When we bought our home, it was based on the most we could afford but with as close to Boston as possible. I had never even heard of our town before then. Our neighbors said it was a great place for kids, hubby and I just wanted enough parking for our friends and a backyard to host them in. Fast forward a year or so and we found it to be true that our circle peppered with bikes made the perfect environment. The school system we were nervous about. We were both from engineering so we had tall expectations for what good quality may mean. It was a while before we dealt with the school system and when we did it was with a bag unknowns with discovering my daughter had Autism.

Before discovering that we made painful moves from school to school. Finally in a preschool class I expected to do as we were told and saw my daughter unhappy everyday. I grew up in the “just listen to your teacher” culture so bit my tongue. Picking up a zombie like kid but not before getting a daily earful from the smug teacher about how my daughter (mis)behave, was part and parcel of my life. To put into perspective, misbehaved was: touching stuff, leaning in line, moving a lot and not keeping still in circle time. Yeah, the kid had SPD (sensory processing disorder) which was clearly not being addressed. With a mixture of sadness of the state and resignation that this was the best I finished the year but not before I questioned the plans for the future.

In spite of the fact she was high functioning I insisted she go to a special needs intensive class (which was out of our district) despite objections raised. My daughter hated it at first, and egos clashed and though I winced at the strict rules I could see some difference in this teacher already. She showed affection. The therapy had dramatic effects and my kid went to a regular mainstreamed class. Although she wanted to not be in the “special” class she did not associate it with that special needs teacher and I got to see that love one day as I spied them hugging in the hallway like two lost pals.

A new school and no aide was met with much trepidation as was using a public bus. We worked those 8 weeks of vacation preparing for it with a special summer camp and though we found out we were lucky to have a teacher that everyone raved about, we were still nervous.

The love was immediate. My daughter loved her teacher so much that she would look at the school parking lot affectionately, even on weekends, in search of her teacher. The sensibility and smartness of her teacher came clear to us in meetings as she mentioned that she held back exploring my girl’s advanced knowledge on some subjects since my kid wanted to be like the others and do the same work as them, even if it was boring and old hat to her. The teacher knew that social skills were important and relented until they formed to a level and was then ready to move onto more challenging work. And challenging it is since at a developmental testing at Children’s Hospital, where they have an academic portion, they tested her on division and she knew it. Since I had never taught her (she is a 1st grader)that I was shocked, and that is not easy to do since I keep the bar higher for her.

 While excitement ensues going to a regular class (at least it meant the therapy was helping), it also meant that we would be open to the world of some unmonitored meanness. We were (unfortunately) correct. I would count on my fingers the number of incidences but I would run out of hands. And though my instinct urges me to either dig a deep hole and protect my daughter from the mean world, or sort out the meanie myself (hey, I can’t be the only mama to think like that), I did neither. When I chat with parents some of them discuss how they let kids be mean back, and their defense is that kids need to protect themselves. I really have a Gandhian philosophy – we need to be nice else we become visions of our tormentors. My advice was to be nice but to not tolerate disrespect and to react in an appropriate way. Standing up for herself without resorting to meanness was our mantra. This is tough enough to teach regular kids (and I know some adults who could use that advice) but a kid with Autism adds a new dimension.

These were issues I would not expect to be easy for a teacher to deal with easily, but not only did she deal with it, she set the bar high for how. This teacher never made me feel like awkward or like I was making it up. She dealt with it promptly and capably. Every single issue was dealt with on the 1st report and was normally resolved by the 1st attempt. As I was worried that at some point she may have said “enough already”, I heard no such thing. If there was ever any irritation even on her part I never heard it or she must be amazing at masking it with the amazing love she shows to every kid in her class.

I have caught her several times in stores piling up on goodies for her kids and she is that teacher who fervently celebrates every occasion with her kids and I have never in my life seen so many kids in a school hallway show so much love for a teacher. I know some may say that maybe it is because she has been a teacher for 20 years, I say that it could have had the opposite effect: keeping the oomph, enthusiasm and pure love of learning is a tough call. You know how some people look at affluent areas to spy those good schools, well I say a good teacher makes a good school. We actually considered not moving (as we considered other job options) solely based on this teacher. She gave me my faith back in (amazing) teachers. No only did my daughter survive under her teaching, but she thrived. Better yet: my child is happy, unbelievably so.  Dear Ms S, you awoken the passion in my child and seeing my child’s face all lit up makes this mama’s heart sing a happy tune.

Sure I have some amazing teachers in my day but these days when I think “teacher” I will forever have in my mind a picture of Ms S!. You know how they say teachers are a nation’s treasure? Well I think we just found ours! Thank you Ms S, you will remain a part of our hearts forever. May the world always show you the love and kindness you shower on your “children”. We love you!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, and part of me being a “Hallmark, Life is a special occasion ambassador”. Personally loving the opportunity to share a window to my life.

You remember when I asked you what you would do if you had 3 minutes some time earlier? Well it seems like you guys, and several more moms had so many brilliant ideas that we actually now have a book. So while I know we have a gazillion ideas and just not enough time to do those things in, I have at many a moment been stumped as to what to do when I actually got the time. In fact I have been known to get so excited when I travel and am alone in a hotel room (yeah, you have reason to be jealous) that I feel overwhelmed and end up doing nothing.

I clean up by sorting out room with stacks of trash, laundry and then piles of objects of similarity together (hair stuff, books etc). It really makes cleaning a cinch.

So in case you have one of those moments, this ebook would be perfect to use. Whether you keep a printed copy lying around which will also spur you to have crazy smart ideas on stuff to do,or just just the electronic copy on your smartphone or tablet, you now have a super handy list available.  Author Karen Kaufman Orloff was inspired by some of the advice and wrote the book  If Mom Had Three Minutes. The book is available free and personally with everything with everything I have to pay for these days, free sounds pretty good for me.

As if you needed another reason you can share the e-book with friends and get a $1 off coupon* for Clorox^® Disinfecting Wipes, making it easier than ever to help keep your home and family healthier.

So go ahead to the If Mom Had Three Minutes tab on Clorox’s Facebook page to download the e-book.

*While supplies last, option to skip and receive coupon.

Disclosure: I am being compensated by The Clorox Company to talk about my favorite time-saving, multi-tasking tip(s) as part of the If Mom Had Three Minutes program.

Did you comics as a kid? I did and though my teacher raised her eyebrows at me considering the shortened words and peppered slang not good reading material, they were the sprinkles to my ice-cream. I was a last-minute study kind of girl, and I still thrive on deadlines, but since I was wicked smart I did well each time. I remember studying for my matric examination, which were stressful since these results affected you getting into college, and I decided Archie comics would be my reward. In an age (18) where teens maybe look to a night at a club or something similar as their unwinding treat, I looked at these comics. I loved them dearly and I would often purchase them and create a huge stack to be read after exams. That visual of the books was all the inspiration I needed to toil the nights away studying crazily, even with my non-sympathetic sister who would keep the tv blaring, I kept on it. I never ventured into other types of comics as they seemed to have tiny writing which looked cramped, yeah not very sophisticated reason to not read them, but give me a break, I was young and did not need deep reasons to like or not like something.

Anyway, I have to admit I never fully introduced my kids to Archie, as much as I loved it I did not want it to be their 1st reading experience. But then I heard of the DVD of Archie’s Weird Mysteries I could not help myself. I have seen it myself and it has a retro feel to it.  In fact it is available on special from $12.98, it is now going for $9.99. Don’t you love it when you can share a piece from your past?

Here is the sypnosis from the site:

Things are getting weird in Riverdale, home of all-American boy and high school newspaper reporter, Archie Andrews. Ever since an experiment in the high school physics lab went awry, Riverdale has become a magnet for the stuff of which “B-Movies” are made. A swamp creature has taken up residence in the old swimming hole! Frankenstein’s monster is hanging out on Lover’s Lane! Mad scientists, werewolves, vampires, giant ants, UFO’s and zombies are invading Riverdale. It is thrills, chills and a whole lot of laughs. Join Archie and his pals – beautiful Betty, sexy Veronica, devious Reggie and eccentric Jughead – as they do their best to unravel ARCHIE’S WEIRD MYSTERIES.   Get all 40 episodes in this monster collection!

I was a total Betty fan and felt like clobbering Archie each time he ditched her and went with Veronica. Jughead was so much my favorite that my friends called me that at college since my last name sounded similar.

Disclosure: I received this DVD to review.

For a long time I have been extra careful about exposure to the music pumped out today. If you scrutinize the lyrics you could forgive this mama for that. Of course deciphering the lyrics itself is a mighty task on its own and was a reason I considered to just let it be. Then I realized kids seem to have the natural ability to unlock the words that frankly sounded like another language muffled under a thick winter scarf to me. That alone was an incentive to explore Kidz Bop.

I explored another CD in the Kidz Bop series earlier and it became a firm favorite but I was dying for something new we could both sing to. While my younger kid moves naturally to music, I could see the same could not be said for her older sister who has Autism. I clearly have seen her try to grasp the rhythm and move awkwardly to the music. I consider music to be therapeutic so I kept with it. Then slowly I saw her get into it, I mean REALLY get into it. Her favorite at the moment is Adele and I have to admit she introduced me to her music else I would not have stopped to appreciate it.

Favorites like “Put a ring on it”, “Soul sister”, “Dynamite” and more make this easily a CD you will not get a chance to put back in the cupboard. This Kidz Bop is similar to the one I mentioned except it is one of those collections that you can easily grab and go for a road trip or a short jaunt to the supermarket. And you know what? I don’t mind leaving it playing even when the kids are not around. Shhh, don’t tell them!

Here are the details:

KIDZ BOP Ultimate Hits

Street Date: May 8^th

SRP:13.98
Complete Track Listing:

1.      Tik Tok

2.      Dynamite

3.      California Gurls

4.      I Gotta Feeling

5.      Billionaire

6.      Party In The USA

7.      Break Your Heart

8.      Hey Soul Sister

9.      DJ Got Us Falling In Love

10.    Fire Burning

11.    You Belong With Me

12.    Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)

13.    Fireflies

Disclosure: I received the product for review purposes

I have bare minimum staples that I rely on, especially in winter. Jeans seems to be the order of the day and if you find one that fits you perfectly, it is worth its weight in gold. But nothing screams summer like a summer dress. Now since I grew up in South Africa in Durban which is on the beach and we had tropical weather (I know, you hate me right?) dresses were a huge part of the wardrobe and were on sale there in every season, and to be honest there are only 2 seasons there: a little hot or a lot hot (jealous again are we?).

In Boston we see every season clearly and fashion is molded around that. So when summer rolls around you can bet we will be looking forward to those new dresses hitting the shelves. Shopping is not an activity that is easy in stores because if I don’t have my kids with me I am normally working. This is why I love checking out the clothing at Fresh Produce.  I remember a cardigan that I reviewed from there 2  years ago still gets rave reviews and it is my go-to item especially if I am on camera.

So naturally I was excited to check out a new summer dress, I already had some fab summer sandals to go with. I gravitate towards black, my daughters mock me for this, yet to me it is a safe color. Also I was once told it has a slimming effect and of course that would make anyone want to use it. Since my closet is a bit saturated with black clothing and I wanted to be brave and add some color. Besides, a good friend told me black is not my color (sheesh, I know) so I picked the brightest color. I thought if I felt self-conscious in it, I could just get over it.

So I tried it and though I have yet to get the right weather to wear it out and about, my younger audience gave it the thumbs up. Maybe it was the fact that they were so happy it was not black or may just because they are girly girls and love dresses. I just love that it is comfortable dress with extremely soft fabric. The no-nonsense style makes it easy to dress down during the day or up to a snazzy party at night. Thankfully it does not cling ridiculously to those extra curves I still possess and the best part is I can survive without having to iron it.

Disclosure: This review was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own.