Life's Better With Chocolate: Mom's Cinnamon Rolls: Once in a while, when I was a kid, my mom would announce that we were going to make cinnamon rolls. My sister and I would cheer and race to ...
Jul 30, 2012
Life's Better With Chocolate: Mom's Cinnamon Rolls
From my cousin Kathryn's blog. Prepare to drool!
Life's Better With Chocolate: Mom's Cinnamon Rolls: Once in a while, when I was a kid, my mom would announce that we were going to make cinnamon rolls. My sister and I would cheer and race to ...
Life's Better With Chocolate: Mom's Cinnamon Rolls: Once in a while, when I was a kid, my mom would announce that we were going to make cinnamon rolls. My sister and I would cheer and race to ...
Jul 29, 2012
Surviving Motherhood
Well the past 9 months have been a whirlwind. At the last checkpoint, I was updating my blog in peaceful unbeknownst serenity; now I do a daily dance between baby boy and finding a free moment to-at the most- take a shower. Welcome to the life of being a mother. It is the best journey we will ever walk. Ever! However, it can equally be a stressful and exhilarating test of endurance, patience and organization. For those new or soon to be Moms, I've complied a list of survival tools to hopefully help ease the shock of new motherhood. This is a scientific and well thought-out plan to help you prepare for the impending tornado. Who am I kidding? This list is impromptu, compiled in the last waking moments before exhaustion finally takes over. Here goes.
1. Ignore every parenting book you've ever read.
Many of these books are well intended and have a lot of good information. The problem is they all seem to contradict each other and can often go against your pediatricians advice. When you are trying to make the right decision using your maternal instincts (they never fail you!), the last thing you need are conflicting opinions swirling around in your head. They'll stress you out even more. Trust your heart, Mama. No one knows the "right" way to raise your baby except you.
2. Take breaks.
When you're surrounded by piles of unfolded laundry and toys in a messy house, it will be very difficult to walk away and pamper yourself for a bit. Trust me though. When you have that free moment, TAKE IT AND RUN WITH IT. Take deep breaths, meditate, read, exercise, paint your toenails, etc. Anything that benefits you exclusively for just a few minutes once a day. If you feel guilty for doing this, double or triple your "me" time. You gave birth and you're a Mom, yes, but you're not a martyr. You still need time for you. Take breaks and recharge those batteries.
3. Rely on help.
I used to pride myself on my ability to be a single-handed miracle worker. I could cook, clean, shop, be wifey extraordinaire, all without a hair out of place. Pretty quickly I realized that I could not complete everything (anything?) like I used to. Enlist the help of family, friends, teachers, and fellow mothers. Invite your BFF over to watch the baby while you nap. If you can, hire someone to clean your house or do your yard work. Your sanity depends on it.
4. Realize that sex will be different.
You'll have a challenge trying to feel sexy like you used to before you became a Mom. You're most likely exhausted, covered in spit up, and still wearing your oh-so-sexy pajamas from this morning. Not to mention you've started a stretch mark count and are faced with a new post-labor body. You won't have time for sex like before. You'll have to be creative with the timing and place of your sexual encounters with your loved one. Remember though, that you are still the same sexy girl you were before, only amped up and supercharged. You're Mama tiger now. Rawr.
5. Be gentle on yourself.
You've grown a human being in your body. You've given life to another person and no matter what, you'll be the first to influence your baby in his/her growth. Be gentle on yourself when you feel you're not doing enough. Go look at yourself in the mirror and say "I'm phenomenal." Do it.
Yes, you are.
1. Ignore every parenting book you've ever read.
Many of these books are well intended and have a lot of good information. The problem is they all seem to contradict each other and can often go against your pediatricians advice. When you are trying to make the right decision using your maternal instincts (they never fail you!), the last thing you need are conflicting opinions swirling around in your head. They'll stress you out even more. Trust your heart, Mama. No one knows the "right" way to raise your baby except you.
2. Take breaks.
When you're surrounded by piles of unfolded laundry and toys in a messy house, it will be very difficult to walk away and pamper yourself for a bit. Trust me though. When you have that free moment, TAKE IT AND RUN WITH IT. Take deep breaths, meditate, read, exercise, paint your toenails, etc. Anything that benefits you exclusively for just a few minutes once a day. If you feel guilty for doing this, double or triple your "me" time. You gave birth and you're a Mom, yes, but you're not a martyr. You still need time for you. Take breaks and recharge those batteries.
3. Rely on help.
I used to pride myself on my ability to be a single-handed miracle worker. I could cook, clean, shop, be wifey extraordinaire, all without a hair out of place. Pretty quickly I realized that I could not complete everything (anything?) like I used to. Enlist the help of family, friends, teachers, and fellow mothers. Invite your BFF over to watch the baby while you nap. If you can, hire someone to clean your house or do your yard work. Your sanity depends on it.
4. Realize that sex will be different.
You'll have a challenge trying to feel sexy like you used to before you became a Mom. You're most likely exhausted, covered in spit up, and still wearing your oh-so-sexy pajamas from this morning. Not to mention you've started a stretch mark count and are faced with a new post-labor body. You won't have time for sex like before. You'll have to be creative with the timing and place of your sexual encounters with your loved one. Remember though, that you are still the same sexy girl you were before, only amped up and supercharged. You're Mama tiger now. Rawr.
5. Be gentle on yourself.
You've grown a human being in your body. You've given life to another person and no matter what, you'll be the first to influence your baby in his/her growth. Be gentle on yourself when you feel you're not doing enough. Go look at yourself in the mirror and say "I'm phenomenal." Do it.
Yes, you are.
Oct 7, 2011
Be a Dearie
Did you know that 1.4 million women are diagnosed with breast cancer globally each year? Did you know that somewhere in the world, a woman dies from breast cancer every 69 seconds?
Please be a dearie and help support those that walk the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure. My cousin Melodi will be walking again this year and any support you can give, little or big, will go towards life-saving research.
Since its inception in 2003, the Komen 3-Day for the Cure net proceeds help pay for: vital global breast cancer research, local community programs supporting education, screening and treatment. It has paid for more than 600,000 breast screenings in 2009, and has been apart of a more than 1.5 billion dollar commitment to research, advocacy and community programs since founded in 1982.
For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure, breast health or breast cancer, visit http://komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN.
Please be a dearie and help support those that walk the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure. My cousin Melodi will be walking again this year and any support you can give, little or big, will go towards life-saving research.
Since its inception in 2003, the Komen 3-Day for the Cure net proceeds help pay for: vital global breast cancer research, local community programs supporting education, screening and treatment. It has paid for more than 600,000 breast screenings in 2009, and has been apart of a more than 1.5 billion dollar commitment to research, advocacy and community programs since founded in 1982.For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure, breast health or breast cancer, visit http://komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN.
A Spooky, Crafty Halloween!
It's finally October - the weather starts to get crisp and all the fall decorations start to pop up in stores. This is my favorite time of year. Halloween is just around the corner and it's time to start decorating! Janelle Leslie from The Adventures of an Artistic Mind recently featured this unique Halloween frame before and after project:
Janelle, on the construction of the frame: "It was super easy! I just found an ornate picture frame at a thrift store, spray painted it matte black, and adhered some yellow scrapbook paper in the frame. I cut out the cameo in black paper and painted the details in gray."
This is a such a fantastic idearie- It's unique and inexpensive, but looks as if she purchased it from a fancy decor shop. Thank you Janelle! Time to start getting creative!
Janelle, on the construction of the frame: "It was super easy! I just found an ornate picture frame at a thrift store, spray painted it matte black, and adhered some yellow scrapbook paper in the frame. I cut out the cameo in black paper and painted the details in gray."
This is a such a fantastic idearie- It's unique and inexpensive, but looks as if she purchased it from a fancy decor shop. Thank you Janelle! Time to start getting creative!
Art of the Day
Kenneth Michael Peloke
Visit his studio website and check out more of his amazing portraits and landscapes!
Visit his studio website and check out more of his amazing portraits and landscapes!
No Paint? No Problem!
One of the first thoughts that went through my head when I learned we were pregnant was "how am I going to decorate the nursery?" I envisioned all these wonderful magazine photos of lovely custom paint on the walls and awesome wallpaper cuteness...aaand then reality set in. We can't paint our walls. If you live in an apartment, rent a house like us or are unable to change or update your walls, it can feel like a creative roadblock. Fear not! Here are some idearies on how you can decorate your nursery without painting the walls (or breaking the bank).
Wall Decals
If you can't paint, cover the walls with framed art! Why not try something homemade? I took the theme from his nursery bedding and made pictures of little ocean critters; all it took were some markers, poster paper, and a few inexpensive photo frames. Best of all, you don't have to be Picasso; any custom art becomes an instant gift for your little one. If you're not feeling that artistic you can cover a wall with covers from your favorite childhood books. Simply make some color copies of the covers, pop them in a frame, and you've got instant art! This works well if you have a very specific nursery theme (Dr. Seuss, Winnie the Pooh...)
Display, Display, Display
Instead of keeping baby's comforter in the crib- a huge safety hazard when they start sleeping in it! - display it on the wall. It can fill a lot of empty wall space and beautifully showcases your nursery theme. You can also find small display shelves at the thrift store, refinish them, and display stuffed animals on the wall. This is a good display/storage idea for keepsakes you might have received at the shower; it's also a safe idearie to keep the breakable stuff out of baby's reach as he starts growing.
Don't let the fact that you can't paint the nursery walls keep you from being creative. Enjoy the special time of preparing the nursery for your little one. I know I have.
Wall Decals
Stickable wall decals come in all shapes and themes, and sites like Wee Decor and Walls Need Love are great places to start. You can find ocean-themed decals like we did on Amazon and keep the costs low. Many sellers on Etsy have custom decals for sale. The best part about opting for wall decals is that many manufacturers make them reusable. You have the benefit of no commitment if you make a mistake - simply peel and reapply - no messy clean-up and paint all over the place.
Wallpaper Borders
If you've ever experienced the luxury of trying to apply wallpaper to a full wall gracefully, you know how frustrating it can be. Choose a themed wallpaper border instead. It adds the pop of color that you desire at half the cost, is often reusable, and saves you some sanity. We did an ocean theme for baby's nursery and found this Finding Nemo border paper worked perfect. Add the border to the top of the room, or play around with the positioning to give it a more modern feel.
Wall Art
Instead of keeping baby's comforter in the crib- a huge safety hazard when they start sleeping in it! - display it on the wall. It can fill a lot of empty wall space and beautifully showcases your nursery theme. You can also find small display shelves at the thrift store, refinish them, and display stuffed animals on the wall. This is a good display/storage idea for keepsakes you might have received at the shower; it's also a safe idearie to keep the breakable stuff out of baby's reach as he starts growing.
Don't let the fact that you can't paint the nursery walls keep you from being creative. Enjoy the special time of preparing the nursery for your little one. I know I have.
Oct 3, 2011
Project Sunset
Ooh la la! A few simple changes to the manual settings on my camera and I have instant orange, purple, and pink luminosity. Taking time to learn more about the features of your camera (whether you have a digital SLR or a simple point and shoot) and experimenting with the settings can make you an artist in no time.
This shot was taken with the "Sunset" mode on my Canon Powershot SD 940 IS point and shoot camera at just the right moment. Beyond having the bragging rights of becoming an awesome photographer, you can also blow up your pic and make instant gorgeous wall art. You can use your photos as guides for custom oil or acrylic paintings too.
This shot was taken with the "Sunset" mode on my Canon Powershot SD 940 IS point and shoot camera at just the right moment. Beyond having the bragging rights of becoming an awesome photographer, you can also blow up your pic and make instant gorgeous wall art. You can use your photos as guides for custom oil or acrylic paintings too.
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