Mom Machine

Post Halloween Sugar Crash

2009-11-04T12:00:00.002-05:00

Post Halloween sugar got you crashing? Sick of your kiddies being over-sugared and cranky?

Well if you are looking for places to send your leftover candy, look no farther than your local firehouse.

Our local fire station, Baileys Crossroads in Falls Church, takes all leftover candy donations. Fire stations always have people on duty and candy is a yummy treat for any one performing manual labor.

Last year I dropped two large bags of leftover candy so my 18 month old would not eat it all and they were so happy to get it.

I would also check with your local police stations as well since they always have folks on duty too.

TGIF-Halloween

2009-10-30T13:06:00.002-04:00

Halloween Safety:

-Buy glow bracelets for your children to wear around their wrists and necks. These can also be wrapped around stroller wheels and put on dog leashes to help increase visibility.

-If you have reflectors or blinking safety lights (often used for exercising) place on your coat or hat to increase visibility.

-Stick to sidewalks and walkways whenever possible. Walk towards traffic so that people can see you coming, and so that you can see them coming towards you.

-Wear sturdy shoes that offer good traction, like sneakers. Avoid flimsy, slippery shoes that could cause a fall.

Perfect Fall Outing For Kids:

Check out the Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, VA. These sprawling gardens offer much to do for people of all ages. There is an atrium, nature center, paths to hike, various shrubs and flowers to see, a Butterfly garden and an interactive tea garden for children where kids can sit in the bat cave, have a tea party of explore the dirt by digging in the small garden.

In the Fall the colors are exceptional and this is a stroller-friendly place that has a winding paved path all through it. Kids can run around and explore and get some fresh air while learning about nature, plants, seeds and shrubs.

There are also picnic tables on the premises so that you can picnic after your exploration.

Check it out at:

http://www.nvrpa.org/parks/meadowlark/index.php

Baby Einstein is NO Genius

2009-10-27T18:06:00.004-04:00

Baby Einstein is not going to make your baby a genius....try to deal with the shock of TV failing as an educator.....for more information about the topic and for tips on where to return your DVDs for a refund, check out this article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/24/education/24baby.html?_r=1

Next, they will tell us that pregnancy and parenthood ages you and takes years off of your life, oh wait, that is true, but not yet proven.........I am diligently working on that as we speak.

Hang in there mommies, you are doing great. Don't stress over the DVDs and at least return them for a refund-put the money towards this year's holiday gifts, because I hear Santa is on strike due to the recession and all....

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

2009-10-26T12:18:00.003-04:00

This weekend was all about letting my kids be kids. Daddy was not working, which was a treat, so we lined up lots of family time with activities designed to be fun for all. Unfortunately, fun was the goal and was often just out of reach.

Saturday's plan was to take the kids to the Air and Space Museum ( the good one out near Dulles). What a perfect rainy day activity, right? Lots of room indoors to let the kiddies run and play and lots to look at.

We successfully made it outside the beltway without my husband going into shock (he thinks anything beyond Falls Church is basically the boonies) which was a great start and both kids happily ate lunch in the car so we could save time.

Once we entered the parking lot at the museum things began to sour on us quickly. As we were getting Bruno out of the car, a huge airplane left Dulles airport and the noise completely scared him so he began to cry and whine. Once both kids were successfully loaded in the double stroller, it started to rain cats and dogs. Of course we were about a hundred miles away from the entrance, so I started to jog while pushing the kids in the stroller (uphill) while my husband attempted to shield the children from the rain with our one uncooperative umbrella.

The umbrella kept flipping inside out and the rain guard was basically useless as it kept blowing off. As we all got drenched the kids both began to cry and scream, making the unpleasant outing to the museum that much worse. Fortunately, the dry museum and all the airplanes lifted everyone's spirits just enough to get us home in time for their naps.

The next day was Sunday and the annual Halloween parade in our neighborhood-an absolutely awesome event and one of the few times each year I actually let my children skip their naps. Since the parade is in the middle of prime napping hours, my husband and I always feed them early, skip their naps, let them eat too much sugar and let them enjoy being kids for the day, knowing that they will both crash and burn and go to sleep by 5:30 p.m-Yes, even the 2.5 years old.

Everything went according to plan-fed the kids an early lunch and amazingly, got them both into their costumes with no goading and no tears-YFM (Yeah For Mommy!). It was a perfect fall day with just the right amount of sunshine and breeze, so we all happily headed off to the parade. Both kids loved the parade and we all enjoyed cookies and lemonade at the finish. Our kids ran around on the beach with the other Barcroft kiddies and my husband and I actually got to catch up with some neighborhood friends.

As planned, full-on kiddie meltdowns (times two) went into effect promptly following our arrival back at home around 4p.m. The sugar high that had given added spunk to the kids- without- naps had sent them careening into crankyville.

4 p.m is too late for a nap and too early for bed, so my husband and I had no choice but to endure. Our little ones that were so happy just an hour ago were now screaming messes. Our plans to be indulgent parents who do all these great festive things with ours kids had backfired, leaving us stressed out and the kiddies tired and overwhelmed. We knew they would crash early, but 4 p.m was about an hour ahead of schedule.

By 5:30 p.m both kids were fed, bathed and asleep, and both parents were drinking wine. Did everyone have a good time during this fun-filled family weekend? Yes and no. At certain points it was fun for all, but at other times it was stressful and hard and rainy and wet, but if there are two things this weekend's events reminded me of its that: 1) I have really good kids. I mean, my kids skipped their naps and only meltdowned after being overly tired and overly stimulated. That's pretty darn good, considering some kids are like that all the time. 2) Life in the parent hood is all about weekends like this. Doing things as a family and never knowing what will happen. That's an adventure and that's what being parents is all about. Children are unpredictable, but that is also what makes this job so worthwhile.

The next time your kids are making you crazy, just think of me pushing a double stroller up a huge hill in the rain, running towards the door at the Air and Space Museum as my two screaming, wet children cry their eyes out and you will smile knowing that being a parent is a job worthwhile and that when you have bad days, you are not the only one. All parents suffer sometimes.

Rainy Day Activities

2009-10-18T14:03:00.002-04:00

Ok, I for one am getting really sick and tired of this weather. I mean could it get any colder, its only October? And, enough with the rain already. I know its good for the flowers and grass, but its giving all of us a good dose of cabin fever.

If you are looking for ways to entertain your little ones (or yourself) while we wait out the weather, visit this website, www.jigzone.com. You can do puzzles online in all different categories (nature, dogs, insects etc.) and according to varying levels of difficulty. The smallest puzzles have 6 pieces and can be done by a small child and the harder ones have over 150 pieces.

Just another resource to add to the rainy day activity kit for you mom machines out there.

Fever

2009-10-13T10:57:00.002-04:00

Now that the flu season has descended upon all of us-it reared its nasty head in my house last week-I think it is important that we all know how to deal with fevers.

According to my Pediatrician's office, a fever of anything below 104 degrees is considered to be moderate, not high. Nonetheless, I consider anything over 101 degrees to be worrisome, especially when it makes my 10 month old scream and cry. As always, with fevers it is important to focus on hydration. Keep your infant or toddler well hydrated with milk, formula, watered down juice, warm jello or Gatorade. Ice pops also work well if your child is adverse to eating anything.

It is important to keep your child in appropriate clothing as well to help regulate her body temp. Make sure your home is not overly hot or cold, and that windows are not open and blowing cold air on your sick baby. Since virus and infections can sometimes cause skin rashes as well, try to dress your child in clean, dry clothing that is 100% cotton and not abrasive to the touch to maintain comfort.

Luke warm, or tepid baths are good to help relax the child and calm her down before naps or bedtime, but skip the bubbles which can cause skin irritation or dryness. Make sure that the bath is not too cold, because if it is, the child will get the chills, which can cause a fever to shoot up, not come down. If you are fearful of getting water in the ears and possibly causing ear infections or the chills, fill a basin with warm water and sit the baby on a towel in the bathroom in a diaper. Gently swab the baby with a wash cloth doused in the warm water. This way you can focus on the back of the neck, tummy and arms and legs, without having to pour water over the baby's head and risk getting it in her eyes or ears.

Lastly, do not wait for the first virus of the season to hit your house. Prepare NOW. Stock up on juice, Baby Tylenol, saline nose drops, tissues, a bulb syringe, a humidifier and anything else you think you will need to fight the fever or flu this season.

If the flu or a fever do hit your home, change sheets, mop floors, vacuum carpets, dust, sanitize baby toys, pacifiers, and anything else that your baby was around, such as her favorite blanket or stuffed friend. Wipe down all door knobs in the home, the phone, TV remote, car keys, diaper bag and your purse to prevent the spread of infection.

Above all else-WASH YOUR HANDS!!!!!

Fall Recipes

2009-10-09T16:02:00.001-04:00

These are two of our family fall favorites. One, the tortilla pie, is a great one-dish meal that is super easy and the other one, Greek meatloaf, is a hearty main dish. Both are awesome comfort foods and perfect for the fall.

Tortilla Pie:

1 (15-oz) can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (10-oz) package of frozen corn kernels, thawed out

1 cup mild or medium tomato salsa 1 (8-oz) can of tomato sauce

6-8 oz of pepper jack cheese, coarsely grated (2 cups)

1/2 cup of fresh cilantro

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

4 (10-inch) flour tortillas (burrito-size)

1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Step One:

Put oven rack in lower third of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees.

Step Two:

Stir together beans, corn, salsa, tomato sauce, cheese, cilantro, scallions and cumin in a large bowl. ( Add meat here if you so desire)

Step Three:

Heat a 12-inch skillet over high heat until smoking. Brush both sides of each flour tortilla with oil and fry, turning over once, until puffed and golden in spots. This takes about 1-2 minutes per side.

Step Four:

Place I tortilla in the bottom of a well-oiled 15 by 10-inch shallow baking pan, then spread with 1 1/3 cups of the filling. Repeat the layering twice, then place the remaining tortilla on top and press to adhere to other layers.

Step Five:

Bake the tortilla pie for 12- 18 minutes, or until the filling is heated through. Transfer the pie to a platter, then cut the pie into wedges and serve with Sour cream or salsa on the side.

For variations:

Use different cheeses-I blended cheddar and pepper jack and that was great.

Use tomatillo salsa for a different flavor.

Add chicken, chorizo or other meat if you so desire. I precooked the chicken and mixed it in with the other ingredients and it was great. My friend also tried it with chicken chorizo (which is precooked) so she added it as another layer.

Greek Meatloaf:

1.25 pounds of lean ground beef

1/2 cup of feta cheese

3 cloves of fresh garlic-finely diced in a food processor

1 yellow onion-finely diced in a food processor

1/4 cup of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons of fresh or dried dill

1 large egg

Salt and pepper to taste

Step One:

Diced garlic cloves and onion in the food processor and add ground beef to the processor at end to chop into fine bites and to help mix with garlic and onion.

Step Two:

Remove meat and garlic and onion mixture from the food processor and place in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix meatloaf with your hands until all ingredients are well combined.

Step Three:

Spray a glass or metal loaf pan with Pam or cooking spray and form the meatloaf into a loaf or spread evenly throughout the loaf pan.

Step Four:

Bake meatloaf at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes or until completely cooked through.

Serve with mashed potatoes, veggies, salad, boiled or roasted potatoes or garlic bread.

YUMMY!

The Incredible Edible Egg

2009-10-05T14:13:00.002-04:00

These are really quick and easy omelets and the best part is that they are fun to make so kids love them. Also, you can make a lot of different kinds of omelets all at the same time when using this method, which is perfect for a brunch buffet or bridal shower luncheon when you need to cook 10 different omelets all at the same time!

Give it a try, you won't be disappointed, you will be amazed.

What you will need: ( These ingredients and supplies make one omelet)

2 eggs, or egg substitute

1 quart sized Ziploc freezer bag

Assorted omelet ingredients-veggies, cheese, herbs, meats etc.

Instructions:

1. Write your name with a permanent marker on the outside of a Ziploc freezer bag.

2. Fill the freezer bag with two cracked eggs, close the bag and shake it to combine the eggs.

3. Add as many ingredients as you choose, and close the bag and shake it again to mix everything together.

4. Open the bag and get all of the excess air out and reseal it.

5. Place all Ziploc bags into a pot of boiling (rolling bubbles) water for exactly 13 minutes. One large pot can cook 6-8 omelets at a time. If you are cooking more than 8 omelets, use an additional pot.

6. Remove bags after 13 minutes and open the Ziploc bag. Your perfect omelet will roll right out onto the plate for you to enjoy!

Fight the Flu This Season

2009-10-01T11:40:00.001-04:00

5 For Fighting: Tips For Preventing The Flu This Season:

With our children back in school many parents are concerned about germs and how to fight the flu this season. Along with good hygiene practices these five not-so-common tips can help you protect your loved ones this flu season.

1. Remove shoes as soon as you enter your home to reduce the amount of dirt and germs that you track throughout the house. Leave a basket by the front door or in the front hall closet to encourage shoe removal.

2. Change children’s clothes when you return home from a park, public area or play date. Although this will increase your laundry slightly each week, it prevents foreign germs from entering your home and settling in. Also, if you were at a park and you come home and change your child’s clothing before his nap, he will sleep in a clean bed, germ-free.

3. Wash stuffed animals, snuggies and blankets. If your child has a favorite cuddle blanket or stuffed animal that he sleeps with, do not forget to wash these items as much as possible. Germs lurk in the fur and corners of blankets, which kids often put in their mouths and near their eyes.

4. Clip nails. Make sure you are diligent about clipping your child’s nails on a regular basis. Longer nails provide a place for dirt to hide, which can be a nice home for germs. Short nails are more sanitary so it is best to cut them short and straight across. If you cannot clip nails easily, try using a brush to get under them when your child is in the bathtub or when he washes his hands before meals.

5. Wash feet. If your child is still enjoying the lingering warmth of summer by wearing sandals, crocs or other open-toed shoes, get in the habit of washing his feet as well as his hands when you return home and come back inside. I sit my son on the side of the kitchen sink and wash both his feet and his hands thoroughly before he has lunch. Feet are extremely porous and a warm place for germs to attack. This will keep him clean before his nap and prevent the spread of germs within your home.

Recommendations Wednesdays

2009-05-19T20:50:00.004-04:00

I know that I usually pass along my recommendations on Wednesdays, but believe it or not, I am actually a day ahead of myself-is that possible you ask, well, yes, today it is true.

All of this information is somewhat random, but it is all really good stuff to know, especially in these tough financial times:

1. Supermarket Sweep-If you are looking to save money at the market, look really high or really low on the shelves, NOT at eye level. Apparently that is the most coveted place on a supermarket shelf and the one that costs more to rent. Because the space is so valuable and the one that people look at first and most frequently, grocers stock it with the more expensive items. In short, if you are looking to pinch a few pennies on a specific item, look at the top shelves or the bottom shelves because that is where they hide the less expensive brands and the sale items. Last week I tested this tip out, as I do with all of my tips and recommendations, and I was blown away by the price difference in something as basic as Macaroni and Cheese.

2. Ditch That Bleach-In addition to being toxic and harmful, bleach is also a lot more expensive than a basic bottle of 3% peroxide, which costs about $1.00 per bottle at your local drugstore. Think of all the things that you use bleach for and replace it with peroxide. Want to keep your toilets clean or your counter tops germ free? Use peroxide instead of bleach-it's not toxic and it kills germs just as well as its toxic counterpart.

Still not a believer? Are you old school and still thinking that "nothing cleans and sanitizes like bleach"? Well if you are........ lets put it into perspective for you. Did you know that you can gargle with peroxide every night, instead of mouthwash, and that your teeth will be sparkling white and all your canker sores will be gone? Would you ever gargle with bleach?

Need more convincing? Ever had a really bad cold and stuffed up sinuses? Hello, can you say this past winter? Mix equal parts water and peroxide and spray it into your nostrils, one at a time. After a few snot bubbles and a nose blow, your nose will be less clogged and all the bacteria in your nasal passages will be dead. Who among us snorts bleach? C'mon, you know you want to test the magical powers of peroxide, and I encourage you to do so.

Your house and body will be germ free, not polluted with toxic bleach and there will be no nasty lingering bleach smell to cover up, plus you will save a bunch of money!!!!!

TGIF

2009-05-15T13:32:00.004-04:00

For this Friday's tips and good information, I wanted to pass along the title of a GREAT book.

The book is called Healing the New Childhood Epidemics- Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies By Kenneth Bock, M.D.

My son has asthma, manifested in the form of a constant unproductive hacking cough, and my sister-in-law turned me on to this book and I am so happy that she did.

Bock is a world renowned doctor specializing in the treatment of children with these 4-A disorders. This book is well-written and very easy to read. It is not like your average encyclopedic text book that just confuses you more than before you began reading. It documents real cases of these disorders in patients that Dr. Bock treated and healed, so you know his methods work.

The book is clear and flows so easily you almost feel like you are reading a novel.

If your children have any of these disorders, it is worth reading this book just for the extra knowledge and insight that it provides.

Check this insightful book out and tell your friends about it as well. Other moms will thank you.

TGIF

2009-05-07T16:14:00.001-04:00

Well, it's almost upon us-Mother's Day is this Sunday so if you have not already made plans to honor your mother then read the following suggestions for ways to let your mother know how much you appreciate everything she does for you. For all those husbands out there looking for a nice way to honor your wife, the mother of your children, then read on because there are some tips for you too.

There are many ways to say thank-you for all the wonderful things you do without spending a lot of money. Here are a few:

1. Let Mommy sleep in. If you have small children, get up early with them so that Mom can catch some extra zzzzz's. This doesn't cost you anything, but it is the best gift ever for an overtired Mommy, which let's be honest, all Moms are.

2. Make Mommy breakfast. In my house, I just enjoy getting up and finding that someone else other than me has made the coffee for the day. Its one less thing that I have to do and so nice to wake up to. Food would be an absolute delight and icing on the cake.

3. Buy your wife flowers or something small like a pedicure or a manicure. All of these items can be purchased for about $20 and they will all really brighten up Mommy's day. Plus, if Mommy gets to go and get the pedicure, she gets a little time to herself, which is another wonderful gift for any Mommy. Alone time is something everyone needs and deserves.

4. Buy Mommy some bath beads or perhaps a salt scrub (Trader Joe's sells a really nice Lavender one for $7) and draw Mommy a bath. Put the kids to bed early, fill the tub, light some candles and poor Mommy a glass of wine. Welcome to relaxation-ville.

5. Other nice gifts are things that come directly from your kids so if they can make Mommy a special picture or pasta necklace, great. If they are too young for that, take a picture of them and have it put onto a coffee mug or a t-shirt. Again, these items all cost less than $20.

6. Send a heartfelt card with a list of all the things you love and thank your mother for.

Above all else, love and hug your Mother or wife on Mother's day and let her know how much she means to you. Remember that Mommy is the reason you are here and there is no other love like that of your Mother. It is true what they say-no one will ever love you like your Mommy does.

Happy Mother's Day to all.

The New Machine

2009-04-21T13:51:00.004-04:00

Well, I have finally completely lost my mind. I registered to run the Marine Corps Marathon on October 25th, 2009.

For years I have been talking about "taking the plunge" and "challenging" myself to see if I could run a marathon, but something always came up.....well, it was usually because I was pregnant, but that is beside the point.

So.....I went online the other day and decided to pay my $88 to register, knowing that just by registering I would follow through with it and make myself start training for it. So now I guess you could say I am a new kind of machine-I will be a running machine for the next 6 months so that I can fully prepare myself to run 26.2 miles so that I can buy a sticker that says 26.2 and put it on the back of my car.

My trainer, who has run at least 3 marathons, assures me that I will do great and that I am fit enough to go the distance-literally, and that 6 months is way more training time than needed. She wrote me a running program that is only 18 weeks long, but VERY challenging and she said that it would more than prepare me. I believe her and trust what she tells me, but I still have my concerns......the main one being how does the whole bathroom thing work during the race?.....and what about after for that matter? I have heard some REALLY scary stories about friends who spent the first post-marathon hour in the port-o-potty having a marathon of a different sort that involves doing what my friends and I call multi-tasking (pooping out one end and puking out the other). Sorry for the visual, but this is a serious issue if I will be running for 4-5 straight hours.

Also, how does the whole eating thing work? How do you stop running and eat? Or more importantly how do you eat anything while running without getting a cramp or puking your brains out?

What about the whole mental anguish aspect of running a marathon? I have talked to several people that say it is mentally draining and that you can't mind fuck yourself or else you will psyche yourself out. I know that I overthink everything and mind fucking myself is definitely part of my daily routine (Oh, my kid watched too much TV today, I am a bad mother, the kids were misbehaving and driving me bonkers all day, I am a bad mommie etc.) but I figure that 6 months of preparation will be enough to get my brain in shape....right?

These little kinks will hopefully be ironed out in the next 6 months of my training as I prepare myself for my greatest challenge yet. I keep telling myself that if I could endure 20 hours of back labor with no epidural and an emergency C-section to bring my first child into the world, then I can run for 1/4 of that amount of time.

I will keep you posted on my progress. For right now, my goals are simple for my first marathon. They are as follows: 1) Don't poop myself 2) Finish the whole distance 3) Be mentally sound the whole time to help push myself across the finish line 4) Buy a cool sticker for my car........oh yeah, and DON"T GET PREGNANT until the marathon is complete.

TGIF

2009-04-03T11:10:00.005-04:00

The other day my husband's assistant had a choking incident and it reminded me of this helpful hint that I thought I would pass along to all of you, since you never know when you or one of your kids might choke.

My husband's assistant was sitting at her desk on Monday, checking some emails and munching on a cracker when a piece of it got lodged in her throat. She cleared her throat multiple times but could not get the cracker to budge. At this point she was frantic as she felt the cracker scratching at her throat and constricting her airway, so she got up from her desk and wandered down the hall to seek help, which she was lucky enough to find.

I am a firm believer in ALL parents being First Aid and CPR certified before the arrival of their first child. I just think it is a good skill to have and one that will definitely make you more confident as a first time parent. I am trained in both and I have had to use those skills on my son before when he was choking and turning blue. That being said, I realize that we live in a world defined by our time constraints and taking a class may not be in the cards for you. If that is the case, do not despair, just keep this trick in mind.

If you, or your child are choking DO NOT hit the choking victim on the back. This is the first reaction that most people have and the WORST thing to do because you can actually force the choking hazard further down into the victim's throat, causing more airway constriction.

The best thing to do is put the victim's arms up in the air and take a deep breath. This will open the airway and the lungs easily and force the choking hazard to go all the way down the pipe instead of letting it hang out in the middle.

So, the next time your child is choking on a cracker or a piece of hot dog, just simply lift both of their arms towards the sky to help things along and if that fails, administer the Heimlich maneuver or call 911.

Recommendation Wednesdays

2009-03-25T10:33:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, I got a frantic call from a good friend who was at the hospital with her husband who had appendicitis. She needed someone to pick up her daughter from school and watch her until her mother was able to come down from Annapolis. Fortunately for my friend, her daughter was not only in my son's pre-school class, but she had spent a lot of time around me, so she knew me and was not alarmed at all when I picked her up instead of Mommy. Also lucky for my friend was the fact that I had an extra car seat at my house that I could put into my car to actually put her kid in.

Emergencies happen, I get that, that is why they are called emergencies. Inevitably these nasty cluster situations rear their ugly heads when you are sick, tired, having your period, out of diapers and milk, and forced to leave your messy house without a charged cell phone to get into your car that has an empty gas tank. That being said, I know you can't predict when these emergencies will arise, but you can plan in some ways that will help you deal with the situation when and if they do arise and trust me, if you have children, emergencies will arise.

Check out these tips below for how to always be prepared for emergencies:

1. Phone Numbers-Make sure that you have all the important phone numbers that you need programmed into your cell phone. This includes, your kids' school, friends and family who you can contact in the event of an emergency, poison control, the local hospital, your doctor as well as your kids' doctor's office. Also save a contact in your phone under the title ICE (In case of Emergency). That way if you are ever in an accident and someone finds you or your phone, they will know who to call on your behalf.

2. House Preparation-Write out information sheets about your children's needs/schedules etc. so that if someone does have to jump in and help you out they will be aware of things like feeding times, bedtimes, and allergies. Also, put a card with your home address and phone number and the numbers for poison control , the local hospital, and emergency contact information BY EACH PHONE in your home. That way if there is an accident or an emergency situation while you are not home, the caregiver can take the necessary steps to intervene.

3. Car-Have a bag or bin in your car that is stocked with the necessary supplies, should you experience an emergency while outside of your home. For example, what if you are at the park and one of your kids falls and hits his head? What is your emergency plan? Do you have everything that you need in the car should you have to drive right to the hospital?

4. Go Bag-Do you have one packed? Do you even know what a Go Bag is? Somewhere in your home you should have one duffle bag packed with supplies for the entire family should there be a situation that presents itself and forces you to leave your home immediately. This bag should include things like cash, first aid supplies, bottled water, food supplies, a flashlight etc.

5. Keep your tank above the half way mark-This is a great trick that my husband taught me when I was pregnant with our first child. He told me to never leave my gas tank less than half full. The reason being that if I ever got lost in a sketchy part of town, or if I had an emergency, I wouldn't have to stop and fill up. It's a basic rule of thumb to live by, but a very practical one. It has saved me many a time.

I hope that you find these tips useful and that you take the necessary steps to implement an emergency preparedness plan.

Recommendation Wednesdays

2009-03-18T20:54:00.004-04:00

With my son's 2nd birthday approaching and tons of other kiddies celebrating their spring birthdays, I have recently had the chance to do a lot of research on kids' birthday parties, events, crafts, goodie bags etc.

I wanted to pass along a great website to help you plan you kid's next party. Check out www.kidsparties.com. You can select your state and then they break down all sorts of useful information according to categories. For example, you can select Virginia and click on the Entertainers/Venues Button and they list, with a detailed paragraph description, all the different places to have birthday parties, as well as all the people (magicians, petting zoos etc.) that come to your home to entertain.

This website is really a one-stop shop for all your birthday party needs and it's super easy to use.

Check it out and tell your friends about it. Just go and look at it and you might get some ideas about indoor places to take your kiddies in the winter or on rainy days.

Tummy Trouble

2009-03-17T10:31:00.004-04:00

OMG, its my 50th post-what a milestone. I feel so accomplished! I won't bore you with more of my son's antics and poop incidents, but I will let you in on a little secret for how to deal with stomach issues in children. Ultimately this post will involve poop talk as well, but my son's poop is not the focus.

Now first, you must recognize that there are lots of different kinds of stomach issues.

First, there is the basic tummy ache which can be a result of constipation or bloating. Believe it or not, kids can still poop everyday and still be considered constipated. To ease this type of tummy trouble try the following things:

1) Massage their belly to expel some of the gas and to move things around.

2) A hot water bottle wrapped in a blanket and placed on their belly helps relax those tight muscles. This will provide some comfort.

3) Give them a bath. This also helps relax their tight bellies and if there is a poop backup, the warm water will help move things along.

4) Also in the realm of moving things along are these two tricks. Take your child's temperature rectally. This can help them poop and is perfectly safe to do every once in a while. You can also fill a plastic water bottle with warm water and squirt it into your child's bottom.

Then there is the dreaded stomach flu or viral infection of some kind that causes explosive poop and/or vomiting. For this type of tummy trouble, try the following remedies:

1) The BRATT diet is the only way to go when you have a house of disease. The BRATT diet stands for Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Tea and Toast. Eating these food when you can't stop pooping will help stop you up and these foods are all very bland and easy to hold down so that you won't keep throwing up.

2) To prevent dehydration in children who are experiencing this type of tummy trouble, give them watered down apple juice, Gatorade, or you can give them the syrup from a can of pears of peaches. The sugar helps coat the stomach so the liquid will not just sit in your child's tummy the way water does and it will not churn up their tummy the way milk does. You can also warm up a packet of jello and let your child drink that. It's very easy on the tummy. Popsicles also work well.

3) Be sure to avoid DAIRY, especially milk. Dairy is very hard to digest and even more disgusting when your child vomits it up-trust me I know from experience.

Next time your little one is experiencing tummy issues find out why and try one of the solutions listed here.

Torpedo in the Tub and Other Toilet Antics

2009-03-12T11:37:00.003-04:00

What is it with my son and bodily waste? Is it because he is a boy? The kid is absolutely fascinated by any type of dirty waste expelled from his little body.

His most recent bodily escapades involved a torpedo in the bath tub, urinating on his baby sister and stuffing things with his hands down Mommy and Daddy's toilet just because the opportunity presented itself.

After this trifecta of filth I finally realized that my not-yet two year-old son is probably ready to start potty training.

I will share the antics leading up to this conclusion with all of you though since it is quite humorous and good for a laugh.

The first was the bombing of the bath tub while we were in Florida on vacation. This one was pretty mainstream in terms of bath room issues so that's why I didn't think it was any indication that Bruno might want to poop in the potty. He had a big dinner and didn't take a post meal poop , which he doesn't always do, so I put him in the tub and continued along with his routine. Well mid-bath I get a whiff and realize that Bruno has pooped in the tub. Pretty obvious why-he had to go and the warm water in the tub just eased things along. Not pretty, but it could have been a lot worse and fortunately it wasn't my tub.

Now the second incident was a little more of a red flag in terms of wanting to potty train and now that I look back on it, this is the incident that should have made me stop and say-"let's break out the potty."

While we were in Florida our infant turned that corner (you know, the one where they start sleeping and eating more regularly because they have hit 12 weeks of age) and she and my son started going to sleep at the same time-6:30 pm. I was smart enough to pick up on her routine change so I began synchronizing their schedules. This meant feeding both kids dinner at 5 pm and then letting them play until almost 6 and then giving them a bath together so that they could both get jammies and bed thereafter. Bruno had been following Daddy around a lot on vacation and wanted to spend all his time with Daddy-even when Daddy was in the toilet. Obviously my husband stands up to pee and Bruno became quite the little voyeur. So I guess it shouldn't have surprised me when he stood up in the tub the other night before pissing all over his sister. He had the most accomplished look on his face as he screamed "Mommy, I did it" at the top of his lungs. Poor little serious Brooke just sat there ( I mean come one, she is only 14 weeks) with this perplexed look on her face while her big brother urinated all over her.

Clearly Bruno was picking up a few bathroom tricks from Daddy (not that my husband pisses on our baby, but you know what I mean) and was smart enough to realize that males stand to pee, which was a real testament to his smarts, but it didn't pan out well for his sister when executed.

Finally, to wrap up the bath room trifecta Bruno decided that when we got home he was going to take Mommy's toothbrush and an entire tube of toothpaste and empty them into the toilet. Now toothpaste does not dissolve well in toilet water, so he had to stick his hands in there to break up the gelatinous clumps of blue goo, which apparently didn't slow him down or deter him from his toilet festivities because the next step was to watch the toothbrush swim down the swirling drain as he repeatedly flushed the toilet for good measure-flushed it so many times that he left a reminder of his toilet tendencies because it keep running for hours-so awesome!

Not only did I have to reach into my toilet and pull out my toothbrush and toothpaste, but I had to sit and listen to it run for half the day until my husband was able to come home and fix that stupid pump part.

You are all probably sitting there thinking what a complete idiot I am, which maybe I am, but in my defense, these events all transpired over a few weeks time so it took me a while to add them all up and see what the sum of their parts was indicating. Math was never my strong suit.

Finally, it hit me-it's potty time.

We have now broken out the training toilets and we have two centrally located far away from the baby. Hopefully this will pique my son's interest and make him want to use the potty for his bodily functions instead of my floor or his crib or his sister.

Vacation Rules to Live By

2009-03-02T22:01:00.004-05:00

My husband and I were in desperate need of a vacation-we were beyond the winter blues. He was overworked and stressed and I was sleep deprived and stuck inside with two small kiddies after the winter birth of our second child.

After talking and talking about it, we decided two things. First, that there seemed to be no good time to take a vacation-we had work and we didn't want to take our son out of school etc. etc., blah, blah, blah, the list goes on and on. Second, that we couldn't afford to NOT take a vacation-we were both on the brink of a meltdown and some R&R was not only well deserved, but pretty much necessary to break our winter blues and get us out of our work, caffeniate, care for babies routine.

Work was the big sticking point for my husband, but for me, it was the thought of driving from Virginia to Florida in the car with two kids under two and the family bulldog. For the three weeks prior to our vacation, I was secretly wishing that "something" would come up at work that would force us to stay home in the safety of our rut, but there was no earth shattering real estate catstrophe that warranted us canceling our vacation. The only thing that came close to detering us was the fact that I got so sick (flu and sinus infection, plus two ear infections-ALL at the same time) the week before we left that I thought that I wouldn't even be able to make it down to Florida for the vacation.

Ultimately, I survived-YEAH and was able to make the much dreaded car trip to Florida to the much needed vacation that I deserved and longed for in my spare time. I think getting sick right before my vacation actually changed my outlook on vacations in general, not to mention the fact that it postively affected my mood. Being SO sick-to the point where I laid in bed for the first 72 hours unable to move-literally, made me realize that I was in a rut and that my fear about traveling to my vacation destination was only a side effect of said winter rut. I knew that I wanted to be in Florida and I knew that I needed to be in Florida, but yet it was still so hard to just do it-it was easier to be complacent and push the vacation off-getting there was the hard part.

Regardless of the roadblocks that almost deterred our vaction, we made it here safe and sound and I was so happy that the trip down here had gone so much more smoothly than anticipated that I kept that attitude of gratitude from the begininng of my vacation and really embraced my vaction this time. Usually it takes me at least 4 or 5 days to unwind and by then it is almost time to go home-where is the time for enjoyment? Well this attitude of gratitude made me embrace the vacation enjoyment from the get-go and we have only been here for 6 days and already I feel like we have been here for weeks.

Here are my personal recommendations, a personal vacation mantra, if you will, for ways to really enjoy your vaction from the start by adopting an attitude of gratitude:

1. Let your kids throw caution to the wind and disregard their schedules as long as it is for something good like staying up past their bedtime to get ice cream or not getting dressed until the afternoon so that they can play outside in their PJ's. I let my son play outside every morning in his PJ's because he just can't wait to get his day started; he doesn't want to be slowed down by something as useless as changing his clothes. Who could blame him? He is just going to get his clean clothes instantly dirty, why not wear the dirty PJ'S and get them more dirty? Makes sense and is ultimately pretty practical if you think about it. I love how two year-olds think, it is so pure.

2. Exercise outside. Jog outside and enjoy the smell of different air or exercise outside of the box and try a new class like hot yoga, or skip exercise altogether. Just break up the routine of what you do at home. My body was used to running the hills in our neighborhood at home, so I took my jog to the beach. Not only did my body ache in places that I forgot that I had, but I got some sun and fresh air in the process-YEAH FOR MOMMY (YFM!)

3. Visit the attractions that the locals recommend, not the tourist attractions that are local to the area. Where do locals eat? Go there and order the chef's special or the daily special-you will be guaranteed a great meal. Be happy that you didn't have to shop for the food, prepare it or clean it up. I ate a Grouper Reuben (I know, it sounds pretty scary) the other day at Captain Al's seaside dinning and it was so delicious.

4. Disengage from your electronic devices. I know this a hard one for many people, but it is so worth it. I didn't check my email for the first few days of vacation and I felt totally liberated. If it is really that urgent people will call you, twice if necessary, but not being constantly attached to your phone or email really gives you time to think. You are not on work auto-pilot which is a good thing.

5. Do one thing that scares you, even if it is small and stupid. This will remind you of your capabilities and will give you a sense of adventure and freshness-you may surprise yourself or learn something new. For me on this vacation, this meant taking a boat ride. I hate boats and fear them because they make me puke all the time. Well, I tried it and for the first time ever I got on a boat, rode around for an hour, didn't puke and had fun-shit, maybe I outgrew my motion sickness after 31 years. The point is, I found enjoyment in something that used to always cause me pain.

6. Be thankful. Being here has made me realize how much Mommies have to do at home when they have little ones. When we are here, my mother-in-law gets up every morning and makes the coffee (not the way I do it, she doesn't measure anything, she just throws in some water and some coffee grinds. Some days it's stronger than others or weak and thin, but it's one less thing I have to do in the morning and it is ready when I am struggling to wake up. Again, YFM!). She also feeds the dog twice a day. Having extra adult hands on deck makes my life easier and more enjoyable because I am not frantically rushing to do everything for everyone else. I can actually go and take a shit without having two kids in the bathroom with me-AMAZING!

7. Stop multi-tasking. I realize now that part of the reason I failed to relax on past vacations is because I was still functioning in "at-home-mom-machine-work mode" which entails constant multi-tasking. On this vacation I have been really good about doing one thing at a time and ONLY one thing at a time. Playing at the beach with my kids, making the salad for dinner etc. These may sound like stupid mundane tasks, but at home I do these two tasks while breast feeding, folding laundry, exercising and doing our taxes. By taking time to consciously not multi-task I have found a lot more enjoyment in each individual task. Just because you can multi-task (come on, what woman can't and doesn't???) does not mean that you should.

8. Mix things up a little. If you never stop for lunch at home because you are too busy stuffing a granola bar into your mouth in the carpool lane, then take a day to eat lunch somewhere scenic and beautiful. Sit down and taste your food-eat because you enjoy food, not because you need it to survive through your next meeting. My husband and I went to a local part of town the other day and had a nice long lunch. I even went crazy and had a drink at lunch. We sat outside and watched the boats come in by the pier, at least I think they were boats, I was pretty buzzed off of my one drink (it was big and involved rum), but again, the point is I was enjoying myself and really relaxing. I felt like I was doing something I shouldn't, like I would be called into the Principal's office for leaving class without my hall pass. My husband and I had some nice alone time and we broke the mold of our daily grind.

9. If you are near a hot tub, heated pool or an ocean, go for a dip. There is definitely something healing and purifying and cleansing about water. I will not wax about the various religious, health or spiritual properties of swimming in the ocean, but I can attest to the fact that sitting in a hot tub after a long day in the Florida sun not only soothes your muscles, but it somehow releases the tension in your mind.

10. Put your toes in the sand. At Bruno's preschool they do a lot with the little kids and objects that have different textures and feels to them so that the kiddies can develop their senses. Walking barefoot in the sand is a big person exercise in sensory motor comprehension-again, there is something so simple and pleasurable about the feel of sand between your toes and beneath your feet that you forget your troubles.

These items are the ways I kept an attitude of gratitude the whole vacation and got more than I bargained for this time around. Who says you can't teach an old mommy new tricks?

Enjoy and pass it along. Or better yet, develop your own vacation mantra so that you too can enjoy your vacation from day one.

Don't Try This At Home

2009-02-19T11:16:00.003-05:00

I should have known that it was Friday the 13th. I had a one day meeting assignment in Rockville so I lined up the babysitter for the day and got my house in order the day before, which usually entails laying out the kids' clothes, making sure that the fridge is stocked and that there are notes etc. out that give everyone their marching orders. Oh yes, and let's not forget that my going to work at this meeting involves me PUMPING since my daughter is only 10 weeks old and my boobs are still on the creamery schedule.

I got up at 5am and got ready for work which began bright and early at 7:30am-I was not too peeved about getting up so early because I was told this was a short assignment and that I would be done and on my way home by 2pm. I packed my portable pump and all its parts even though I was convinced I would be able to make it until I got home.

I should have known things were not going smoothly when it took everyone over an hour to organize before the meeting even began-not to mention the fact that the lady leading the meeting was in from the left coast where she had been fighting some nasty virus so she was all jacked up on cold meds and jet-lagged, which made her noticeably absent-minded, forgetful and a constant source of snot and germs.

As we got underway things began rolling and we accomplished a lot prior to lunch. With only one more chunk of material to review before calling it quits, I was hopeful that I would still be heading home by 2pm. As we got to the budget piece we hit a major snag-no one could agree on anything and the discussion flood gates were opened. I felt my neck tense up as my breasts began to harden. All I could think was "thank goodness I wore a dark suit with a dark shirt."

I quietly observed and tried to take my mind off of the searing pain in my boobs. Boobs that had become so engorged my nipples were at 90 degree angles. What could I do, turn to the chairwoman and ask her if I could please be excused to go to my car and pump?

Now at this point you are probably feeling a little bit of sympathy for me and my poor boobs-remembering a time when you used to breastfeed and you were in my situation-or maybe you are asking yourself, why is Daphne an idiot-why didn't she go out to her car and pump during lunch? Well, I thought about that, but because we were doing SO well time-wise before lunch, everyone agreed to take a 30 minute lunch in the cafeteria right across from our meeting room. To make matters worse, the building that we were meeting in was a government facility and "unimportant people like me without badges of their own had to have an escort through the insanely HUGE building just to get from the security front desk to the conference room," so I would have had to ask security to take me to my car and wait for me while I pumped.

Needless to say, going out to my car and pumping was not exactly an option and to be honest at lunchtime I didn't need to pump yet, and I didn't know the afternoon was going to head south so quickly.

The minutes dragged on and before long we had spent over two hours beating the crap out of some budget issues. The back and forth arguing was making my head spin and throb, which was a good thing because it took the focus away from my boob pain and the fact that my breasts had started to leak milk-yes, breast milk all over my nice cashmere sweater.

The day that was supposed to end at 2pm wrapped up at 5pm-thank goodness I bill hourly- and I packed up my stuff and walked as quickly and gently as possible out of the building, with my escort of course, to my car. At this point I could barely lift my arm and stick it out the window to hand the garage attendant my parking sticker. All I could think of when I got to my car was getting on the pump to stop the pain.

Enter problem two of the day. My car was parked in the middle of a government lot at 5pm on a Friday-people that I work for and with were passing my car on the way to their cars so that they could head home for the weekend-without proper cover I didn't want to whip my boobs out like it was Mardis Gras for all of them to see. I decided to just get home to my baby ASAP.

Enter phase three of breast hell. It's Friday the 13th at 5pm and everyone is trying to head home so the traffic SUCKS. At this point I am basically crying my boobs are so full of milk. I begin massaging my breasts to try to relieve some of the pressure, but that does nothing for me, but intrigues many people in nearby cars. I have spent half an hour going 2 miles-I cannot take it anymore.

I hook up the pump to the battery pack and stick it under my now drenched shirt and I begin to pump one handed while driving. Probably highly illegal and yes very dangerous, but I did what I had to do. I am pretty sure if a cop saw me and pulled me over I would have gotten a ticket or arrested, but at that point I didn't care about such things-saving my boobs was my only concern.

Ten minutes on each side and my boobs are back to normal and I am able to field my husband's calls from home: "What are these bumps on Bruno's butt, Where is the baby's extra milk, What's for dinner?"

While I don't recommend EVER putting your boobs in this type of situation, I do hope you at least chuckle knowing that it happened to my boobs and not yours.

Recommendation Wednesdays

2009-02-12T12:16:00.003-05:00

The talk among many of my mom friends has recently been about kids and meals. Currently the hot topic is, how do you entertain your toddler or kids while you are trying to prep the adult meal for the evening?

This is a great question. It is really easy to "cook" dinner for the kids since it only takes about 5-10 minutes to make most of their food and pretty much everything can go into the microwave for a quick zapping.

How do you entertain little ones while you are trying to slice and dice up some adult food without tripping over them and making yourself crazy-well here are my suggestions:

1. If your kids have a designated nap time or are at school or daycare at a certain time each day, carve out a half hour or so to do as much dinner prep work as possible. Marinate meat or chop veggies and store them in Ziploc bags until dinner. You can even wash Romaine lettuce leaves and loosely wrap them in paper towels and store them in the lower veggie drawer of your refrigerator for 3-4 hours without them wilting or getting nasty.

2. Obviously option 1 is the way to go, but life is not always that neat, so if your kids are home and underfoot while you are prepping dinner try designating that half an hour that you need to prep as a special time for your kids. For example, tell them it is story time and let them sit on the couch at look at books of their choosing. Another suggestion is to tell them it is art time or craft time and let them color (make a welcome home card for Daddy or create a book of pictures and put 20 sheets in one book and let them fill up one page each night) or use play dough at the table while you work on dinner. If this is a nightly ritual that they get to look forward to, kids will learn to view that half hour of art or story time as a special time all their own.

3. Get a large basket or bin and fill it with special toys. Only allow your children to take that bin out for half an hour each night while you are making dinner. Again, this will give the kids something to look forward to and it will make that half hour seem really special for them instead of a time when "mommy is busy."

4. Get the kids involved. If they are old enough to help, put them to work. You will be teaching them valuable skills that are useful in the future as well as building their confidence about their capabilities. If they are too young to peel or chop for you, you can still get them involved by playing store or restaurant-bring in a play cash register or shopping cart for them to use as props and cultivate their imaginations.

Hope that these help ladies. Good luck and pass these along to friends and family.

Recommendation Wednesdays

2009-02-04T12:17:00.003-05:00

I have been feeling the stress of two kids recently, which in turn has been making my toddler ramp up his temper tantrums, so after over-thinking things for days, I finally took some steps to de-stress my life and now I am going to share them with you.

1) I downloaded the Metallica Lullabys CD onto my son's ipod. It is Metallica songs, sans the words, and just nothing but soothing music-he listens to it every night as he is going to sleep and boy does he love it. It has started to grow on me as well, but in a good way-it definitely is great background music to sooth your senses.

2) I have been recording the Yoga For Life series off of the Veria Channel. It is an hour long intense yoga session with yoga master Kurt Johnsen. I do it during the day at home when the baby naps and it makes me feel calm and strong. The best part is that you don't have to drag the kids to the gym and put them in the germ filled daycare and you can do the workout at any hour of the day.

When you feel a little too stressed, try out ones of these de-stress tactics of mine and just breathe.

Groundhog Day

2009-02-02T15:16:00.004-05:00

Happy Groundhog day to all-well, it is official- Phil, the famous groundhog, saw his shadow today so that means that we should plan for 6 more weeks of winter-UGH!

If you are feeling the winter blues, think about cleaning out your closets and purging your home of unnecessary stuff. A clean fresh house is just what you need to feel less stagnant during these cold winter months.

Another great way to perk up your home and environment is to think about repainting one or two of the rooms in your home. Not only is this a very cheap way to spruce things up, but the colors on your walls can affect your mood-who knew? So, don't wait until Spring to do some cleaning and sprucing-start now-here's how.

If you are thinking of refreshing your home and outlook with some fresh paint, check out what these colors can affect.

Red-This increases energy and creates excitement

Orange-This can be comforting and cheerful

Yellow-This has been known to increase positive thoughts

Green-This color is calming and can promote rest

Blue-This color can cool a room and even lower your blood pressure

Purple-This color can stimulate a person's creativity an imagination

Great food for thought! Happy Painting.

TGIF

2009-01-30T10:53:00.004-05:00

One of my moms groups recently sent out an email asking for suggestions for indoor winter activities that don't require a ton of planning and that can be done with one child at a time so that kids are getting valuable one-on-one time with mommy or daddy-I have listed my favorites below.

Check them out and break up those winter blues. Maybe you will learn something new.

Stay warm and hang in there mommies, Spring is almost here and just remember that February is the shortest month.

1) My parents used to take my siblings and I out for a special birthday dinner each year-it gave the birthday kid something to look forward to and it and it gave him or her some one-on-one time with the parents which is also really important. Plus, it taught us to behave in nicer restaurants.

2) Give each one of your kids a jar for their dresser. Give them coins on a daily basis for doing nice deeds, behaving well, cleaning their room etc. Once the jar is full of coins the kid gets to count out their money and decide how to spend it-maybe a trip to the toy store for a certain item or an ice cream cone will do it. Maybe the child wants to see a movie or go to a store to paint his/her own pottery. This technique encourages good behavior and gives the kids something to work towards, but it also teaches them the value of money. If you are opposed to using money to fill the jars, use some other counter like marbles and assign a value to each colored counter-red is twenty points, blue is ten etc. Once the child hits a specific point value they get a reward, like a special dessert or extra television time etc.

3) Other fun one-on-one activities to do with kids in the DC area are: ice skating in DC or at the Ballston rink, painting pottery at Made by You in Arlington, cooking classes at Williams Sonoma or Sur La Table (Check locations for times and trial classes), a trip to Kid Town in Rockville, a trip to Sport Bounce, the play space at the Springfield Mall (this one costs money, but is much better than the one at Tysons), a kid play or puppet show at Adventure Theater at Glen Echo Park, a trip to the airport or union station, or an activity at one of the downtown museums-check the Hirshorn Gallery's listing-they have activities like puppet shows and crafts for kids as young as 18 months old.

4) Designate Fridays or another night as movie night and let one kid pick out the menu for dinner and the movie to be viewed. Take that child with you to the supermarket and the video store. Depending on their age and capabilities/interests, you might even let the child help prepare the meal with you for some valuable cooking lessons and special mommy time.

5) Check out one of my favorite websites of all times-www.gocitykids.com-and sign up for their newsletter to come into your email account each week. It gives you tons of ideas for activities and it breaks it down by type and age group.

Good luck and have fun-Enjoy your children-they grow up so fast.

National Mentor Month and Mommy Meltdowns

2009-01-28T12:09:00.006-05:00

So while watching some crappy mindless television last night I learned that it is national mentor month-who knew there was such thing, but the timing was very appropriate since I had planned on today's blog being about finding a motivator, or mentor; someone you can look up to that reminds you of your own capabilities and makes you appreciate your own accomplishments and gives you the strength you need to make it through another day. Someone you can think of when the going gets tough so that you can get through your tough time.

I had a really bad day last week. The baby's Zantac hadn't kicked in yet and she was still a screaming gas ball of fury. It was a Thursday and I had planned to drop my son at preschool and then head to the gym with the baby in tow so that she could nap in her infant carrier while mommy pounded away on the treadmill that goes nowhere in an attempt to send my last few baby weight pounds packing.

The morning started off okay. Brooke was happy and well behaved and Bruno was being good and listening and following directions well- as well as a 20 month old can. Brooke even ate and was changed and fell asleep in the car on the way to preschool-YEAH. I probably jinxed things because I started thinking how great this day was going to be.

When I pulled up at school, which is always a bit of a logistical nightmare, (getting both kids out of the car and safely through the parking lot to the door can seem as daunting and challenging as running through the Sahara Desert in high heels and it usually forces me to break a sweat in the dead cold of winter) the sleeping baby woke up and began screaming. Horrible timing, as usual with babies.

Well.....what choice did I have? I had to walk Bruno into his classroom so I got out the snap and go stroller as quickly as possible and snapped her infant carrier in. Then I wheeled the stroller around to the other side of the car where I shoved Bruno's school bag into the bottom of the stroller before releasing him from his car seat and placing him on my hip. Loaded down like a pack mule, I scurried through the parking lot carrying my thirty pound toddler on my hip and steering the stroller with one hand (why was I stressing about going to the gym?). My legs began to burn from the strain and I could feel sweat dripping down between my breasts. Half way through the parking lot a huge gust of wind came and blew Brooke's blanket off from her carrier canopy and the sun and wind stung her face, making her scream even louder than before-so basically at this point she is completely Richter and screaming like I cut her arm off.

Once inside we had to wait in line to get into his classroom (you can't drop your kid off until the teacher unlocks the door). My arms feel heavy and are burning from my trip through the parking lot, and at this point in time I get that itchy feeling at the base of my neck that happens when I am stressed and my neck hair prickles up and stands on end because Brooke is so upset and screaming so loudly. Even though Brooke has only been screaming for five minutes or less it feels like an eternity because those five minutes are intense and I hate hearing babies-any babies-cry. So I put Bruno down and begin to take his hat and coat off so that when they do open the classroom doors he can just walk right in. Bruno thinks we are playing "the chase game," so he takes off down the hallway, forcing me to leave his yelping sister in stroller like some wounded animal on the side of the highway. I run Bruno down and get him situated back in line and ignore the judgemental eyes of the other parents in the hallway as they pass by Brooke's stroller making comments like: "oh, poor baby, what's wrong?" or my personal favorite "maybe she is cold, tired, maybe the light's in her eyes etc. (substitute whatever phrase or word you want, but it all boils down to other parents who don't know me or my baby telling me how to do my job, which is not acceptable in my mommy world.) Finally the doors open and for once I am happy that my kid wants to cut the line to get into the classroom first and for once, I let him.

As I make my way to the door to journey back through the parking lot to the car, I can feel myself teetering on the edge of sanity-the screaming won't stop and it is cold. I suddenly feel over tired and like I am being slowly pecked to death by a duck or other small animal-it is not painful, but just annoying and stressful enough to grind me down.

I get to the car and turn it on to get the heat going. By now I am starting to tear up myself-misery loves company, right? I sit in the backseat and try to nurse Brooke. She is so riled up from all the crying it is near impossible to get her to calm down and get on the boob. I try, then I try again, then I keep trying-crying to myself the whole time. I finally break down and call my husband for help. I assure him that I am okay and that the baby is okay but that I am just having a tough time of things right now. He is wonderful, as always, and gives me the exact pep talk that I need. "Honey you are doing a great job, I know it is hard to breast feed and the baby is just growing so much these days that it seems like all she does is eat, but just put her back on the boob and you'll both feel better soon. I am able to calm Brooke down, calm myself down and get her on the boob.

After a 30 minute nursing session in the backseat of my car, I am able to get her back in her car seat. She falls asleep almost instantly so I drive directly to the gym and deposit her in the day care. I find the nearest treadmill and jump on. I spend the next hour running out my stress while listening to Megadeath blaring in my headphones.

When I recount this story the next day to my close friend who has three of her own and is already pregnant with her fourth, she assures me that she definitely has had many of those baby blue days before and that she remembers how hard it is for the first 12 weeks with a new baby ( I believe her exact words are that newborns suck because they eat and cry constantly). She then lets me in on a little secret. She tells me that when she would have rough mornings or nights or whatever with one of her newborns she would think of her sister who had three kids in five years while going to medical school. "If my sister could have three little ones and become a doctor at the same time then I would get through the first 12 weeks of having a newborn with my wits still intact. If she can do it so can I."

This is a valuable lesson ladies. There will come a time when you are a mommy and you feel yourself melting down. Don't be too alarmed- this is perfectly normal and almost expected, sort of like a rite of passage. Well, to weather these storms you need two weapons in your arsenal.

1) You need to have a life line (husband, sister, mother, aunt, friend etc.) on speed dial that you can call when you need someone to talk you down.

2) You need to have a mentor or motivator. Someone that you admire for whatever reason that inspires you to work hard and do great things. Form a clear picture of this person in your mind and when you feel the mommy meltdown coming on, think of the amazing things that this person has done and accomplished and assure yourself that you too are capable of great things, because you are.

I realize that motherhood is messy and that it never goes as planned, but there are some days when this is a hard pill to swallow because it makes me feel like a failure or like I am a bad mommy, but that is when I think of some of my other mommy friends and their situations and my own motherhood experiences don't seem as bad and I gather the strength I need to forge ahead through another day in the mommy hood.

So....in honor of national mentor month, stop and take a moment for yourselves mommies. Think of someone that motivates you and remember that while you look up to others for motivation, others look up to you for motivation. So, find your own mentor and know that you are someone else's mentor, even if they don't tell you.

Don't Kick A Gift Husband-er, Horse in the Mouth

2009-01-26T21:44:00.005-05:00

I love that my husband senses the recent spike in my stress level caused by sleep deprivation (our daughter is only 8 weeks old and I only took 3 weeks maternity leave-YEAH, WHAT THE $@*^ WAS I THINKING?) and fatigue (our son is 21 months old) and flat out irritability ( I just had my second baby and feel fat, not to mention the fact that my dog has the worst gas ever and an even worse penchant for puking on my floor-bitch).

He is careful to be upbeat and pay extra attention to me while doing things around the house without having to be asked. Now anytime a husband picks up the slack around the house (or at least in my house) it is for one of two reasons-he wants something from you (can I go away with the guys for a week and leave you home to work and care for the kids and puking dog???) or he fears you (will my wife actually crack and send the dog to live on a farm???) and what you might do. Either way, I was taught to always be grateful when people help you out, especially if they do it of their own free will.

Let me now share with you the two wonderful things that my husband has recently done to "help" me out around the house. I always make the coffee in the morning. Maybe it is because I am more obsessed with drinking the coffee than my husband or maybe because the kitchen and food in general is my domain, or maybe it is because my husband makes terrible coffee because he doesn't use a measuring cup or spoon of any kind, he just dumps in some water and some grounds-ONLY A MAN WOULD DO THAT, or maybe it is because when I rarely sleep in he can only deal with the kids not the coffee, dishes, feeding of the dog etc. Regardless, my husband decided to make the coffee one day because he got up earlier than me and the kids-his heart was in the right place, but things didn't go as planned.

You see I had gotten on a time saving kick in an effort to make my mornings less hectic and stressful, so even though we don't have a timer on the coffee pot, I had started loading the water and grinds into the pot the night before so that all I had to do was push the button in the morning. I even thought to myself that I should remind Aras of my plans both verbally, which I did, and in writing-I put a large note in front of the pot that read: LOADED-JUST TURN ON in an effort to keep him updated and to prevent possible disaster.

Following his heart of good intentions and trying to be a sweet, good husband, Aras forgot to read and completely missed the note stuck to the coffee pot. As a result the coffee pot basically exploded all over the counter since it had been LOADED TWICE. Not only did this make a huge mess (Aras cleaned it up before I got to it) but Aras bastardized my good pot of coffee with his crappy pot of coffee. From now on I think it is best for me to ask for Aras' help when and if I need it so that at the very least I can specify what I want done.

The second incident also involved my beloved husband and my beloved kitchen. I noticed that the dishes were really spotty and dirty and I was beginning to worry that our dishwasher was on its last legs. I was pulling cereal bowls out of the cabinet in the morning that still had two day old mac and cheese residue on them-yuck. So I pre-rinsed more and scrubbed dishes a little harder for a week or so with no better results. I added jet dry and changed our dish detergent, cursing myself for straying from my brand and buying the cheap stuff just because it was on sale.

The other day I walked into the kitchen as Aras was unloading the dishwasher and lo and behold I solved the dirty dishes mystery and it was not the dishwasher that was defective, but my husband. Aras had been putting the individually wrapped Cascade tablets into the dishwasher every night, but he was not removing the tablets from their plastic wrapper-HELLO?

When I asked him about it, he looked at me with surprise-Oh, you have to take the plastic off those things? They don't just dissolve on their own in the dishwasher?

I turned on my heels without responding and started to leave the kitchen, but first I checked the coffee pot to make sure that it was intact, opened the cabinet, took out a dirty mug and poured myself some coffee.

Manic Mondays

2009-01-26T21:08:00.004-05:00

All in all, today was a good Monday. It was hectic, as usual, but I expect that my life will be that way until my children are grown and out of the house and I have stopped breeding. There were no horrible incidents today involving poop or vomiting dogs and the baby's reflux is SO much better thanks to a drug called Zantac. With all my free time I have actually been able to do some research about my kiddies and one of my favorite things of all time-FOOD.

I am very lucky in that my toddler's favorite foods are fruits and veggies of all kinds, but my sister and many other friends of mine fight a daily battle when trying to get their children to deviate from the four foods groups of toddlers-pretzels, McDonald's Chicken nuggets, buttered noodles, and fruit snacks. Another complaint I hear from moms with multiple children is that they make a different dinner each night for each kid and then a completely different one for the adults. I am not in this situation-and vow to never get there, but I realize that is easier said than done- yet since my daughter is still just breast feeding, but I can only imagine how much this SUCKS. In my house, the toddler gets his meal and the dog gets the leftovers and the adults get an adult meal. PERIOD-end of story. I love to cook, but at the end of the day I only have so much left in me and being a short order cook is not on my list of capabilities.

Whether your food crisis is caused by a picky eater or having too many different eaters to feed, I have just the solution for you. Check out Chef Lisa Barnes' website www.petitappetit.com. She also has a cookbook that goes by the same name.

This mother and Chef has created recipes that are kid tested (meaning, kids will actually eat these items), healthy, and organic. Plus, her recipes are SUPER EASY (easy enough for your 6+ years old to help you make the food items-like the homemade granola bars) and most recipes don't require a lot of ingredients. Her recipes also include informative information about the nutritional value of her dishes as well as helpful hints for shopping, picking produce and assuring that your child is eating the proper foods and amounts for his age.

Her tricks for incorporating protein into many of her recipes-like yogurt in pancakes- or sneaking veggies into cream cheese-will win over even the toughest of toddlers. Lastly, many of her dishes can be made and served to the whole family (Greek frittata or fish tacos) so you will save time and your mind (less stress for mommies at the end of the day is always ideal) at dinnertime since you won't be forced to make 5 different dinners for 5 different people.

Take the stress out of the end of your day by draining a glass of wine while surfing her website for some recipe ideas. You will be pleasantly surprised how great her recipes are and how many of them you can make with the food you already have in your pantry, thus saving you a trip to the grocery store.

TGIF

2009-01-23T10:09:00.003-05:00

Oh my sweet blog, how I have missed you. I have longed to sit in front of my computer and vent (aka write) about my recent mommy meltdowns, but there has been no time these days. The baby has reflux so we are anxiously waiting for her zantac meds to kick in so that the screaming will stop and my toddler has a cold that has been hanging on for about three weeks now. It's not enough to give him a fever or keep him home from school, but it is enough to make him a fussy eater and subject to toxic nuclear meltdowns because he is cranky. To top off this wonderful situation the dog has been feeling neglected again so she has been making herself vomit in order to get attention-FABULOUS!

In a most recent episode of "my crazy life with two under two," I had a fun filled night yesterday that involved the baby screaming from her reflux -she had to be put down momentarily so that I could assist Bruno in the tub with his nightly bath, during which he took a big SHIT in the tub-AWESOME. While tending to my screaming and pooping kiddies, the dog felt under appreciated and vomited bile all over my dining room rug for the finale.

So on that note, I want to share my TGIF with you. When you experience nights like I did yesterday-and believe me, you will, because we all do- be happy that you know of places like Trader Joe's. This unique grocery store, as their mantra claims, does offer some great food options that you cannot find at a conventional grocery store like the Safeway or Giant. Trader Joe's has a lot of pre-packaged dinners and food items in the back cooler that are a lot more interesting than roasted chicken and their frozen items are excellent as well. Another great thing about Trader Joe's is that their organic products, like meats and even name brand items, like Kashi cereals, are cheaper than they are at supermarkets and Whole Foods.

Items To Try:

1. Trader Joe's Frozen Mac n' Cheese-This is a great late night dinner for your husband or something filling to feed the kiddies when you don't feel like cooking separate meals for each kid.

2. Apple Crushers-this is applesauce that is squeezed out of a packet. It requires no spoon and is mess free. Plus my kid loves the carrot flavored one and it is great for school lunches, not to mention much cheaper than the version they sell at Whole Foods.

3. Nuts by the Handful-These individual packets contain a 200-calorie snack of almonds or some kind of nut and dried fruit. I keep packets of these in the car, in my office and in my purse.

4. Lentils-These are the kind that are ready to heat and serve and can be found in the produce section. An awesome source of fiber and protein, my toddler even eats these. Definitely worth a try.

5. Grapefruit Sea Salt Scrub-This is a nice at home indulgence for over-worked mommies who don't have time to go to the spa (ha, ha, ha, isn't that ALL mommies everywhere?). The oil in this scrub leaves your dry winter skin soft for days on end. It is worth the $5.

Gasey is classy

2009-01-14T11:43:00.004-05:00

After my daughter's ten day stint in the NICU (which sucked by the way) I learned two extremely valuable lessons that I would like to share with you:

1. There is such a thing as too much information, especially when your child is in the NICU. I thought that information was power, and it can be in a lot of cases, but when your baby is in the NICU and the doctors are working to figure out what the problem is, it is best to just take things day by day. Because I am a planner and totally type-A, I wanted to know what the long term plan was and that often forced people, like doctors and nurses to surmise about things pertaining to my daughter, which often had the negative effect of completely freaking me out. The medical staff felt obligated to tell me something since I was so pushy and demanding about knowing the big picture and that often meant they read into situations and offered their opinions about things that were the worst case scenario, instead of medically proven facts. So in short, if you ever have a child in the NICU, take it one day at a time. Wake up every day with the sole intention of learning what happened in your infant's life that day; don't worry about the next day or the next week, you will make yourself crazy and they will come soon enough.

2. While my daughter was in the NICU, a baby nurse told me that if you alternate between patting your child's back and rubbing it, it is easier to expel gas in the form of a burp or a fart. This makes the infant happier and it reduces gas build-up and spit-up.

I have tried this method of burping on my daughter and it DOES work so give it a try.

Poop there it is

2009-01-05T14:16:00.003-05:00

There is nothing worse than walking into your child's nursery and discovering that he or she has taken off their diaper and proceeded to paint the nursery and their body with their own poop-GROSS.

Unfortunately, most parents learn this lesson the hard way. For example, my husband put our 15 month-old son in his crib one time in the summer with nothing on but a diaper and a t-shirt. (What woman would ever do that? I can't think of one, but that is another blog entirely) Now in my husband's defense, I get it, it was hot and he didn't want Bruno to sweat, but Bruno had no onesie on to keep him from accessing his diaper. As a result Bruno filled said diaper with massive amounts of poop then proceeded to take the diaper off, paint his face with his own crap (much like a child from the Lord of the Flies movie) and throw the remainder of the poop along the nursery walls. My husband's solution was the same that many men have-duck tape the diaper on. (Again, what woman would do that?)

Well, let me recommend something more civil and less expensive. Take one pair of PJ's that have feet and zip up the front and cut the feet off completely. When your child naps or goes to sleep at night, put the footless PJ's on backwards with the zipper up the back and your child will never fling poop in the crib again, because they can't reach the zipper or take their diaper off on their own.

Also, if your child is playing with his or her own poop and taking their diaper off, it is also a sign that he or she is ready to start potty training.

Best of luck and may your walls be poop-free with this helpful tip.

Recommendation Wednesdays

2008-12-11T14:02:00.004-05:00

The safety of your home is not always at the top of peoples' lists during the holiday rush, but if you are planning on traveling this holiday season and will be leaving your home unattended, follow all or even some of these recommendations below to help ensure that you are not a victim of holiday thieves.

1) Give your contact information to at least one neighbor and let them know when you will be gone. Also, if you have a maid service or other service provider entering your home when you are out of town, let your neighbor know who they are and when they are coming.

2) Stop your mail delivery, but continue to receive your papers. Ask a neighbor to collect the papers for you so that they don't accumulate in the driveway. Not all paper delivery people are cleared the way postmen/women are so it is better to let them continue to deliver the paper, instead of alerting them to the fact that you are gone.

3)Place a few lights onto timers so that they light up key parts of your home and give a lived in look to the place. Also, ask a neighbor to park their car in your driveway for a day or two here and there so that it looks like someone is home and coming and going frequently.

4) Ask a neighbor to put your trash cans out on trash day so that it looks like someone is home.

5) Consider plugging a radio into a timer and have it set to an all talk radio station. When turned down low the sound of the radio appears to be people's voices and can deter criminals from trying to break-in.

6) Make sure that your extra house key is not hidden outside of your home somewhere. Criminals are very resourceful and will search gardens, door frames, mailboxes and potted plants in an attempt to find a spare key.

Employ these home safety guidelines this holiday season and keep your home safe from criminals.

Going Green and Saving Some Green

2008-12-01T11:11:00.005-05:00

It seems that the topic of green- either saving some green or being green- is on the forefront of everyone's minds this holiday season. With the recent passage of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (EESA) and talk of a bailout in the auto industry, everyone is watching their budget and trying to save some money where and when they can.

Of equal popularity is discussion of ways to be green this year and do more to help preserve our natural resources.

Below I have listed a number of holiday-related green tips that will either help save you some green or will help you be more green. Enjoy them and pass them along. Remember that if we all make an effort to do just one of the things on this list, we can make a big difference in the long run.

Green Holiday Tips:

1. Go to the EPA website at www.epa.gov/ecycling for more information on how to recycle your old MP3 players, laptops and cell phones.

2. Instead of wasting money on wrapping paper this year, wrap your gifts in grocery bags or newspaper. To jazz up the exterior of the packages, get your kids involved and have them paint the paper or decorate it with pine cones or pressed leaves from your yard. Not only does this save money, but it involves a craft project as well which is great when its cold and rainy outside.

3. If you put up Christmas lights this year, only turn them on at night and be sure to turn them off before you go to bed in order to cut down on energy consumption.

4. Recycle bows, bags and as much tissue paper and wrapping paper as you can. This saves money and its a great way to recycle.

5. Consider getting your kids involved in making gifts this year, instead of spending a lot of money to buy gifts. Possible options for kids crafts/gifts are: 1)making ornaments for others to hang on their trees 2) baking cookies, breads, granola or other types of holiday treats 3) making personalized CD's 4) decorating a plain photo frame or trinket box with festive paint etc. (these types of plain gifts can be found at most craft stores for minimal money).

6. Don't send Christmas cards this year. Look into sending e-cards or emails with photos attached. This is a great way to do something great for the environment and it cuts down on your holiday bills.

7. Run your ceiling fan clockwise at a low speed this winter to circulate the warm air in your home and push it downwards where it can be enjoyed.

8. Use clay cat litter, sand or ashes from your fireplace to de-ice your steps and walkways. This keeps chemical de-icing products from running into storm drains and public water supplies.

9. Turn your thermostat down during the day when you are not home and use a fireplace or wood burning stove to heat your home when possible.

10. Try turning the temperature down on your thermostat a few degrees and opt to wear a sweater and slippers while you are at home. This will help to reduce your monthly bill, and it's better for the environment.

Green is the theme this holiday season-Go Green and Save Some Green. Pass it along!

Recommendation Wednesdays

2008-11-26T17:38:00.004-05:00

Here is a little tip to help soothe your child's cough this winter.

After he gets out of the bath tub at night, rub Vick's Vapo Rub on his feet, instead of on his chest or back, then cover his feet with socks. The rub gets absorbed into the bloodstream faster through the feet than it does when placed on the chest or back and it will not make your child's eyes water.

This recommendation was passed along to me from my mother-in-law and I tried it and it REALLY works. The first time I did it, my son coughed less that night and the rub took effect faster (within minutes of application) than it did when rubbed onto his chest. Also, my son has very sensitive skin and avoiding putting the rub on his chest helped keep him scale and dry skin free.

This is one of those tips that may seem a little hokie or "out there" but believe me, it works. Combine it with a teaspoon of honey before your child (make sure it is safe to give your child honey, based on his age) goes to sleep and you will notice a reduction in coughing, congestion and night time wakings.

Have a healthy winter and pass this information along.

Its been too long

2008-11-24T10:27:00.004-05:00

It has been so long since I have posted a blog that I hope I remember how to do this. I apologize for my slacking, but things have been extra crazy at the Butas household as we enter the final countdown phase for baby two's arrival-only ten more days!

In addition to forgetting how much it sucks towards the end of pregnancy (everything hurts and I am tired, but sleeping totally escapes me most days and nights) we have been fighting off a series of nasty viruses that have left all of us, at one point or another, either hanging over a toilet or bed ridden.

Here are a few tips for the holiday season, which is already in full swing, to keep you healthy and to help you mind your budget.

1. Make sure you wipe off your purse and diaper bag at least once a week with some type of sanitizer. It is amazing how many germs can collect on the bottom of your bags when you put them down on the floor at the mall and at restaurants etc. Be sure to clean the straps and the underside of the bag. Also be sure to get the zippers and buckles because germs love to hide there also. When you are at the mall or another public place, try to hang your bag from hooks or place it on a spare chair instead of the floor which tends to be the most germ infested place of all.

2. For holiday shopping this year many people may be thinking of buying gift cards for friends and family. These items are still great gifts, but make sure that the gift cards will be honored after the holidays, because many stores are set to close and go out of business for good right after this holiday season. For example, all Talbot's, Ann Taylor's Pacific Sun, and Eddie Bauer stores are set to close their doors after Christmas so they are trying to get rid of all their merchandise, which means they are having great sales now, but it also means that they will not be around come January 1 if you have a gift card to cash in.

3. To help manage your money this holiday season and to not overspend, get a bunch of white envelopes and write one person's name on the outside of each envelope. Put the amount of money (in CASH) that you want to spend on that person's gift inside the envelope and write potential gift ideas for them on the outside of the envelope. This not only saves time and makes you a more efficient shopper, but paying for everything in cash with a designated amount for each person, helps prevent overspending.

Be safe, healthy and happy this holiday season. Please use these tips and tricks and pass them along to others.

FYI-Halloween Candy

2008-10-29T19:13:00.003-04:00

I have received multiple emails from people saying that there is a recall on Sherwood Brand Pirate's Gold Milk Chocolate coins, sold at Costco and other bulk stores as well as at dollar stores, due to the fact that they contain Melamine, an ingredient in milk products that has caused deaths in China.

I verified this information on snopes.com so I encourage you to spread the word, check your children's Halloween treats out before they dive in and check your own household supply of Halloween treats so that you do not accidentally give out these toxic coins. Let's keep our kids safe and healthy this Halloween.

TGIF

2008-10-24T10:05:00.004-04:00

It's been a long week here at the Butas household, thanks to a long string of pre-school illnesses that have plagued my son since he started school in mid-September.

For this Friday's tip I wanted to tell you about how easy it is to go and do an absentee vote prior to election day. Virginia is expecting a record number of voters this year and it is predicted that there may be too many voters to handle, meaning that voters could spend hours waiting in line to cast their ballot.

Voters can go and cast their ballot early this year to help cut down on the amount of traffic predicted for election day. Check out Virginia's local government website to see what locations are closest to you.

For example, I live in Falls Church and there is a location on Columbia Pike that is two miles from my home. They are open until 8pm during the week and I breezed in there the other day and voted in no time.

Check it out and tell your friends so that you are not stuck in line on Tuesday.

TGIF

2008-10-18T12:34:00.002-04:00

Here is a great website to check out www.babyplays.com. It's kinda like Netflix for toys. You can try out different toys each month and send them back when you are finished with them.

Not only does this save you money and keep your kids interested in the toys you have at home, but it is a real space saver. For example, if you live in a small apartment or condo and do not have a lot of storage space, this is great way to keep things interesting for your kids while keeping the parents sane. Of course a mommy thought of this website.

I encourage you all to check it out.

Recommendation Wednesdays

2008-10-15T12:32:00.004-04:00

My mother recently forwarded me an article about how pediatricians are now recommending that the Vitamin D requirements for infants be doubled in an effort to ward off rickets and to ensure life-long health benefits in children.

With the cold weather setting in and the hours of daylight dwindling, I recommend that all parents of infants and toddlers read up on this topic the and talk to your own pediatrician about this issue.

Let's all give our babies the healthiest start possible.

Nesting, Resting and Stressing

2008-10-13T16:42:00.004-04:00

With only 7 weeks left until my second baby arrives on December 4th, I have finally begun to hit that wall at the end of my pregnancy. You all know that wall-the one where you are trying to finish up the nesting portion of your pregnancy, but you are often sidetracked by the resting that your body now requires.

I have also added a third dimension to this phase-Stressing-which is partly from being overtired and partly from just worrying that everything will not get done in time.

My wonderful husband keeps on reminding me that its okay if everything does NOT get done prior to the baby's arrival and that it is more important for me to rest than it is for me to stress.

I know that he is right, but it's still hard because I am frustrated that my bursts of energy are dwindling and that everyday I feel like I accomplish fewer and fewer tasks on my to do list.

I guess I will just have to take my husband's advice and make shorter to do lists because "banking" my sleep until the baby's arrival really is the most important thing at this point.

TGIF

2008-10-10T12:03:00.003-04:00

My son recently had to go on a medication that acts as a diuretic and makes him go to the bathroom more. For the past few nights he was leaking through his PJ's in the front because his diaper couldn't hold all the liquid.

I examined my options to remedy this situation and this is what I came up with:

1. Put two diapers on him so that he could sleep through the night without a diaper change.

2. Use a diaper liner.

3. Switch to the overnight diapers and hope that they hold.

4. Put some of those plastic reusable training pants on him over his diaper.

5. Wake him up half way through the night and change his diaper to prevent leaks.

Putting two diapers on him just did not seem comfortable at all, so I nixed that option. Switching to the overnight diapers meant spending money on something that may or may not work and the plastic training pants option just sounded horribly uncomfortable, especially for sleeping, plus my son's skin is so sensitive I was worried that those would just lock the moisture in tighter and closer to his skin-yuck. Waking him half way through the night for a diaper change just didn't seem nice at all and then I worried about him falling back to sleep.

So that left me with the liner option. While it is easy enough to go to Babies "R" Us and buy these, again I didn't feel like spending money (even if it is only $10) on something that may not work, so at my sister's suggestion, I used a maxi pad as a liner. Lucky for me I had a bunch of the super absorbent ones with wings leftover from when I had my son so I thought why not give it a try?

My husband was less than thrilled that I was lining our son's diaper with a maxi pad, but it worked. The extra lining prevented leaks and kept his PJ's and bed linens dry.

If you are ever in a bind in the future and need to increase the absorbency of your child's diapers for whatever reason, consider using a maxi pad or diaper liner.

Recommendation Wednesdays

2008-10-08T11:40:00.003-04:00

When my son began preschool this September one of things that I neglected to think about was the fact that I would have to pack him a lunch to eat at school on the days he was there. This shouldn't be too hard, I thought, but then I was informed that there was no microwave available for heating up lunches and there were some other restrictions on what you could send in-i.e., no nut products of any kind, only finger foods that my son could feed himself etc.

While these are all reasonable restrictions placed on lunches by the school, it was still a bit of a challenge initially because my son is not a fan of lunch meat and some other cold foods, not to mention the fact that he is used to eating a hot lunch at home with mommy.

Here are a few guidelines that I use every time I pack Bruno's lunch:

1. I try to include a starch, a fruit or a veggie, and a protein.

2. I talk to other moms frequently to see what they send in and that has been helpful-it gives me ideas and I help other moms by giving them ideas. For example, my sister suggested sending in cut up cold hot dogs, which sounds gross and never really occurred to me for that exact reason, but she tried it and her son loves it. I told another mom about Kashi Mighty Bites which have a lot of protein in them and now her daughter eats them regularly.

3. I try to keep it interesting or he gets bored. I look at what they are serving for snack each day and try to vary what I serve him for lunch. For example, if they are having crackers and cream cheese for snack, I send in Pirates Booty for his starch and yogurt melts for his protein on that day so he isn't eating the same thing for snack and lunch.

4. Repetition. I keep at it. Bruno hated chicken nuggets for the longest time, but I kept trying and eventually he ate them and now he loves them. You can try to introduce a food 50 times and your kid may never eat it, but the 51st time he may gobble it up.

5. Talk to the teachers. Teachers are a wonderful resource for suggestions about what to feed kids, especially little ones. They can also shed some light on how much variety there needs to be in your child's lunches and they can tell you what appropriate portion sizes are.

Lastly, keep an eye on what your kids eat at breakfast and dinner. If you get one good solid meal in your toddler a day, that's a real accomplishment. We have to remember that kids get distracted by all the stimulation at school so eating may not be a priority during lunch and kids are pretty good about eating when they are hungry.

TGIF

2008-10-03T10:42:00.003-04:00

For this Friday's Tips and Good Information (TGIF) feature, I want to share a little time saving trick of mine.

If you have kids in school, you know that everything has to be labeled-I even have to label Bruno's diapers for pre-school. Anyways, I am good about labeling things that I send to school, like an extra change of clothes and back up diapers, but I often forget to label things he is already wearing when he leaves the house, like jackets or shoes.

To solve this problem I have started keeping a mini Sharpie marker in my car and next to his lunch bag so that if we get to school and I realize that his raincoat is not labeled, I can quickly label it and send him off for the day and not have to worry about if the jacket will return or not.

This is a really obvious trick, but one that took me two weeks of pre-school to pick up on. Hope that you find it helpful too.

Recommendation Wednesdays

2008-10-01T10:08:00.003-04:00

I recently got to host my friend's baby shower. Since I provided the location-my home- and all the food, the other hostess was in charge of the cake, games, decorations and favors.

For the favors she choose to have individually wrapped baby theme cookies as the take home favors. These were some impressive cookies. Pink and blue babies swaddled in blankets hanging from a stork's mouth were what was created for us by Jill Rodeffer of Cookie Cutter Creations. I want to highly recommend using Jill for your next birthday party, special occasion, or baby shower. She can do theme cookies of all varieties and she wraps each cookie in plastic and ties cute little bows around the top to keep the cookies fresh and to complete the presentation.

Jill's son has severe allergies, so she is very careful to list every single ingredient that goes into the cookies, the icing and the sprinkles, so you know exactly what you are getting.

She also does custom cookie bouquets for special occasions as well. Check it out, it is money well spent, plus the cookies are so yummy.

Cookie Cutter Creations

Custom Cookies & Cookie Bouquets

Jill Rodeffer

703-327-1268

cookiesbyjill@aol.com

Scheduled

2008-09-29T21:49:00.005-04:00

It was sort of surreal when I got the letter in the mail. It was from my OB/GYN's nurse and it said that my baby would be delivered at 9am on Thursday, December 4th.

Below this sterile news was a list of preparations for me to fulfill prior to arriving at the hospital, 2 hours, before my surgery.

I called my husband and let him know the news. He agreed that it was so bizarre that a letter told us when our second child would be arriving, not the baby or my body. A medical decision had been made and that was that.

At first I was sort of bummed out because there was no longer that element of excitement or surprise; I could no longer wonder when my baby was going to be born. I already knew and could mark it on my calendar like any other task, chore or event, which was odd in and of itself since I am a planner by nature and you would think that I would love the knowing aspect of this like anything else.

I guess I felt sort of gypped, like my daughter had no say in the matter-she couldn't break my water and tell me when she was good and ready to arrive. She didn't know it yet, but her birthday had already been pre-selected. Isn't bearing children supposed to be natural and on mother nature's time clock, not a hospital's schedule?

After a few days of letting my daughter's pre-determined birthdate sink in, I realized that it would be alright for things to be different the second time around because it was what the doctors thought was best for the baby and best for me. I began to like how easy it was going to be to plan for childcare and my husband's schedule and carpooling to pre-school and all those other things that can get mucked up when you unexpectedly go into labor.

I decided that just because there was no element of surprise to her birth that did not mean that her birth would be any less wonderful and empowering than my son's.

TGIF

2008-09-26T11:41:00.004-04:00

I just recently learned the other day that BuyBuyBaby accepts Bed Bath & Beyond gift certificates and coupons! How great is that? It makes sense if you think about it because the stores look alike on the inside and are laid out in a very similar way. A friend of mine was kind enough to share this information with me and I want to pay it forward to all of you.

Another great thing to keep in mind is that even though Bed Bath & Beyond coupons have expiration dates on them, the stores will still accept an expired coupon of theirs and honor you with the discount.

I hope you find this Tips and Good Information Friday tidbit helpful for you the next time you head out to shop for something for the kiddies or your home.

Recommendation Wednesdays

2008-09-24T11:14:00.004-04:00

For today's recommendation I want to highlight Kinder Haus Toys in Arlington, Virginia.

This place is definitely my favorite toy store around. They carry clothes, shoes, accessories, books, toys and some large furniture items like Nilo play tables and train tables.

There are four reasons that I like to spend my money at this toy store as opposed to any other. 1) It is huge and has a wonderful variety of toys. In addition to carrying all the name brand toys that you see most places, KHT offers some newer lines of toys and some less well known lines from Europe. I have never gone to this store and not found something new and fresh, which I think is great. 2) Everyone that works there is knowledgeable and friendly. Each staff member knows exactly where each toy goes and they make some really nice recommendations for presents and gifts if needed. They are also good at suggesting age appropriate play items for your playroom and they are never pushy or overwhelming. 3) Although this store is large and there is a lot of different stuff in there, it is laid out very logically and it is easy to browse. You can flow from one section to the next without feeling overwhelmed by the selection. Things are placed together by category and it is easy to decipher age related toys and gender related toys. 4) KHT also offers a nice play area for the little ones. They have a large train table, stocked with many trains, not just one or two, and they also have a Nilo table set up with blocks and other small hand toys to entertain your little ones.

This is a real gem of a toy store and definitely worth checking out sometime. They also offer a story time each Monday and Friday at 10:30am. The story time area is on the smaller side and slightly cramped, but there is the play area for the kids to explore as well and not many people know about this story time so it has not been over run with people, yet. At the end of the story time, each child is given a balloon to take home which is always a nice take away for the ride home.

For your next birthday party shopping excursion, I encourage you to branch out and check out this wonderful toy store in the heart of Arlington.

Different Babies, Different Pregnancies

2008-09-22T08:01:00.003-04:00

At a little over 7 months, I am now really beginning to understand what "they" (doctors, specialists, medical professionals, your parents, and other moms etc.) mean when they say that all pregnancies are different.

In the first 3-4 months of my second pregnancy all my symptoms were the same as with my first pregnancy-horrible morning sickness, acne along my jawline and cheekbones, and extreme fatigue. Once my belly started to show-this happened a lot faster the second time around-it appeared to everyone that knew me, that I was carrying the same way as I did with my first pregnancy, further convincing people that I was having another boy.

Imagine how shocked my husband and I were to learn at our five month ultrasound that we would in fact be having a baby girl this time around-ROLL OUT THE PINK. From the outside I looked the same as I did with my first pregnancy, was carrying the same way as with my first pregnancy, but it was what was going on inside me this time around that was so different.

Maybe it is because I am under a lot of stress (work, health issues with family members, husband who is growing a business and working insane hours etc.) as of late, but in the last couple of months I have noticed a real shift in my pregnancy and a a change in myself-one that I do not necessarily like. I have been extremely emotional and hormonal all the time. I get easily annoyed by things that never used to bother me and I have a real sense of dread sometimes about not getting everything done before the baby's arrival.

It is obvious that this pregnancy is different than my first one and it is clear that I need to deal with these issues in a different way than I have been so that I do not make myself overly stressed out before our little girl gets here. I cannot take feeling this way any longer so I am going to try to make some changes to feel better on the inside so that I am as healthy inside as I am on the outside.

I am making it my goal this week to get back on track with things and to get away from this feeling of malaise that has set in. Sometimes breaking the cycle and getting out of a rut can be one of the hardest things to do, but also one of the most liberating things too.

What is my plan? It's pretty simple and still in the "construction phase," but here it is: 1) Get more sleep, which translates as: get into bed no later than 10pm each night. Waiting until I fall asleep on the sofa and then migrating to my bedroom is doing horrible things to my sleep cycle. More rest should help with my fatigue and irritability. 2) Hire a babysitter to help me out 10 hours a week or so. I need to get a lot of work done before I have the baby and I have gotten to the point where it is time to call in reinforcements and ask for help. I must remember to reassure myself that I am NOT a total loser for needing a little help with my toddler from time- to- time. Balancing work life and home life can be hard and it is even harder to try and do by yourself, so why make myself crazy in the process? 3) Make myself a priority. I have been neglecting my own needs for too long. I need to get more rest and slow down. If the dishes sit in the sink overnight every once in a while, I need to accept the fact that the world will NOT end and that the household police will not fail me on the kitchen inspection portion of the "test."

If any of you out there are currently pregnant and feeling a little overwhelmed or out of sorts, I encourage you to search for some answers. Figure out where your problem(s) lie and try to think of at least one or two small steps that you can take to alleviate them. I did it and I feel better already even though I just started implementing my 3-step plan. Sometimes, just talking about what you need to change with your partner or writing it down and reading it to yourself can be helpful as well. Remember, if you are not taking care of yourself, it is hard to care for your spouse and your family.

TGIF

2008-09-19T13:10:00.004-04:00

For this Friday's Tips and Good Information (TGIF) I am going to share two tidbits of information with you.

The first one is about avocados. Bruno loves avocados but rarely eats a whole one in a sitting. If you cut the avocado in half and feed your child the half without the pit, you can leave the pit in the other half and preserve it in the refrigerator for longer. By leaving the pit in the uneaten portion of the avocado, you keep it from turning brown and getting mushy. This is a great way to prolong the life of your produce.

The other tip is about one of my favorite websites, www.diapers.com. I have recommended this website before and I will continue to do so. Currently they are offering an incentive for new customers. If you spend $49 or more and enter this code: DABU3069, you will receive $10 off of your order and I will get a $1 credit towards my next purchase. Talk about spreading the good word about a great website and receiving something great in the process. The more friends you share this information with the more people there are out there saving money!

Spread the word, share the savings, and pay it forward!

Recommendation Wednesdays

2008-09-16T21:51:00.003-04:00

When I was at at the park this past Monday chatting with one of my favorite mommy friends, the conversation turned to the vent/commiserate/rant phase that is common after mothers are completely wiped out from the series of summer activities and are forced to deal with extra cantankerous kiddies as the fall starts and schedules change.

Anyways, it was clear that my friend was burnt out. The summer was long and hot and involved lots of traveling and health issues for one of her little ones. Since it was the start of a new school year she made two goals for herself: to hire a new cleaning woman and to get a new babysitter (her other one had returned to school). I told her that I thought those were realistic reasonable goals and that more mothers should have sensible goals like that. She went on to say that it had become apparent to her that she was not taking good care of herself and that that in turn was putting a strain on everything else-her communication lines with her husband, her long days with the kids, her patience and emotional well-being etc.

As I sat there and spoke with her about how I could totally relate (I always try to do too much and often play the role of the Mommy Martyr instead of asking for help for fear that I will be judged as a failure by everyone for not being able to work, have a family and do seven million other things simultaneously) I realized that I too was not taking care of myself either. I believe my exact words were something to the effect of: "it's just too easy to put your husband's needs and your children's needs and the demands of your household before yourself. When you get married it is one thing, but once you are a mommy, you always come last."

Now that I reread these words, it is sad to think that mommies are the glue that run the house and hold the family together, yet mommies are always in last place when it comes to getting their own needs met.

This casual chat at the park reminded me of the best advice my mother has ever given me and I want to share it with all of you, since it so simple to do. My mother always said to "Do Something Nice For Yourself Everyday." When I was younger I thought this meant something really extreme, like save your allowance and buy yourself a pony, but as I have gotten older and the stressors in my life have grown exponentially, I have come to understand that this something nice that you do for yourself everyday should be something small. Something that reminds you for a minute that there are simple gifts in this world, that you are appreciated, and that you have the hardest job in the world.

These nice things do not necessarily have to be time consuming either, because nice means something different for every person and nice can vary from day to day. It could be as small as treating yourself to a Starbucks coffee instead of coffee at home. It could involve reading a book for pleasure for 10 minutes while waiting in the carpool line or it could mean telling your husband that he is in charge of ordering food for dinner (you just can't bear the thought of cooking tonight) or cleaning up the dishes.

For my recommendation this Wednesday, I am offering a reminder to all you overworked, underpaid, overtired, stressed out SAHMs-"Do Something Nice For Yourself Everyday." You will be surprised how the littlest things can make a huge difference in your demeanor.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

2008-09-14T21:14:00.005-04:00

I was at Turtle park earlier today with my son and I was so impressed by this short encounter that I had with an 8 year-old boy, Adam, that I have to share it.

Bruno and I were in the corner of the park by the hill with no grass, only dirt, and my son had gleefully decided that he was going to haul a Tonka truck up to the top of the hill and push it down-repeatedly. As much as Bruno was enjoying this game, he tired after about three turns and decided that he wanted to keep playing this game so he would push the truck down the hill and Mommy would fetch it while he stood at the top and watched. Of course I obliged because that's what Mommies do, but after a while I too began to tire of this game. It was unusually hot today and being 7 months pregnant makes you pretty sweaty to begin with, so marching up and down a dirty hill in the heat was not my first choice of park activities, but how could I say no to my boy?

After about my tenth trip up the dirt hill, a chatty little boy, Adam, came over to join in the fun. Adam was about 8 or 9 years old and he had chosen a nice round cement mixer to send down the hill of dirt. Adam must have seen me sigh or maybe he sensed my fatigue as I struggled up the hill yet again with Bruno's Tonka in tow, because he looked at me and said: "Mommies always have to do the most work."

I was caught so off guard by this child's poignant remark that I almost didn't answer him. "Well, I said, he (pointing to Bruno) is still so little so it's kinda hard for him to climb up the hill with the truck on his own."

Adam seemed perfectly happy with this response and went back to pushing his cement mixer down the hill as planned. Once I got to the top of the hill, Bruno threw his arms open and happily accepted the Tonka truck. Bruno turned it around and got it set up the way he wanted and before long it was sailing down the hill at top speed once again. Adam was already half way down the hill to retrieve his cement mixer by the time Bruno's Tonka came roaring onto the scene and without a word or a glance in my direction, Adam picked up his cement mixer and Bruno's Tonka and walked to the top of the hill. When he reached the top he laid the Tonka at Bruno's feet and began busily setting up his mixer for another run.

For the next twenty minutes or so Adam and Bruno played alongside each other, years apart in age, but both happy as clams with their new found hill of entertainment. Each time Adam sent his truck down, he would wait for Bruno's to arrive at the foot of the hill and he would walk the Tonka up the hill and lay it at Bruno's feet. Each time Bruno would happily clap his hands and dance around, so excited that his truck was being returned to his eager little hands.

There was something so nice and good about this child and his helpful gesture that I was amazed at his age-he couldn't have been more than 9. I feel like he really hit the nail on the head when he told me that Mommies always have to do the most work and even though he probably didn't realize how insightful his comment was at the time, it made me feel appreciated and like I was good mommy for going the extra mile at the park in the heat with my little boy.

They say that actions speak louder than words and today I experienced that. By bringing Bruno's truck up the hill along with his own, it was as if Adam was saying to me: "Hey, I realize you are tired and hot and pregnant, so let me help you out a little."

When we left the park a little while later I couldn't help but hope that one day my own little boy grows up and learns to let his own benevolent actions speak louder than his words.

TGIF

2008-09-12T20:15:00.003-04:00

Do you ever feel like your pantry or hall closet is being overrun by left over plastic bags from the grocery store? If you are like me, you use your extra bags for doggie waste and dirty diapers, but not everyone knows this trick. Check it out and see what you think.

When you are in the kitchen at night preparing dinner, place one or two empty Safeway or Harris Teeter plastic bags on your counter and use them for waste as you are cooking.

I usually reserve one bag for the packaging and waste (trimmed fat etc.) from the meat that I am preparing for dinner. This way you are not dripping chicken juice (with bacteria, E-coli etc.) all over your counter, floor and garbage can; you are containing everything in one plastic bag that you can tie up and place directly into your trash pail. This also protects little hands and doggie tongues from licking up or touching these harmful bacteria if they get into the kitchen trash can, which they sometimes do!

I use the second bag for vegetable refuse as I am peeling, coring, seeding etc. I find that having the open bag right in front of me on the counter helps cut down on the number of trips I make to the garbage can and it is so convenient it helps me maintain a "clean as I cook" mentality in my kitchen which makes cleaning up after dinner a lot quicker too.

If you have never tried this trick, please give it a whirl the next time you are cooking, I think you will find it is a great time saver and that it helps keep things really clean.

Recommendation Wednesdays

2008-09-11T13:00:00.003-04:00

I have been a huge fan of the diapers.com website for almost a year now. When my son was an infant and we moved into our house, I finally had the ability to store large quantities of products like paper towels, bottled waters, and diapers so I began ordering from diapers.com in bulk.

My sister-in-law recommended the site to me originally and the first time I used it, I became hooked. It was so easy so use and the site is laid out so well that it makes it very efficient to find exactly what you are looking for. Another thing that I really liked was that when I went out to do my errands, I didn't have to buy diapers in bulk at the grocery store or at Target where they not only cost more, but took up so much space in the shopping cart and then in the back of my car, that it made it cumbersome.

When you place an order from diapers.com, your items gets shipped to your front door step within 24-48 hours-how much easier can things get? If you spend over $50 (which is not hard when buying packages of 200 diapers at a time) shipping is FREE!

Diapers.com has excellent customer service representatives who are knowledgeable about products and the one time they left an item out of my order, they shipped it to my house for free within 24 hours. You even get little samples of products thrown in with your orders so that you can try out new items.

2008-08-06T22:11:00.001-04:00

I have been talking about starting a blog of my own since I was pregnant with my first child. It always seemed like there was never an ideal time to start a blog and before I could motivate to actually put my fingers to the keyboard I would get distracted by one of life's many tasks.

My initial hesitation was based solely on fear-what would my blog be about? What could I possibly have to say that other people would want to hear or read about? I guess I really didn't want to get started blogging until I felt like I had a purpose or direction for my posts so I let it be for a while- letting the idea come and go in and out of my mind like a recurring dream.

Now pregnant with my second child ,I had an epiphany that changed my mind for me. I was standing in my kitchen one night cleaning up after dinner when I was called it- Mom Machine- for the first time. A single friend of my husband's was staying with us for a few weeks while his place was renovated and he watched me night after night feed, bathe, and put my son to bed before preparing dinner for the adults. Promptly after finishing dinner I would clear the plates, load the dishwasher, and clean up the kitchen. I did all of these things ritualistically because they were habits, but they were also the way I concluded my evening; a way for me to wind down. I never felt like I could relax until the kitchen was clean. He was amazed at how on top of things I was and he said so. It never really struck me that I was any different from all the other SAHMs and parents across America but he insisted that I was.

After he called me Mom Machine it all hit me. I was ready to jump in and start blogging. I had a purpose for my blog. Not only do I want to share with other readers out there what it is like to balance work, family, a home life, and a marriage all at once, but I want to help other people learn to find that balance. Hopefully by reading about what is working for me at my home, other parents will be inspired to find the balance they are seeking in their own homes.

I am overly organized-almost to a fault sometimes-but I feel that I can juggle so many tasks and other peoples' needs all at once, without losing my own sanity in the process, because I am organized and I have taken the time to write down and keep track of some of the amazing tips and tricks I have developed and learned over the years.

Keep in mind that things get hectic and crazy at my house also-my son does cut teeth and get cranky and my bulldog does have anxiety problems and she occassionally pukes on the carpet if she gets too upset- but I hope to help keep myself on task with maintianing my life's balance through writing this blog and I hope to pass along some useful information to other parents dealing with some of the bumps in the road we all affectionately call PARENTHOOD.