It is my theory that whoever decided stainless steel appliances were the "it" thing didn't have children. I have two major problems with stainless steel. First, it fingerprints like crazy. I thought it was bad before I had children, now throw a toddler into the mix and it looks like my refrigerator has been finger painted on a daily basis. Good thing I suppose, because my second complaint is ...
Blog
A pregnant belly’s favorite accessory
Spring cleaning has forced be back into the deep recesses of my attic, where I was re-introduced to my maternity wardrobe - a vast collection of elastic waistband pants, tie-back shirts, and balloon shaped dresses. But one thing I had forgotten about, that I cherished during pregnancy and postpartum, was the fabulous Bella Band. It stretches, it smooths, it's amazing. During pregnancy, you ...
Safety reigns supreme
I'm a paranoid parent. Aren't most of us? Why else would they have a market for breathing and movement monitors and video monitors with night vision? It's easy to get carried away, not only with dropping to much dough on these hi-tech safety gadgets, but it's also difficult to know when to draw the line. And maybe you think I've gone over this imaginary line. It's quite possible.I do not let ...
The heat is on!
Man, it's getting hot out. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be enjoying the air conditioning much this summer. As I mentioned in an earlier post, we practically live outside. It's either that or deal with temper tantrums from Graham and my husband 24/7.To keep everyone refreshed, I like to make popsicles with fluted pop molds that I got at Target. I layer different colored yogurts and flavored ...
Laughing is the Best Exercise!
Last night I did something completely uncharacteristic of my slightly prudish self. In the name of trying new things, I signed up for a Pole Dance Instruction class. Disguised as a workout, this class was really more about learning a few moves, drinking a few drinks, and getting a TON of laughs. The most important thing I learned at the class is that my Plan B will never be to make the big ...
Seeing Red?
The beginning of May is one of my favorite times of the year in Charlotte. It's comfortably warm, flowers are in full bloom, pools begin to open, and most importantly the strawberries are ripe for picking! I get a little too excited about this. Not only do we have our own strawberry bed in the backyard, I've also signed us up to go pick strawberries at a farm this week with the playgroup.What ...
Wish Upon a Star…
But, if you really want your wish to come true, I'd put that wish on the Amazon Universal Wish List. I'm sure all of you have the perfect gift-givers in your life. You've never been given a Christmas sweater instead of pearl earrings or mom-jeans instead of the Seven's you really wanted. I certainly have never had this problem! But, just in case, let me introduce you to this handy-dandy little ...
Me, Myself and I
I take time for me. I know I'm supposed to feel guilty for this, and I sometimes do. But I deserve it. And so do you. If you're lucky, you've figured this out early in motherhood. I started going out for Thursday Mom's Night Outs when my child was three months old. Hubbie got used to being alone with the baby, baby got used to being put to bed by someone other than me, I got a chance to ...
I Love Bob
It's true, I have another man in my life. His name is Bob, and we spend every morning together. Sometimes afternoons, and if we're really feeling crazy, some evenings too! It's OK, my husband knows about Bob, and our toddler is familiar with him too. Bob is our jogging stroller, and I cannot live without him.I researched quite a bit before deciding on the Bob. Jogging strollers come in a wide ...
Watch out for the momma with a knife!
It's sharp. It's dangerous. It cuts, dices and chops like a champ. I use my Wusthof Classic Santoku knife every day, multiple times a day. Without it, I'm useless in the kitchen. I'm of the mindset that a lot of people dislike cooking because they don't have the right gear. Bad knives = time wasted, more accidents, and bigger messes. We have enough of all of those problems with our kids, we ...
Color me Grateful
For those of you who work downtown, have husbands that work downtown, visit downtown, or may want to go downtown - listen up. There's a new guy in town. His name is the Harvest Moon Grille. He happens to reside in a bright orange food truck, and he's awesome. The Harvest Moon Grille is an off-shoot of Grateful Growers, a local farm known for their heirloom breed of pork. Many of you may be ...
Meet my new best friend –
I used to not care so much for artichokes. That was before this recipe. Now we're best friends. Especially, since the recipe calls for already prepped frozen artichokes. No awkward man-handling of vegetables for this pizza pie! This Artichoke and Fontina Pizza was adapted from Food and Wine Magazine.Ingredients:12 ounces frozen artichokes, thawed and drained3/4 cup olive oil, plus 1 tb.2 tsp. ...
A threatened absence makes the heart grow fonder…
Although the libraries in Charlotte continue to remain open, the impending 50% budget cut for the upcoming fiscal year has many of us nervous. The library has become a central part of my stay-at-home mom life. My child and I go to storytimes together at least once a week; one of his first "words" was E-I-E-I-O, and I know that came from the Morrison library Books and Babies program. On rainy ...
Looking out for your baby’s bum!
One thing that hasn't changed since Graham was born is the great need for diapers. I said to a friend the other day that it'll be so great when Graham can change his own diapers. They mentioned to me that that would be a good time to potty train. Point taken. In the meantime, I buy my diapers in bulk. The ones I like? The basic generic brand from BJ's. I used to buy name-brand diapers, but ...
Looking out for your bum!
As every day gets warmer, we as a family are spending much more time outside. Park playdates, picnics, hanging out in the yard, basically every waking moment my toddler is not outside, he's hanging on a door knob yelling "OUSH-FIDE!" So, if you find yourself in the same situation, it's time to make an investment in a picnic blanket lined with water-proof backing. Keep it in the car so you have ...
A mother’s not-so-secret weapon
Well versed in the world of stains, I wasn't shocked when I recently came home with bright blue icing all over my new white shirt. I was shocked, however, that no one at the party mentioned to me that I was decorated like a cupcake, removing the possibility of immediately washing out the potential stain. Not to worry. Spot Shot to the rescue. This stuff is amazing. It's seen me through the best ...