mommypalooza™ ~ a daily dose of mommy mayhem.

{giveaway}: Super Bowl XLVII and the #CokeChase prize pack

I've always said it's no coincidence that I've found myself as the mother of a house full of boys.  I am such a sports fanatic and love that there's no shortage of sports-minded males in my brood.  And, when it comes to sports, football is the ultimate!! Blame it on the Texas gal in me who has fond memories of sitting around the living room on weekends with my Dad as our huge console tv blared the Dallas Cowboys game.  Flashes of the late, great Tom Landry and his infamous hat and stoic facial expression would go across the screen.  My dad be yelling at the tv at players as if they could hear him!  The excitement in our house was contagious!

Yeah, I do love me some football.  And, I love Coke.

So, I jumped at the chance to share this new fun twist on the ol' Super Bowl commercials we've all come to anticipate and love.  Keep reading!

The Coca-Cola Company is excited about the debut of their new 60-second commercial entitled “Mirage” during this year's big game.  The ad follows three groups of characters – a band of cowboys, a gang of “Badlanders” and {my personal fave} a pack of Vegas-style showgirls – as they chase after a coveted & elusive bottle of Coca-Cola.  But what makes this spot one-of-a-kind is that the fans will actually determine who will win the race!  Fans are invited and encouraged to log on to CokeChase.com to vote for their favorite group of peeps while slowing down the others' progress by initiating fun acts of sabotage.  At the end of the game, it will be the fans' actions that will actually dictate how the story plays out and which one of three 30-second ads will air following the final whistle of the big game.  This is a first for The Coca-Cola Company.

I'm also looking forward to tracking my character pick - the Vegas style showgirls - over on Coca-Cola’s Facebook, YouTube and Twitter pages.  There will be real-time updates on the progress of the race.  You can also keep track of exclusive Coke Chase character content and get a behind-the-scenes look on Tumblr and Instagram.

Fans can also show some love to their favorite group of characters and root for their pick by using special hashtags #CokeShowgirls, #CokeCowboys, or #CokeBadlanders.  If you cast a vote ongame-day by tweeting @CocaCola along with your group's fave hashtag, you'll also get responses from the team, including a link to the sabotage page on CokeChase.com where you can continue the fight in the race!

Then, as the final whistle blows after the Super Bowl, Coca-Cola will reveal the winner of the Coke Chase based on the fans' participation in the form of a 30-second commercial that completes the race and storyline.  I'm sure it will be a fight that comes down to the bitter end!  I can't wait!

Here's a sneak at the Coke Chase ad -- watch it and then pick your fave brood of characters to support and follow along until game day!

 

And now for the giveaway!  Coca-Cola is giving me the opportunity to give one of YOU this fun game-day prize pack to help you celebrate the big game!

Here's what's in the prize pack {valued at $100 retail value}:

• Domino’s pizza gift card/coupons for $50
• An 8” Coca-Cola football
• Pizza cutter
• Galvanized party tub
• A Coca-Cola t-shirt
• Four Coca-Cola 16 oz. cups w/straws
• Coca-Cola product 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{Disclosure:  I have received a prize incentive in exchange for sharing the details of this promotion and giveaway with my readers.  The prizes for this giveaway are furnished by The Coca-Cola Company.  All opinions expressed are my own - no one is the boss of me!}

{Wordless Wednesday}: On the road back home

 

We're on way back home from our Texas travels and I will miss this little peanut more than anything! My sweet niece, Avienne, at just 4 weeks old!

 

{Wordless Wednesday}: Texas, my Texas

Missing my boys.

These past several days have been rough.  I so miss my boys!  Well, I do actually have one of them with me, my 2 year-old, but only relying on phone calls and texts with my older two kiddos has been ruuuu-ough!

Although I've been enjoying this time with my family, I miss seeing my boys play, romp, and run around together.  But, I know that this time will pass quickly and very soon, they'll all be down in Texas here with me greeting their newest cousin.

It has been so exciting for me to spend so much time with my sister as she prepares for her first born -- just 10 days shy of her due date.  We just had her baby shower last weekend, too.  She's planning a very natural homebirth and I was able to go with her earlier this week to her midwife appointment.  She is working with a lovely team of women whom I know have her and the baby's best interest at heart.  I can't wait to get this show on the road!

It's also been cool to spend some time with my mom in her new home.  She and my stepdad just moved into a beautiful brand new home a couple of weeks ago so it's been nice to help them unload and unpack just a bit.  Just yesterday my stepdad picked up the two twin mattresses for one of the spare bedrooms (which will likely be my boys' guest rooms when they visit) so we are starting to put that room together.

On Tuesday my sister and I had lunch out together followed by pedicures and shopping time at one of her fave spots.  I am enjoying getting to spend time with her before this motherhood thing rocks her world!  Oh, she has NO idea!  He, he, he!

But back to my boys.....just last night my oldest told me on the phone just before bed, "I just wish you could come home already."  It made me cringe and feel sad just a little but I know that I have an amazing husband who is undoubtedly taking very good care of them and keeping them busy with their activities like baseball tournaments, piano, playdates, swimming, etc.  Part of me wishes they weren't so busy so they could sneak away and get down here for a few days, but the other part of me loves that they are busy-bodies just like their mama!

So for now I will focus my time on getting rest and relaxation, too since I will be helping as part of the team to deliver my beautiful niece any day now.  I so cannot wait!  I am so insanely jealous of her wardrobe already!

My Sister's Baby Shower: Shades of Gray, Yellow, and White

My mother and I hosted a relaxing and fun (and oh-so-pretty, if I do say so myself) baby shower for my sister this past weekend.

She is due officially on June 16th but I am personally hoping it's any day now!  Knowing that she's not a lover of all things pink, coupled with the fact that she's having a girl, I knew I had my work cut out for me with regard to the theme. 

I decided to put togther some ideas based on other ideas I've seen and read about.  The result was something very stylish, hip, modern, and yet still somewhat girly.

This was what the front door was decorated like to greet all of the arriving guests.  I am just so in love with paper lanterns right now.  The white and yellow ones are from Party City and that cute gray with white polka dots one is from one of my new favorite online stores, Polka Dot Market.  I love their great selection and flat rate $5 shipping!  Yippee for new fun online stores!

And, more fun lanterns in the archway to the right as you enter my mom's house.  I love how festive they are and how easy it is to liven up any space with them.  I'm also super stoked they collapse down flat again so that I can take them back home with me in my suitcase and use them again for entertaining.

I'm not sure where I got the idea for these "bonjour bebe" paper doilies, but I know it was somewhere online.  They came out really cute and it was a nice touch to the room.  My brother-in-law is French and he and my sister moved back to the US from Paris just a little over a year ago, so I knew I wanted to incorporate some fun Parisian theme into the baby shower.  These doily decorations were easy and inexpensive to make and hang.

This is a view of the tablescape.  That fun yellow fringe garland is also from Polka Dot Market.  I ordered it not knowing how I'd use it but love what it adds to the table with the simple tealights.  We served pecan & cranberry chicken salad sandwiches (from Sam's deli) and I made simple cucumber & cream cheese sammies too.  Also, since the fruit in Texas is amazing we had an assortment of pineapple, watermelon, grapes, and strawberries.  You can also never really go wrong with cream puffs, so we included those too!

Of course, what's more French than croissants and Nutella?  Yep, surprise, surprise that a party I hosted had Nutella!  So divine!

A close up of the sweet and juicy fruit assortment!  The pineapple was to die for!  Just sayin'.

Along with sweet tea (of course!) we served a fruity, zesty party punch.  It was delicious and refreshing!

Our "Guess the Poop" game was loads of fun!  I picked up these cute little diapers at Party City for $6.99 and bought 5 candy bars.  Then, my mom and I labeled each of the diapers on the back with a unique sticker and literally smeared part of a different candy bar in each one of them.  The guests then had to write down their guesses of which candy bar was in each of the diapers.  It was pretty friggin' funny watching them open each diaper and try and guess.

Yes, some did resort to tasting and smelling!  Ewww!

Hmmm.....even my sister was having trouble with this game.  Thankfully breast milk poop is a lot more tolerable than crushed up candy bars!

 

And then it was time for the real belly laughs.  The ol' toilet-paper-square-measuring game.  Clearly my mom overestimated how big my sister's belly really is!  But it made for good laughs.

For the record, she was 11 squares of toilet paper.

In keeping with the French theme, I opted to have petit four cakes made instead of a big sheet cake.  I am SO excited at how they turned out!

They were not only beautiful but delicious too!  I'd found this bakery online and given the owner my color scheme and theme idea and she came up with the perfect sweet treat!  I couldn't have been happier.

My sister received so many cute things for the baby!  For starters, I loooove this cute little onesie that reads "Hola"! So Texas!

This baby is going to also have a great little library of books to choose from!  These books she received even came with coordinating stuffed animals!  Too cute!

These were the favors given to each guest. Cute little frosted mini takeout containers filled with animal crackers.  I used the Martha Stewart elephant craft punch on some Bazzill gray cardstock and used a foam square to adhere it to a piece of white cardstock punched with a round scallop punch tool.  Then I tied the cutest yellow with white polka dots ribbon around the entire thing. 

I'd hoped to write a cute message on each of them but didn't have enough time!  I am still pleased with how they turned out.  I just love this color combination together, especially for a refreshing take on a girl baby shower.

My sis and me. Isn't she a ravishing prego gal?   I love that I was able to celebrate this special day with her and am BEYOND excited she is making me an aunt with her little blessing! 

Our Sea World of Texas Visit

The family and I are just back from our 10-day Texas adventures!  During our recent vacation, we stopped for a couple of days in the festive city of San Antonio, Texas and were able to visit Sea World of Texas in San Antonio.  As many times as we've visted Texas over the past few years, it had been 4 years since we were last at Sea World.  And, WOW!  A lot has changed!

First off, I was totally pleasantly surprised at how many wonderful water attractions they now offer.   We visited on August 1st and it was a blistering hot Texas day.  We found ourselves spending a ton of time in the Bay of Play and Lost Lagoon, where we were able to stay cool while having tons of fun!

I love that park visitors are permitted to bring in bottled water and a small ice chest with half a dozen drinks if they so choose.  While most outside food is not permitted, you can bring in single servings of snacks. 

What we also discovered during our visit is that they will soon unveil Aquatica Texas, a waterpark within Sea World!  This will be a multi-sensory, one-of-a-kind destination spot for families everywhere!  If you thought San Antonio was great before, you'll really want to visit once they open up Aquatica Texas in Spring 2012!

Check out some of the fun from our recent visit:

Giving the carousel in the Bay of Play a whirl.  Who doesn't love a carousel ride?!

This is the only photo with Bert & Ernie where Jacob is actually looking straight ahead.  He was so in awe of them (Ernie especially) that he kept staring them down!  I guess after seeing them so many times on TV, he was like "WTH??!" seeing them life-size!

Cooling off with in the Bay of Play with Grammy!  We were so glad Grammy (my mom) could join us.  And, what's even better is she got in FREE by presenting her teacher ID!  That's right, teachers get in FREE through the end of the year!

All of the water attractions here at Sea World were just as - if not more - superb than at some themed waterparks we've visited!  What I don't have photos of {yet} are all the pics I took with the disposable waterproof camera I picked up at Target.  I was able to take it through many of the rides and even the wave pool and underwater!  I can't wait to see how all of those pics turn out!

Hangin' out with Grammy while waiting to see Shamu!  Exciting times!

The star of the day!  What a show!!  We were there early enough to sit in the splash zone and got sprayed just a bit during the show!  So much fun!

And Baby Shamu!!  My kids were in awe!

Feeding the dolphins.  What's not to LOVE??!!  We had such a wonderful time spending a few moments with these awesomely amazing creatures. 

From dolphins to sharks - my all time favorite creatures.  I can't wait to swim with the sharks off the coast of Florida someday.  My husband is less than thrilled about me wanting to though!

Ending the day with a ride on the Shamu Express!  Grammy was such a sport - riding twice - once with Nathan and once with William!

We all had SUCH a great time at Sea World and cannot WAIT to go back!  The kids loved taking home their plush Shamu, dolphin, and sea turtle and have been sleeping with them every night since we've been back.   A special thank you to Sea World of Texas for having us out to the park to visit and experience all that it has to offer!  We had an amazing time and hope to do it again very soon.  For those of you looking for a last-minute vacay before school starts back up, consider Sea World!  Such a great day of fun for families with kids of all ages!

{Disclosure:  My family and I were provided with day passes in order to review Sea World of San Antonio, however all opinions expressed herein are that of my own.  No one's the boss of me!}

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Even bloggers have to take vacations.

Yes, yes it's true!  I have been enjoying visiting family, sightseeing, and eating some really great Tex-Mex food!  I finally realized how homesick I have been from good Mexican food!  there's just no place like Texas.  Seriously!

 So here are a few glimpses of what we've been up to . . . .

t.e.x.a.s.

Project 365 - Day Four.

Visit my Project 365 photo stream on Picasa.

My new favorite napkins! My friend Heather from Heather's Happy Hour traded me these for a dozen homemade tamales today. Aren't these the cutest napkins EVER!! I'm sure I'll be using these on Thursday night for the National Championship game!

 

Be sure and visit Heather's site for LOTS of fun stuff she's got!  I recently picked up these B.E.A.C.H. cups and love them!  Quite frankly, I love that they remind me of warmer weather.  She's also got this Wine-a-Rita which is a tasty little beverage for your next party or get-together! ♥

Back from Texas & Missing It!

The boys and I made it back safe and sound from our Texas travels a couple of days ago and I am reminded today about how much I truly miss it!  It's going to be in the 70s and 80s here for the next who knows how long and thus, too cold for my Texas blood to go swimming!  What I wouldn't give for a hot, humid day in Central Texas right now!

The boys have had a fantastic summer though...visiting the beach, NASA space center in Houston, Astros baseball, San Antonio, and countless family members in Austin!  I had a fun few days as well but the time just flew by, it seems.

We're enjoying our company here in KC though, as my sister and brother-in-law made the drive up from Texas yesterday (they're visiting the states from Paris right now).  We have lots of fun planned while they're here, I just wish swimming could be included in those plans.  I've posted some great pics on Facebook, so head on over and check them out!  ♥

Me, lately.

My beauti-bump at 29 weeks.  I was bored while sitting through the car wash so I got a little camera-phone happy!

The past couple of weeks have flown by.  David and I have been enjoying each other's company but we miss the kids like crazy!  I've been able to enjoy a few shopping trips and all day TV but life's just not the same without them here!  I am looking forward to flying out to be with them and celebrate the baby shower of my brother and his girlfriend (Cassie) on Sunday.  I'll hopefully be able to get on an early flight (I'm flying using a stand-by pass) into Dallas, but we'll see.  Then we'll trek on over to Austin sometime this weekend for all the festivities and to see all the other family there.  My sis and her husband are flying in tomorrow for an extended vacay!

I can't believe I'm 29 weeks pregnant now! I am enjoying every minute of it! I'm anxious for some good heat down in Texas and looking forward to Tex-Mex and Texas style BBQ.  This baby won't know what hit him!  ♥