Little Miss Tuffett

I don't know about you but whenever that first nip sets in and summer is officially behind us, I get a spring in my step because I know that it's not just fall, it's crafts fair season! There is nothing I love more than to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon strolling through aisles and aisles filled with one of a kind jewelry, floral arrangements for my kitchen (that I sadly have no room for anymore) and unique gifts and tchotchkes for my kids, friends and family.

On one recent afternoon while my kids were being entertainned by a puppet show and a face painter (no worries, my husband was supervising), my girlfriend and I zipped through one of the tents at the Lyndhurst Crafts Fair (a great outing for anyone living in New York State) and we stumbled upon Little Miss Tuffett. And what kind of wares does Little Miss Tuffett peddle? You guessed it, adorable footstools for babies, children and ladies too. Complete with a cozy seat, baby shoes, sneakers or even ballet slippers, Little Miss Tuffett makes the perfect one of a kind gift for any Miss or Mr. Muffet of any age who has a sense of style and whimsy! Click Here to order your very own tuffett today!

Mmmmmm Yummy - Whoopie Pie Recipe from Everyday with Rachel Ray!

I just received a fabulous recipe in my email box today. And it wasn't just any recipe..it was from the gals at Everyday with Rachel Ray! So even though I profess that I never bake and prefer store bought confectionary items, if Rachel Ray wants to send me a dish or two that is sure to please everyone in my family, who am I to refuse the offer?

Just in time for Halloween, the experts at Every Day with Rachel Ray are putting a seasonal spin on an old favorite with their mouth watering recipe for Whoopie Pies! So moms, if you've got a bake sale on the horizon, with the help of Rachel Ray and company, Role Mommy is here to give you the inside scoop on how to wow even the most finicky kid and the entire PTA.

Classic whoopie pies served with a twist – pumpkin-flavored cakes filled with heavenly cream cheese frosting! Every Day Tip: If you’re in the mood for a refreshing, cold treat – freeze the pies overnight. Pumpkin Whoopie Pies (Makes 12) Prep time: 35 min Bake time: 10 min Ingredients: 1½ sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, 1 stick melted, 1/2 stick softened 1 cup packed light brown sugar 2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten 1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 teaspoon plus 2 pinches salt 1 2/3 cups flour 4 ounces cream cheese, chilled 1 cup confectioners’ sugar Recipe: Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the baking powder, the baking soda and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour. Using an ice cream scoop or tablespoon, drop 12 generous mounds of batter, spaced evenly, onto each baking sheet. Bake until springy to the touch, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter with the cream cheese. Add the confectioners’ sugar and the remaining 2 pinches salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; mix on low speed until blended, then beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Spread the flat side of 12 cakes with the cream cheese frosting. Top each with another cake.

If you are salivating at the thought of these delectable whoopie pies, then make sure you head to the newsstand or supermarket in the morning and pick up this month's issue of Everyday with Rachel Ray - they've got a lot more than whoopie pies in there that is sure to please the appetites of every member of your family!

IT'S A JOLLY HOLIDAY WITH MARY!

If you've been reading Role Mommy for a while, then you know I am a spur of the moment kind of gal. So when my husband told me he wanted to do something special with the kids, I let my fingers do the walking and I started surfing the 'net for great things for us to do. My tried and true Westchester sites are NY Metroparents, then Westchestergov.com and finally, the fabulous Essentialmom.com but what I found today was that unless everyone wanted to join me at the Lyndhurst crafts fair, it was going to be a pretty humdrum day. That is, until I zipped on over to Ticketmaster. I sometimes do searches on that site from time to time - plugging in my favorite musicals only to find that there are no seats available until nine months from now. But today, I decided to take my chances and I came up a winner!

While I initially attempted to score four tickets to "Grease," they were sold out but I decided to try a long shot. Mary Poppins - one of the toughest tickets to nab this year - but I figured, hey what do I have to lose? And so, I plugged in my request and as if I had one the lottery, they came back with four seats available in the Orchestra! I knew I had no time to waste - I gave them my credit card and we were on our way to Broadway!

The seats were phenomenal - dead center and ten rows back from the stage- I bet if we had purchased these seats a year ago we wouldn't have found ourselves sitting where we were today! The show was incredible - between the old songs, new songs, dancing, costumes, flying, walking on the ceiling and amazing moveable sets and trickery, we had a wonderful time. In fact, my daughter said that Mary Poppins was the best Broadway show she's ever seen. Mind you, she's only seen one other show, but still, I'll take it - especially since I plunked down a large chunk of change for a very enjoyable afternoon with my family.

Now if you want to go see Mary Poppins or another Disney show, you may be in luck. Visit New York Metroparents today for the chance to win free tickets. Or, if you're like me and have no patience, visit ticketmaster and give your favorite show a shot. Incidentally, I just learned that Hannah Montana tickets go on sale on September 25 at 10am for Nassau Coliseum. I don't know about you, but I have a feeling I'm going to be doing some damage in few weeks for that priceless gem. Unless of course, they sell out in an hour. And then, I'll be doing a search for another show, like "Grease" perhaps.

Kindergarten Countdown & The Tessy & Tab Reading Series

As my five year old gets ready to start kindergarten, I just found out about a fabulous book, DVD and magazine series that will help my little guy get ready to read! Dylan has begun receiving the Tessy & Tab reading series and kindergarten countdown DVD. Based on the six skills for early literacy, The Tessy & Tab Reading Club is the first kids magazine subscription that promotes early independent reading for preschool children. The magazines arrive in the mail twice a month with useful parent tools and fun learning activities. The great thing about this wonderful book and magazine series is that it offers something for every member of the family!

For Kids: They receive 24 advertising-free magazines addressed just to them! Plus, educational games and printable coloring pages available online.

For Parents: A comprehensive guide to building early reading skills at every age, useful tips with each issue and craft ideas & printable literacy activity sheets to do with your child.

For Gift-Givers: With a special message on every label and an email about each issue, it's a unique way to stay connected and make a difference in a child's life.

So what are you waiting for? If you want to get your kindergartener or pre-schooler to get on the road to reading with his or her very own magazine and book series, then visit the Tessy & Tab website and subscribe today!

Great Interactive Site for Girls - Bella Sera

If you have a daughter who is a Webkinz or Club Penguin fanatic, we've just discovered Bella Sera, a brand new interactive site that is sure to have your daughter and her friends buzzing about this wonderful virtual world for horses. When you purchase Bella Sera trading cards, you can visit their website and enter an imaginative, world of beautiful horses. Bella Sera cards can be collected, traded with friends and used to play fun card games. Each horse has a positive message for you to discover. Every card also has an activation code, which you can enter on this website to put your horses online in your very own stable. You can care for your horse by feeding it, training it, brushing it and building up its energy. Once your horse is groomed and fed, you can then take it to Bella Sara’s World where you can play games with your favorite horses. There are castles and forests, beaches and racetracks – everything a horse and a girl could wish for. So purchase Bella Sera trading cards today - your daughter will be thrilled that you did. To return to Role Mommy, click here.

Two Blue Peas

If you're on the lookout for one of a kind products for babies, then pay a visit to Two Blue Peas, a fabulous website creating by two marketing and web wizard moms who have managed to scour the internet for the most adorable products for little ones and have launched a terrific online site that'll make baby gift giving a breeze. From the cutest bibs, to precious outfits to a cozy lamb blanket that I plan to order for a good friend of mine who recently gave birth, you can be sure that when you send a gift from Two Blue Peas or order something for your own little prince or princess, they'll be the best dressed babes on the block. So visit the site today and tell them that Role Mommy sent you! To return to our home page, click here.

A REVOLUTIONARY WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT! DIET TELEVISION

If you've read my numerous confessions about dieting, exercise and my continual failure to shed the baby weight even though my son is about to enter kindergarten, well I think I've found the perfect place for those of us struggling with our weight and looking for the perfect solution to finally drop those unwanted pounds...DIET TELEVISION! A good friend of mine who's a nutritionist and a mom of three (and is always in great shape) just joined the staff and asked me to check it out. And so, this morning before the kids woke up, I gave it a whirl.

When you first enter the site, they ask you all kinds of simple questions about your eating habits and then within seconds they match you with the diets that will fit best into your lifestyle. Then, they create a mealplan for you complete with recipes! And, if you need some athletic inspiration, they give you tips on the best exercises that will help you lost weight fast, tone up that flab or give you a sexy butt - and the tips are accompanied by directions and photos!

Of course there's a video component too (hence the word Diet Television) and a Diet Television interactive community where you can add your photo and share tips on how you're managing to lose weight and even show your progress to your online friends. Plus you can input information about special events you want to lose weight for (like a wedding, reunion or big family event where your nosy aunt who always notices you've put on weight will be front and center examining the size of your cankles). The only element I'd like to have access to is the part where the chef comes to your house and cooks the meals for you on the spot, but then at that point, I'd have to wake up from my Oprah dream and snap back to the reality that is my own life.

So look no further - if you want to figure out the perfect diet plan for you, then visit Diet Television today! Best of all, access to the entire site is FREE!!!