My usual morning routine involves getting myself ready for the day, the kids ready for school and watching the news. On Tuesday, CBS This Morning interviewed Bryce Covert from New York Magazine about a recently published article that was getting a lot of attention on social media.
The article titled When Men Want Kids - and Women Aren't So Sure looked at women in their late 20s to early 30s who don't know if they want to be moms. Covert says the main reason was over balance. More women don't believe they can have it all. Covert says even though men say they want an equal relationship the weight of raising kids falls on women. She told CBS This Morning, "I also think it's very tough in this country to balance your career and your children."
I have to agree, but that doesn't mean we can't try to find balance. I think our mothers fought for equality and made a little progress but working mom's still need help.
I think it was interesting to hear Covert bring up guilt. She says, Men aren't going to be asked to give things up and they're not going to be guilted about it." Why do we women feel so much guilt when we leave our crying baby with the nanny? The "nanny cam" will show you that most of the time, your child will stop crying shortly after you leave.
When I worked for CBS News as a correspondent servicing the CBS affiliates across the country I felt guilty leaving my newborn for a week. The previous year during my pregnancy I traveled 200 days away from home. That wasn't difficult because I obviously carried my child wherever I went, like a kangaroo.
It was when I went back to work that I felt an overwhelming amount of guilt even though I knew my daughter was in good hands. Moms have a tendency to think we aren't being a good mother because we aren't there 24/7 to feed, bathe, change diapers and cuddle our children.
My husband on the other hand, travels and doesn't feel any guilt. I asked him about it and he just shrugs his shoulders saying it's not something he spends time worrying about. I like how Charlie Rose put it, "Men and women both want equality but women don't expect it."
Covert thinks things may get easier for the next generation. She says they will watch us as parents and think we're figuring it out. "We're going to get to equality.'"
I think a lot of us go into this believing we can have it all.... and some find it..... maybe it's learning to deal with the guilt, learning to pray or meditate daily, or learning when it's OK to say "It's good enough." I admit having family close by helps a great deal. My sister had to take the kids to school for me this week and I'm thankful for that. Like so many women, I love being a mom and I love my career. I wouldn't want any woman to have to chose between one or the other..... unless of course that's what she wanted.
Note: "When Good Enough is Perfect" NEVER comes into play for my professional or school work.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Kids Eat Free
When I saw a sign at my favorite fast casual restaurant, Luna Grill, saying, "Kids Eat Free on Tuesday" I decided to give it a try. Maybe it would help solve the "What's for dinner dilemma." I then thought about searching for other restaurants that might offer a similar deal. I found an Italian restaurant called Borrelli's offering a free dinner for kids on Monday.
My family and I have never been to Borrelli's and we don't usually go out to eat on Monday. When we walked in we were seated right away. We were given menus and I asked if my kids can eat for free? The waitress said, "Yes we've offered it for years and not very many people know about it." I asked if Mondays were typically slow and if that was the reason for it. She said it was one of the slow days of the week and yes that's why they do it. You get one free kid's meal for each adult purchased entree.
We brought my mother along and she ordered spaghetti with meatballs. My husband and younger daughter ordered the same. I thought to myself, I could have easily made that at home without too much work. I felt better when my older daughter ordered lasagna until we were told that it is not included in the kid's "eat free" menu. We were also told that drinks were not included. And both of my daughters wanted a Shirley Temple which cost more than any of fountain drinks offered. My husband's attitude, "We're eating out, let them order what ever they want." I typically would agree with that statement, but the only reason we were going out to eat on a Monday was because I wanted to make weeknight meals easy and not have to cook and clean every night. I didn't realize this would entail a few rules. The waitress suggested that my mom order the kid's spaghetti with meatballs because it was a big portion, that way we could still get two free kids' meals, nevermind that she's a senior citizen. I didn't see an age limit on the children's menu. I ordered the Eggplant Parmigiana, I know it takes work to make.
Dinner was good and my daughters ordered dessert because they heard their father say, "Order what you want." The entire bill including the tip came to $61.00, not including alcohol. I figured I could have bought the following:
2 boxes of Decco spaghetti $6.00
2 jar's of Bertolli sauce $4.00
Garlic bread $2.00
Bag of salad and tomato $3.50
_____________________________
Total $15.50
Add a jar of Maraschino cherries $3.99
2 liter bottle of 7-up $2.50
__________________________________
$6.49
Total $21.99
But my kitchen remained clean with no dishes to wash.
On Tuesday I decided we would go to Luna Grill to check out their "Kids Eat Free" deal. This place is really a win, win for my family. The kids' meals include a drink. I ordered my favorite Mediterranean Chicken Salad, my husband had a Chicken Kabob Plate and the kids ordered Junior Burgers with a salad and fries. They were actually too full to order dessert. The bill was under $26.00 and we came home to a clean kitchen. When I asked if there were any restrictions for the kids eat free promotion, they told me that you can't use your Luna Rewards Club card to gain points. I didn't even know they had such a card.
I then started to searh for other restaurants that offer a kids eat free deal. The North County Local Life Style Guide found several local restaurants. http://yournorthcounty.com/article/restaurants-where-kids-eat-free-in-north-county-san-diego/
It's worth doing at least once a week if you follow the rules.
Note: "When Good Enough is Perfect" NEVER comes into play for my professional or school work. http://www.borrellispizza.net/
http://www.lunagrill.com/
My family and I have never been to Borrelli's and we don't usually go out to eat on Monday. When we walked in we were seated right away. We were given menus and I asked if my kids can eat for free? The waitress said, "Yes we've offered it for years and not very many people know about it." I asked if Mondays were typically slow and if that was the reason for it. She said it was one of the slow days of the week and yes that's why they do it. You get one free kid's meal for each adult purchased entree.
We brought my mother along and she ordered spaghetti with meatballs. My husband and younger daughter ordered the same. I thought to myself, I could have easily made that at home without too much work. I felt better when my older daughter ordered lasagna until we were told that it is not included in the kid's "eat free" menu. We were also told that drinks were not included. And both of my daughters wanted a Shirley Temple which cost more than any of fountain drinks offered. My husband's attitude, "We're eating out, let them order what ever they want." I typically would agree with that statement, but the only reason we were going out to eat on a Monday was because I wanted to make weeknight meals easy and not have to cook and clean every night. I didn't realize this would entail a few rules. The waitress suggested that my mom order the kid's spaghetti with meatballs because it was a big portion, that way we could still get two free kids' meals, nevermind that she's a senior citizen. I didn't see an age limit on the children's menu. I ordered the Eggplant Parmigiana, I know it takes work to make.
2 boxes of Decco spaghetti $6.00
 | |
| Borrelli's Pizza and Itallian Food |
Garlic bread $2.00
Bag of salad and tomato $3.50
_____________________________
Total $15.50
Add a jar of Maraschino cherries $3.99
2 liter bottle of 7-up $2.50
__________________________________
$6.49
Total $21.99
But my kitchen remained clean with no dishes to wash.
 |
| Luna Grill |
I then started to searh for other restaurants that offer a kids eat free deal. The North County Local Life Style Guide found several local restaurants. http://yournorthcounty.com/article/restaurants-where-kids-eat-free-in-north-county-san-diego/
It's worth doing at least once a week if you follow the rules.
Note: "When Good Enough is Perfect" NEVER comes into play for my professional or school work. http://www.borrellispizza.net/
http://www.lunagrill.com/
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Family Meals Minus the Stress
In my search to find an answer for the everyday dinner dilemma, I decided to check out Dream Dinners, a franchise that allows you to prepare dinners in their store. The thought of making a mess in someone else kitchen is appealing. They have the spices, the vegetables already chopped, and all of the ingredients you need to assemble the perfect dish. The only thing you have to do is measure, stir and place into freezer bags.
Full disclosure here, I have tried them before but I never analyzed it. I decided to revisit this idea of dinner when they sent me an email last week offering 15% off the already assembled meals with no minimum purchase. So I took them up on their offer but this time I took out my calculator and started thinking about my time and money. I purchased four, three-serving meals and two side dishes for about $72.00. But before I left, just like they always do after completing you're meal preparation, they tempt you with food samples from some of the meals on the menu. On the day I went, they had made a yummy, creamy dish called "Pub Style Chicken with Mashed Potatoes". They offered a free three serving meal of this dish if I booked "today". Needless to say, they sold me on scheduling my session.
The minimum order is six, six-serving meals. The chicken dishes range from $24.99 - $38. for six servings while the beef dishes range from $38. - $45. The pork dishes range from $28. - $34. The shrimp and seafood stew meals run from $39. - $41. When you break it down per serving, the range is $4.17 - $7.50. It takes about an hour to to assemble six different meals, if you know what you're doing and don't spend too much time talking. It's a reasonable amount of time out of my day and a reasonable price. The best part of the deal is that I don't have to think too much about "what's for dinner." However, I found that there's still some work to do once you get home.
Some of the meals come with a side dish of green beans, asparagus or potatoes. Usually another side dish is needed such as a salad, rice, or beans. I made the "Orange Bourbon Chicken" with asparagus, we did not have any leftovers the next night and my husband says the serving sizes are "skimpy". I made rice and a salad to go with it and it was very tasty.
The assembly session at the store is fun with music playing in the background. I can be very focused when I follow the recipes and even alter them, placing any cheese in a separate bag because some in our family don't like the creamy, smooth, melting chunks. One daughter has a sensitivity to gluten, so I will be able to cook gluten-free pasta and scoop some of the sauce from the dish I make on to her pasta.
For four dishes I save at least an hour a day without the stress. As far as the cost, I made a similar dish this week and here's what I purchased:
2 lbs of chicken breasts $7.98 ( I bought the family pack and took out 2 lbs)
1 bottle of Roasted Pineapple Habanero Sauce $7.99
1 lb of asparagus $2.99
1 1/2 cups of rice $3.00
1 bag of pre-washed salad, tomatoes, cucumber $4.50
1 loaf French bread $1.50
__________________________________
Total is $27.96
$27.96 is similar to what I would pay at Dream Dinners, but you wouldn't get the rice, salad, and bread. So I subtracted those items and came up with $18.96. This is about $12.00 less than I would spend at Dream Dinners. So far, I like this idea and I'm looking forward to my session.
Note: "When Good Enough is Perfect" NEVER comes into play for my professional or school work.
Full disclosure here, I have tried them before but I never analyzed it. I decided to revisit this idea of dinner when they sent me an email last week offering 15% off the already assembled meals with no minimum purchase. So I took them up on their offer but this time I took out my calculator and started thinking about my time and money. I purchased four, three-serving meals and two side dishes for about $72.00. But before I left, just like they always do after completing you're meal preparation, they tempt you with food samples from some of the meals on the menu. On the day I went, they had made a yummy, creamy dish called "Pub Style Chicken with Mashed Potatoes". They offered a free three serving meal of this dish if I booked "today". Needless to say, they sold me on scheduling my session.
The minimum order is six, six-serving meals. The chicken dishes range from $24.99 - $38. for six servings while the beef dishes range from $38. - $45. The pork dishes range from $28. - $34. The shrimp and seafood stew meals run from $39. - $41. When you break it down per serving, the range is $4.17 - $7.50. It takes about an hour to to assemble six different meals, if you know what you're doing and don't spend too much time talking. It's a reasonable amount of time out of my day and a reasonable price. The best part of the deal is that I don't have to think too much about "what's for dinner." However, I found that there's still some work to do once you get home.
Some of the meals come with a side dish of green beans, asparagus or potatoes. Usually another side dish is needed such as a salad, rice, or beans. I made the "Orange Bourbon Chicken" with asparagus, we did not have any leftovers the next night and my husband says the serving sizes are "skimpy". I made rice and a salad to go with it and it was very tasty.
The assembly session at the store is fun with music playing in the background. I can be very focused when I follow the recipes and even alter them, placing any cheese in a separate bag because some in our family don't like the creamy, smooth, melting chunks. One daughter has a sensitivity to gluten, so I will be able to cook gluten-free pasta and scoop some of the sauce from the dish I make on to her pasta.
For four dishes I save at least an hour a day without the stress. As far as the cost, I made a similar dish this week and here's what I purchased:
2 lbs of chicken breasts $7.98 ( I bought the family pack and took out 2 lbs)
1 bottle of Roasted Pineapple Habanero Sauce $7.99
1 lb of asparagus $2.99
1 1/2 cups of rice $3.00
1 bag of pre-washed salad, tomatoes, cucumber $4.50
1 loaf French bread $1.50
__________________________________
Total is $27.96
$27.96 is similar to what I would pay at Dream Dinners, but you wouldn't get the rice, salad, and bread. So I subtracted those items and came up with $18.96. This is about $12.00 less than I would spend at Dream Dinners. So far, I like this idea and I'm looking forward to my session.
Note: "When Good Enough is Perfect" NEVER comes into play for my professional or school work.
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