Is it just me or is it the height of irony that the Superbowl happens just when we are all at our weakest point in sticking to our New Year’s resolutions to lose weight? Let’s face it, the Superbowl is an exciting sports events but, for some of us, the smorgasbord at all the Superbowl parties is the REAL event. With that in mind, I have decided to post a recipe for Superbowl treats that will help everyone feel better about blowing off their weight loss resolutions for the day.

Why should you have to choose between a snack that is salty or a snack that is sweet? You know you want both. So here you go! A recipe that combines the two. How is that helpful, you ask? Well, when your friends ask if you stuck to your diet on game day you can same something witty like “I did rather well. I completely skipped the chips and dip and didn’t have a single brownie.” The fact that you satisfied your craving for something sweet AND something salty with Football Slackerjacks can be our little secret.

Game day is not the time to have ‘diet guilt’. You don’t see the men loading up on veggies and skipping the meatballs, do you? No. So indulge. Enjoy. If you are absolutely unable to let go of your diet guilt, do what I do. Run in place during the commercials.

Ingredients

• 3 ounces popped popcorn, approximately 3 quarts
• 1 cup salted peanuts
• 4 ounces unsalted butter
• 16 ounces dark brown sugar, approximately 2 cups
• 1/4 cup dark corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

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Lori is a content writer for Discount Party Supplies. She is married with three kids and hosts many family gatherings and parties. In her free time, Lori enjoys taking yoga classes and in her secret life she likes going to heavy metal concerts (but don’t tell the other soccer moms!).

The Super Bowl is the biggest television event of the year. Although it takes place in February, people start talking about, planning for it, and laying bets on who will participate in it before the first snowflake has hit the ground. That is, viewers start planning in the fall, advertisers start thinking about their Super Bowl commercials much much earlier. This year’s Super Bowl broadcast will command prices averaging between $3-$4 million dollars per slot. Just think about that for a moment. $3 million for thirty seconds of time.  That is a lot of money, a whole lot of money. Because these commercial spots are so expensive, companies work with advertising agencies months ahead of game day, employing the latest in special effects, cleverest concepts, and cutting-edge technologies. Most of the ads you see are for products like vehicles, tires, beer, soft drinks, snack chips, and blockbuster movie trailers. You probably won’t find too many shampoo, or baby diaper commercials during the Super Bowl, I’m afraid those are not considered appealing to the Super Bowl’s key demographic!

Here are a few standouts from over the years. Some are funny, some make you think, some are moving; but all of them are memorable in some way. So here are our picks for the best Super Bowl commercials from the big game!

A beaver selling tires? Why not? A fun trend that has become popular is the use of animals in advertising. Special effects and digital technologies have made things possible on the computer that probably wouldn’t happen in real life. Watch this Bridgestone Tires commercial that shows a beaver repaying a favor to a driver that saves his life.

This Doritos commercial teaches us all a valuable lesson. Teasing animals for sport, especially in a way that might make them get hurt, is a pretty dangerous proposition. The guy in the commercial gets what he deserves, courtesy of a pug who really packs a wallop.

This delightful commercial from the 2011 Super Bowl was a huge hit. This tiny be-robed figure has an oversized Darth Vader helmet, and even bigger ambitions. His inability to employ the Force to master his surroundings makes him more and more disconsolate, until he gets a little help from his dad, and Volkswagen’s remote start feature!

The hapless, hopeless caveman is having  a bit of a day isn’t he? His package delivery goes terribly wrong, and when he gets back to the cave, his boss is less than sympathetic. His indignant clicks and grunts as he argues with his caveman employer will  resonate with anyone who has ever been on the losing end of an unfair work situation. My favorite part is the disgruntled, defeated expression on his heavy-browed face as he stomps out of the cave. Spoiler Alert! This ad does NOT have a happy ending!

This Monster.com ad was part of the 1999  Super Bowl, featuring young children talking about their lofty career goals, with an angelic chorus swelling triumphantly in the background. And what do these movers and shakers of tomorrow want? “To claw my way up to middle management,” “To be forced into early retirement,” and “I want to file all day.” This clever commercial inspired a lot of people to reevaluate the way they viewed their careers!

This sweet, commercial is the oldest one of the bunch, dating from the 1980 Super Bowl.  But its message is timeless. A bad day can be turned around by a simple gesture. Legendary football star Mean Joe Green limps back to the locker rooms after a bad game, when a young fan stops him, to pay him a compliment. Mean Joe Green brushes the kid off, not rudely, but not terribly nicely, either. The kid offers Mean Joe Green his bottle of Coke, and Mean Joe Green chugs it down in one long gulp. As the boy glumly turns around and walks away, Joe has a change of heart. Watch and see. By the way, if you are not charmed by the boy’s delight, and Mean Joe Green’s beautiful smile, you are dead inside!

Terry Tate Office Linebacker. The title alone is funny. This Reebok commercial was a runaway hit, during the 2003 Super Bowl. Terry Tate’s role as the enforcer in a cubicle-filled office makes me laugh every single time I see it. His howls of intensity, as he reminds people that break was over ten minutes ago, or that you don’t take the last cup of coffee without refilling it, are equal parts amusing and terrifying. Watch for the shout-out to cult classic favorite movie, Office Space, in this one!

This commercial from the 2010 Super Bowl almost single-handedly revived the brand Old Spice. Isiah Mustafa as the Old Spice Guy, a.k.a. “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” became an overnight star as a result of this commercial. His deep voice, dazzling smile, and manly physique combined with oddball humor have made this commercial a YouTube classic, with almost 40 million views and counting. What is not immediately apparent, but incredibly impressive, is that this commercial was done in one long take! Not an easy feat, considering the wardrobe changes, setting changes, and don’t even get me started on the horse!

Almost universally hailed as the best commercial from the 2011 Super Bowl, this Chrysler commercial holds a special place in our hearts as proud Michigan natives! Showcasing economically devastated Detroit, Michigan, and its resurgence as the home of the American automobile industry, this ad  makes a powerful case for buying Detroit-made cars. The ad stars Eminem, and features some of Detroit’s best known spots, like the Fox Theater, and the Renaissance Center. Watch this ad, and see if you aren’t moved by “Imported from Detroit.”

This remarkable ad, from the 2002 Super Bowl was only shown once, but has never been forgotten. In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on our country, the Budweiser Clydesdales journey through the American countryside to pay tribute to the Statue of Liberty in New York City, and those who were lost in the disaster. Simple, quiet, and powerful, this commercial still sends chills up your spine.

We know all of you are planning your Super Bowl parties, buying up chips and dip, making chili by the gallon, and stocking up on beer and soft drinks. Take a look at a couple of the fun commercials that will be making their primetime debut at this year’s 2012 Super Bowl. One is from Volkswagen and features barking crew of pups and a song that you might recognize. The other stars Matthew Broderick, bringing back one of his most beloved characters (or at least his spirit) in a commercial for the new Honda CR-V.

Tracy Maher is a party planning guru and director of marketing for DiscountPartySupplies.com. She has a husband, three children, and a cat that should be registered as a lethal weapon. She throws many parties, mainly as an excuse to cook (and eat) a lot of food!

Is there anything better than a delicious dinner greeting your family on a chilly winter evening? In case you are wondering, the answer is yes, there is; a delicious dinner that takes less than fifteen minutes to prepare! I love my slow-cooker, it is the perfect way to make a meal that is hearty, and delicious, and waiting for me when I get home! Slow cookers are incredibly versatile as well. Once thought to be limited to soups and stews, slow cookers are now used for everything from cooking whole chickens, to literally making cakes! What more can you ask from a small appliance? And of course, the biggest benefit of using a slow cooker is that you don’t need to start making dinner during that part of the day I like to call “the witching hour.” The witching hour starts around 5:00 PM in our house. That is when there are at least a hundred things going on, at any given moment. One kid comes home from swim practice, another one remembers that they need 100 popsicle sticks for tomorrow morning’s social studies class, the second grader needs help with homework, the dog wants a walk, a telemarketer wants to give you new auto insurance quotes…. You get the idea; chaos. And you are supposed to come up with a delicious and healthy dinner, in the midst of all this? When all you really want to do is toss everyone a packet of peanut butter crackers, and an orange, while you go hide in the laundry room for a moment of blessed silence, and possibly a therapeutic glass of red wine. (Hey, it’s after five, remember?)

But no, that doesn’t have to be your evening! Because you were so very clever, and started your dinner this morning, and now its heavenly smells are wafting throughout the house, letting everyone know that you are, in fact, the best mother in the world. They will be convinced that you have been slaving away in a hot kitchen, to give them a wonderful meal, made with all of the love and care you have for them. They don’t have to know. They don’t have to know that this takes less time to make than drinking a cup of coffee. They don’t have to know that you made it this morning right after they got on the bus for school. Shhhh…. it will be our little secret. Just like  the mom from the Rice Krispies Treats Commercials from years ago. Remember this? It’s still funny.

So let’s get to the recipe, Slow-Cooker Round Steak. I like to serve it over warm egg noodles, but it would also be delicious with rice, or a nice crusty loaf of french bread, or even just plain, served in a bowl! I found this recipe online, long ago and have modified it a bit over the years, and it is a total crowd-pleaser. We have made it for family dinners, potlucks, football game-viewing parties, etc. Give it a try!

Slow Cooker Round Steak

Ingredients:

2 lbs. top round, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 lb. bag baby carrots

3 lbs. baby red potatoes, scrubbed

1 onion sliced, or roughly chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can beef stock

1 packet dry onion soup mix

1 tsp. black pepper

Directions:

Put meat and all vegetables into a slow cooker, and gently toss, to combine. In a mixing bowl, combine cream of mushroom soup, beef stock, and onion soup mix, until thoroughly blended. Pour over beef and vegetables and stir. Cover and cook on low heat for eight hours. If you don’t have a slow-cooker, follow the above instructions, and put in an covered dutch oven. Bake for three to  four hours in a preheated oven at 300 degrees, until tender.

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Tracy Maher is a party planning guru and director of marketing for DiscountPartySupplies.com. She has a husband, three children, and a cat that should be registered as a lethal weapon. She throws many parties, mainly as an excuse to cook (and eat) a lot of food!

This jalapeno popper dip is the dip that my hubby is looking forward to the most on Superbowl Sunday.  He loves jalapeno poppers – but I hate to make them. So much work!! So much time!! They are delicious but I just don’t have time to make enough for a crowd. This dip is a perfect solution. It is super simple to make and it tastes amazing. The panko bread crumbs are fabulous – if you make this, please don’t substitute regular breadcrumbs…..trust me, the panko adds more crunch. I usually make two batches, one with extra jalapenos for the serious jalapeno lovers and a milder version for the kids and anyone else who loves the flavor of jalapenos but isn’t able to stand the heat.

You can make this dip ahead of time and then pop it in the oven on game day.  Serve it with crackers and some crusty bread rounds. And beer. Don’t forget the beer!

Jalapeno Popper Dip

2- 8 ounce packages cream cheese, room temp

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1- 4 ounce can chopped green chilies

1- 4 ounce can sliced jalapeños- double if you like heat

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 stick butter, melted

In a food processor add the first 6 ingredients and process until smooth. You do not need to drain either can of peppers. Spread the dip into a greased 2 quart casserole. In a bowl mix bread crumbs and the other 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. Pour melted butter over top crumb mixture and mix well. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over the dip and bake in a 375° oven for about 20 minutes. You want the top to get browned and the dip to be heated through and bubble gently on the edges. Do not over heat this dish or the mayonnaise with separate and you will have a grease puddle in your dip. Serve with Buttery crackers or a sliced French baguette.

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Lori is a content writer for Discount Party Supplies. She is married with three kids and hosts many family gatherings and parties. In her free time, Lori enjoys taking yoga classes and in her secret life she likes going to heavy metal concerts (but don’t tell the other soccer moms!).

Double Dipping: (definition) to insert an already-eaten-from end of a piece of food into a shared dipping sauce.

Have you ever looked suspiciously at a salad bar or at a bowl of dip on a veggie tray? Wondering if anyone has double dipped?  Yuck!! I am only partially joking here…I am by no means a huge germaphobe, but as a general rule, I tend to avoid sharing saliva with folks I don’t know well. I am also very practical. For example, there is no way you would ever catch me eating from a tray of veggies and dip being served at an elementary school class party.  School age children are not well known for their hygiene and they always seem to be passing around some type of bug. Seriously, there is a reason that we serve them their party treats on a plate instead of having them help themselves. Hand washing simply is not a priority for this age group. Some adults are no better. How about the guy standing next to you in the buffet line who licks the buffalo sauce off his fingers after he eats his serving of wings and then reaches toward the veggie tray? Really?

When I saw this idea on how to serve veggies and dip, I literally slapped myself on the forehead! Sheer brilliance!! So simple yet I had never thought of it…go figure. I now know that this is commonly done at fancy parties and wedding receptions but until now I was clueless. Not anymore!

From this day forward, whether I am hosting a Superbowl party or a kids birthday party, THIS is how I will be serving my veggies and dip. As luck would have it, Discount Party Supplies will soon be carrying a line of elegant mini dishes that will help make my dream a reality. I am not limiting myself to only serving veggies and dip this way. The possibilities are endless.  For starters, how about guacamole and chips? Or apple slices and caramel sauce? Or little mini bowls with strawberries and chocolate sauce?

This is truly an historic day in my hostessing history. From this day forward, I have taken a giant step towards eliminating double dipping at all my parties. If you like this idea, share it with all of your friends. Together, we are powerful. Together, we can change the world. One carrot stick at a time.

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Lori is a content writer for Discount Party Supplies. She is married with three kids and hosts many family gatherings and parties. In her free time, Lori enjoys taking yoga classes and in her secret life she likes going to heavy metal concerts (but don’t tell the other soccer moms!).

If you are hosting a Superbowl party and kids are invited you may want to have a few things up your sleeve to keep the little ones entertained during the big game. If it is possible, set up a ‘kid zone’ in the basement or playroom and have some kid friendly activities set up to make sure that the little people at the party have as much fun as the grown ups. Consider hiring a teen to supervise the kids play if at all possible to keep things running smoothly.

Arts and Crafts:

There are so many free printables available online. Download a few football themed coloring pages and word searches for the kids to work on. Set out crayons and pencils and let them choose whatever appeals to their creative side.

Decorating Football Cookies:

Set up a decorating station and let the kids put some frosting and sprinkles on football shaped cookies. Not only will this activity keep them busy for a good chunk of time, but they will also get to eat what they create. My guess is that the adults will also want to get in on this activity during halftime!

Football Balloon Toss:

This is a great indoor Super Bowl games for kids to play; it entails using a brown balloon and playing in pairs. Each player tosses or taps the balloon to their partner without letting the balloon touch the ground, each player is allowed only one toss or tap to get the balloon to their partner. Make sure to move furniture or anything else out of the way to make the Super Bowl game safe to play.

Football Bingo:

Kids love the game of bingo and bingo is one of the easiest games to prepare and set up, plus it is a low cost way to provide an entertaining Super Bowl activity for kids. Free printable football bingo cards can be obtained online, the football cards can be printed with words for older kids and pictures for the younger kids. Bingo markers could be football shaped candies or any other type of fun item that children would enjoy.

Movie Time:

The game can go quite late and if you have younger kids in attendance it might be a good idea to have a movie on hand to pop in for later in the evening. Have some comfy pillows and blankets for the kiddos to stretch out with, dim the lights a bit and let them get cozy.

A little bit of planning on your part can make sure that the kids also have a good time during the party…and if the kids are happy then the momma’s are happy and everybody knows that if  momma ain’t happy…….do I need to even finish this sentence. I thought not.

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Lori is a content writer for Discount Party Supplies. Lori is married with three kids and hosts many family gatherings and parties. In her free time, Lori enjoys taking yoga classes and in her secret life she likes going to heavy metal concerts (but don’t tell the other soccer moms!).

I tend to spend an inordinate amount of time planning my party cocktails…is that normal? I usually start planning my beverages and then work my way out to the food and decorations. I guess that tells you something about me, huh? For example, if you are hosting a Superbowl party folks pretty much expect you to serve “football food” with beer. Lots and lots of beer. Now, I have nothing against beer but it’s not my personal favorite so I will want to have something else for the guests who also don’t love beer. But I will want it to ‘coordinate’ with my overall theme (because I am type A and that’s just how my mind works). A great alternative choice for a Superbowl (or frankly, any sports themed party) is the beer margarita. Some people call this drink a Beerita — I like that she has a proper name.

This beer infused variation of the traditional margarita is actually quite good. It’s refreshing and pairs very well with the salty and savory typical football fare. They are also easy to make ahead – you can prepare several pitchers before game time and set them out for guests to serve themselves. Be warned, though, that these go down very easily but they still pack quite the alcoholic punch!

Beer Margaritas

Ingredients:

Four 12 ounce bottles cold light-flavored beer

1 cup (8 ounces) tequila

1 can (12 ounces) frozen limeade concentrate, thawed

Lime wedges

Kosher salt, for rimming glasses

Directions:

In a large pitcher, combine the beer, tequila and limeade. Rub a lime wedge around the rim of each glass and dip it in the salt. Pour the margaritas into the glasses and garnish with a lime wedge.

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Lori is a content writer for Discount Party Supplies. She is married with three kids and hosts many family gatherings and parties. In her free time, Lori enjoys taking yoga classes and in her secret life she likes going to heavy metal concerts (but don’t tell the other soccer moms!).

Like many of you, I am busy planning for Valentines Day, and making lists of what I need to buy or make for the kid’s parties at school, picking out the perfect cards and gifts for my “sweethearts” (plural because I consider not only my husband but also my kids worthy of the title Valentines). As I am sitting here making my plans, I ran across this simple, yet perfect way to express how I feel about my husband and kids. So, instead of writing about a cute, delicious recipe or how to make an impressive Valentines Day party decoration, today I thought I would slow it down for a minute and share this with you.

Here’s my plan. On Valentines Day Eve (making that name up as I go), I will go to bed later than the rest of my family. I will set the table as shown in this picture. The best part about this is that I won’t need to buy a single thing. I have white dinner plates and lots of silverware. I don’t have a red table cloth but I do have red construction paper that I will use for place mats. For the heart decoration in the center of each plate, I will simply use some of that red construction paper and spend some time making an old fashioned hand made heart shaped Valentines, like we used to do in school.

I can’t think of a better way to start the morning on Valentines Day than to serve my family breakfast with the table decorated in this love-ly way. We will still be rushing around getting ready for school and work so I’ll have to be a bit more organized to pull this off but I am going to do it. Why? Because I know how much I would appreciate this simple gesture if it were done for me and I want my family to know that I really do appreciate them. And it’s fun. And it’s free. And, most importantly, it’s from the heart and they will feel that.

Will I be able to pull this off and have our morning go smoothly enough to have this go exactly the way I want to? Probably not. School mornings rarely go as smoothly as I would like. But that’s okay. Somebody will have something that needs a last minute signature, somebody else won’t be able to find a shoe, the list of last minute glitches is endless…..but for one moment we will all be seated together in front of one simple word that sums up why we do what we do for each other — love. It doesn’t get any simpler than that.

I encourage you to give this a try this Valentines Day. I have a feeling that this will be a new Valentines Day tradition for my family. Nothing makes me happier than knowing that something I do for my kids matters enough that they want me to repeat it each year. Those are the traditions that I treasure – the ones that my husband and I start with our kids. I’m getting a little sentimental thinking that maybe, if I am lucky, my kids will do this for their kids one day. How love-ly would that be?

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Lori is a content writer for Discount Party Supplies. She is married with three kids and hosts many family gatherings and parties. In her free time, Lori enjoys taking yoga classes and in her secret life she likes going to heavy metal concerts (but don’t tell the other soccer moms!).

Oh, the power of color! The color red is associated with love, passion and affection and is “the” color we associate with Valentine’s Day. This Valentine’s Day, show that special someone just how special they are with this delicious red velvet cupcake. Valentine’s Day is a day we set aside to exchange tokens of affection — nothing says “won’t you be mine?”  like home baked goodies.

You could make these for your family or they would also be a hit at your child’s Valentine’s Day party at school. For the kids, you could decorate the cupcakes with little red hot candies, or the little ‘word hearts’ that are a holiday staple would be cute as well. Cupcakes are perfect for school parties. They are cute, easy to serve, and everybody loves having their own personal “little cake”. Plus, nobody has to fight over who gets a corner piece!! Anyone with kids will understand how important this is.

So take it up a notch and step outside of the traditional vanilla vs. chocolate cupcake world and introduce your friends and family to the power of red velvet. They will thank you for it.

Cupcakes:

• Cupcakes:
• Cooking spray
• 10 ounce cake flour (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups nonfat buttermilk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons red food coloring (about 1 ounce)
• Frosting:
• 5 tablespoons butter, softened
• 4 teaspoons nonfat buttermilk
• 1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, softened
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar (about 1 pound)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

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Lori is a content writer for Discount Party Supplies. She is married with three kids and hosts many family gatherings and parties. In her free time, Lori enjoys taking yoga classes and in her secret life she likes going to heavy metal concerts (but don’t tell the other soccer moms!).

You have to have something sweet at your Superbowl party so why not serve something that is sweet and cute? Maybe the guys won’t appreciate how cute these are but the gals at the party sure will! You can buy these at specialty chocolate stores or you can make your own. Plus, if you are like me, you can eat these and tell yourself that because strawberries are fruit and fruit is  good for you so the chocolate calories really don’t count. That’s how things work in my world.

Like any good party recipe, these can (and should) be made ahead of time. I rarely serve anything at a party that can’t be made ahead of time — why would I want to invite guests over only to be stuck in the kitchen?? I wouldn’t. And neither should you.

What You Need:

(Makes: about 20 strawberries)

8 ounces of milk or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 pound of large strawberries (about 20), washed and dried well

1 large tube of white cake decorating icing

What to Do:

STEP 1) Place the chocolate in a double boiler. Stir occasionally, until melted, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

**Note: If you’re using the microwave instead of a double boiler just place the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat the chocolate in 45 second intervals, stirring after each one.

STEP 2) Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Pick a strawberry up by its stem and hold the leaves back. One at a time, dip each strawberry in the chocolate all the way up to the top and twirl to coat. Place coated berries on the waxed paper.

STEP 3) Chill the chocolate dipped strawberries at least 15 minutes to set chocolate. (Strawberries should not be stored in refrigerator longer than 1 hour as condensation drops may collect on the chocolate.)

STEP 4) Decorate the strawberries to look like footballs!  Start by drawing a horizontal line on the top right side of the strawberry; running the line all the way across the front to the left side. Make a small vertical line down the middle of the berry. Now, starting at the very top of the vertical line you’ve just made your going to make a tiny horizontal line across. Repeat four more times with the last line crossing at the bottom of the vertical line. Lastly you’ll want to draw another line on the bottom front right side, run the line all the way across the front to the left side.

STEP 5) Enjoy!

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Lori is a content writer for Discount Party Supplies. She is married with three kids and hosts many family gatherings and parties. In her free time, Lori enjoys taking yoga classes and in her secret life, she likes going to heavy metal concerts (but don’t tell the other soccer moms!).