Labor Day Weekend Sunday Salon @ River House Inn

Labor Day in the North Western Mountains of North Carolina @ River House Inn!

This weekend's Sunday Salon. "Labor Day weekend) David Haney and Lisa Baldwin, Bluegrass, country, singer songwriter."

Here you will see our "lovely" little video, again UNcut, from our stay at the RiverHouseInn in August. We loved the live music and the tasty hors d’oeuvres! One, two, three... :) Enjoy! And notice the ambiance and quaint atmosphere even in this short break between music sets.

River House Inn, North Carolina Sunday Salon from CarolinaMama

Believe me you will love your time at the River House Inn if your lucky enough to go! Have a great Labor Day Weekend!

Warmly,

Weight Watchers Seven Layer Mexican Dip - Guilt Free

Fall, Football and BooMama's Diptacular! Really, a perfect way to commemorate the Labor Day Weekend! like we do in the South, with food!

Since I'm a Weight Watcher Girl, I wanted to share a guilt-free version of one of our family favorites - the Seven-Layer Mexican Dip. Check out this Weight Watchers Seven-Layer Mexican Dip
version with manageable "points" and loves of veggie and calcium servings.


Ingredients
1 cup(s) fat-free sour cream
2 Tbsp reduced-sodium taco seasoning
9 oz fat-free bean dip, about 1 heaping cup
6 oz guacamole, about 3/4 cup
1/4 cup(s) low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
4 medium scallion(s), chopped
1 small tomato(es), chopped
6 medium olive(s), black, sliced
Instructions
Combine sour cream and taco seasoning; mix well.

Spread bean dip on bottom of a 12-inch round glass serving bowl or edged-platter. Top with guacamole, sour cream, cheese, scallions, tomatoes and olives. Yields about 1/4 cup dip per serving.

POINTS® Value: 2
Servings: 12
Preparation Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 0 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

"You'll be the hit of the party with this crowd-pleasing dip. Weight Watchers lightened it up with low-fat cheese, fat-free bean dip and sour cream — nobody will notice the difference. Serve with baked chips or crudités."

Let me know what you plan to make special this Labor Day weekend! And join the fun here:


Boo Mama's Diptacular 2009! And since I always participate, this is my entry, Hooked on Healthy Dip! for Julia's Hooked on Friday's. Check out all the fun there too.

Happy Labor Day Weekend Y'all!

Warmly,

Coolest Carolina Children's Boutique

Here it is Labor Day Weekend and yes, I am thinking about Christmas shopping. :) My mother was an awesome shopper. What with a family of seven - That's right Family of 7! - she shopped year round. Now even with my family of four, shopping year round is a good thing.

Sales, latest favorites and fun eco-friendly shops like this adorable one I just discovered Lou Lous Corner! Is this not adorable. And Lou Lous is a North Carolina classic located in the quaint town of Hickory, North Carolina.

They are a specialty boutique that they like to refer to as "A Toy Box For The Whole Family!" ;) Isn't that cute. Check out their site and see all of these great toys and they are eco-friendly toys, too! How awesome is that!

Have you see anything as cute as this Haba Toy. I love the colorful look and these primary colors stimulate their minds.



Or these adorable jelly cats!


And the Barefoot Dreams are irresistable and plush.


This one is one I think my little nephew-to-be will need! Look at these Appaman onesies! Too cute!

If you live near Hickory, North Carolina, have you been to Lou Lous Corner? If you have please let me know. It just looks too adorable. Thinking another set of Twins sounds great right now!! :)

Have a great day y'all!

Warmly,

Hooked On Designer Mailboxes

Has a Classic Designer Mailbox ever caught your fancy? These are really making a statement. So I had to add one more favorite to this week's Hooked on Fridays! It's Mailboxes!

Awesome designer Mailboxes like these...

Love these handsome looking Residential Mailboxes that make a bold and beautiful statement. They even have lots of lockbox features and specialties. Who knew!

Even their Commercial Mailboxes are classy looking. This makes any office mail box or small business mailbox more professional and even fun.

What are your favorite mailboxes? And just for bonus fun, I had to add this cute, handsome, address palque.

Makes you want to upgrade all your mailboxes and plaques. I do!

Warmly,

Disney Imagination Movers to North Carolina

Hello North Carolina! Raleigh/Durham, RTP, and all. We love the Arts. And this one is close to our hearts. This is exciting the Durham Performing Arts Center presents Disney Imagination Movers!

"With a hit Disney Channel series and newly released Walt Disney Records CD under their belt, the wildly popular kid-pop quartet Imagination Movers will launch their first-ever U.S. concert theater tour,“Live From The Idea Warehouse Tour.”

Mark your calendar October 15th is the big event for North Carolina: Imagination Movers will be at the Durham Performing Arts Center. Bring your children to meet Rich, Scott, Dave and Smitty and hear these creative songs. Indeed, the Movers sing about things they know: messy rooms, healthy snacks, sibling rivalry and other topics that relate to being a little kid.

Thank you to the Durham Performing Arts Center for providing our family tickets to this fun event. Let me know if you plan to go. Stay tuned, we're working on a Giveaway too. :) Either way, this is just too fun so get your tickets. If you have seen the Disney Imagination Movers before, please let me know. This is just too exciting. Also, I'll plan to post a review with pictures of the entertaining evening!

Check out the Durham Performing Arts Center for more exciting events like Phantom of the Opera, Robin Williams and more. You can also follow them on Twitter here.

Warmly,

Talking With Aida Mollenkamp - Healthy Snacks

Last Thursday, I got the opportunity to chat with Aida Mollenkamp of the FoodNetwork! What a a grand time. I really enjoyed her candid and informative visit about all things healthy. We specifically were discussing the amazing new Yoplait Delights Parfaits! These are just that amazing.

Yes, Yoplait sent my family a big box of all of the flavors of parfaits to try. And we adored them! They are light, refreshing, and low calorie too. So it is a perfect snack or dessert.

Aida and I talked about our own mothers and their influence upon us through their cooking. My mother used to make her own - yes homemade for a family of seven! - Go Mom! Parfaits! We loved these. She would layer, fruit, yogurt, jello. It was too fun. So I already had a great feeling about parfaits.

Yoplait Delights Parfaits delivered! Aida liked the Chocolate Raspberry best. And I found the Lemon Tort to be my favorite. Of course, they all were "delightful!"

Click this photo for your link to a $1.25 OFF Coupon on Yoplait Delights Parfaits!

$1.25 Off Yoplait Delights Parfaits

Aida and I discussed some of her "go to" snacks for healthy eating. I loved this idea. She "jazzed up" the Smore with a Grilled Banana. What a great way to get another fruit in and enjoy an old time classic.

One Twitter reader and friend asked about the issue of school lunches and allergies. What to do when a classmate has a peanut allergy. We all know those can be quite serious and yet PB is a good quick child-friendly protein. Aida suggested Almond and Cashew Butters for a quick and healthy protein.

Personally, I love Aida's twist on an old Southern favorite -

the Bacon Lettuce Tomato Sandwich.

She simply substitutes the bacon with a ripe and ready California Avocado! Doesn't that sound delish!

We also talked about what to do with a picky eater? Her answer: "It's all in the attitude. Have an open creative path to the food and share it with your child. Introduce them to different things and see what they like!"

Lastly, Aida suggests stop over-analyzing the diet! And enjoy healthy foods especially some of her favorite "no recipe recipe"
snacks like:

hard cheeses
fresh fruit
crackers
crunchy whole wheat crackers
banana and honey
grain bread, tomato, and cottage cheese

Also, check out Aida Mollenkamp as Food Editor on Chow.com. And on her new show Ask Aida that premiered on August 2nd.

There you have it a whole lot of Tips from Aida on healthy living and eating! Go to "Works For Me Wednesday!" for more great tips.

What are your favorite tips for favorite healthy snacks? Let's dish! :)


Warmly,

Skate Boy Andrew Needs A Miracle

This first day of September, I wake up to my boys saying "Happy September Mom!" as we do each month, each special occasion. As my own mother has done all these years. And my mind wonders to my dear blogging friend, Melanie and her sweet Andrew.



Report on Andrew
We have received a very bad report. But God.
HE is the I AM.
He is able, mighty, awesome, amazing, wonderful, beautiful, holy, creator, sustainer, redeemer, healer, Father and Designer of Brains.

PLEASE continue to intercede in faith filled prayer for a miracle for Andrew. To read more visit Melanie's blog here. Please pray for this precious family in this storm. Read more of Melanie's amazing writings there and how she is strong in her faith, how her family keeps the faith even in this dark night.

Thank God for your own blessings today. And hug your own family all the closer for we do not know what tomorrow holds but our future is in HIs hands. God Bless!


Warmly,