Switching my blog to my website.

Hi ALL.

Thank you so very much for following me on blogger. I am finding that it is better for me to blog from my own website. I feel like I can create some conversations from there as well. My website is going thru a bit of an upgrade/change. It is working just fine but all should be a bit better and a bit more user friendly. Feel free to give me your thoughts.

Good-bye blogger and HELLO www.summersanders.net

Summer

A few days away goes a long way!

Three days and two nights. Doesn't sound like much but it goes a LONG way. My husband and I planned a last minute trip to Las Vegas. It seems impossible that a mom of 2 toddlers can get away last minute but with the help of an awesome mother-in-law, daycare, school and friends, we pulled it off. Believe it or not, I brought my computer to blog but didn't get around to it...too much fun, rest and pool time.

Here is how it went down. We bought our plane tickets the day before. We called The Palms Place to reserve our room (we own a unit with my family.) And we confirmed all our kids care. I have to say, as a mom, I was a little uneasy with the "last minute" part of our getaway but with a family member in charge, it made it a lot easier. We each had a small carry-on and we were ready.

People actually laughed at us for going to Vegas for some R and R but it was awesome. We arrived at noon on Tuesday and it was gorgeous. We immediately went down to the pool where we sat in the sun for a bit. Next up, a little workout, steam and shower. Then it was naptime...yes, naptime. I was in heaven. We were up and out the door before 7 for a little blackjack (my fav) and then dinner at Yellowtail in the Bellagio. If you haven't seen the Bellagio light show, you haven't lived (maybe a little dramatic). We scored a table outside...it was perfect weather and the light show took place right in front of us. I must have been a little tired still cause I was so emotional as to how perfect it was that I almost cried! And the food was amazing..poprocks in sushi, what's not to love?!

Two more days of the same thing we came home, rested, relaxed, well tanned, well fed and $500 richer. The best part of the trip was walking through our front door to 2 screaming little people. Our son was buck naked and our daughter was clothed. They both ran straight for us, our daughter into our arms and my son just started jumping up and down in place...they were both screaming "I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU!" It feels good to be loved! Viva Las Vegas!

Day off from school and heading to the zoo!

We live near one of the greatest zoo's on the planet, Hogel Zoo. It is in Salt Lake City and it is the perfect size with some really amazing animals. We usually arrive right after it opens at around 10am and we stay until naptime which is around 1pm. My kids LOVE it. And that is even an understatement. I get them out of the car and they are on the go from the moment we walk through the gate. We first hit this amazing giant ball which is floating in water and you can spin. The kids dig it and my son loves it just cause there is water involved. I have had to pull him out of the water many times. We then head straight to the monkeys. And everyone in the zoo knows we are heading towards the monkeys cause my 2 kids are screaming...MONKEY'S the entire time. They sit there and stare at the monkeys for a long long time. Sometimes I think they are having a genuine stare-off. They have all types of monkeys and we spend a solid 10 minutes at each station. Soon after we have given enough love to the monkeys, we head over to the Elephants. The Elephants are SUPER special at the Hogel Zoo cause they had a baby not long ago. And if you have never seen a baby elephant then you have not seen the cutest biggest thing in the whole world. It is still enormous...I mean like lots of tons enormous but it is still tiny in elephant's standards. We know we have hit the mother lode when mom and baby are hanging outside for us to see. Beyond the other amazing animals like the giraffe's, gorillas, tigers, rhinos, birds, and many others, they also have a rockin carousel that is brand new, it seems as well as a train. These are both the perfect break points in our cruise around the zoo. We usually finish things off with a good 30 minutes in their killer playground with giant insects and snakes and several slides. And, of course, the only thing that will get them to leave is saved for the very end. I usually bring them in to get their choice of a "frozen treat". They usually go for one of my favorites, the Push-Up Pop. I didn't know they were still around until I started going to the zoo. So, imagine this, all this fun is completed in about 2 hours. We see everything and don't feel overwhelmed or over walked. It is one of our favorite outings and because there is no school, we are heading there tomorrow. Watch out Monkeys! Here we come!

The oasis in my bedroom

My husband has a REAL problem with mess and clutter. I think he is starting to seriously rub off on me. There is a big part of me that wishes I could give everything I own away and start over from scratch. EVERYTHING. But, I can't do that... So, I decided to add a little something to create a bit of balance in my bedroom. Not in my bed :) but in my bedroom. It took us almost 3 years to get it right but I think our room is just now coming together. It is an odd shaped room. A rectangle with big huge windows at one end. The windows are actually what sold us on the house. The give us an incredible view of one of the ski resorts in town. It is amazing. Not that we ever get to hang out in bed and check out our view with 2 lil rugrats runnin the show but nonetheless, I like knowing they and it are there. We thought long and hard as to how our bed and dresser should be set up. It took a few changes and switches (mostly while one spouse was out of town) until we found the right feel. But then we were stuck with a large space next to the windows that just seemed to collect clutter. It was always the first thing I saw/noticed when I entered our room and I hated it! Every time I walked in I would feel messy and unorganized. (although I am a bit unorganized...I dislike the reminder) I knew what I wanted in that space. I wanted it to feel like one of my favorite hotels..Shutters! I wanted two yummy chairs with a cozy fabric. I was hoping for linen but I couldn't find it anywhere. Instead I went with a fun fluffy cream colored fabric and we ordered a dark wood round side table to go in between the chairs. It looks incredible. And now, when I walk into my room, all I feel is comfort. I immediately smile at how relaxing our room looks and feels. It is amazing how 2 chairs can completely change the vibe of a room. That is, until I glance down at the random toys and dirty laundry to put away.

Lovin my job and sunny days in NYC

I just got back from NYC where I was taping my guest appearance on Rachael Ray. I flew in on what could have been the nicest day of the year in NY. It was 61 degrees without a cloud in the sky. It felt like Spring weather. If you have ever lived in NY then you know what I am talking about when I describe the day as the day all NYers feel like it it spring. That day comes when you wake up and every restaurant and cafe have their outdoor seating up, out and ready to go. Literally it goes from NO outdoor seating to ALL outdoor seating. People are happier and the city comes to life even more. I love it. My spot on RR wasn't until the next afternoon so I was able to have a bite to eat with one of my dearest friends that night. We had both been so busy that we had not seen each other for awhile...and we had A LOT to catch up on. The next morning was beautiful AGAIN so I grabbed my running gear and ran thru the park to a breakfast meeting on the west side at my favorite place EVER, Good Enough To Eat. Yikes do I love NY food or what! Then came time for my spot. I love my job. It brings me to amazing places, NY being one of them and I truly love the people I get to meet and work with. The folks at Rachael Ray are my people. They are so damn wonderful it is almost illegal. I walk thru the halls there and I feel very much at home. Rachael was super fun and sweet and we goofed about Celebrity Apprentice a bit. She seemed genuinely excited about the show. I love talking to her. A real sweet heart with some serious work ethic! I have been working in the TV business for 17 years and feel extremely lucky. Yes, I know I have put in many years of incredibly hard work and tons of time away from home but I love what I do and am grateful that I still able to pull it off! Thanks Rach for the trip to NYC!

Back to life...Back in the swing of things!

Sometimes I worry that my daughter actually HATES school. Or shall I say that sometimes I worry that she dislikes school for good reason. I wonder if she is being teased or if she is too shy. There were a few times when she said she didn't want to go to school and gave us a reason. But mostly, she just doesn't want to go...until she gets there and she LOVES it. When we come back from trips, either long or short, she has a tough time getting back into the swing of our schedule. I try not to jump in immediately but I definitely force the issue on day 2 and 3. The first day back from Whistler, I let her stay home from school. I told her it was so she could get acclimated to the time change and to catch up on her sleep. She felt very special and was a little too excited that she wasn't going to school. When she was celebrating her "stay at home day" I became a little worried as to what Wednesday morning would bring so I began to talk about it. I reminded her of her schedule..."Monday, Wednesday and Friday's, you go to school and Tuesdays and Thursdays you get to go to swim lessons with Spider." She wasn't buying it but I kept saying positive things about school. Swim lessons were awesome. And then came Wednesday. She woke up and immediately asked if she had to go to school. I said yes and you would have thought I told her our dog died. I tried my best not to laugh and also to keep the positive spin. In the end, you know what worked. I promised her we could paint each others nails after school. That was it. She went from total and complete meltdown to super excited all because we were going to paint nails. Do I have a little girlie girl on my hands or what?! She went to school and came home with a huge smile. She forgot all about painting nails and has since been back in the swing of things...for the most part.

Life in one bedroom!

I LOVE traveling with my kids. I don't love all the luggage and carry-on's and car seats but I love that they get to experience life in different parts of the world. Our most recent adventure was to Whistler, BC for the Olympic Games. We were there from Feb 7th-Mar 1st. We all shared a room. Or to be more specific, my hubby and I slept on an air mattress out in the front room and our kids shared the one and only bedroom. My daughter slept in the bed and my son slept in his pac-n-play (with the the crib tent attached). We didn't have any other choice and therefore they had to sleep together. They would chit chat a bit in the beginning and then as the days turned into weeks, they began to simply love the fact they were not alone. They did the same thing when we went to NYC back in November. Although, this time, they came home wanting to share a room. They became accustomed to the others' company and felt lonely without it. It was so cute and touching and so I started to think about putting them both in the same room in our house. I spoke to my hubby about it and he felt the same way. If they want to share a room, they absolutely should. We LOVED the idea. Until....they decided to play a little too much. We haven't been home too long and we have tried it a few times but they both seem to chat a little too much for a scheduled life. While we were away, they could sleep in as late as they wanted. But at home, they need to go to bed at a decent hour so they can get up for school and other activities. I am so torn right now cause I love the idea of them being so close and such good pals. I love everything about them sharing a room and telling their little secrets at night but I don't love them giggling until 11pm...that isn't so fun for anyone the next day. Maybe I will pose the question again. If only I could video the discussion...imagine, a 2 year old, 3 year old and a mommy trying to determine if sharing a room is a good idea. Somehow I think the convo will turn to pirate's booty, apple juice and Shrek!