The Kitchen Helper

Have you ever heard about that cookbook, The One-Armed Cook: A Kitchen Survival Guide for New Parents? The one that helps you figure out how to get what you need done in the kitchen while holding a baby on one hip?

Yeah, well. One-armed cooking is just not my style.

Check out a new solution to this age-old problem on my blog at Ttownmoms.com.

Giving Back

'Tis the season for long waits at return counters, cringe-worthy weigh-ins and the crafting of resolutions.

It's also that time of year when we look to support our most beloved organizations while also reducing our taxable income by making our last charitable donations for the year.

At the Ball house, this means a few frigid hours of me bending over boxes in the garage in attempts to figure out which of our belongings can go and which can stay.

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Things to Do on Snowy Days in Oklahoma

I love asking questions on Facebook and Twitter. It's a good way to spend a sunny day, but it's a downright great way to spend a snowy day.

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Winterfest Winner

I'm in a good mood today. Know why? The snow is melting. I can hear it dripping from my roof and into giant puddles forming around my house. I can also hear my walls creaking and my doors shifting and my driveway cracking, but I'm still in a good mood.

Reason is, I have four passes to Arvest Winterfest to give away today. These passes include four free skate rental vouchers, four free hot cocoa vouchers and a certificate for a complimentary horse-drawn carriage ride for four. And they're good until Jan. 4.

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Thankful for In-Laws

The good thing about marrying a vet who once loaned his house to his brother and sister-in-law while he was on an all-expense-paid, year-long excursion to the exotic lands of Afghanistan is that, when said brother- and sister-in-law move away while he's still overseas, it's easier for them to leave some pretty cool stuff behind.

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Happy Holiday Wishes

Merry Christmas, Tulsa! Try not to go snow blind today as you enjoy this white, wintry Christmas of 2009.

Love, the Tasha Does Tulsa team (a.k.a. the Ball family)

I Was Raised By Elves.

Actually, I was raised by the head elf himself: Santa Claus.

Actually, I was raised by a guy who looks strikingly like Santa Claus when he wears red clothing and wire-rimmed glasses and appears in photos with children rattling off their wish lists.

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Our Very Own Winter Wonderland (Plus, a Giveaway)

There's something very unlikely going on downtown these days.

Photo from chrisdscott on Flickr

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STILL Shopping??

Well, folks, Christmas is upon us.

Some of us who like to be prepared and organized and responsible are ready. Some of us who like to be prepared and organized and responsible but fail miserably in spite of ourselves are not. Ready or not, though, here Christmas comes.


If on this 23rd day of December you still have a few names to cross of your list, here are a few ideas for gifts of the Xtreme last-minute variety.

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A White Christmas in 2009?

From jmtulsa on Flickr - pretty, no?

According to local meteorologist Julie Chin's latest forecast, Santa might just have more to land on than sand, clay and lakes when he visits Green Country Thursday night.

That's right, kids - snow is in the forecast.

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What to Do in Tulsa This New Years Eve, 2009 Edition

New Years Eve 2009: It's kind of a big deal. A New Years Eve this special comes around just once in a blue moon - literally.

In Tulsa, it'll be more than a reason to get smashed and wear glasses shaped like the numbers 2010. We're known as one of the most philanthropic communities in the country, and we really show our stuff on this holiday - several of the events I have listed below benefit a nonprofit. Consider the opportunity to give back yet another reason not to stay home with the crock-pot of nacho cheese and Totino's this year.

Besides gawking at the blue moon, here's what to do in Tulsa on New Years Eve 2009.

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Funky Food Deals and Quirky Discounts

Everyone’s heard of Thirsty Thursdays, Two-for-Tuesdays and Margarita Mondays. We’ve been there, done that.

Bald Tuesday, however, is liable to catch one’s attention.

Check out the funky food deals and quirky discounts in T-Town on the food page in this week's edition of Tulsa Business Journal.

Last-Minute Local Gift Ideas

I was on the Midday Show with Channel 2 and Ttownmoms.com this morning talking about last-minute gifts that, rather than fling your hard-earned dollars into the economic ether or into the pockets of some corporate hot shot 1,000 miles away, are friendly to the local economy.

In case you missed the segment, here's what we covered.

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Ugly Sweater Shopping in Tulsa

Perhaps you've heard that I'm going to the Ugly Sweater Party at Joe Momma's tonight, downtown at 112 S. Elgin Ave. Of course, I waited until today to realize that no sweater ugly enough to win any sort of contest is within the meager sphere of stuff I own.

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Trimming the Tree, Part II

Remember how my son trimmed our Christmas tree with pacifiers last week?

This week's trimmings are, well...you'll see what I mean on my blog at Ttownmoms.com.

Scavenger Hunt...GO!

Feel like a scavenger hunt on this sunny Friday?

I thought you would. That's why local filmmaker Jack Frank and I partnered to strategically place three DVDs from his Tulsa History series - that's Tulsa Deco and Fantastic Tulsa Films Volumes 1 and 2 - somewhere in T-Town for you, my clever readers to find.

Are you ready for the clue? Here goes:

Where the city's "first family" rests, look for a break in the fence. George will have the DVDs for the first to arrive. 


Off to the races with yas! Good luck to all. Let me know who snags these babies - I'd love to know who to have on my team in any future scavenger hunts in this here town.

What to Do in Tulsa This Weekend

Looking for the best in Tulsa events this weekend, holiday and otherwise? You're in luck. Here now, as heard every Friday morning on the KRMG Morning News with Joe Kelley, is what to do in Tulsa this weekend.

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Ugly Sweater Party, Y'all

Guys? I need your help.

So, Blake Ewing over at Joe Momma's was nice enough to put the name of this blog on this poster. I'm supposed to help judge this ugly sweater contest, too.

It's only fitting that I have a bodaciously ugly sweater to wear to help judge the ugly sweater contest. Thing is, and as any regular reader of this blog knows, I'm not a fan of The Shopping. The Shopping and I, we've never really gotten along. I'm like a dude when it comes to The Shopping - I usually have a good idea of what I'm looking for and I make a beeline between that item, the cash register and the exit.

So, I need your help. Where should I go to find the ugliest sweater in Tulsa? How does one go about this kind of shopping quest? How do I protect my delicate sensibilities during this course of this horrific ordeal?

Please advise. Pretty please. S'il vous plait. Porus favorus. Or something.

By the way, I hope to see all of your lovely, sunshiny faces at this Ugly Sweater Party at Joe Momma's Saturday night, starting at 9pm. Prizes, deals on beer, yummy pizza and pretty good company will abound.

TDT Holiday Gift Guide: The Cigar Box

Ah - there's nothing quite like a cigar on a crisp winter evening.

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My Other Life

Sometimes, when my son and I have been cooped up in the house longer than we can take, we bundle up and head to Utica Square, here in Tulsa at 21st and Utica. The central courtyard is like the park, only with added window shopping for a certain retail-deprived mommy.

Find out all about my double life on my blog at Ttownmoms.com.

TDT Holiday Gift Guide: The Original Man Candle

In the world of thoughtless Christmas gifts, second only to a smelly bottle of lotion (unless, of course, it's your favorite smelly lotion) is the ho-hum candle.

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TDT Holiday Gift Guide: Gardner's Used Books

I hope you're not tired of hearing me talk about Gardner's Used Books, because I'm certainly not finished talking about it.

My favorite used bookstore just started its 12 Days of Christmas Sale. Yesterday craft, holiday and cook books were buy one, get one free. Today, all horror and true crime are buy one, get one free. Later in the week all hardback books, no matter the genre, will be buy one, get one free. This madness will persist until Christmas - actually, well beyond Christmas.

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You Have Three Hours

Sometimes I get a wild hair and decide it'd be a good idea to post a random question on Twitter and Facebook for everyone to ponder, poke fun at, print and flush down the toilet or maybe, if I'm lucky, consider answering.

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This Post Brought To You By The Letter X

Have you ever longed for a fun, easy-to-remember list of Tulsa's most unusual sights, restaurants, people and stories? Imagine the fun you could have in this town with a list like that, chock full of things to see, things to do and things to be proud of in T-Town.

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A Study in Burgers

So, there's this new cafe I found. It's called Gatsby's Grill, and it's on the north end of Gardner's Used Books & Music on Mingo between 41st and 51st Streets.

Not only does this place have killer fish and chips, macaroni salad, French fries, twice-baked potatoes, and pecan pies (okay, I might go a little overboard when I try a place for the first time), I found out tonight Gatsby's turns out a pretty darned good burger, too.

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What to Do in Tulsa This Weekend

If you're still not feeling the holiday spirit, I have the perfect remedy: Simply walk out of your front door at some point this weekend. With all of the festivities going on this weekend, you're bound to run into some holly, jolly-like thing to rosy your cheeks.

If you've been hearing sleigh bells since Halloween, there's plenty going on in Tulsa this weekend to give you some relief for your holiday fatigue. If it's a concert that you're pining for, some artsy goodness or a good movie, it's all happening in T-Town between now and suppertime on Sunday.

As heard every Friday morning on the KRMG Morning News with Joe Kelley, here's what to do in Tulsa this weekend.

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Your Thoughts on Men in Tights

Thanks to all who entered the contest for the family four-pack of tickets to Tulsa Ballet's The Nutcracker. It's all over now, and I'm about to pick a winner. I hope you're sitting down. We're gonna make it through this. Bear with me. My condolences.

None of that made any sense. See how quickly things can go downhill when I'm left to my own devices?

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TDT Holiday Gift Guide: Tulsa Music

Sure, I'd heard of Under the Mooch, an independent records and music store open here in Tulsa at 15th and Harvard since June 2006.

It's just that, having been raised a Starship girl (my dad, a University of Tulsa grad, spent a lot of time there with my mom when he should have been studying, thus ensuring that I started my music-collecting life at the former, technicolor, dual-building location with a Juice Newton cassette and a Selena CD - rock!), I never really considered trying any other local music outlet.

That was, until last week.

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Food Photography: A Miseducation

Last Friday my former boyfriend and I were invited to test a new bakery and dessert bar in Center 1 on Brookside.

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TDT Holiday Gift Guide: Tulsa Ballet's The Nutcracker

For $15, for Christmas one could buy:

• A nicer-than-Hanes pair of socks;
• A nicer-than-Fruit-of-the-Loom pair of underwear (men's only);
• A gift card, the near thoughtlessness of which is not redeemed by its 27-percent chance of taking up permanent residence in the back of a junk drawer;
• The hot toy of the year 2009, a Zhu-Zhu Pet - that is, if you can find one in a store where the fabled $8 price is charged.

Or, one could offer an experience, the chance to take part in a Tulsa tradition.

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This Week in Tulsa Parenthood

In case you missed me this morning on the 2NEWS Midday Show giving the rundown of things to do with your kids in Tulsa this week, here are a few things to tuck into your calendar.

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TDT Holiday Gift Guide: The Tulsa T-Shirt

I know I won't get any points for originality here, but I think any and all Tulsa t-shirts - you know, the ones that have been in every local gift guide since 2006 - have more than earned some real estate in this year's TDT Holiday Gift Guide, too.

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Julie Powell Comes to Tulsa

Booksmart Tulsa has done it again, folks. As if bringing one of the most popular bloggers in the U.S. to Tulsa wasn't enough, co-creators Jeff Martin (an author of a books himself - two, actually) and Dwelling Spaces owner Mary Beth Babcock have partnered with the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma to bring Julie Powell to T-Town to show off her brand-spanking-new book, Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat and Obsession.

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TDT Holiday Gift Guide: Best Tulsa Memberships

Once when I was gushing about my family's Tulsa Zoo membership to a fellow stay-at-home mom, she said something eye-opening:

"The only reason we get to go to the zoo and the museums as often as we do is because our family gives us memberships every year for Christmas."

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How To Dine Out With a Two-Year-Old

The holiday season is one of the only times my husband and I have the courage to take our toddler to a restaurant for dinner.

We often talk about our childless years when date nights were ruined by screaming babies brought out by parents with what seemed at the time like nerves of steel (not to mention the stubbornness of a herd of water buffalo).

We vowed to never be "one of those people."

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What To Do in Tulsa This Weekend

Don't look now, but the holiday section of this weekend's rundown is as fat as St. Nick himself. You know what? Go ahead. Have a look. Then, try to figure out how you're going to do all on the list that appeals to you. It'll be a fun brain teaser for your Friday.

Besides Christmas stuff, there's tons going on in Tulsa this weekend, from live metal music to college basketball. Get your fill before Monday in this week's list of things to do in Tulsa, as heard every Friday morning on the KRMG Morning News with Joe Kelley.

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Jumping the Gun

Looking for something to do to get the weekend kicked off early? Try on a few of these events for size.

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Excuse me, ma'am. What's that in your tree?

Ever wondered what would happen if a toddler was allowed to decorate a Christmas tree?

To find out, visit my blog at Ttownmoms.com.

TDT Holiday Gift Guide: Breast Impressions Calendar

"Oh, yeah? Well, at least my mom doesn't have only one boob."

Ouch. Children can be cruel. It's tough to be the kid on the playground whose mother, just a few days after her 37th birthday, found a lump in her breast.

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TDT Holiday Gift Guide: Tulsa Snow Globe

Often, when I worked downtown and especially on snowy days, I felt like I was living in a snow globe.

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