featured-bloggers

Dining Diva - Susan Vanell-Charpentier

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 21:33:07 +0100

Anyone who works full time, is a Mom to four children (and wife), and has time to share her amazing blog and cooking talents with all of us has definitely earned the title of Dining Diva! You Go Girl! I recently stumbled across Susan's blog and was not only intrigued but amazed at what she has to offer. Some of you know that I struggle with cooking and coming up with meal plans. Well struggles be gone since Dining Diva has my back. Susan not only puts together a weekly menu plan of meals, but she also puts it in a convenient PDF or Excel file that includes your grocery list and meal plan for the week. You'll also want to print off the recipes and keep them on file (I've purchased a 3 ring binder where I can place the recipes and then I always like to make a note if it was a favorite for our family at the top). Susan is my guardian cooking angel! Plus I love that she's a local resident of Deerfield Township.

Susan's family - adorable!

I always like to learn a little bit more about the woman behind the blog, so Susan and I had a little Q&A and here's what I learned.

How many kids do you have (ages)? We have four kids: Jackson (8), Chase (8), Eliana (3), and Lincoln (1).
What's your top 3 favorite kids foods? Generally, I try not to differentiate 'kid foods' and adult meals as I am a big fan of making one meal, and everyone eating it, and I think it's important for kids to have wide range of foods they like. That said, there are a few meals I make that kids tend to love: Beef and Mozzarella Bake (a casserole of ground beef, pasta, tomato soup, and cream of mushroom soup and cheese, of course); Grilled cheese and Tomato soup (with nice cheeses), and Sweet and Sour Meatball Skewers with rice....all are on the DD archives!
What's your top 3 favorite foods/meals? My mom's homemade ravioli, my husband's cheesecake, and Minnesota wild rice soup.
When did you launch Dining Diva? I launched it April 2 of this year.
For a picky eater, do you have any suggestions? Yes! I have several. First, if you can, start young. Insist they try everything (at least a couple of bites) at each meal until they are old enough to articulate what they don't like (seven or eight years!) . Palettes change over time, and you can learn to like foods, so make sure they get exposure to many different things. Second, involve them. Often, kids don't like food because they don't know what's in it. You can start early having kids help you cook. Let them put meals on the weekly meal plan, pick out fruits and veggies at the grocery store, and involve them in the preparation of the meal. This breaks down the fear of the unknown, and of course they want to eat food they made! Finally, if all else fails, hide stuff in there...puree spinach or carrots to put inside casseroles; allow them to use ketchup on anything to get it down.
Where do you find your recipes? Everywhere. I love Kraft Food and Family Magazine, Family Circle, and Real Simple. I also cut recipes out of the newspaper, ads, and anywhere else. Rarely though do I make a recipe exactly as it's printed. I nearly always optimize it to make it lower fat, easier, quicker, and/or more delicious. My favorite source of recipes though is an evening my girlfriends and I created called Dining Divas Girls' Night Out. A host invites over many women, and we each submit a recipe ahead of time. Then, on the night of the event, we make our dish and bring it to the party. We always wind up with fifteen to twenty new recipes, and we've gotten to see them in person and taste them and talk to their maker. It's an inexpensive way to spend a night with friends and get great recipes, and we eat so well!
Do you have any favorite recipe blogs or other blogs you get inspiration from? Yes! Jane Maynard's blog: This Week for Dinner is one of my favorites. Her recipes are always delicious and something we'd actually eat.
If someone was visiting Mason or Cincinnati for the first time, what 3 things would you tell them are a must see? (1) Pitrelli's restaurant in downtown Mason. It's a great family-owned restaurant that represents so much of the best of Cincinnati. (2) The Flying Pig marathon -- it's a high energy weekend that is simply a great way to get involved and see so much of Cincinnati, whether you run, walk, or watch, there is something for everyone (3) Eden Park -- the views are outstanding, and there is so much hidden art; it's a scene of beauty.
In your past life or current (pre Dining Diva) what did you do? In my day job I work at Procter & Gamble in the Purchases function. My current job is to work on 2020 organization strategy, and that's what prompted me to launch Dining Diva Dinners. I was studying what skills would be critical in the future, and my research shows that being able to do business using social platforms, providing services, and entrepreneurial skills are key, and I wanted to ensure I was building those skills. So, I decided to develop those skills sets in a way that can help others. My girlfriends were always asking for my weekly meal plan, so this is a way to give it to them and at the same time to encourage families to eat dinner together. There is so much value in a family sitting down at dinner (research shows kids who eat dinner as a family do better in school, have lower incidence of drug use, and eat more fruits and vegetables.) I simply want to do my part to help families around the world enjoy these benefits by making fixing dinner easy. Also, I am an advocate for spending wisely, and I hate the idea that families who are already strapped for cash are spending more money due to extra trips to the grocery store. If I can do a little prep work and help people, I want to do that.
What do you like to do in your spare time? I love to read. I am a runner, and I workout 5-6 days/week. I have four kids, so I like to spend time teaching them and understanding them, and I have a husband who is out of this world, so I want to spend time with him. We are also involved with the Yellow Ribbon Support Center and Let us Never Forget foundation.

Susan also shares her "Special K" snack bar recipes on our recipe exchange forum. Your kids will love them. Thanks to Susan for starting such helpful resource. You can also find Dining Divas on Facebook and Twitter.

Modern Cincy Mom - Sabrina Ingram

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 15:41:52 +0100

Sabrina and family.

Did you know that Cincinnati was just named "the most social-media savy city in the World"? Well, that means we've got lots of great bloggers and social-media gurus in abundance. I wanted to feature one local blogger, Sabrina Ingram, from Modern Cincy Mom. Married for nine years, Sabrina is now a stay-at-home Mom of two energetic little ones (sounds familiar). Sabrina loves a great deal and wanted to document her adventures and hopefully help others on the road to saving. She's got a great section on corporate coupon policies so you can see what big name stores coupon policies are without having to look up each individual store. Great tips!

Even though Sabrina has a great writing style (her blogs flow so easily and you stay engaged as a reader), I was IN AWE when I realized that Sabrina has many more talents up her sleeve. I have no idea how one person can be so creative and talented but she is. Sabrina creates the most gorgeous cakes, makes beautiful tutu's and hairbows and is also an outstanding caterer. Just looking at all the wonderful pictures on her blog is making me hungry. Plus her handmade tutus are gorgeous. I'm going to get one for my youngest for her birthday - she will love it. If you have a new baby girl, you have to see the Tutu Halter dresses, they are adorable and would make a great gift for any new Mom. Even better, her prices are very affordable - tutu's range from $7-$20.

I wondered how Sabrina got started making cakes and she got inspired after seeing Cake Boss in 2009 and, she just thought,"hmmmm I could do that and there I went. This is such a huge love in my life. I am very affordable. I do 3D Sheet Cakes, Butter creme Specialty Cakes, Fondant Cakes, Cake Balls, and Personalized Sugar Cookies. The average price of a birthday cakes starts at $1.50 per serving." All I can say is WOW!

Sabrina is also an inspiration. She's a twelve year cancer survivor and has always enjoyed giving back to her community. She has done charitable work with lots of great local organizations such as: 1-Eighty Ministries, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, American Cancer Society, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as well as ministries within her home church.

I also asked Sabrina her top three tips for saving money and here's her response:

Don't buy it just because you have a coupon.
Eat Healthy! By saving money in other areas of your home you can afford to pay for those fresh veggies.
Also pre-plan your shopping trips. Take 30-60 minutes a week to do this. Research your menus and stick to your list. I know this is so hard, but you can do it.

Sabrina's top recommendations for family fun are:

I live in the Maineville area so I have to hands down give Kings Island a huge must. We do season tickets and love every moment of it. You can go all summer and each time do something different.
We also do season tickets to the Cincinnati Zoo. I don't think we ever make it through in one trip, so the season tickets are priced great and it gives us something to do on the fly on a summer day. My kids love the petting zoo.
And lastly, EAT! My husband and I love to find small, privately owned restaurants around Cincinnati and indulge. There are so many that are amazing and dont get the love due to not being a large chain. I highly recommend for a date night or family night finding one of these and enjoying. You can find them all over but looking in old Hyde Park and Blue Ash are some goodies.

I hope you'll get a chance to visit Modern Cincy Mom and learn more about Sabrina. You can also visit Modern Cincy Mom on Facebook.

Note: All adorable photos are courtesy of Sabrina Ingram and Mondern Cincy Mom.

Lunch It, Punch It!

Mon, 02 May 2011 02:11:42 +0100

Lunch It, Punch It! What a great idea. Three friends, all librarians from Cincinnati and Northern Ky, decided to make it a goal to pack at least ten lunches and then reward themselves with a lunch out. You can read more about FM, Lin & udandi to see how they got LPI started. I love this idea. It not only will save you money, but you'll probably eat a lot healthier since you'll be the one deciding what goes in your lunch bag. They have an engaging website that has cool recipes, great blogs posts, and fun ways to bling out your lunch bag or places to get some cool lunch bag accessories (sure beats the brown paper sack days).

They also make it easy to join the club. Just print out their Lunch It, Punch It! cards and you'll be on your way to tracking your progress and making your goal. Even if you're a stay-at-home parent, this can work for you and your family too. Think about how much money you can save if you decided to pack lunches instead of running through the drive through.

One thing they suggest is finding a friend to do this with. It's definitely more fun to go out to eat with a friend and if you both complete your goal, you could switch off deciding on your favorite places to eat.

Mommy Hates Cooking - Meet Kristy

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 02:43:45 +0100

Mommy Hates Cooking is a blog after my own heart. I recently discovered this great blog and now I look forward to getting Kristy's recipes emailed directly to my inbox. Even if I don't get my cooking mojo going that day, I still love checking out her recipes and I file them away since sometimes I actually do get motivated and want to cook.

I love how the web can bring Kristy to my home even when she's blogging all the way from Broken Arrow, OK. Mom to an adorable little guy and wife, Kristy stays at home and shares her cooking tips, mishaps, and kid friendly meals. She also features recipes from others that she has tried. I really want to try the baked banana oatmeal since I've been on a big oatmeal kick lately. Kristy has a huge recipe index so if you're in a bind trying to decide what to make for dinner or lunch, then check it out - you will be inspired. Plus since Kristy is allergic to tree nuts, none of her recipes have them.

Shes' got lots of slow cooker recipes too. I was on my slow cooker kick for about two weeks and then the honeymoon was over but I am going to get back on the horse and try Kristy's Slow Cooker Potato Soup with a link to yummy Cheddar Bay Biscuits from All Recipes. Just look at Kristy's pictures (photo credits Mommy Hates Cooking) and you'll be adding the ingredients to your shopping list.

I wondered what her families top three food picks were and here's the run down:

Kristy's - Cookies, Chicken and Rice, Taco Salad
Husband's- Mexican Meatloaf, Taco Salad, and Ice Cream
Son's- Cheesy Chicken, BBQ, and Graham Crackers

I love that Kristy shares it all, from success to the not so great. Read her "Bagel Failure" post to see what I'm talking about. We've all had those days. Kristy and her family enjoy spending afternoon's at the park, reading, and she laughingly talks about how her husband likes to take the family off roading.

You can also find Mommy Hates Cooking on facebook. Happy Eating!

We'll be adding Kristy's Mommy Hates Cooking badge to our recipe exchange forum so if you're ever visiting that page, you'll have an easy way to link on over to MHC.

The Savings Lifestyle - Andrea Deckard

Sun, 30 Jan 2011 03:23:20 +0100

The Savings Lifestyle is a great site to visit – filled with money saving tips, coupons, giveaways, free stuff and so much more. It’s all there to help you save money and maybe earn some money too (see Strategies to Save or Strategies to Earn). I love their motto: “Save on what you need, spend on what you want”. The Savings Lifestyle was founded by Andrea Deckard, who originally started Mommy Snacks in 2008. She’s been blogging, sharing her money saving tips, inspirational stories, love for her family and her faith and doing it all with grace and style. As a Mom of three boys, she gets what it means to save and having her pass along her tips and tricks makes my life easier and easier for all the fans that follow The Savings Lifestyle (visit TSL’s Facebook fan page for daily money saving tips or sign up for their newsletter).

The Savings Lifestyle is growing and Andrea now has the help of some other wonderful bloggers to help make our lives easier. She’s branched out and has a Cincinnati savings network and a Dayton savings network. If you live in Cincinnati, then seeing all the great finds that Becky comes up with will amaze you. Becky can find a deal and when she does, lucky for us, we get to hear about it too. If you live in Dayton, then Bridgett is your go to gal for some great deals. Beyond the networks, there is also a coupon database that will help you save, save, save. Kudos to Kathy for putting together all those daily deals and Amber who works on all the store sales and shopping deals (see the Sale Shopping section). Thanks to all of you for all your hard work!

I also love that Andrea wants you to succeed as well and shares her ideas on how you can earn money online. She gives you great tips on what to expect when you sign up for an online survey or if you are already an online shopper, she shows you how you can actually earn $$ from just doing what you normally do. Take a look at TSL’s “Shop Online and Get Paid” for some great suggestions. Now Andrea is all about full disclosure so she also shares that she utilizes affiliate advertisers. I actually heard Andrea speak about affiliate advertisers at a Cincinnati Women Bloggers meeting a few years ago and was really impressed that she shared so many hints and tips with all of us “newbie’s”. She’s got a great post on “How to Monetize your Blog” if you want to read more about how some bloggers can earn some extra money (I have affiliate advertisers on MasonMetu too). What's great about Andrea is that she is so willing to help others learn more.

The Savings Lifestyle is also part of the Cincinnati.com Blog Network and you can find The Savings Lifestyle on Facebook and Twitter. I hope you’ll stop by and visit soon – let the savings begin!

Note: You'll find another great website, Family Friendly Cincinnati on the Cincinnati.com Blog Network. I'm also a contributor to FFC so I hope you'll stop by and check out both great sites.

Domestic Debacle - Katie Dattalo

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 16:02:34 +0100

"I'm a Domestic Debacle"......yup it's oh so true and I love that Katie Dattalo has a blog that makes us all feel normal. She's a Mom, wife, homemaker, and part-time substitute pre-school teacher (by way of an Aerospace and Military science background - wowza). She also has a fabulous blog that has so many tips, reviews and giveaways and great posts that will keep you coming back for more. I love her Puke Apocalypse 2010 post (I'm sure she doesn't want to relive all this). Her blog is so visually appealing too - love the colors, the fonts, the badges.

Katie is the real deal - from her love of polka dots to her love of Disney, you will find that you can relate to her. I met Katie in person and she's so genuine (complete with polka dots). She's friendly and giving and I can honestly say she can make anyone feel welcome and at home. So, if you want to feel better over the holidays (we know we can't do it all), then visit Domestic Debacle to put a smile on your face. I know you'll enjoy reading "The misadventures of harried housewife" as much as I do.

You can also find Domestic Debacle on Facebook and Twitter. Katie also makes time to write for another great website, Family Friendly Dayton (sister website to Family Friendly Cincinnati - near and dear to my heart).

Just Trying to Save Money with Brianne Miller

Sat, 30 Oct 2010 23:42:18 +0100

I don't know about you but once November arrives, I feel like we are off to the races with holiday shopping. Many of you are probably savvy shoppers that already have your Christmas lists completed but if you're like me you are either thinking you have plenty of time left to get it all done or you just think your list of "to get" items will somehow magically appear wrapped and waiting on Christmas morning. Of course, we'd also like to save money on our wish lists as well as get great deals on all the other holiday trappings.

Lucky for us, Just Trying to Save Money, is ready to help. Local mom of three girls (ages 9, 6 & 2), Brianne Miller, is doing the work for us. She looks for all the great deals and puts them in an easy to use website just waiting for you to try. If you just want to get deals on your standard grocery store shopping, she features weekly store match ups. If you're new to couponing and saving money, she has some great tips on getting started. Click here for her Kroger 101 tutorial. Hint - purchase a Kroger Plus Card and you can load it with coupons electronically so that when you visit your local Kroger you're not fumbling around looking for the coupon or upset that you left your coupons at home.

If you'd like to get updates on all the weekly deals, you can also sign up for Just Trying to Save Money's newsletter. I'm a subscriber and it's nice to get the updates especially since I don't have to do any of the work. You can join on any page on the website or become a fan on Facebook or follow on Twitter so you don't miss out. Thanks Brianne for all your hard work, helping us save money and for finding those great deals.

Brianne with her family.

365 Things to Do in Cincinnati - Bridgett Raffenberg

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 03:58:42 +0100

I think you can tell that I love living in Mason, Ohio but I also love living in Greater Cincinnati. The Queen City has so much to offer and if I'm looking for something new to experience, I head on over to 365Cincinnati.com. Why? The blog is great. The founder, Bridgett Raffenberg, really knows how to showcase our city and she does it with style. I always enjoy reading about her adventures and the easy to use website keeps me engaged and ready to return for more fab suggestions on things to do, restaurants to enjoy, cultural events and much more. Plus she always takes some great photos so you embark on a visual journey too.

Bridgett adds to her site continually so check back often. Here are some of the recent posts just from this week:

Day 172 - The Lackman
Day 171 - Nada
Day 170 - Paint the Street - The 2nd Annual Ta-Da
Day 169 - The Great Outdoor Weekend
Day 168 - Aronoff Center for the Arts

After meeting Bridgett at a Cincinnati Rollergirls match (a.k.a Day 31 and very fun), I asked her, "do you really do all the things you blog about?" Amazingly, Bridgett does it all. 365 Things to Do in Cincinnati is the perfect tour guide for visitors coming to Cincinnati. If you'd like to get updates on the 365 adventures, sign up for the 365 newsletter on the website or you can connect with 3 65 Things to Do in Cincinnati on Facebook . With over 26,000 fans and counting you know that you are in good company.

You will also find some great deals on the site. For a limited time, you can get half price admission tickets to the Civil War Cincinnati Tour (only $7.50/ticket). Read more about the tour on Day 143.

Canal photo courtesy of 365Cincinnati.com

the little things - Katie Scheper

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 02:21:39 +0100

Katie and family!

It is "the little things" that make it all worthwhile. Katie Scheper captures these moments in a heartfelt way. Sharing in her family joy becomes contagious and makes you want to stop by for a longer visit. Katie is a Mom of four (her youngest just turned 7 months and he's adorable). I also love that she features her daughter, Ella (better known as ella bella princess of Kentucky), and some of Ella's favorite things.

Katie not only delightfully takes us along on some of her family adventures, but she's also a former preschool teacher so you know that she's creative. Keeping young kids engaged is a special talent and Katie is no slacker. She actually does crafts with her kiddos and bakes with them too (I need to jump on that bandwagon some day soon).

I hope you'll stop by the little things and see Katie's wonderful blog. You'll also notice that it showcases some handmade cards. Katie has another website, Cards by Katie, where she sells her one of a kind hand crafted cards. They are unique and would make great gifts for teachers and friends.

You can also find Katie contributing some great articles on Family Friendly Cincinnati - love her "Perfect Park" series and I always look forward to her kid friendly restaurant reviews.

"Doin' the Working Mom Thing" - Meet April Sluder

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 18:51:18 +0100

"Trying to fit it all into a 24 hour day".......April's tag line says it all and I'm sure many of us are in the same boat (at least I know I am). April has a great blog where she joyously writes about her two girls and more. Working (she's a social worker), being a Mom and wife gives April an endless array of material to blog about.

April's oldest starts first grade this Fall, and her youngest is doing her baby thing - just look at her cherubic little face from her May 12th post. Reading April's blog makes you feel like you're not alone (her posts on dealing with sick children sound so familiar). I hope you'll take the time to head on over to April's blog, I know you'll enjoy it just as much as I do.

April is also a contributor to Family Friendly Cincinnati and you can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.