Last week The Captain and I had the great opportunity to attend the Drive It Home Event Sponsored by Allstate and the National Safety Council  in East Islip. The event shed some light on the dangers of teen driving through information and comedy skits performed by the famed Second City, and although I myself am far from having a teen driver in my own household, it really shared a ton of great information that I think many people who are in that situation would find useful. So I am here to share that with you. What I did learn is that my two year old son will NEVER become a teenager, and if he defies me and does become one, he will NEVER drive. Why? Because the statistics I learned were terrifying. But people today are lucky that there are organizations out there with the purpose of educating both parents and teenagers of all the risks. Knowledge is power…and educating your family and your teenager of all the risks could save lives.

Drive It Home, created by parents for parents, is specifically targeted at parents after their teen gets a driver’s license; that is one of the deadliest years in a person’s life. Drive it Home uses a variety of video and graphic styles, including  humor to capture the attention of parents, educate them on the real dangers facing their teens and help them provide ongoing coaching tips for recently licensed teen drivers. Did you know one of the most dangerous years in a teenagers life is 12 months after they get their drivers license?

Teen Driving Facts

• Parents don’t understand the most deadly risks to their teen driver. Research shows that inexperience is the No. 1 cause of teen crashes, but 74 percent of parents inaccurately believe that risk-taking is the leading cause.
• Despite the fact that nine in 10 parents say it’s very important for teens to learn to manage night driving and driving with passengers, one in three parents admit they have not adequately covered these items with their teen.
•   Nearly 30 percent of parents are not setting rules around some of the most dangerous behaviors including nighttime driving and passengers in the car. Many parents also don’t require their teen to get permission before driving somewhere.
•  Sixty-four percent of parents are actively looking for resources to help manage their teens’ driving experience.

Helpful Teen Driving Tips

Among the lifesaving recommendations and resources at driveithome.org:

• Drive at least 30 minutes each week with a newly licensed teen.
• Practice specific skills together and provide teens with feedback in the following critical areas:

1: Scanning the road ahead to recognize and respond to hazards.

2: Controlling speed, stopping, turning and following distance.

3: Judging the gap between vehicles in traffic – such as when exiting parking lots and making left-hand turns.

4: Managing the highest driving risks, such as nighttime driving and with young passengers in the car.

New York Teen Driving Statistics

These statistics are terrifying. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, there were 323 fatalities in crashes involving at least one 15- to 19-year-old motor vehicle driver in New York from 2009-11. A total of 109 teen drivers (15-19), 68 teen passengers (15-19) and 26 other passengers in the teen’s vehicle and 120 others were killed in those crashes. After listening to the presentation, I learned that a big reason behind all the crashes is that parents don’t want to take the time to teach their children, and they don’t want to set boundaries or discuss the risks involved.

The bottom line is that driving is a skill, and to become good at it takes practice. That, my dear parents is where you come in. Take the time to drive with your child. In New York teens must log a minimum of 50 hours of driving practice, including 15 nighttime hours, before they can obtain a driver’s license. See that there?? MINIMUM! That means if you feel like your teen isn’t ready to go alone…DON’T LET THEM!

As part of Drive it Home, the Drive It Home Show is hitting the road, stopping in 14 cities across the country giving parents a fun look at the serious subject of teen driving. The show features the comedians of world renowned Second City Communications and safety experts as they help parents understand the real hazards teens face on the road, better coach teen drivers and learn about state teen driving laws. To see more about how you can attend one of the Drive It Home shows please check out the Drive It Home Locations.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

I am nowhere close to be a spontaneous person, but last week something came over me and I got the bug to travel. I didn’t know where, when or how, but I knew I wanted/needed to get away! You may not believe me, but if Captain Awesome told me we were able to travel to Europe I would’ve packed a bag in a day and taken my son on a big jet airplane to see some new sites. I was THAT motivated. I knew Europe wasn’t realistic so I shrunk down my expectations…I mean really shrunk down. I approached the Captain with a weekend getaway idea and he excitedly agreed. His only change was to make it for one night vs. two. So we crossed our fingers that all the stars would align for the two of us to get away with out the little man, and they did! Mystic Connecticut look out!

It has been just under a year since The Captain and I got away just the two of us, so I figured it was time. First obstacle? Child care. Who would watch our little man? My parents were coming the following week so I wasn’t going to ask them, so the obvious choice was my Mother In Law. Lucky for us she was free, and excited to have some time with the little dude. Knowing he’d be well taken care of took a lot of the stress of going away off my shoulders.

Next was where to travel. Since we were only going for one night we didn’t want to go far. We put a two hour limit on travel and started the search. Choice number one was Montauk or Eastern Long Island but it seemed like everyone and their mother had the same idea so all were booked. Not to mention the 2 night minimum of the summer season began in May…so that was out. I had heard of Mystic and in the spirit of not overthinking things we just went with that!

As for hotels we weren’t picky. We chose the Mariott Residence Inn in Mystic and were very pleased with the choice. It was close enough to the main town, very close to old Mystic, and best of all…for the price of the regular room we got a suite! Breakfast is also included, can’t really go wrong with that!

Mystic isn’t huge by any means. As a matter of fact it looks like many of the harbor towns where we live. The stores are quaint, and you can just tell that the people that go there come back year after year. One HUGE highlight was our stop at Mystic Pizza. Do you remember that movie? The one with Julia Roberts? LOVE IT! I have ALWAYS wanted to go there and now was my chance. My review? Great! and even better served cold later. A little FYI..their ranch dressing is to die for and amazing to dip your crust in to! My biggest negative was that they don’t sell the cute T shirts that the waitresses wear..I was so excited to buy one only to find they didn’t have the T shirts like in the movie. I’m heartbroken. But my 8 year old self is satisfied. I finally made it to Mystic Pizza!

We wandered through town, shopped a bit, did a ghetto self tour of some houses on the outskirts of Mystic Harbor, and hit the cute shops in old Mystic. It was a really nice day with lots of laughs. Dinner was on the water, and we ended it early back in our room. It really was a great day.

I was reminded how important it is to get away as husband and wife. We play the role of mom and dad every day, and its great to get back to remembering why we truly like each other. Mystic was a cute town. A great short getaway. When do we get to go again!?

If you have been keeping up with my blog you would know that for the past couple of weeks I have taking off my mommy hat (but do you ever take off your mommy hat?), and switching it for my “working hat” one morning a week. To put it simply, now have one morning a week to myself. I was nervous and scared to leave my son with someone else…Let me rephrase that. It has nothing to do with the woman I was leaving him with…I was saddened by the fact that one morning a week would go by and I wouldn’t know everything that he had done. For me that was tough. But I did it…I left him and if we are being honest he LOVES it…and if we are being even more honest…so do I!

I think the fact that my son looks forward to these mornings really helps. His best friend is there, and the woman who watches him is amazing. There are no tears and once I tell him where he is going he rushes to the door excited. It’s bittersweet, but great.

My husband drives him which is great for me. I am alone in the house starting at 8 am. That allows me one morning a week that I get a cup of coffee all to myself. I turn on Good Morning America, grab my computer and I get to work! One of the joys of working from home is that I do all of this in my Pj’s! (don’t tell my boss…aka dad!)

I love the freedom of those 4 hours. I am focused on dedicating them to work, but it’s nice to know that IF I need to accomplish something I can do it during those hours. I know every week at that time I am free to do what I need to get done. I can take meetings, I can try to get new customers, and I can make phone calls without worrying about my son screaming the moment I get on the phone (which he does regularly). These mornings allow me to have a glimpse at my pre mom life which I have pretty much forgotten. Did I really have all this time to myself?

In reality it’s only four 1/2 hours, and those hours fly by, but they are my four and a half hours. Today I even got to stop in at Marshalls/Home Goods to look for curtains! That task is so much easier with out my little man.

Even better than all that? I look forward to seeing him when I pick him up. I love that he wants to tell me about his morning (in his own way of course). I love to see him learn new things, and learn to play with other kids, and I love to have someone else discipline him. He needs all that. So for one morning a week we get a little break from each other. It’s pretty great….

Well, another Mother’s Day has come and gone….a day where I have an excuse to ask for whatever I want, and a day that I feel comfortable making Captain Awesome pick up all the slack. This year I decided to do something a little different and secretly (Ok..it wasn’t secret at all because I know he reads my blog) made a list of what I wanted my day to be like. I got a little flack because I didn’t give him much notice, but whatever, I have to keep him on his toes!

1. The day was all about me! I was made to feel special the entire day and I Loved it! 
2. Sleep: Woo hoo it was glorious! Kid didn’t cooperate and sleep in, but The Captain kept him very quiet and took him out of the house early to have breakfast with his mom. Me? I stayed in bed till almost 9! What’s better than that?
3. Craft: Can you believe I actually got my Mother’s Day craft? Captain Awesome secretly worked on a great plate with my little man that I will love and cherish forever. As a matter of fact it already has a place in my china cabinet.
4. Gifts: I got exactly what I wanted! I did in fact tell him exactly what I wanted, but he listened. And I got it! (don’t worry it wasn’t anything fancy or extravagant, but I needed it).
5. Coffee: Oh boy did I get my coffee in peace! I woke up to a quiet house (which I didn’t know what to do with). I did not feel inclined to do any cleaning (which is a first). I wore my new silky nightgown and robe my mother in law got me (pretty fancy), and I sipped my coffee. Better yet? I did while NOT watching Dora or Diego!
6. Hugs and kisses: I took my fair share from my son. I do that every day! Captain Awesome made me feel special. He isn’t the huggiest and kissiest guy in the world…but he made me feel appreciated.
7. Special Treats throughout the day: Done! A bagel here (my favorite)…a mother’s day cookie there (yummy)….an iced coffee pick me up! Those are my kind of special treats!
8. Wine: The original plan on the wine fell through. We headed up to eastern Long Island by the vineyards. We had a great drive and chose to hit up a family festival at a farm first. We didn’t anticipate it taking 2 hours. We had a blast! We then attempted to go to a vineyard so I could get my wine, but the little guy was so pooped. So pooped he said he wanted to go “night night in the car”. Now that’s tired! But that’s OK. We stopped so I could buy wine at my favorite vineyard, and I got my wine at the end of the night.
9. Clean House: This it he one out of 10 he failed on. I was responsible for any clean up during the day. I stood my ground and refused to empty the dishwasher. That can wait. I will say that Captain Awesome was out getting us take out after I got the little man to bed so I cleaned then..so I give him some reprieve on this fail. When I told him he failed on this one he told me he is “just one man” (ya he really said that). Then saved himself by saying “I’m not a woman”. Well played…well played.
10. Bedtime: It was everything I wanted. The Captain gave a bath…and I got to snuggle and read books before bed. It was perfect.

So nine out of ten ain’t bad right? Not in my book! Here is to a fantastic Mother’s Day! I hope yours was everything you wanted!

The Real Success Story

Since many of us aren’t superior athletes, this just isn’t an option to get out of a bad financial situation. The good news is all of us have the ability to get out of the ghetto! We just have to know the equation for creating wealth.

Wealth = Drive + Resources + Knowledge

Let’s follow story of Jim’s life. He was born in Grand Rapids, MI to a single mother that worked three different jobs to make ends meet. When Jim needed new clothes for school or if there was an unexpected expense, he remembers his mom borrowing a small sum of money from the bank to get by (today, we would most likely use cashwindow.co.uk).When Jim was still a young boy, he took on a part-time job in the local grocery store to help his mom pay the bills. He knew his mom was trying hard to provide a good life for him, but they just continued to struggle. He wished that he could earn enough so they could live the good life.

Jim’s mom was a Christian woman, so they would often head to church on Sundays. Through his many visits, Jim often found himself talking with the local businessman, asking him how to be successful so his mom wouldn’t have to work so hard. This is when Jim learned the equation to success. He needed to have drive (a will to get better and do more), he needed to be knowledgeable about business and the future economic shifts, and he also needed to have the resources to start a business of his own.

This was a lot for Jim to understand as a young boy, but he knew that if he continued to work hard in school and at the grocery store that he would gain the tools for wealth and success later in life.

Are You On the Way to Success?

This story is quite common, and it could lead to success every time, but unfortunately few stay the course. They grow tired of trying and failing in the real world, so they turn to selling drugs on the streets or selling stolen merchandise. This ultimately leads to imprisonment or death.

Jim was well on his way to success. By utilizing the knowledge of others and the resources of places like the library to learn about business and opportunity, Jim could indeed grow wealthy and get his mother out of that sad cycle of poverty.

 All over the internet I have been seeing these Mother’s Day “wish lists” that stated EXACTLY what they wanted for Mother’s Day. I agreed with some from this post and some from that post, but there was never a complete…YES! That is my list….type moment. So since I run this blog, and can write whatever I wanted, I decided to write a list of my own. Not as easy as you’d think because so many of my wants contradict themselves, and then some wish’s are like “Ya right Jen!”, and “no you can’t have your own personal beauty team come to your house”. So I had to get more realistic…here goes…

My Mother’s Day Wish List

1. I want the day to be all about ME! I love you mom more than you could ever know…but I am going to Milk this day as much as I can so I am sorry that we don’t get to spend it together.
2. Sleep! Can I put in a request that the kid sleeps till at least 8? Because we all know that no matter what happens, when he gets up I will hear him, and even if The Captain gets him (which he will) I will hear the two of them downstairs. Therefore, even if I am content in bed I will not in fact be SLEEPING. BUT…if the kid sleeps in then we all win! How do I make that happen?
3. I want a Mother’s Day Craft. I am not sure how to do this, but if Captain Awesome is reading this I hope he can somehow make it happen. I am with the kid all the time so it’s not fun for ME to make the craft. I want a secret surprise craft that can go up on my refrigerator and forever and always I can keep this craft as my FIRST REAL MOTHER’S DAY CRAFT!
4. Gifts: I told Captain Awesome what I wanted for Mother’s Day and it isn’t anything fancy. I am always torn with gifts because I know things I want but hate to have to ask for them…this time I figured asking was the way to go…but a Surprise is also fun! Hint Hint!
5. Coffee: I want my morning coffee in peace, and I want to drink it NOT watching Dora, Diego, or any show that appears on Nick Jr, Disney Jr, or PBS…maybe I need to be more specific and state that list also includes any movie that can be played in the DVR.
6. Hugs and Kisses: I want a TON of hugs and kisses from both my men, and I want them both to proclaim all day how truly wonderful and irreplaceable I am. My son can’t really talk all too much, so that leaves the job to Captain Awesome. My son is great at giving the hugs, so the rest will be up to The Captain.
7. How about some special little treats through out the day? Little mini surprises? So when I least expect it some special just for me appears
8. WINE! The day must include wine in some way. The Captain and I have discussed a trip out to the vineyards for the day with the little man so that would cover it. I am hoping the weather cooperates so we can go with this plan. If not…have wine on hand…
9. I want the house to be clean at the end of the day and I don’t want to do it. I am so tired of resetting the house at the end of the day. It drives me nuts but I do it. On Mother’s Day I don’t’ want to do it…but that doesn’t mean I want to stare at a mess all night. Maybe Daddy and Christian could do a little “clean up, clean up” together?
10. I want the kids bedtime to be a joint effort. I want daddy to give bath, and I want to watch. I love to watch them play. It makes me smile. I want him to get the little man’s PJ’s on and I will then get to do the easy part and cuddle with him before bed. I want him to smile at me and say “I love you mommy” like he does every night. It’s my favorite.

Bottom line? I want my family to WANT to make my day special. Not because I asked but because they want to take he day to say I’m appreciated. I jest with this wish list (kind of). I can probably bet every mom wants to be made to feel like a queen for a day….and I am no different.

Now that I think about it…I need a tiara… I need to dig up my wedding tiara for the day!

To all you mom’s out there have a FANTASTIC Mother’s Day!

WHAT’S NUMBER 1 ON YOUR WISH LIST?

Hey local readers, we all share the road, and if you are like me I am pretty much terrified every time I drive. I worry not only about myself, but others on the road. If you feel the same way, I’d love you to join me at the Drive it Home Show, presented by the National Safety Council and Allstate Foundation, Tuesday, May 14. If you have tween, teen, or are concerned about teen driving safety, it will be an informative (and entertaining!) event. Please feel free to share this post with anyone who might like to attend. Details are as follows:

Drive It Home Show

What: Drive it Home Show, presented by the National Safety Council and Allstate Foundation

When: Tuesday, May 14 from 7pm – 8:15pm

Where: BayWay Arts Center (265 E Main St # 160, East Islip, NY 11730)

Price: FREE!; no tickets required

Parking: Parking lot is available

BONUS: PRIZES! You can enter in the sweepstakes at the event for a chance to win gas cards and a brand new car!

If you’d like to attend, click here to register and when checking in, let them know that Clever Girls Collective sent you. Please comment or e mail me and let me know you will be coming so we can meet up! Hope to see you there!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Christos Aneste! Christ is risen! Also meaning…Happy Easter! That is if you follow a different calendar than much of the Christian world like the Greeks! Many you have already celebrated Easter, and we did too. We did the Easter bunny thing, but last Sunday we celebrated again. My son will get TWO Easter’s from now on. Kind of cool right?

Greek Easter

I grew up in a Catholic household. My dad was brought up Catholic and my mom Ukrainian Orthodox. Although I went to my mom’s Ukrainian church sometimes when we were little when we visited our grandparents, we were primarily taught the Catholic way. My husband on the other hand is Greek Orthodox (which is similar to my mom’s Ukranian Orthodox church). This means that although the basic Christian principles are the same, there are also tons of differences in the two types of churches. One main difference that directly affects us is Easter. Our Easters, most of the time, fall on different days (which is GREAT for us because we don’t have to split the holiday between families), and today is theirs!

I started being dragged to my husband’s Easter church service very early in our relationship many moons ago. I say dragged not because I am a heathen and hate attending church, but it was tough to sit through a church service that is done in both Greek and English (Lots of Greek), which is 3 hours long, and starts at 11 at night! But I went because I loved him and I felt it was my duty as his girlfriend, which became my duty as a fiancé, and as a wife, but not as a mother (I will explain that in a few moments)

So in the time frame we are at about 2 am. What comes next in the tradition? A trip to the diner! What else would the Greeks do? Many of the hard core Greeks don’t eat meat or Dairy for 40 days prior to Easter. This means that after the service they are able to chow down on whatever they like. My husband does not partake in this (Thank goodness!), but does refrain from meat all through holy week. So on Easter eve I may have strolled back into my home at around 3:30 am. It was exhausting!

You may see why I no longer partake in this Easter tradition. Once I became a mom I decided it wasn’t a place for my young son. Now, we go to church on Sunday morning (like I am more used to). Am I allowed to admit that I am SUPER happy about that?

Sunday is the main event in my book. Now, what do you picture in your head when you picture a bunch of Greeks gathering? Got a good picture? What did you see? Lambs turning on a spit? Loud Greek music playing? A bunch of people all with the same name?? Well that is exactly what GREASTER is all about! We go to a family friend’s house. The hostess is an amazing cook, and has so many of the Greek foods that my husband loves! There are two lambs turning on a spit, Pastichio (which is a Greek Lasagna and I LOVE it!), lemon potatoes, and many many others. The biggest gross out is when my husband eats lamb brains right out of the cranium. GROSS! One year I got tricked into eating sweet breads (lamb esophagus), but you can’t fool me twice! I’ll stick to non meat products! It really just is a nice day of lots of family and food. It’s a great tradition. I am happy to be a part of it. My husband’s family and their friends have always been so nice to me, and I have always been made welcome…even though I am not a Greek girl myself.

So this is GREASTER. I have many more years of this to look forward to. Although I pick on it I know it’s a tradition my family will continue for years to come. And that is comforting.

Private van insurance is just another type of vehicle insurance cover that provides coverage for both private and commercial vans, in all kinds of situations. The van is usually covered against all kinds of losses that it might face while on the road, including collision, comprehensive and all other kinds of coverage. This helps the vehicle owners in saving a good amount of money for repairs and penalties faced with such situations.

Collision Coverage: This type of coverage provided by the insurance companies insures the van against the losses suffered in an accident. All kinds of damages caused to a vehicle in the events of a collision are covered by the insurance companies. The people injured in the accident are also insured in this type of coverage.

Comprehensive Coverage: It is yet another vital aspect of private van insurance. Under this coverage, the van is insured against all losses suffered due to break-in, theft or natural mishaps like fire, earthquake, storm and the likes. All the losses suffered due to such events are reimbursed by the insurer to the insured.

Getting a comprehensive or an appropriate van cover can sometimes burn a hole in the pocket. Insurance companies generally decide the amount of premium after examining the condition of the van. The insurer weighs in a good number of factors before coming up with an ideal amount of premium for the coverage. The owners can actually reduce the amount of premium by paying special attention to these factors.

• The model and the make of the van are often looked upon by the insurance companies before making an offer. Since costly models are more prone to thefts, van insurance premium may land on the costly side of the island in terms of high premiums.

• The driver’s past record is also one of the first things that the insurers consider while insuring a van. If the person has been a careful driver in the past years and none or only few claims have been made, the insurance premium will be comparatively low.

• Inclusion of special security devices installed in the van can help one in getting lower premiums. These devices reduce the chances of theft or break-ins, making it easy on the pocket for the insurance companies.

• The deductible amount is yet another factor considered by the insurance companies while arriving at the final figure. The higher the deductible amount, the lower will be the insurance premium. This necessarily means that a higher amount can be deducted from the cover during reimbursements, thereby making the premiums far economical.

Finding an ideal and affordable private van insurance cover is not a big deal. By giving special importance to the above stated points and with some proper online research, one can easily get his or her hands on the right insurance cover. There are a good number of companies available online that offer much lower rates than the others. One can obtain free quotes and do the math for getting the best deal from the company. Obtaining the right insurance cover can help in giving the much needed peace of mind to the owners. So, there is no point in sitting back and waiting for the van to suffer some major losses. One should insure the van straight away, as that would help deal with the monetary losses that might transpire in the future.

I am a SAHM but also I am a work at home mom. Some may joke that I don’t work, but I have to say that I pretty proud of the multi tasking I do to keep a steady (albeit not huge) income coming into this family, as well as making my son my first and top priority. Thus far I have been able to keep most of my customers, but after two years it’s about time that I devote a little more time to them. That is why The Captain and I made the decision that I would take one morning a week to devote to work alone, which means that I can take meetings and even begin my hunt for new customers again. That means I needed someone to watch my son, and I found an amazing woman. Today was the first day of me leaving him with someone other than family. It was terrifying but necessary. I think a morning with out his mommy is good for him and me.

The woman who I chose to watch our son is a mom of a friend of ours. Her son is good friends with The Captain and has been since high school. She also watches my best friends kids so Christians best little friend would be there with him. This woman is pretty much super mom. At least I think this based on the stories my friend has told me. Homemade food, and lots and lots of activities for the kids. I don’t think I could’ve asked for a better person to watch my son. I was comfortable leaving him there.

Knowing he was safe and taken care of, and the emotional aspect of leaving him are two different things. I was dreading the day I’d drop him off. To you it’s only a couple of hours (Yes I know some of you leave your kids much longer than that and have no sympathy for me), but to me it represented him getting bigger. Today it’s only one morning a week….next it’s 2 mornings a week at preschool…and then college! Ok…I exaggerate, but it will all happen!

I think the best part of this was that Christian’s best friend was there. To him it was a play date. We got there and she had waffles and strawberries all ready for him. He was so excited to see his friend. He was so preoccupied that he didn’t even really notice me sneak out. I knew he would do great.

He even got a good report after his first day! He ate 2 great meals (which never happens for me), cleaned up his toys, took a walk to the park, and did a ton of playing! When I showed up he yelled “MOMMY!” and dragged me inside to show me what he did during the day. It was so sweet, and he was so happy to share it with me.

My morning? It was good actually…I got dunkin donuts coffee and even stopped at a second place for a bagel. Something I wouldn’t do if I was dragging him in and out of the car with me. I had my breakfast in peace, and I worked. I made phone calls with out worrying about a screaming child, and I took 2 meetings. Don’t tell, but I even squeezed in a quick run to Marshall’s do to some solo shopping! A pretty successful morning if you ask me.

So this is a good thing. I felt like I was missing a part of me all morning, but it’s for the best. And I got to miss him and squeeze him tighter the moment I picked him up. I am just thankful I have a great person to watch him. That makes all the difference.