When It Comes to Genius Wedding Shower Gifts, This One Takes the Cupcake

This past weekend, my first cousin once removed (so, she's my dad's first cousin and I'm one generation removed, so first cousin once removed. Got that?) feted my niece (her first cousin twice removed) with a wedding shower. Tennessee-style. Hydrangeas, cupcakes and a scrumptious black-eye-pea dip prevailed. Also humidity, but it could have been worse (and it will be, about the time I head back that direction for our family reunion in mid-July.)

But about that gift. My sister, aka Mother of the Bride (which sounds like dyed-satin-shoes and frumpy oldness, which she is definitely not) requested each guest provide my niece with recipes -- preferably the "been in the family forever" types of recipes.

My first-cousin-once-removed not only shared her mother's Caramel Pie recipe ... she gave my niece one of Aunt Billie Dean's (best name ever, right?) very own pie plates.

Folks, if magic comes in the form of pie plates, this one will have it.

Isn't that the best gift ever?

I knew you'd agree.

I'm going to work on getting that recipe for all of us, since we've come to this consensus.

XOXO--


PS - For more pics from that fun shower, zip over here.

Meeting the Governor

Remember I told y'all I'd had the honor of meeting the Governor of the Great State of Tennessee, my beloved home state? Well, here's living proof that Governor Haslam and I took a brief break from our discussions to snap a photo. Just him and me, Abe looking over our shoulders, the Tennessee state flag in the background. A beautiful moment.

Okay, fine. It's possible other people were there, too. It's possible I'm related to them. Distantly. I was definitely the key to the meeting.

Arg. Okay. Maybe, just maybe, my brother had something to do with us meeting the governor. Maybe the thought hadn't even crossed our minds meeting Gov. Haslam was a possibility, and my brother rigged that up so we'd have an extra special time in Nashville.

Also, it's possible my sisters are somewhere in the real photo too. I know one of them is wearing pants instead of jeans. This may, or may not, be the actual photo:

And, I guess if we're confessing stuff here, I'd say to my brother: mission accomplished. And not just for us meeting the Governor, but for letting us have a peek at your day, and seeing you do such important work for a place we all love ... whether we're still living there or not.

Happy Easter!

The Secret to Traveling by Car with Kids (While Maintaining Your Sanity)

My husband and I once drove from Wisconsin to Atlanta with our children. One was 9 months old and the other not quite three at the time. I did not, though tempted, fling myself from a vehicle going 75 miles per hour down the interstate and am still married to the same man. And both the kids are still alive. Between that success and the fact we put a few thousand miles every year on the car making trips, I figure this qualifies me to throw out a few suggestions on making traveling with kids in the car a little easier. I can, as you see, rationalize darn near anything.

Before car rides of any significance (let's say greater than 2 hours), I prepare a little package for each kid. These packages are simple, quick to throw together, cost next-to-nothing and will provide hours of peaceful entertainment to your people in the backseat. It will also keep you from spending a small fortune on the dreadful options at the gas stations along the way and from injuring your rotator cuff while dispersing drinks and/or breaking up skirmishes.

1. First, I zip by Publix and grab a box of snacks (individually wrapped if I am low on time) like Goldfish, pretzels, Jif To Go, and fruit.
2. I'll buy some sort of special candy we don't typically eat like this or this and throw a few of those in, too.
3. I like to grab some note cards (you can get cute ones on super-sale at your local stationary store, Paper Affair has great stuff on their clearance table if you live in Atlanta, or just go with large index cards) and a few fun pencils so they can dash off a note or just draw.
4. If I'm feeling extra generous I might put in an iTunes gift card.
5. I throw in napkins, a wet wipe or two, and a sack for trash.
6. I put all of this in one giant Ziploc bag and tuck it in their car door or somewhere they can easily access it.

If it's gonna be a really long car ride, I'll get them each a book, too. I hear this one's great. No matter how old you are, finding little surprise treats is always fun ... particularly if you're staring down a long day on the road.

What are you tricks for making car rides easier? We've got several car trips coming up soon, so I'm all ears. (I posted this query to my Facebook page, and there were lots of fabulous suggestions there, too. Read them here.)

Happy Trails!

You Really Can't Take Us Anywhere

(This is the back of The Hermitage, Home of President Andrew Jackson. I took pictures of the front,too, but it is awash with elderly tourists, so I chose this picture instead. Because I honestly have no idea how to edit people out of photos. And I just decided I don't ever care to learn how.)

Last week, my sisters and I planned an impromptu trip to Nashville, Tenn. We chose Nashville because (a) it was sort of halfway between Memphis and Atlanta and (b) there seemed an outside possibility we would run into Connie Britton while we were there.

Lots of fun and unexpected things happened on our trip. (Come to think of it, ALL of it was unexpected, including the trip itself. That's why they call it "impromptu.")

For example, one sister took an interstate exit ramp, in the dark, going about 70 miles per hour, resulting in (I am convinced) the car briefly obtaining liftoff, and in the sister in the backseat being unable to convince her now-firmly-locked seat belt to let her move one inch until the car was turned off.

Also, we got to meet the Governor of Tennessee while we were there. He was an incredibly nice man, who sat and chatted with us for a good long while, though I am certain he had much more pressing things to tend than graciously querying us about our children and such.

Right before we went to the State Capitol, we stopped by the home of Andrew Jackson. I read a very interesting biography about President Jackson several years ago. My take-away from said book was Jackson had a rather sad childhood, then grew up to be a crazy guy with a serious mean streak. Then I remembered reading this hysterical article last year, and read it aloud to my siblings to great delight. Read it here for perspective, then come right back. (The article does use some colorful language, so please use caution if you are easily offended. Everyone else be aware it will make you laugh out loud, so please prepare your excuses for your loud laughter when your kids ask to see what you're reading. Because the answer will need to be no.)

So anywho, one of the sisters realizes she can't wear jeans to meet the governor, so we have to make a stop at Target so she can fetch herself a pair of pants. Now, I am sure this area of town was pure rolling green hills and peaceful countryside back in Jackson's day, but modern-day this area looked good and sketchy to me. So, sister one springs out of the car, takes the keys with her, and LOCKS US IN THE CAR while she goes to fetch her pants.

Which would have been just fine if sister two had been satisfied to wait quietly for the other one to reappear. But no .... she waits just long enough to forget we are locked in the car to decide she has an emergency need for TOENAIL CLIPPERS (don't we all at high noon on a Tuesday?), flings open the door of the car, which ... wait for it .... sets off the car alarm. Then she proceeds to RUN AWAY FROM THE CAR. I swear if there had been a cop I would have pointed and screamed "She tried to CUT me!"

So there I am, trying to look confident and nonchalant while the car I am sitting in screeches in tandem with flashing its headlights.Top notch, folks.

You know those people, when you're loading your groceries and you're thinking, "um, why the hell isn't someone turning OFF that car alarm? It's been going off for 10 minutes???" Well, maybe they are just sitting in that car waiting for their sisters to come back. With pants and toenail clippers and keys. So stop judging. (Oh, who am I kidding. Judge away. It is super annoying.)

Anyways, I couldn't help but think Andrew Jackson would have gotten a chuckle that Americans these days have motorized vehicles that will sound an alarm if someone tries to get OUT of the car. Or that ties them down to said car if someone makes a swift turn. Of course, Jackson would have just clocked anyone who looked at him funny with his cane. But clearly I lack Jackson's moxie. And I don't have a cane. So.

But I think Jackson would totally been on board with us trying to find Connie Britton. Which we didn't. But at least we had neat nails and nice pants.

What's Happening in Atlanta This Weekend

What are y'all up to this weekend? Here's my (slightly ambitious) plan:

I noticed during my holiday travels how easy (and pleasant) it was to neaten the bathroom. This was (spoiler alert!) because I only travel with the necessities versus the arsenal of cosmetics, first aid implements, lotions and potions that I store in my bathroom at home. I know, seems rather intuitive. Anywho, I'm spending a little time sorting this weekend, so here's what the bath will look like after:

Source: goodhousekeeping.com via Charlotte on Pinterest

I'm pretty sure. This may be ambitious, too. Let a girl dream.

Since it will be 72 degrees in Atlanta tomorrow (on Jan. 12. What the?? Not complaining!) I might drag some of my people on a little hike. One of my favorite outdoor family activities in Atlanta is to visit the Falls at Roswell Mill. Here's a picture of my nephew from our last hike. I was forced to crop out a "danger" sign. Boys. If it isn't scary, it isn't fun.


I'm only on chapter 5 in this book, and already I love it. Looking forward to curling up with The Fault in our Stars this weekend.

Generally I'd avoid "children" and "cancer" for leisurely weekend reading, but I'm hearing nothing but good things about this book. I'll keep you posted.

I may drag my husband to see Silver Linings Playbook. I've already seen it, and must see it again. Bradley Cooper & Jennifer Lawrence will restore your faith in non-British actors. They are phenomenal, and both better win Oscars or I'll feel sad and will refuse to watch the Academy Awards again until 2014.


On Sunday we're celebrating my sister's birthday at our house. I'm thinking about this Chicken with Southwestern Salsa for lunch. This is a healthier choice (than, say, steak and biscuits and gravy) to balance out the distressing caloric intake of birthday cake.

Since I'm a little weary from typing this, I may have to scale back. Or procrastinate. Both viable options.

What are you up to this weekend?

 

How to be Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom Family of the Day -- Part 2

Hi there! When we last met, I promised my tips on how to up the odds your family is chosen as Walt Disney World's Family of the Day at Magic Kingdom. Without further ado, here are a few details that I think helped us ... and may help you, too!

DO arrive early. Extra early. In fact, the title for this post could be “mistakenly think the park opens one hour before it actually opens, settle in on a bench at the park’s entrance to explain to your children that those people entering the park have reservations for Breakfast with the Princesses, something you do not, in fact, have.” But seriously, arrive at the park’s entrance gates up to an hour before opening to increase your chances of being Family of the Day.

DON’T have reservations for Breakfast with Princesses (AKA Fairytale Dining.) That was the first question the park employee asked when she was scouting for family of the day, and obviously if we HAD a reservation she would have found some other bunch of suckers who had turned up really early.

DO try to go to the park during the off-season. We pulled the kids from school for a couple of days in early May to watch my husband participate in the aforementioned Ironman in Florida, then drove to Orlando from there. Since it wasn’t Spring or Summer Break, we were nearly the only family biding our time at the entrance. The lesson: TRUANCY PAYS. No. The real lesson: there will be scads of early arrivals during regular vacation times, so get permission for your kids to miss a day or two of school if possible.

DO have kids with you. It’s called Family of the Day for a reason. I am in no way indicating you are not a family if you don’t have kids, but let’s face it, a passel of excited kids is the recipe for a perfect photo opportunity. So if Gramps wants to be in the parade, he’s going to need to drag a couple of grandkids along with him.

DO make sure those kids are well-behaved. If you have a toddler squalling because she didn’t get enough rest the night before, or a couple of fist-fighting grade school kids, don’t be surprised if the Disney employee makes a beeline to the family smart enough use candy and cash to bribe good behavior from their children.

DON’T look like a scene from MTV’s Jersey Shore. Disney has a clean-cut image to uphold, and while they’ll let just about anybody drop $100 on a ticket, they are probably pickier when it comes to the folks throwing out the confetti. Look presentable: comb the hair, dress neatly and conservatively, remove any spiked accessories and set aside the low-cut and inappropriate t-shirts for another day.

DO have lots of power on your camera battery and an extra thumb drive. A staff member took pictures and videos for us the entire morning. In fact, he captured the entire park opening ceremony for us on video — which you can watch {here.}  (It's about two-minutes long.)

I wish I could promise your family will be chosen as the Disney World Family of the Day. No can do. But following these tips should go a long way toward improving your chances of being selected, so ….

Happy Planning!

My Secret Disney Weapon: Call Jane. She knows all the Disney tricks: how to save a bundle, where to stay, what days to hit which parks … basically, how to have a delightful Disney vacation without taking out a second mortgage. AND HER SERVICE IS FREE. Jane’s an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, which means she has the inside track on helping people like us make the most of our Disney trip. Contact her at JaneATcrazyaboutthemouseDOTcom. PS—I promise to always give you a heads-up if I am being paid for a review or endorsement, and THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE TIMES! 

How to be Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom Family of the Day - Part 1

A few years back, our family was at the entrance gates of Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, slathering ourselves with sunscreen, when a Disney employee asked if we’d like to be the Magic Kingdom Family of the Day.

Um …. “yes, please!”

Before the park opened, we were taken on a private tour of the entire park on the 
Disney World Trolley. 

Eventually we landed in a completely deserted Toontown. It was quite deluxe for the girls to wander around without dodging a horde of sticky toddlers trying to serve Minnie Mouse tea with honey.

 After a while, our usher herded us outside and told us to cover our eyes. When she shouted “SURPRISE,” the entire cast of Disney characters began to file out of the Toontown houses.
Every character from Snow White to Goofy came and hugged the girls and told them we were all in store for a great time.
Then the whole bunch of us clambered onto the Walt Disney World Railroad for a private ride to the ultimate destination: the Opening Ceremony at Cinderella’s Castle.

Mickey Mouse tried to make polite conversation during the ride, which was amusing because Mickey Mouse doesn’t have a functioning mouth. There was lots of gesturing and nodding, and when Mickey discovered my husband had just completed a race in which he swam 1.2 miles, biked 56 and ran 13.1, he made the international sign for “you’re nuts!” I spent the remainder of the trip asking my husband what it felt like being called crazy by a giant cartoon character with massive ears, a yellow bow-tie, and no ability to speak.  

Once we arrived at Cinderella’s Castle, we joined the characters in throwing confetti to the crowd, took some more pictures, then bid farewell to the characters. My then six-year-old was shocked other families had to stand in line to ask the characters for their autographs. A Disney Snob was born.

Since our extraordinary experience, I’ve been asked approximately one zillion times “How were you chosen as Family of the Day?” My response is always “dumb luck,” but I do think there are a few things you can do to increase your chances of being Family of the Day at Disney World. 


Come back this Thursday for my tips on how to be chosen Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom's Family of the Day! (In the meantime, I'll be ill regarding how much my children have grown. How does this happen so fast?)

My Secret Disney Weapon: Call Jane. She knows all the Disney tricks: how to save a bundle, where to stay, what days to hit which parks … basically, how to have a delightful Disney vacation without taking out a second mortgage. AND HER SERVICE IS FREE. Jane’s an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, which means she has the inside track on helping people like us make the most of our Disney trip. Contact her at Jane@crazyaboutthemouse.com. PS—I promise to always give you a heads-up if I am being paid for a review or endorsement, and THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE TIMES! 

The Cure for a Fear of Flying (or, how to fly without liquor, prescription drugs, or insisting the pilot take a breathalyzer)

October is spooky. Frankenstein is on your neighbor’s porch, there’s a cemetery in your yard, and brains are congealing in the fridge (made of gelatin. You hope.)

But the most terrifying haunted house can’t compare to the fact the Grim Reaper sharpens his scythe on the airplane every time I fly. It’s either Grim or Johnny Cash, and since Johnny’s dead, it’s really the same difference.

I wasn’t always afraid to fly.  I’ve flown coast-to-coast, across the ocean, from Memphis to Manhattan. I’ve flown Aeroflot to Siberia, and if any situation is fraught with peril, it’s flying Aeroflot — routinely listed at the bottom of the airline-safety barrel. Yet I wasn’t afraid.

Several years and a few white-knuckle, bumpy flights later, I lost the youthful delusion that bad things only happen to other people. Suddenly I was an adult upon whom tragedy could strike, and 35,000 feet seemed a promising location.

 After that, I’d only fly after washing down a valium with a stiff drink from the airport bar. That panic-dampening combo was the only thing preventing me from shrieking “This plane is going down!!” while shoving passengers aside with my sweat-soaked palms, thus saving myself before takeoff.

I became the worlds’ most-vigilant flyer, my head whipping around like a spastic spectator at a high-speed tennis match at every bump and thump. Once I grabbed my husband’s arm (a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, he finds aviophobia  as sensible as a fear of freckles) and hissed “what was THAT?” while bracing for our rapid spiral from the sky. Fortunately, the noise from the air vents did not signify a crash. Ahem.

The irrational fear weighed heavily on my mind. I was shackling my family to tedious car rides because turbulence makes me nervous. I was chicken. I realized by refusing to face my fear, I was sending myself — and my kids— a message that avoidance is an acceptable answer to fear.  How do you tell your kids “there’s no reason to be afraid” if you can’t convince yourself?

So, I swallowed my fear, didn’t swallow any pills, and in June hopped a plane to Seattle. It was the first time I’ve flown in more than 10 years.  Was I nervous?  Yep, but I didn’t say “what was that noise?” once. I didn’t give the pilot a breathalyzer, and I only scoped the plane twice to see if anyone resembling Johnny Cash with a scythe was on board.

This Halloween, if there’s a sinister noise outside my window, I’ll remember I’ve looked the Grim Reaper in the eye, then marvel at the fact he does not have eyes. Kidding. I’ll remember I’ve faced the thing which scared me most, and tell my kids “there’s no reason to be afraid.” Unless something’s crawling out from the gravestone in the yard. Then —be afraid. Be very afraid.

Amy M. Dawson is an Atlanta-based writer scared of spiders, murky lake water and Snooki, but is no longer afraid to fly. Visit www.virtuallybetter.com to learn more about flying without Valium,vodka and sweaty palms.

They Sure Make the Dandelions Hardy Out in Idaho

While I am busy gnashing my teeth writing articles and such, thought you'd enjoy this reminder that persistence pays. It might make you go a little cross-eyed in the process, but it pays.

Oh, The Places You'll Go! (Or, The Places That You've Been!)

Y'all, it has been a busy month. First, I led a seminar on writing effective bios for a group of women enrolled in Women in Technology's Executive Readiness program. These impressive women have successful careers with companies like The Coca-Cola Company, Turner Broadcasting, McKesson and AutoTrader.com and needed to create a 150-word synopsis of their fabulousness. My number one free tip for creating amazing bios: put your eye-catching accomplishments first. Your bio shouldn't be a chronological repeat of your resume. This is one case where saving the best for last isn't a good strategy, so don't make your reader dig for the good stuff. 


Then I did my gig as a monthly humor columnist for Atlanta's Northside Woman magazine. I'll post that here soon.


Next up, my writing was featured in SMARTS magazine, a website and blog for know-it-alls. No really, that's what it says right on their website. I have a sign hanging in my office that says "I'm not bossy, I just have better ideas," therefore, I think their tagline is genius.


I was also featured (actually, the contents of my purse were featured - I have a long-standing penchant for purchasing purses) on Petitelephant.com -- another very fun blog and website full of great information.


There's been a little travel worked into the schedule, too, namely to my niece's graduation from the University of Tennessee. More on that later...


Now, a couple of notes: did you know I do seminars for groups up to 12 on marketing, social media, writing for business, publicity for small businesses and personal branding? Yup, sure do. This is ideal for folks who prefer a little DIY over spending bigger bucks for hourly consulting. Let me know if you'd like more info. And don't stress if you aren't in Atlanta, we can set up a webinar.  I love technology.


Also, catch up with me on Facebook, Twitter and Linked In, where I post lots of free writing tips, free publicity tips and free social media tips!


Stay tuned -- posting more soon ...


XO-Amy Mac

The photo above is my latest post to "Muses and Musings" featured at the top of the blog page. 

Hitting the Road

For my most recent Northside Woman article I issued this plea via Facebook:

Writing an article (due today, naturally) about Road Trips with Kids - what's your favorite tip for keeping them entertained in the car (and dosing them with Benadryl does NOT count as a good tip)? What's your favorite road trip memory from when you were a youngster?

Friends submitted the most fantastic responses, but my stringent word limit for the article kept me from sharing them all … but the memories and tips for travelling with kids were too good to keep to myself. Enjoy!

I distinctly remember riding in the back of our station wagon on the way to my Grandparents on Christmas Eve. I saw Western Barbie in her shiny Barbie box through the cracks into the trunk in the back and wondered to myself why we were giving my cousin Alice that Barbie when I had asked Santa for one. Miraculously Santa delivered to me a western Barbie that next morning! It still took me years to figure out what was really happening!

We play the ABC game with road signs. But, I actually just saw these cards at Learning Express for dinner games. I'm buying those for us to play this summer when we drive back to Texas.

We always played the ABC game... Where you had to spot every letter of the alphabet on road signs or license plate... We would keep our fingers crossed to pass "q"uick stops, e"x"xons, or e"z" marts... Those last few letters were always the hardest... Of course Ellen and I would also sing all the songs from our tape of the Grease soundtrack... she always got to sing Sandy’s parts, and I got stuck singing Danny’s

(the sister’s response) of course I sang Sandy's part... we also counted cows (whatever side of the car you were on was the side of the road your cows would be on) not sure that was exactly fun but we did it and somehow I think I won every time (there is no way I would have cheated). Now with the boys we just put a DVD in and are good to go.

She always got to sing Sandy's parts, and I always got stuck singing Danny's... I'm sure Chris would have killed for a DVD player-- if only they'd existed back then!She always got to sing Sandy's parts, and I always got stuck singing Danny's... I'm sure Chris would have killed for a DVD player-- if only they'd existed back then!

Listening to books on cd (Chronicles of Narnia—the present favorite), switching seats mid-trip (this always restores peace), handing out toys/books that I have kept hidden for a month or so before the trip (they respond like I've given them something brand new) . . . looking forward to reading it!

I LOVE LOVE hearing these stories! My children would, of course, dub these "Pioneer Days Stories." They are always stunned to discover when I was little it was perfectly legal not only to ride around without a seatbelt, but that, as a tyke, I was frequently allowed to stand up in the front seat on the way to the store. Though, upon further scrutiny, that seems to push even the boundaries of 1970s safety....

These days we take two cars! Divide & conquer!

Ok, my mom always had Tootsie Pops and we counted how many licks it took to get to the middle. Once you got to the thinnest layer of candy coating you just couldn't help but bite it, thus, losing! We had to listen to real country music, Johnny Cash, Tammy Wynette, on 8-Track!! We also slept, with no seat belts, in the back part of the car (a Suburban so there were no seats, it was just flat.)

My mom had a bag of pennies and she would be creative, first one to find a black sheep gets a penny, we would be quiet and intently look for the black sheep. First one to find a dog in a car, a lady wearing a hat, etc. Then we could spend our pennies in the souvenir shop at our destination. I also loved the invisible ink books, still have them today and my kids love them!

Riding to West Tenn. from Disneyworld with the family of 4 and a 3-foot stuffed Mickey Mouse taking the middle of the back of a VW rabbit...

We used to drive to LA from Nashville from '73 - '80 around Christmas to visit Aunt and Uncle. We slept in the back of a Mercury station wagon ( think Griswolds) with no seat belts, but we did have a TV and VCR (mom was an electrical genius). We watched so many episodes of NOVA and National Geographic. Every year we would stop to ski somewhere out West – parents would take a different route every year. One year my parents gave us our own CB to play with on the trip. It’s amazing what truckers will talk about. I didn’t understand most of it at the time.

When our son was 18 months old we were driving up to Wisc. to visit. He was crying and really fussy (his sister was sleeping) so I opened up a Gogurt and handed it to him. He was so very happy and so very quite. Half an hour later I looked backed at them and the entire back seat was covered with Gogurt! He had flung it all around my brand new BMW. The roof, the dog even his sleeping sister was covered in the stuff! It kept him quite but I wouldn't recommend it - Jim was very happy to see us!

As much as I love being "published" (ha ha), I'm fresh out of ideas for road trips. I hate them!!! My only tip is to try to be the parent who drives, so your spouse has to deal with the kids' fights, passing back snacks, Kleenex, changing out the DVD's, and, God forbid, car sickness.

It's not old fashioned like alphabet billboard. We do the dvd thing. We travel A LOT. We do all of our shopping, dentists, & doctors 6 hours away. My biggest secret is for mom. Not really a secret, but I NEVER drive w/out a great book on my Ipod. Earphones work fine. Since it's not constant music I can hear the road safely.

My dad used to put 10 Hershey's Kisses in a row on the dashboard at the beginning of a trip. If we misbehaved, he would take one off and eat it in front of us. Whatever was left at the end of the trip we got to eat. Don't recall ever eating one.

Played "pa-diddle" (not sure how to spell it), the game when you look for a car or truck missing a headlight? Loved that game as a kid! These days we play the geography game when you say a city/state/country etc and the next one has to start with the last letter of the previous one...fun one! The girls love the alphabet animal or food game when you say something that starts with A and the next person says something that starts with B and so on! Can’t wait to read this article! You always crack me up!

Are my Facebook friends the smartest, most resourceful parents on the planet? Yes, they are. The best things I’ve learned about parenting I’ve learned from friends – and I hope you learn a few tricks for travelling with kids from this post!

Click here to read the full article! And become an Amy Mac Fan on Facebook, too!

Sunshine on my Shoulders

Here's a link to my latest article for Northside Woman. Here's to sunscreen on a sunny day - Enjoy!

Get Me A Ticket for an Airplane, Ain't Got Time to Take the Fast Train

I think I am one of the few people on earth who actually enjoy the driving part of a road trip. My kids are all about the destination, and my husband would probably prefer to fly (he is a graduate of the Air Force Academy, after all), but for me there’s something fun, simplistic and adventurous about hitting the open road.

There are a few pre-requisites for the perfect road trip. Here’s my list, in no particular order:
· Great music, with the perfect playlist uploaded to my Ipod
· Snacks and cool beverages
· A mindless, entertaining book on CD
· My Blackberry
· A camera (you just never know when you might want to snap a photo)
· A general idea of where I’m going

Those items, along with a full tank of gas (which is what I was doing when I snapped this photo), will make the trip fly (pun intended) – Happy Trails!