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Growing Older by Leigh Powell Hines

North Carolina, USA
My daughter turns two today. She is such a special joy in my life.

Well, both of my children bring lots of joy, and they certainly keep this old, weary parent on her toes. They can be lots of trouble, too.


As you can imagine, I love both my son and my daughter more than life itself. Still, there is something about experiencing a toddler the second time around that just seems easier and perhaps even a little more joyful than the first time you experienced it.

I can't explain it.

I wish I could. And I almost wish that I didn't feel that way because I feel that it's not fair to my son.

But the truth is, I feel more relaxed with my daughter than I ever was with my son.

With my son, I never felt as if I knew what I was doing. I still don't on most days.

I went from living in a world where I had all the time I needed to do something to a life where someone needed me every minute of the day. 

It was not an easy transition for a 37-year-old woman who had never changed a diaper in her life.

I remember crying in the hospital because I was afraid that my husband could change diapers better than I could.

When my daughter was born, I probably could have put on her diaper blindfolded. It was a totally different story, and I had almost four years of parental experience.

Honestly, it is still not an easy transition as my son enters new stages, because we are entering uncharted territory where I still have no experience. With him, I just want him to "grow" out of it a lot of times. 


With her, it's the opposite. I savor the stage and sigh, "I wish she could stay little," as she runs to the corner to put herself in a time-out. 

I want to freeze time.

It's hard to believe she's two already. I'm certainly not ready for her to grow older.   

That goes for me, too. My 43rd birthday is at the end of this year. 

I try not to think about my age that often as a mom to two young kids. I feel the same age as my friends who had their first child at 30, but in reality I do have about seven years on them. 

When my baby is in kindergarten, II'llbe 46. I'll be one of the oldest parents. I just hope I look as young as the others. ot to have dreams, right?

Since having my children later in life, I've never wanted so badly to find that fountain of youth, not for vanity purposes, but because I want to keep on living. I want to see my children grow up.   want to be there for them throughout their lives. 

I guess my dream is no different from anyone else's, because no one knows what life will bring tomorrow. We can only hope to live long enough to see our children grow into adults. My only issue is that I got started a little later than most. 

I want to be there for the first kiss, the prom, birthdays, graduations, weddings, and the births of my first and last grandchild, and all those in between.

I don't want to miss a thing.   I also hope they don't wait as long as I did to have children.  Thirty will be good, kids. 
Happy Birthday, my sweet Baby Diva! I hope to share many, many more with you,  your brother, and dad.  










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Making the Right Choices in a Fast-Food Restaurant

One of the things I enjoy about blogging is that I’m starting to get out and about in the Raleigh area, and am meeting other bloggers and community leaders.  Recently, I was invited to attend a fall blogger luncheon hosted by local business owner Carol Martin, who owns and operates several McDonald’s in the Triangle.


Martin, now a proud grandmother, has owned a McDonald’s franchise since 1986.  It’s no surprise; as her franchise listened to consumer complaints and suggestions over the years, she’s seen a lot of changes.  She’s been through numerous menu changes and restaurant remodels in her 25 years of owning a fast-food restaurant.

2011 McDonald's Blogging Luncheon
 In fact, for this luncheon we dined in a quaint room with brick walls, which certainly didn’t make me think of fast food.  It was cozy and reminded me of an upscale coffee shop, as opposed to the brightly lit, plastic-type décor I remember from my youth. 

At our table, there was not a burger in sight. I dined on a Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken accompanied by Paul Newman’s Creamy Southwest dressing.  I had never had it before, and, truthfully, it was as good if not better than any upscale salad that you pay $8.99 for in national, gourmet-type lunch restaurants.  With dressing, the salad is 420 calories.

I’ll go ahead and share with you that I didn’t eat in a lot of McDonald’s growing up.  You see, that restaurant was my dad’s competition.  He owned a KFC franchise, so you can imagine that he didn’t take me to a McDonald’s very often. 

More than likely, a lot of my friends didn’t eat in a McDonald’s very often, either.   Getting a happy meal with a cheeseburger and fries was a celebrated treat.  During the ’70s and ’80s, most families ate home-cooked meals, so a night or two of extra sodium, and calories, was OK because it was all in moderation.

But times have changed.

McDonald's in North Raleigh

The drive-thru line at Martin’s McDonald’s was never-ending while I was there.  There was always a line at the counter, too.  More and more families are turning to fast-food restaurants for lunch or dinner several times a week.  Fast food makes a busy mom’s life less hectic.   Martin realizes how much families now rely on her restaurant and says that McDonald’s is committed to helping families stay healthy by giving them top-quality products and choices. 

You’ve probably already read that McDonald’s is changing the happy meals so that each meal will have fewer calories.  Parents will no longer have to choose between apples and fries.   The new meal will contain smaller 100-calorie fries and a smaller package of apples.  This change will roll out after the holidays here in the Triangle. 
New package for 100-Calorie fry in McDonald's Happy Meals

I’m fortunate that I don’t rely on fast food often to feed my family, so french fries in moderation were never a concern for me.  I always let my kids have the fries, but they are not eating them four out of seven days, either. 

I may ruffle a few feathers, but parents are responsible for their child’s eating habits, not a restaurant.  I think this is a great addition to the happy meal menu, and it’s appreciated that McDonald’s is working to get calories and sodium content down in their products.   However, I believe that parents need to think beyond a box with a toy and a lower price if they rely on fast-food restaurants for the majority of their meals. 

If your child likes a salad, then order a side salad.  Buy your child a plain grilled chicken sandwich, a fruit and yogurt parfait, a fruit salad, or an oatmeal, if fast food is on your menu plan several nights a week. McDonald’s is giving you a wide selection of healthy menu items under the recommended 600 calories; it is your job as a parent to go for that variety.

Sure, I have a second child who is picky, and it’s difficult feeding her at home and in a restaurant, but I offer her what we eat most nights.  I don’t make her chicken nuggets and french fries every night. She would live off of them if I let her.  Many nights, she will go to bed eating only yogurt and cereal because she refused to eat our kid-friendly, healthy meal.

Martin realizes the difficulties busy parents face in meal-planning day after day.  Guest speakers for our luncheon included two nutritionists from Wake County’s Health Promotion-Chronic Disease Prevention office.  We all know we need to make smart choices about our diet, but it is still shocking when you are shown a large soft drink bottle of a well-known lemonade brand with 17 teaspoons of sugar in it.  Sports drinks are just as bad.

 It’s best to choose water or milk for a child.  One hundred percent juice is OK if they have not consumed a lot in one day.  The nutritionists really recommend only four ounces of juice a day; otherwise, water it down.

Healthy choices are becoming more available in places like McDonald’s, but it’s your decision to choose them. 

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(Regional Giveaway)
As a gift for attending the blogging luncheon, McDonald’s gave me free food coupons that can be redeemable at regional McDonald’s in North and South Carolina only.  I plan to share these coupons with my Carolina readers because I want to thank you for sticking with me week after week.

Two lucky winners will receive:

5 gift cards for a free Small McCafe Beverage
5 gift cards for a snack wrap
5 gift cards for a Premium Chicken Sandwich
5 gift cards for Fruit and Maple Oatmeal

*You will have until December 31, 2012, to use them, and only one card can be used at a time. 

If you can use the gift cards, then leave a comment below saying you would like to be entered into the drawing by Monday, November 14 at 11:59 pm.  The winner will be selected by random draw.

Oh, and by the way, “I’m lovin’ it” … the oatmeal that is.  You've got to try it.  I think I've had it three times this week. 

Bonus Entries

In an effort to reach Carolina residents, please help spread the word and share giveaway on Facebook.  (One entry) 


Tweet the following: Hines-Sight Blog is giving away free McDonald's coupons that can be used in North and South Carolina. http://bit.ly/uBHbgp #McDfall (One entry)

Disclosure: McDonald’s paid for my lunch and gave me these regional gift cards to use at my discretion.  As with all of my posts on this blog, my opinions are my own and were not influenced by the company.

(If you are viewing this from the blog's homepage, and cannot find the comment tab, click on the title of the post and it will take you to the comments page. My comment link likes to disappear from time to time.)
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Mailbox Overload

I think I may need a forklift to take all of the mail out of my mailbox lately.

My countertops cannot keep up with the influx of holiday catalogs.  I guess they are trying to tell me that it’s time to start thinking of the holidays.

Just yesterday, I received three holiday catalogs from Pottery Barn, two from LL Bean, and one from Land’s End. 


I placed them in the pile with the holiday catalogs from Crate and Barrel, Company Kids, Mini Boden, and Restoration Hardware.

Today, I took to the recycling bin holiday catalogs from Hanna Andersson, Frontgate, One Step Ahead, and a children’s catalog that I simply cannot afford called “Chasing Fireflies.”  Somehow I’ve managed to get on their customer wish list despite my lack of funds to buy $100 tutus and $68 Christmas shirts.

Much to my husband’s dismay, the only thing that is not being put in my mailbox as of late are those gorgeous lingerie-clad Victoria’s Secret models donning Santa Claus thongs and million-dollar diamond bras.

Who buys those diamond bras anyway?

Well, I guess two less-than-perky boobs in my 40s, and two children later, I’ve gotten off their list.

Here’s even more bad news.  

Tomorrow, I’ll probably get another catalog from Pottery Barn with a different photo on the cover, but the inside 120 pages will look just like the one I received three days ago.
How many trees are they killing in order to try to get me to place an order?

Life was so much simpler when there was just the Sears “wish” book.

Oh, how I miss that one big catalog.

With just 51 shopping days until Santa arrives in his sleigh, the mailman will probably have to deliver at least four catalogs a day, or approximately 212 catalogs, to my mailbox in the next eight weeks.


Yikes!


I think the mailman may need more of a rest than Santa.  And my husband may need help taking the recycling to the curb. 

But, I have to admit that I do try to flip through each one before I toss it, but it rarely makes me place an order.

What's your favorite catalog?



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Wednesday’s Wish We Were Here: George Inn Hotel

This sounds strange, but I am envious of my mother-in-law.

Isn’t it normally the other way around?  Aren’t they usually envious of us because we get to spend quality time with their precious sons?

Well, not in this case. 

I have a full-fledged case of a sickness that I call “mother-in-law envy.” 

I get it about once a year.

I have good reason, too.   She’s an Anglophile after my own heart. 

You already know what the two of us did together on April 29 of this year, and I even have china to remember our day.

But, while I do laundry, and clean the kitchen three times a day, she travels to merry old England for the Literature Festival in Cheltenham. 

This is not her first trip.  She’s been to England more times than I think I may have fingers.  But, she's raised her kids.  It's her time in life to explore. 

Each time, she stays in very charming properties.   She stayed in six inns on this particular trip to the English countryside.

This was her inn for one night. 



I, of course, diligently studied her hotel itinerary, and shrieked when I saw this 700-year-old property.  

It’s the George Inn Hotel, North St. Philip, Nr Bath. 

There are not a lot photos on the site to share, but she told me she loved it there.  She said her room was cozy despite the dark wood, and large rooms.  The food was outstanding, and it is a place she would definitely return.

Check it out.  You may just find yourself envious of my mother-in-law, too. 


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Gobble, Gobble, Leftover Candy!

How many of you dug into the Halloween candy this morning?

It's tempting, isn't it?

Look in your bags, and see if you have any peanut butter cups, candy corn, oreos, and chocolate balls.

If so, get ready for the next holiday.


He's cute, isn't he?

You can learn to make this edible turkey for your holiday tablescape from Our Best Bites.

Thanksgiving is 24 days away.  Can you believe it?

May the holiday madness officially begin.



Now go, and  gobble up some sales.

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