ Home care package just like the one I received (a mug and a coupon for free milk)!

(Oh, the winner's mug won't say "just JENNIFER's Reading List" on it.)

Enter away!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Beginning Therapy

I've held out long enough. Been stubborn stoic long enough.

It's time to admit that I need professional help.

I guess.

__________

Do I have to?

::balls up fists and stomps foot::

I should be strong enough to handle my life, dammit! I'm not the only person in the world with problems. I'm not the only one carrying a heavy load.

I deal. I cope. I cry and laugh. I find the good and positive amidst the crap.

I get a little bit stronger with each passing crisis.

Or do I?

__________

Maybe I get stronger with each crisis, but they break me a little too. Like one step forward, two steps back.....

I have diagnosed myself with PTSD and anxiety. I don't know anyone who would disagree with those presumptions. I have flashbacks to the nights Mark's heart stopped, and my breathing catches and tears sting my eyes. What is minor to someone else is difficult for me because my emotions are  constantly raw and at the surface.

I think, time will heal. It does some, but not entirely. The nerves and fear are still there.

I'm strong yet sensitive. Courageous yet afraid. Positive yet cynical. I am a walking contradiction.

The contradictions are hard to reconcile.

It's time for me to accept some help figuring all this out. As much as my friends and family love me and blogging is free therapy, neither holds the understanding I long for.

I'm not sure why I find this so hard to do. I have pushed and pushed the idea of therapy away for a  long time. I do know I worry it will only serve to muddy the waters more.

But it's my children, although they don't know it, who are inspiring me to give in. If and when we lose their dad, I will need all the help I can get to be everything they need me to be.

__________

Tomorrow.

Not like Scarlett O'Hara's "I'll think about that tomorrow", although I admit I have done plenty of that.

No. I will begin seeing a therapist first thing tomorrow morning.

I am such an idiot!

Never mind the fact that I Googled "half of 2/3" while baking this weekend.

::Face palm::

That's a minor thing.

No. I proclaimed more than once over the summer how I was looking forward to September, starting a new chapter with both of my kids in school full-time.....

It was gonna be great!

And it is.

But.

It was a CHANGE. A pretty big one. And I'm not always the best at change.

I have to warm to it. The idea has to grow on me. Then I'll be all, "Bring it on!"

One would think this was happening over the summer. That I had ample time to be ready for this new normal.

Apparently not.

When September 5 rolled around and my little boy was gone just like his big sister, it broke me a little.

Not so much that day. More like as the days marched on and both my children left me for six hours of each one. It started to sink in. The change had come.

I became a mess.

If I really think about it, it's not so much that something changed. It's not even really that it has to do with facing my babies growing up. At the heart of it is the fear and anxiety I write about so often.

This is why I'm an idiot. I should know by now that a change like this can set off a chain reaction of crazy emotions inside me. I should have expected it and planned for it.

I'm doing much better now. I've found a new routine and have plenty to do. And I like it. But man, I wish this past month had gone differently.

Girls like football too!

We just may need to accessorize for the Big Game!

And a little Etsy shop called Petit Bijoux has you covered.

We're talking belts, headbands, bracelets and earrings inspired by your favorite sports teams.

But wait. Let me introduce you to the Renaissance woman behind Petit Bijoux.

She is a writer. As in novels.

She is a blogger. As in For the Love of Writing.

She works for a non-profit org.

And she makes one-of-a-kind team-themed accessories.

"She" is The Sarcasm Goddess!

That's right. You know her, you love her. Did you know she opened an Etsy shop?

"I started making jewelry because I couldn't seem to find what I wanted in stores. Or if I did find something I liked it cost half my paycheck. So I tried to copy designs. Now, I mainly focus on making things that are sports themed: belts, headbands, bracelets and earrings in your favorite team's colors! I have about 15 items up in my etsy shop, but I have much more inventory than that and can do custom orders."

 SG sent me a Seattle Seahawks themed bead bracelet.

These are basically the Seahawks' colors

My bracelet!

Look at the pretty packaging!

It is a good quality piece. I can tell she doesn't use cheap beads. And the color is beautiful!

I can only imagine the Holiday gift-giving opportunities here!

Guess what? I get to do a CUSTOM bracelet giveaway!

And, SG will randomly select one person who "likes" her Petit Bijoux Facebook page and mentions they came from just JENNIFER.

And AND, Right now everything in the shop is 25% off. Just enter the code THANKYOU12 at checkout.

ENTER TWO CUSTOM BRACELET GIVEAWAYS

To enter the giveaway here on my blog, simply leave a comment telling us who your favorite sports team is. You may receive an additional entry if you tweet about the giveaway and leave the tweet URL in a separate comment: Enter to #win a custom, handmade bead bracelet #giveaway from Etsy shop Petit Bijoux and @JenAnnHall! http://bit.ly/RIpIoV. You may tweet once per day.

To enter the giveaway on the Petit Bijoux Facebook page, like it and post to the wall that you heard about it from ME.


**Blog giveaway begins today, Saturday, October 6, 2012 and will run for one (1) week. I will plug the number of comments into Random.org on Saturday, October 13, 2012 and count from the first comment to select the winner. You will need to either sign into Disqus or leave me a way to contact you in your comment.

Did You Know? Get Your #LatteLove On!

For October's Did You Know? I bring you news of a warm and yummy Twitter Party!

What: I am co-hosting a Twitter party to talk about making your breakfast better with an at-home latte! Americans love their lattes, and with one serving of fat free milk adding nine essential nutrients but only 80 calories and no fat, lattes love you back. Join us to chat about how you can get a nutritious and delicious start to your day.

When: Thursday, October 4, at 1:00 PM Eastern (10:00 AM Pacific). It will last one hour.

Where: The party will take place on Twitter, using the #LatteLove hashtag.

Who: @theMotherhood, @CooperMunroe, @EmilyMcKhann will be hosting.

Prizes: We will give away five Latte Lovers Essentials prize packs throughout the Twitter party! Each one will include a Bodum milk frother, Latte Love mug, 8 oz. Lavazza coffee, Torani syrup, McCormick spices, recipe card and coupon. 

Twtvite: For more details, and to RSVP, click here!

Want a sneak peek? Enter the Latte Love Sweepstakes on Facebook now through October 9, for a chance to win a Latte Lovers Essentials kit or Keurig brewing system (What??)! You can also find easy tips, recipes and ideas for making lattes, cappuccinos or other coffee drinks at home on The Breakfast Project or MilkMustache.com.

For at-home latte recipe ideas and inspiration, check out these links:

• Nine-Nutrient Boost
• Morning Pick-Me-Up
• Ooh La Latte

Perfect timing, what with it being fall now, right?

And Did You Know you can look forward to more #LatteLove and Milk Mustache musings to come?

Well you CAN! I will be publishing a list of some of my favorite blogs to read with my morning coffee, AND.....wait for it....hosting a giveaway of the very same #LatteLove mug and milk coupon I received!

If you have something interesting to share, grab the Did You Know? button over in my sidebar and link up a post!
And stay tuned for more #LatteLove....