Name: Lynne Austin

Kids: Zac,21 Anna Rose,13 Sarah Jayne,11 Audra Grace, 9

Occupation:

Hooters Spokesperson and Original Hooters Girl

On air personality for CBS sports 1010am Hooters Nation Morning Show

Stylist for Stella & Dot Jewelry

Partner in Calender Girl Wines, LLC

Owner of Austintatious,  All things bling

Hometown:

Born in Plant City, FL. Raised in Odessa, FL.

H&H Interview with Lynne:

1.  What are the top 3 items in your grocery cart?

Organic milk, lemons, tostidos and salsa

2.  What are you reading (honestly)?

Pinterest

3.  What is your guilty pleasure when you get a break from the grind?

GUILTY pleasure?  Um, that’s TMI for your article!

4.  What would we be surprised to find in your purse?

My well used Hooters VIP card.

5.  What is your favorite reality TV show?

I have NEVER seen a reality show!

6.  What is your cocktail of choice?

Fireball cinnamon whiskey over ice.

7.  What is the funniest thing your kids have said or done lately?

“You can’t eat an elephant in 1 bite, but, you can eat him 1 bite at a time.” – My dad.

9.  What is your most dreaded household chore?

Putting away clean laundry.

10.  Who is your favorite celebrity mom and why?

Kate Beckinsale. She’s so stinkin’ cute and has such fun with her daughter.

11.  What is one thing most people don’t know about you?

I can do the splits.

12.  What is your secret to staying Hot & Healthy?

My kids energy and auras, dirty jokes, sweet kisses , the music on my ipod and the love of baseball.

*Thanks, Lynne!*

Written by Lea Barlow • Leave a comment

Name: Shannon Blaeske

Kids: 3 year old twins, Gavin & Breiden, and a one year old princess Fiona

Occupation: mom, former hair-stylist turned sham, blogger

Hometown: Detroit, MI to San Diego, CA to Naples, FL

H&H Interview with Shannon:

1.  What are the top 3 items in your grocery cart?

Milk, fruit and cheese

2.  What are you reading (honestly)?

A Tree  Grows In Brooklyn, except, honestly, I haven’t picked it up in almost two weeks.

3.  What is your guilty pleasure when you get a break from the kids?

I am slightly blog-world obsessed. After learning of my daughter’s Down Syndrome diagnosis, I found hope and refuge in the community of special needs mom bloggers and have formed friendships and support through keeping up with them. When I am not reading or writing my own, I look forward to girls night out, a good glass of wine and just a chance to put my feet up.

4.  What would we be surprised to find in your purse?

I didn’t use a purse for the longest time. Until I misplaced my wallet for the hundredth time. And now that I do use one, all that is in it is my wallet, receipts and gum. And occasionally and extra diaper.

5.  What is your favorite reality TV show?

I could live without ever seeing another one again.

6.  What is your cocktail of choice?

Beer or wine mostly. Depends on the meal and the night… or day.

7.  What is the funniest thing your kids have said or done lately?

The Distraction is always a funny thing in our house. Breiden has mastered the “O Gavin, look at this cool toy” move to take the toy Gavin is currently playing with. Hey, as long as there is no screaming and fighting over toys, I’m cool with this little bit of manipulation.

8.  What is your favorite quotation?

It’s a verse. Jeremiah 29:11 – ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’

It’s what I hold on to whenever something doesn’t go the way I planned or dreamed. It’s what allows me to go with the flow, find the positive in the terrible, and be thankful for every blessing given to me. And it is the source of my daughter’s middle name, Hope.

9.  What songs are top on your iPod playlist right now?

iPod just passed away after a good four year run. If she were still going, it would probably be Adele, Jack Johnson and James Taylor.

10.  Who is your favorite celebrity mom and why?

I’d like to say Kelly Rippa, because she seems super involved in her kids lives… but what do we really know about celebrities? It’s too hard to tell the truth from the fabricated from the exaggerated. So I kinda of try to avoid it all.

11.  What is one thing most people don’t know about you?

My life is pretty much an open book. Not much to hide when you write your daily doings and what is on your heart for the world to see. Top three weird things about me, I am very much afraid of balloons, I jump into bed because Sixth Sense scarred me for life when the hand grabs his leg from under the bed, and I am not enjoying life unless I have a million things on my plate.

12.  What is your secret to staying Hot & Healthy?

Mostly a naturally good metabolism that comes from 25 years of being active. That might have something to do with the fact I never stop moving, I play with my kids more like a babysitter then a mom, and with twins and a special needs baby, it takes a lot to stress me out. I’ve come to realize don’t sweat the small stuff. Perfection is not worth it. And, most importantly, being content is more important then being happy. Post-twins and pre- baby number 3 I ran a lot. I love to run. And I swear by Pilates. But I have yet to find the time to do either consistently since having Fiona, so I am just thanking God for that natural metabolism and dreading the day I can’t lean on it anymore :)

* While Shannon doesn’t actually play hockey she does love wearing heels and wielding the stick. *

Written by Lea Barlow • Leave a comment

Name: Brooke Parkhurst

Kids: Parker Lee, Age 2

Occupation: Author, Cook and Blogger

Hometown: Pensacola, Florida and New York City (for the past decade)

H&H Interview with Brooke:

1.  What are your top three favorite recipes?

My husband, James, is an amazing professional chef and I’m a home cook so something yummy is always coming out of our kitchen. In our cookbook, Just Married & Cooking (May 11’, Scribner), we focus on easy, elegant food that pulls from our Southern roots. One-pot, summer vegetable sautees like our Seafood Succotash get dinner on the table in 30 minutes and incorporate fresh, local produce and good, lean protein. Fun salads like our Arugula & Peach Salad with Shaved Corn Vinaigrette make eating your greens something to look forward to. And I love a little Happy Hour every night so we created a chapter called Afterwork Apps for all those great dips and nibbles that’ll sustain you from work (or your work-out) to dinner. The best is our Feta & Sundried Tomato Tapenade. A bunch of fresh, flat-leaf parsley, feta, olives, scallions and sundried tomatoes are mixed together with good olive oil for the ultimate whole-wheat cracker or pita chip topping. Then we enjoy it all with a glass of rose’.

2.  What are you reading (honestly)?

I like to read several books at once to ensure I get at least one good food scene before I go to bed (at 9:30pm)! Just as I was finishing “The Paris Wife” and “Cleopatra,” I began “Lunch in Paris” and “You or Someone Like You.”

3.  What is your guilty pleasure when you get some much coveted ‘me’ time?

Massage chairs at the nail salon rank right up there with a bar stool at Balthazar Restaurant in SoHo. My best girlfriend and I sit at our usual perch, order steak tartare, French fries and a nice bottle of Cote du Rhone and talk for hours. Girl time is definitely good for the soul!

4.  What would we be surprised to find in your purse?

A teeny tiny pair of pink underwear can now always be found in my purse–I’m potty-training Parker Lee and you never know when disaster may strike! I also carry around a street map of Paris. I can’t bring myself to take it out after the trip I took this past winter. Too many wonderful cozy bistro and shopping memories.

5.  What is your favorite reality TV show?

BRAVO is king! I love the Real Housewives with their drama and the fancy outfits they wear to the grocery store. The Miami and the New York ladies are my favorite. James and I even dedicated a cocktail to them in the cookbook. The Smackdown packs a punch and we’re definitely not responsible for the ladies’ behavior after they have a few!

6.  What is your favorite cocktail recipe of choice?

I love really girlie cocktails served in martini glasses or champagne flutes and down-home drinks sipped from Ball jars. Our Raspberry Gin Fizz is elegant for holiday parties (or just because!) and our Rosemary Lemonade incorporates citrus and herbs making it different and delicious.

7.  What is the funniest thing your daughter has said or done lately?

I could learn so much from our daughter, Parker Lee, if I really took to heartwhat she said. A few of her recent favorites: “Mamma, gotta be patient!” and “Be sweet to the gentlemens.” And no matter what kind of day we’ve had, she always ends it with, “I love you too, Mamma.”

8.  What is your favorite quotation?

Lucille Ball once said, “Luck to me is hard work… and realizing what is opportunity and what isn’t.”

9.  What is your most dreaded household chore?

Doing the dishes– morning, noon and night. We’re constantly cooking so that means that we always have dirty dishes. Because he’s the head chef at our West Village apartment, guess who gets stuck with the pots and pans?

10. Who is your favorite celebrity mom and why?

Funny, business-minded moms who keep everything in perspective–and like a good glass of Sancerre at the end of the day–are my favorites. I’d like to hang out with Kelly Ripa after she puts the kids to bed. And Reese Witherspoon has struck such an enviable balance being a mom, an actor and a business woman. I’d love to hang out with her- but only if she let me take notes and learn the keys to her success!

11. What is one thing most people don’t know about you?

I like to lose myself when I travel to another country. I try to speak the language, read the local newspaper and dress like I belong… That might explain my romance language major in college and why I used to be able to speak five languages (though now, it’s more like three). I like stepping out of my skin and living someone else’s life. And completely unrelated to that, I have terrible coordination- you don’t want me in your aerobics class. My terrible moves confuse everyone- even the teacher!

12. What is your secret to staying Hot & Healthy?

Consistency with my workout routine (nothing fancy–running, spinning, weights) keeps me in better shape than I was in high school. If I have the baby and not a lot of time on my hands, I’m not opposed to strapping her in the stroller and making her go on a jog with Mamma! Most importantly, I have a husband who loves me (and cooks for me more than I’d like to admit). He keeps everything in perspective and has taught so much about moderation with diet and exercise and in every element of my life.

Photos courtesy of Colleen Duffley Photography

*Check back on Wednesday to win your copy of Just Married & Cooking!*

Written by Lea Barlow • Leave a comment

Name: Rachelle Mittelstet

Kids: Preston (5) and Lincoln (3)

Occupation: Owner of Mittelstet Mobile Notary

Hometown: Roseville, CA

H&H Interview with Rachelle:

1. What advice do you have for moms to help them stay motivated with their fitness goals?

BE PATIENT!  Reaching your goals is a continuous process.  It takes time and commitment to being the best “you” you can be.

2.  What are the top 3 items in your grocery cart?

Eggs, Milk, and chicken

3. What is your guilty pleasure when you get a break from the kids?

Going to the Spa!  It gives me a reason to close my eyes and stop the world for a moment or two.  I have been known to fall asleep while getting waxed!

4. What would we be surprised to find in your purse?

Icebreakers mints…but the yummy flavors.  They are sugar free so I can gobble them up!  This week’s flavor choice is Orangeade!

5. What is your favorite reality TV show?

HGTV’s House Hunter’s International.  My husband Caleb and I try to guess which property the buyer will choose.

6. What is your go-to ‘Cheat Day’ treat?

Hands down, a brownie!

7. What is the funniest thing your kids have said or done lately?

While playing in the backyard on a hot summer day my 5 year old wipes his brow and says, “Mommy it’s hot, we need a pool.”  I shake my head in agreement and gingerly say, “We sure do Preston.”   He instantly drops his toy, points at my 3 year old and says, “Lincoln grab your floaties!”  Points at me and says, “Mom, you grab the water!”  He then runs over and pulls out his shovel from the sandbox and starts jabbing at the lawn.  He looks up at me and says, “Don’t worry Mom we will have a pool in no time!”

8. What is your favorite quotation?

“Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of the things that matter least” –Van Goethe

9. What songs are top on your iPod playlist right now?

Party Rock, Gonna Fly Now (Rocky theme song), and anything with Pitbull!

10. Who is your favorite celebrity mom and why?

Gwen Stefani.  She is super fashionable, she makes her children a priority, and her abs are ROCK SOLID!

11. What is one thing most people don’t know about you?

I love music and play 5 instruments: clarinet, bass clarinet, oboe, tuba, and piano.

12. What is your secret to staying Hot & Healthy?

I strive to be the best person I can be every day.  Living a healthy lifestyle and being a positive role model for my children is number one.  Instilling healthy habits early and leading by example are a part of my daily life.  I also try to look my best, whether I am on date night or at the grocery store.  When I look good, I feel good and I feel that attitude carries through to others around me.  I hope I make them feel good too!

*Thanks, Rachelle!*

Written by Lea Barlow • Leave a comment