Despite not eating red meat from the age of 16 to 28 or so, I am now a steak monster. My husband says he doesn’t even know who I am anymore. Last year at Type A Mom Con, I met Gary Whetstone from Chef’s Requested. I liked Gary right away, not just because he worked for a company that produces steaks but also because he was there, paying attention to what bloggers were saying.

Fast forward a year. My family has eaten a ton of Chef’s Requested 100 calorie steaks and bacon wrapped filets. So it was a natural fit for the company to sponsor me to attend Type A Mom again this year. Talk about steak? Yes, please!

So thank you to Gary and Chef’s Requested for helping me get to Asheville for this amazing conference. And if you’ll be at the conference, leave a comment, and find me so I can give you some steak freebies (not actual steak. I don’t carry them in my pocket. Often).

I’m really excited about an event I’m co-hosting through GiveDaddy with my client, Inspired Gifts. It’s called Girls’ Night In, and it’s June 10, from 5 pm to 8 pm Pacific time.

Where is it? At your house. And mine. We’ll be joining up from our homes across the country to hang out, have a few laughs, and make Inspired Gifts for Father’s Day. Oh, and we’ll be giving away some really cool prizes from companies like Montagne Jeunesse, Village Naturals, e.l.f, Prana, and, of course, Inspired Gifts.

Inspired Gifts provides unique photo gifts you can customize to help commemorate special occasions. Join us and you can save 20% on custom photo books, banners, canvas prints, playing cards and dry erase boards that make fantastic gifts for Dad.

Ten bloggers across the country will be hosting their own Girls’ Night In parties. We’ll be broadcasting from Justin.tv so you can meet them and some of the ladies behind Inspired Gifts.

I hope you will be there! All you need to do is RSVP (it’s free) and show up with a glass of wine!

I often talk about how important it is to do things for yourself, be it get a massage, get a pedicure, take yoga or just get out of the house. Dove Ice Cream Miniatures agrees with me. The company conducted a survey of over 400 mothers and 70 percent  are taking time for themselves each day.

That’s good news. I meet so many moms that fear leaving their kids with their husbands (c’mon! They’re parents too!) to go out for a drink. I am 100% in favor of taking mini moments. Even if you can’t get the hub to watch the kid, take 15 minutes to read a book or something!

DOVE®’s “My Mini Moment” contest is pretty cool, so I wanted to share it with you.  DOVE® Ice Cream is asking women to share their favorite mini moment of escape and one lucky winner could win one of 3 sensational mini-grand prizes:

• a mini-getaway to Napa Valley
• Spa services for a year
• A mini-home makeover

All you have to do is submit a photo and short essay at DoveIceCream.com/myminimoment by June 7, 2010. I entered and have my eye on the Napa trip. Love me some wine.

The contest is sponsored by the new DOVE® Ice Cream Miniatures. They’re only 70 calories! I haven’t tried them yet, but the  Café Collection, which features Java Chip and Cappuccino Flavors, sounds really yummy. The older I get, the more I realize I just need a little sweet or chocolate to fulfill my taste. For years I’d eat an entire candy bar when all I really needed was a tiny taste. These seem perfect for getting your sweet tooth satisfied without packing on the pounds. And with summer coming, the fact that they’re ice cream is perfect!

I have long loved yoga. For ten years, to be exact. And my practice has changed over the years.

When I started, I was more concerned competing with the people on the mats around me. I’d bend into any pose just to prove I could.

Now I compete only with myself. I want to push myself, but know that sometimes the most challenging poses aren’t the ones where I pretzel myself, but rather the ones I do correctly.

I’m able to let go easier. Once I get on my mat, I’m 100% 94% fully in the moment. I shed work duties, parenting worries and to do lists. For the most part.

I’m proud, because whereas I’ve always practiced at the Y or a gym, or wherever I could get the best deal, I now practice at a studio. That doesn’t have a pool. Or sweaty men pumping iron. It’s 100% yoga, and there’s better focus, I think. If you’re in San Diego, check out A Gentle Way in La Mesa.

That’s all. This post doesn’t have much point. Except to say that I am a better person because of yoga.

Namaste.

I realize how sad I was in losing my camera after having it such a short time, and after finally admitting how much I needed creativity in my life. Now I’m back to snapping photos of plants and kids. Will post soon.

Happy Mother’s Day to me and to you!!

Um, Susan, what is a Blog Party?

It’s a way for people to get to know each other in the blogosphere. If you visit this page you will be inundated with great blogs to check out and explore. Swing by just like you would a new neighbor’s house (although not in the way those two lovely thieves swung by my house). Stop by, have a virtual bite and cocktail and make friends.

When you spend a lot of time online, it can feel disconnected, not seeing the people you know so much about. There are a lot of you who have been loyally reading my blog for a while and know more about me than some of my friends. That’s how it works. This Ultimate Blog Party is about engaging and having some conversation.

If you haven’t already, go make some friends at the Ultimate Blog Party!

Yesterday, Easter Sunday, I was painting my nails on the bed, watching a show about Soul Train with the hub. The bed shakes, annoying me, since I’m about to get Hot Fuschia all over my fingers.

“Honey, are you shaking the bed?”

Nothing. If you have a five year old who loves [insert favorite ugly monster/robot show here]  show and can completely be engrossed, this is my husband watching anything about Soul Train.

“Quit shaking the bed!”

“I’m not shaking the bed.”

I look on the other side to see if Max is trying to sneak up on me. Nothing. Puzzled, as bed is still shaking.

“It’s an earthquake,” says husband, calmly as if telling me the laundry is done.

EARTHQUAKE! OH GOD! WHAT DO WE DO? STOP, DROP AND ROLL? WAIT, NO. UM. OH GOD THIS IS CRAZY.

That, needless to say is me.

It was weird. We were upstairs and you could feel the house sway back and forth. The pictures didn’t even move on the wall. Nothing broke. It was kinda like a theme park ride.

And after a minute, it was over.

I, doing what any red blooded Tweeter would do, jumped on Twitter to see what the hell that was. It was indeed an earthquake, originating in Baja California. Or was it Mexico? Anyway, it was a 7.3 on the Richter scale. Out of 9. So pretty damn big.

It was kinda cool to talk to people I didn’t know in San Diego on Twitter about it. Everyone told their story of what they were doing at the time (a la 9/11 only on a smaller scale). I even found a few bloggers I didn’t know lived here, like Sugar Jones. So now I look forward to meeting my new Twitter pals.

I realized I really didn’t know what you’re supposed to do in case of an earthquake. I did my homework for next time:

• If you’re inside get on the ground and under something if you can
• Or go outside away from things that can fall
• Don’t panic (oops)

After I was sure we weren’t going to have an aftershock, I went to the grocery store, where more people were talking about it. They said this was the biggest earthquake since the 1970s, so that makes me feel good. If I can withstand a 7.3, I can withstand anything!

Driving across country on (or near) Route 66 was interesting. There’s sadly not much left of this historic road and its attractions. But what pleasure I had coming across a giant indian or fun motel sign! And I’ve got the photos to prove it. I’ll have to break my trip down in a few posts to share with you in the next few weeks, so be patient.

California is wonderful. It’s so beautiful here. San Diego is covered with mountains, and just walking through my neighborhood, suddenly I’ll be at a vista of valleys and peaks, and it just seems so dang wonderful. It’s chillier than I expected (mornings about 45 or 50 degrees) but from what the locals say, they don’t expect it to be this cold either.

Our house is beautiful, and has a magical garden full of hummingbirds. And a mama hummingbird on a nest.

Max is adjusting nicely to his French language school, and is really taking to the language. He’s also taken to piano, of which we have one in our rent house. Bonus!

The boys and I are adjusting to being a family together. No more cramming in quality time over three days. We’re in it together forever.

And I’m sick. Have a cold. Lovely. Stay tuned for more snippets from Life in California.

We’re headed to San Diego, where we will be for a while.

We’re still nomads at heart, but Max is getting older, and needs stability. He can’t fear we’ll move every year. So we’re dedicated to staying around for a while so he can build roots.

As for me, I’m thrilled. I’ve always wanted to live in San Diego. It’s like Orlando, only moderate temperatures year ’round (I can do without humidity). There are so many things I want to do there, like visit all the museums at Balboa park, shop at the green, eco friendly grocery stores, enjoy the sunshine, take Max to Legoland, learn to surf (after the snowboard incident I may wait a while on this goal)…and we’ve got time to do it all.

I actually have a long-time friend in San Diego, so that’s an added bonus. And there’s an IKEA! Heaven.

I’ll miss a few (very few) people here, but I’m grateful for the bonus time I’ve gotten to spend with people like my mom, best friend and her family.

Meanwhile, my house is emptying out and I can’t find anything.

Mom is driving with Max and I to California then flying back. We’re going across Route 66 for an adventure. I’ll be taking lots of photos w/ my new camera, so stay tuned for that (but forgive me if I don’t have time to post them!).

Wish me well. See you across country!

So I didn’t eat red meat until about 2 years ago. As a teen, I decided it was bad. Anyway, after edging into bacon and pepperoni, I finally gave in and tried steak. Actually, Korean barbecue was what sold me. These days, my husband calls me the Steak Monster. I love it. Can’t get enough.

So when I heard about Chef’s Requested’s Blogging Contest,  I knew I had to win it. They’re picking one blogger who racks up points talking about the contest and about their products and giving them a $1500 sponsorship to attend a blogging conference. Hey! I love steak! I LOVE Chef’s Requested. And I love blogging conferences. And I hate paying to attend. So I’m ready for this.

You can enter too. But you don’t want to because you want me to win, right??

I get extra points for giving a recipe using Chef’s Requested. Here goes. Super simple.

Fajitas a la Susan

Chef’s Requested 100 calorie steaks

True Lime shaker

Tony Chachere’s Cajun Seasoning

Tortillas

Cheese, Salsa, Sour Cream and Guacamole to your tasting

Cut the 100 calorie steaks into thin strips. Season with True Lime and Tony Chacheres. No, this isn’t a mistake. You don’t need salt.

Turn your skillet to almost high. When it’s ready (and I always put mine in before it’s ready and get scolded by my resident chef) put in the steak strips. Cook until done to your taste. I like a little pink in mine, so it’s only about 2-3 minutes.

Put steak on a plate. Get a plate of tortillas and all the fixin’s. Put out for your family to make their own flavor taste sensation. Easy peasy, as Max says.

Yes, that’s my recipe. You probably won’t be printing it on a recipe card. It’s kinda casual, I know. But you don’t need a recipe! It’s common sense.

One reason I like the 100 calorie steaks is that since I never ate red meat, I tend not to think about cholesterol and fat. With the 100 calorie steaks I don’t have to.