It is time to start counting down to 2010...hard to believe another year has flown by in the blink of an eye!  My oldest turned ten and my youngest turned five this year...big milestones for a mommy! Not to mention I'll be turning a milestone age myself on THIS New Year's Day...wow!  I think we as parents need to take moments in our busy daily lives and recount the fun and wonderful moments we have with our children and as a family.  Although it is easy to make and write down a resolution, it is much more difficult to keep those resolutions. Be sure to keep your resolutions doable and realistic, especially for the kids.  A simple family resolution might be to have a daily or weekly "I'm thankful or grateful for..." dinner. Click here for other resolution ideas for you and your family.

One of my resolutions this year is to decorate my new home using all the things I already have (and haven't unpacked yet).  I think in this budget conscious economy, many people can take something they already have, move it around or relocate to another area of their home, and voila...fresh and new and exciting!  I believe that professional decorators call this "staging", while one of my friends calls this her monthly therapy (she likes to move her furniture around frequently).  To get started: Make a decorating plan, don't worry about the latest trends, don't fill empty space just because it's empty, use what you have and what you love to make your home INVITING and YOURS.

Have you decided how you are going to celebrate the last night of 2009? Whether you decide on a date night with your significant other or plan on staying in with your kids, be sure to PLAN, be safe and have fun! A few ideas for a family friendly (or sitter friendly) evening include: a board game tournament, charades, movie festival complete with popcorn and candy, craft for fun hats and noise makers, make your own pizza, a scavenger hunt and a definite countdown to the New Year (watch the New York countdown and kids will be in bed by 9:15 pm)! And don't forget the amazing display of fireworks up and down the entire Las Vegas Strip that can be seen from every point of our Valley!

Getting ready for the New Year...

* It is time to start thinking about After-School Classes & Sports for the Winter Quarter.
* This is a great time to work with tutors if your child is struggling in school.
* Have you decided where your child will be going to preschool in the Fall? Schedule tours now and get on waiting lists so that you have lots of options.

We wish you all a wonderful New Year's celebration and an exciting 2010!

Tamara and Sherry

Ode to the Humble Garlic Bulb

By Tallah Tracy

    “Bon appetite,” I gleefully toast, raising a frothy mug of the best soup I have made in years.  With a suspicious sideways glance and body language that says: “Oh no you don’t…I will not step one foot closer to your latest Frankenblend!”  My son hightails it to his room—and shuts the door.  My husband, on the other hand, peaks out from around the corner of his man cave (our family’s name for his home office) just long enough to determine that nothing good can come of pursuing lunch today.  Before I make it to the second syllable of “chicken!” he too evaporates back into the glow of his latest internet search. 

     Yes, in our household, I do have a certain reputation for blending odd concoctions in my Vita-Mix (a really powerful blender).  An experiment of pureed sprouts, avocado and chocolate may have tarnished my culinary reputation just a tad; but in fairness, everyone loves my signature spinach smoothie. Granted I had to bribe my son to initially try it (for one sip he could leave the whole pile of broccoli on his dinner plate untouched); but ever since, he willingly trades a salad a day for his beloved green sludge. Even my carnivorous husband prides himself on chugging down the monstrous looking concoction.

     So what is their problem with my newest experiment? (Click here to read more....)

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