We’ve all heard about the Mommy Wars, right? WOHMs (work outside the home moms) vs. SAHMs (stay at home moms) with WAHMs (work at home moms) thrown in every once in a while? It’s all great fun, really. I mean, women pitted against women – rock on. Anywho, as it turns out, Sam’s school is getting in on it as well, spreading propaganda. For the wrong side. I mean, we here at Mommin’ It Up proudly support both (all three) sides of the fence, but hello – this is a daycare we’re talking about. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you!
Ok let me back up.
Yesterday was Sam’s turn to take home the Book Sharing Bag from school. He picked a book to bring home to share with his family, and then he picked a book from home to take back and share with his friends.
When we sat down to read his selection, I was a bit perplexed.
So the title caught my interest (not to mention the picture – Mom’s job is being a witch?), but I thought perhaps it would be like a book we own called “When Mommy Travels,” which is a great book about a mom taking a business trip.
Yeah, not so much.
Here’s the first page.
“It isn’t easy having a working mom.” Well, ok, strange, but it’s probably rather accurate at times. But it just got worse from there.
It was at this point (page 2) that I started thinking “What the $#@% IS this??” Especially when she enjoys her work? Oh man, that is the worst. I mean, it’s one thing to have a mom who works because she absolutely has to, but to have a mom who likes her job? Sucks.
We read on. For some reason.
People. COME ON. Working moms not only hate their kids but they’re also sucky at the things women are SUPPOSED to do, like cook dinner.
When she’s had a bad day? Mom’s a total witch! Oh wait, Mom being a witch the entire premise of the book.
I totally got to Sam’s school play last year 30 seconds before he went on stage, but that is beside the point. Er, I think.
As I was saying…
But wait! Do not despair – the book has a happy ending!
Moral of the story?
Having a working mom is slightly preferable to being an orphan. Sort of.
I can hardly wait to read the rest of the series. I’ve already put “My Crackhead Mom” and “My Street Walker Mom” on hold at the library.
So last week I posted about how I’ve been experimenting with ALDI shopping for the last few months. What I didn’t tell you when I posted that was part of my reason for posting was that I was looking forward to your comments to see how you felt about ALDI! Becauuuuse, at the end of last week I got to take a trip to ALDI headquarters in Batavia, Illinois for a fun demonstration at their ALDI Taste Kitchen! Since I was already an ALDI fan, I was super-geeked out about going, and I have returned an ever bigger ALDI enthusiast!
The ALDI team started out by assembling a small group of bloggers for a “Switch & Save” taste test. We tasted identical items – one ALDI brand, and one name-brand, to see if we could tell which was which. We tried a variety of drinks, snacks, and cheeses, and I couldn’t tell the difference at all! The ALDI brand tasted as good as the name brand every time. And of course, the ALDI label items typically cost about 30% less!
BOOM!
Next, we sampled some fabulously tasty holiday-themed appetizers. Here’s Liz from ALDI telling us about the delicious taste experience on which we were about to embark!
My favorite was the Thanksgiving in a Bite. OMMZeees!! It’s ridiculous! You’ll be able to get the recipe on ALDI’s website starting October 31st. Start a countdown for this blessed event now.
Just when I thought I’d experienced culinary perfection, the ALDI chefs served us an amazing holiday dinner! A ham with a balsamic-apple cider glaze, the most divine green bean casserole you’ve ever had, and au gratin potatoes I might shove my grandmother out of the way to get to.
Take me back to this meal. I wanna go baaack!
It was all crazy good! Cray-to-the-zee! And all prepared with food and ingredients from ALDI!
Some scenes from our ALDI store tour
The next morning, after we slept off our food hangover, we got to go on a tour of an ALDI store. This might’ve been my favorite part of the whole event! I learned so much, and the very coolest thing I learned I thought it’d be easier to tell you about via quick video:
Check out any box or bag of product you have from ALDI and count the bar codes! Isn’t that genius?? I can’t believe I never noticed that before!
Part of the reason ALDI can keep their prices so low is that they run their stores with 3-5 employees at a time instead of 50 bajillion. With only a couple check lanes open, lines can get long. But these multiple bar codes keep cashiers moving your items down the line lickety-split and keep check lanes moving at lightning speed! Also, ALDI employees ALL cashier as well as stock the store, and even part-time employees get full medical and dental benefits. Say what? Can I have a job in about 4 years when Jonah goes to kindergarten, please ALDI?
While on our store tour, we each picked up a secret ingredient to take back to ALDI’s test kitchen because we were about to embark on a guacamole challenge! I LOVES me some guacamole, as you may remember – and my secret ingredient was sour cream. Not very creative, I know, but the list of ingredients they already had in the taste kitchen was extensive! We had a blast making our guac!
Holy Guacamole! That’s mine up there on the right.
We had a taste test and voted for winners and MINE DID NOT WIN. Which, as I’m sure you realize, is a travesty! But I got to have lots of good guac so I let it slide. Then, we moved on to lunch, which was an amazing all-ALDI taco bar! The pork carnitas were to die for!
My perfect plate! It was so good!
Everything we ate while we were there was 100% ALDI product and 100% FABULOUS! I couldn’t have been more impressed with the chefs or the recipes.
After lunch it was time to go. I was anxious to get home to my babies but sad to leave because in real life? No one drives me around in a town car and prepares gourmet meals for me!
I got home Friday night and Sunday afternoon I ran out to ALDI to do our week’s grocery shopping. I tried a few new things based on my experience – like ALDI’s chocolate syrup. I am a DIE-HARD Hershey’s fan, but I really like the ALDI brand! And it is $1.39 compared to $2.08 for the Hershey’s so I think this mama is switching brands! Crazy, right?
The ALDI difference really IS crazy – the great products, the low prices, and the efficient way they run their stores. I was super-impressed and I’m an even happier ALDI shopper now!
So, for those of you who haven’t…did I convince you to give ALDI a try?
Welcome to a very special Halloween edition of Jenny’s Life Klass! Are you excited or WHAT!? I know I am. Emily and I have a very special Halloween tradition in that our families go trick-or-treating together in her neighborhood (because I? Live in the Ghetto and we’re a little afraid the trick is going to be a live firework or a doobie in the kids trick-or-treat bags. But anyhoo.)
We’ve been perpetrating this trick-or-treat tradition ever since Joshua and Kate were infants, so that means I’ve been out at Beggar’s Night as an adult for about nine years now. And here’s something it only took me one time out to learn: many of you are letting your little daughters trick-or-treat dressed as whores.
That’s right, America! You’ve let your 9-year-olds roam the streets as witches or car hops or nurses, or even princesses! Nothing wrong with that, right? Well, not in theory. But in reality…you manage to find ways, or let your daughters find ways to make these costumes reallllly slutty. So just in time for All Hallow’s Eve, let me lay down a few ground rules for your little girl’s costume. You are welcome in ADVANCE!
Rule 1: Ix-nay on the orset-cay. PEOPLE! No one under the age of 18 should be allowed to wear a corset! Vote, buy cigarettes, wear a corset. Makes sense to me! Why does it not make sense to the parents of the bazillions of underage corset-wearing girls I see at trick or treat each year? WHY!?
Little Red Riding Whored
That costume is marketed as a “tween” costume. Which I guess is supposed to make it ok?
2. Hemlines shall be closer to the knee than to the butt cheeks. I’m not saying skirts need to be down to their ankles but THIS????
Monster High. HEMLINE.
IS NOT OK!! And this costume comes as small as a little girl’s 3/4!!
3. Just say no to fishnets. I think I’m going to impose the age 18 rule to fishnets as well. Because fishnets are for women, NOT FOR GIRLS! And this??
Yo-ho-HO is right.
Comes in children’s sizes.
Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be slutty pirates.
What else can I say? I’ve seen some pretty crazy whorish stuff out at trick-or-treat!
To be at the head of Jenny’s Life Klass, please don’t let your baby girl go dressed as a thinly disguised hooker! Dress her in an age-appropriate costume for Halloween and you will get an A+++!!
What are some of your “favorite” Halloween costumes you’ve seen for little girls?
