Sweets for the Sweet: Last Minute Mother's Day Recommendarion

Well, you've done it now. You've waited until the last minute, and now you have no gift for Mom! Seriously, it's Friday, Mother's Day is Sunday, what are you going to do now?

My suggestion? Try Shari's Berries Mother's Day Gift Ideas for a sweet treat Mom will love. Every Mom deserves a sweet indulgence, right?

I recently picked out a carrot cake from Shari's Berries, and it was delicious! The cream cheese icing was, in the family's opinion, the best we'd ever had, and that's a strong endorsement indeed. I do have to caution that the carrot cake, though delicious, is smaller than standard size, coming in at a 6" diameter (most of us, I'm sure, make ours in 8" or 9" cake tins), but it was chock full of goodies like nits and raisins and even pineapple, and so heartily recommended.

Mom doesn't like carrot cake? No problem. Try the signature treat that gave the site its name, delicious chocolate-dipped strawberries,by the dozen or half-dozen. You can even combine them with other gift ideas to make a sweet treat for Mom even sweeter.

And you can even use this code to save 15%: BERRYGOOD.

So why are you still procrastinating? Hurry up and order something sweet for Mom, already!

I received a carrot cake from Shari's Berri's to facilitate this review and pass along the promotional code to my readers.

I Wish United Airlines/Continental Would Give My Mom a Break. But Not Like Dad's. Because That Would Hurt!

So, I don't often whine and bitch and moan about my life on the blog.

At least I hope I don't!

And I'm really not complaining for me, it's for my Mom...well, let me explain.

My Mom is the oldest of six siblings. She's always been the one to take care of everyone, from her younger siblings, to my Dad and us kids, to her grandkids and grandnieces and grandnephews.

She's the rock, basically.

And now that my own grandmother, her mother, is in her nineties, my Mom and her siblings have all banded together to take care of her and make sure she has everything she needs.

Now, my kids' great-grandma is no slouch. Like I said, she's in her nineties and still going strong, attending art classes and painting wildlife from Yellowstone National Park. She lives up in Wyoming with my Mom's youngest brother, who is a licensed practical nurse, and one of my aunts is right around the corner and checks in from time to time, too. Another aunt had grandma live with her for several years. And my Mom goes up to spell her brother and visit with grandma several times a year. They all take care of my grandma, sending checks to help with her upkeep, etc.

So, anyway, my Mom was set to fly up to Wyoming to see grandma, to take over for my uncle and also because grandma is celebrating her birthday. She will be Ninety-Seven Years Old! Which is fabulous.

And then my Dad was in an accident.

Dad is in great shape (so's Mom!), and he rides his bike nearly every day. He was riding down one of the neighborhood roads and a truck driver started backing up. He didn't see Dad behind him, and Dad tried to get out of his way, but it was no good. He ended up flying over the curb on his bike and then crashed down over the handlebars. He was, of course, wearing his helmet, and he put his arms out to try to stop his fall and catch himself.

But Dad's skin was literally coming off of his knees in patches from the fall, and in addition to his arms being badly scraped as well, he separated his shoulder. For those that know about these kind of things, it was an "a c separation of a level 3 on a scale of 1 to 6" as far as damage goes. Dad's going to have his shoulder in a sling for weeks.

Yeah, Ouch. And this is a man in his early seventies we're talking about.

The truck driver got Dad home and Mom took one look at this guy covered in blood and holding his shoulder, called 911 and they took him to the ER in an ambulance.

So, now, remember that flight that Mom is taking for grandma's 97th birthday? She has to postpone it. Being a senior on a fixed budget, Mom naturally opted for a cheaper plane ticket, which is, of course, non-refundable.

But she had the records from the ER and she called United to change her flight by just a couple days, just until Dad was not having to pop Vicodin non-stop for the pain, even though he would still be in a sling and a family member would need to come over to take care of him. Mom didn't really want to leave Dad, but she also had promised her brother she would be there for grandma's birthday and take over for him for a little while in caring for grandma, so she had prior responsibilities. And my Mom never lets anyone down.

So, anyway, only because she has those ER records, United Airways agrees to waive the $150 change fee for postponing her trip a couple days. Yay! That's good, right? And they managed to find her a flight a couple days later through Continental.

Well, yes, but the flight they are putting her on--this senior, who is visiting her 97 year-old mother and leaving her injured husband to do it--is $278 more than the other flight she had scheduled.

Yes, you read that right. Not $278 total, but $278 ADDITIONAL dollars.

So, today, I feel like I'm entitled to whine on my Mom's behalf.

Because, really, WTF, United (and Continental)? You can't give a senior on a fixed-income, going to care for her NINETY-SEVEN YEAR OLD MOTHER a bit of a price break?!

GRAR.

Please consider tweeting this post for me, okay?

Who Won The $50 ProFlowers Giftcard?!

It's time to award our giftcard for $50 at ProFlowers--just in time to order that lovely Mother's Day arrangement for Mom, a little something for that special person in your life...or a nice indulgence for yourself!

So, I counted up the comments and did all my +3 and the rest, and went to Random Integer Generator, as I always do, to find our winner!

And you are not going to believe this, ya'll. No, really, you won't!

So that's why I took a screenshot just to show you:

Can you believe that? The very first comment won!  So, congratulations to one of our fabulous repeat readers and contributors, wigget! I know wigget has won from us before, too. Yay, wigget!

Which just goes to show, you should all be following us for your chance to win. :)

Pick ProFlowers for Pretty Presents (And WIN a $50 Giftcode!)

Monday was my birthday, and I don't want to make you feel bad, but I didn't get your present. And Mother's Day (May 8th) is practically upon us! You had better get on that! ; )

Seriously, though, have you even THOUGHT about Mother's Day yet?  I hadn't until recently, when I received a lovely Spring Time Sweets Tower from ProFlowers.

I've used ProFlowers myself for years (there's even a great coupons page with deals like free weekday delivery or a complimentary glass vase), and everyone I send an arrangement to always raves about how fresh and lovely the bouquets are, so it was really nice to be a recipient for a change!

First off, I was impressed with how FAST the delivery was! I picked the Springtime Sweets Tower out in the afternoon, and it arrived here early the next day, which is just lightning speed.

Next, this Springtime Sweets Tower? It's just the cutest presentation. I have three pretty pastel-pattered little hatboxes full of candy (yes, we have a sweet tooth here!), and each box contains Springtime salt water taffy, Spring mix foil-wrapped chocolates and yogurt-covered pretzels, and each bag of candy inside the box is separately wrapped.

Which is great, because being the sneaky Mom I am, I rearranged the bags so that I get more salt water taffy (my favorite), and my boys will each get a box with their favorites inside on Easter morning! So I have made three gifts out of one.

Maybe you should consider going with ProFlowers for your own gifts (or hint to your family that you'd love a Springtime arrangement for YOUR special day). They have a fabulous Mother's Day selection!

You know what? ProFlowers and I will even make it easy for you.

Win a $50 Gift Code From ProFlowers!

• To enter, follow this link to ProFlowers' Mother's Day selections, and tell me what you'd pick if you won! (Initial entry, required for everyone).

For additional entries (optional):

• ProFlowers and I would love to get the word out about their Facebook page! So if you "like" them on their page, not only will you get THREE additional entries in the contest, but you'll get 20% off at ProFlowerswhen you place an order! (leave a comment below so I know you've become a ProFlowers Facebook fan and I can credit you with those entries).
• Follow CoolMomsRule on Twitter and tweet about this contest, then leave the link to the tweet below for another THREE additional entries.
• Blog about this contest for another THREE additional entries! Leave a link to your post.

That's TEN chances to win!

Contest ends Sunday, May 1st, so get on those entries! 

Good Luck!

I received a lovely Spring Time Sweets Tower from ProFlowers, valued at $29.99, to facilitate this review and help them promote their Facebook page. In addition, ProFlowers is providing a $50 giftcode to the winner of this giveaway.

                                 

Truth Be Told makes family movie night a teachable moment

On Saturday, April 16th, FOX will be airing, Truth Be Told, a movie the whole family can (and should!) watch together.

Presented by Walmart and P&G, Truth Be Told explores the reasons why even good, honest people might fall and slip into deception. I had a chance to view the movie in an early premiere, and it really does provide an excellent opportunity for a teachable moment with your kids about lying, situational ethics, and why it is important to stay true to your own personal moral compass. 

The premise is simple: initially motivated with the best of intents, to make a difference in the world, the two eminently likable stars make the decision to engage in a deception that spins them into a web of lies. 

Here's a link to the official "Truth Be Told" movie trailer over on youtube.

In Truth be Told, Annie Morgan is a marriage counselor who helps couples keep their relationships strong. Her motto is "love takes courage." Mark Crane is a widower with kids trying to raise money for a good cause. When the old college friends are each offered an opportunity to make their dreams come true, the two enter into a deception together--posing as a happily married couple with children!--that complicates their lives in ways they never anticipated. 

I sat down (with my thoughtfully-provided movie kit containing candy and popcorn!) to watch Truth be Told yesterday, and I really liked Candace Cameron Bure, the woman who plays Annie. I found her engaging and believable in the role. In addition, Mark comes across as a decent man who has seen some tough times but still has faith in the good in the world, and the kids who play his children interact well with each other, like actual siblings might. 

I really recommend making this into a Family Movie Night and seeing this movie with your kids, whatever their ages. Truth be Told is appropriate for the whole family. There's even an official Family Movie Night website devoted to Truth be Told!

Oh, and check out the Facebook page with your kids!

Reminder: Truth be Told airs on Fox this Saturday, April 16th at 8 pm (7 central). 

 I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of P&G and received a movie kit to facilitate my review and a gift code to thank me for taking the time to participate.