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I believe that if there is no other time when a woman glows it’s when she is carrying a baby.  Although some mothers-to-be want to live their entire 9 months in sweatpants and Uggs, these red carpet mamas shine like diamonds as they walk the main thoroughfare.  With mothers on the carpet past and present, People.com shows us photos of the women who wore their gowns and baby bump with style and grace.

An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind ~ Mohandas Gandhi

I know quite a few people who live their lives with the mantra, “eye for and eye”.  What you do to me, I’m going to do to you, only I’m going to make it ten times worst!  As a peacemaker,  Gandhi’s point is to open our minds to see that transgressions against us aren’t resolved with retaliation or revenge.  In the end, it only hurts everyone involved.  I heard you Gandhi, but if getting revenge isn’t the way, why does it feel so good?? Park at Hurstbourne, what do you think about this quote?

Pets, like children, do some of the weirdest things. Check out this video. Do you have a video or pictures of your pet doing something wacky? Let us know by commenting below.

Today, I decided would be a do-over day.  I’m starting anew and recommitting myself to myself to do the things that are best for me.  Now sometimes these things are not fun, but necessary – like I got up this morning at 5am so that I can go to the gym(I am NOT a morning person) but somehow, it felt right and good to be doing this for myself.  And I’m taking it slow, I won’t do this everyday, I’m thinking 2-3 a week with other activities in between.  I don’t think that resolutions should be made just at New Year’s.  Everyday, if we think about it, should be days that we are resolved to do and be the best people that we can be.  And if we miss the mark one day, we have the next to be resolved again to do better.  No longer will the beginning of the year be the only time I evaluate and set my accomplishments.  Each day of my week now begins with New Monday’s Resolution, New Tuesday’s Resolution, New Wednesday’s Resolution……

My niece and nephew have a ritual that my sister has them follow religiously every night.  My niece, who is three, knows that when The Backyardigans come on, we are taking a bath and putting on night clothes.  We watch The Wonder Pets and after Ming-Ming, Tuck and Linny have saved their last pet, it’s time to get in the bed.  Parenting.com has a list of bed time rituals that if you haven’t adopted one, many one of these can work to get your little ones in the bed at a reasonable hour.

They say the key to raising a good sleeper is to following a consistent and soothing bedtime routine. We polled real parents to discover the sweet and creative nightly rituals they use to help their kids drift off to sleep. Try them with your little ones.

To read more, visit Parenting.com. 

With Spring and the winter thaw around the corner, it’s time to start gathering tools to do the yearly spring cleaning. Check out these products and tips from Martha Stewart to get your “green spring cleaning on” this year. Park at Hurstbourne, do you have any natural cleaning products that you use? Please share with us by commmenting below.

When it comes to cleaning house, it’s tempting to enlist off-the-shelf products with ingredients like bleach and ammonia. They get the job done-but not without also doing a number on your eyes, airways, and, with enough exposure, your nervous system. Ironically, these cleaners also pollute: Disinfectants and other chemicals washing down drains now contaminate more than two-thirds of U.S. streams. Largely because of these same products, our indoor air can be up to five times more polluted than the air outside. But you don’t have to sacrifice health for a clean home. Nontoxic DIY cleaners deliver considerable power at minimal cost. “Making your own is easy,” says Annie Bond, author of “Better Basics for the Home.” “All you need is a little trust in yourself and six ingredients.” We worked with Bond to gather these easy, essential recipes, so you can start green cleaning today.

To read more, visit MarthaStewart.com.

If it’s roasted, I’m in love with it! Try this recipe from Martha Stewart for pasta with roasted eggplant and tomatoes. Park at Hurstbourne, when you serve this up, let us know how it went over with your crowd by commenting below.

Ingredients

Serves 6

* 1 1/2 pounds eggplant, peeled in alternating stripes and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
* 1 large onion, halved and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
* 2 pints (4 cups) cherry tomatoes
* Coarse salt and ground pepper
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 3/4 pound whole-wheat penne, (or other short, tubular pasta)
* 1/4 cup sliced, pitted Kalamata or oil-cured black olives
* 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium (11-by-15-inch) roasting pan, combine eggplant, onion, tomatoes, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and oil; toss well to coat. Roast until tender, tossing mixture halfway through, about 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta, and return to pot.
3. Add roasted eggplant mixture, olives, and Parmesan. Toss to coat, adding 1/4 to 1/2 cup reserved pasta water, if desired. Serve immediately, sprinkled with more cheese.

So your stuck inside because of the snow and cabin fever is starting to set in.  Tv shows have run their course and the refrigerator is reaching dangerously low levels.  Why not take it outside and be a kid again and make a snow table from Martha Stewart.  Park at Hurstbourne, Frosty will be so jealous!

Even in the cold, this milkshake will definitely bring all the boys to the yard!! Park at Hurstbourne, try this Cocoa Cayenne Milkshake from FineLiving.com and shake it up a bit!

Park at Hurstbourne, we know that all week long we are busy, busy, busy with little time to get done all the maintenance errands it takes to run a household. So that leaves Saturday to get done everything that we missed during the week. But who wants to use up an entire Saturday at the grocery store? Real Simple has 14 Shortcuts for Everyday Errands that will make your live easier and more efficient. If you have shortcut tips of your own, share them by commenting below.

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