It has been a whirlwind of a year! Just one year ago, a simple thought, blossomed into an even bigger idea which then grew into a full-blown project – Child Mode. I can’t believe we are at the end of 2010 and that an entire year has already gone by! This hobby of mine has transformed into something much bigger and has opened up a world, that challenges and inspires me to new levels I never thought imaginable.

Although the perks and opportunities have been incredible and exciting, the one thing I am grateful for the most is meeting and spending time with the many women who I have admired from afar, sitting behind my computer screen reading, amazed at their savviness, intellect and drive. Blogging has brought people together from all different genres and walks of life. Everyone is writing for a different purpose or passion, yet no matter what it is they write about, there is a support in this community that blows my mind.

I am grateful and honored to be a part of this community and am humbled and honored at the overwhelming kindness, support and generosity that I have experienced in person at the various conferences and events I have attended as well as online through social media such as Twitter and Facebook. My readers, my peers and all those whom I have met online and offline in person – you have made this year one I will never forget.

I don’t really make resolutions as I believe problems should be fixed at the moment, or within a short period of when they arise.

In just 90 minutes, the first day of 2011 will be here. I will be sitting in my living room celebrating with my husband as our two babies sleep soundly in their beds and most likely I’ll cry as I do every year, because there is no other place in the world I would rather be, then where I am at this moment.

A very Happy New Year my friends and THANK YOU for making this such a memorable year for me!

Happy New Years Eve! This year, my husband and I will be ringing in the New Year, with Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Years Eve Special. I’ve put a list of television specials and airtimes together for those parents who are spending New Years at home this year.

• Not really a New Years Eve special, but watching the Back to the Future trilogy back-to-back has always been a Holiday tradition in our family. You can catch   Part I on BRAVO at 8 p.m. EST.
• New Year’s Eve with Carson Daly will air at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.
• Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2011 begins at 10 p.m. EST on ABC. Performances from Jennifer Hudson, Drake, and Train, Avril Levigne, Ke$ha, Taio Cruz,Natasha Bedingfield, The Backstreet Boys, and New Kids On The Block are just some of the artists lined up.
• New Year’s Eve Live! on Fox begins at 11 p.m. ET on Fox. Nancy O’Dell will be hosting and Maria Carey is said to debut her new music video, “Auld Lang Syne.”
• New Year’s Eve Live With Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin will air on CNN, live from Times Square at 11 p.m. ET.

Playfully Chic Ride On Toy Car from 20ltd – Family Style

How To Keep The Kids Active This Winter – Savvy Sassy Moms

Celebrity Mom Fashion Advice – Momtrends

Easy Recipe For Brownies Made From Scratch – Lady and the Blog

Editors Best Of 2010: The coolest baby gifts, blankets, strollers and gear – Cool Mom Picks

Believe it or not, the most traditional meal for New Year’s Day is Black eyed peas or the traditional Hoppin’ John recipe. Popular in the Southern United States, these legumes represent good fortune or money.

The ‘good luck’ tradition of eating black-eyed peas is recorded as far back as the Babylonian times, where the Jews would eat this meal during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. This custom was adopted by the non-Jews during the American Civil War, and is still followed by many to this day.

Black Eyed Peas are usually served with greens such as collards or kale, as the represent paper money while the peas represent coins.

1 pound dry black-eyed peas
2 cups chopped cooked ham
salt and pepper to taste
1 pinch garlic powder
2 onions, diced
1 (14.5 ounce) can whole tomatoes

Place black-eyed peas in 8 quart pot. Add enough water to fill pot 3/4 full. Stir in ham and diced onions, and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place tomatoes in a blender or food processor, and blend until the tomatoes are liquefied. Add tomatoes to pot. Bring all ingredients to boil. Cover the pot, and simmer on low heat for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the peas are tender.

Recipe courtesy of AllRecipes.com.

Doesn’t every child need this reminder?

Alexandra Ferguson on Etsy, appliques these sassy 14 x 18 inch pillows with cute and amusing reminders such as: Be Nice Or Leave, Ooh La La, Be Nice and XOXO. Thick and soft, high quality felt is used to make these pillows. The kicker? The felt is made from 100% post consumer recycled water bottles! Those bottles you throw into the recycling bin are melted down and turned into this luxury felt fabric. Each pillow is equivalent to 4 bottles that would otherwise have ended up in a landfill.

Pretty cool huh?

All pillows have a nylon zipper closure, with the Alexandra Ferguson logo embroidered on the center back bottom. You can find the entire line on their Etsy Shop where prices range from $69-$119, per pillow.