MY 30-HOUR getaway

Last year for Ryan’s birthday, my parents provided him the gift of overnight babysitting. (Applause is appropriate, particularly since this is a “less clutter, more fun” gift.) So, Saturday morning Ryan as well as I head for San Francisco, a 20-minute drive across a bridge, to spend the weekend.

I made some notes about the kids’ schedule, left a fridge full of food, as well as a request for them to make a Target run. I provided vague directions for getting prepared for the preschool holiday celebration that my dad as well as stepmom would be going to in our place. I have 100% confidence that they can handle these things, so I was relaxed when we left.

Heather desired me to blog about this since she has never had a night away from her youngsters with her husband, except for the night she left toddler Holden to go have infant Milo in the hospital.

So to her I say, Heather, you are right to fantasize about costs 24 hours away from the kids. It is wonderful. It’s not about escaping from whining or tantrums. It’s not about avoiding playing the exact same board game nine times in a row or being relieved from having to explain why we don’t have pancakes for dinner, except for when we do. It’s about the routine as well as the equipment; flexibility from these things is exhilarating.

Here is some fuel for your fantasy.

Imagine, parents who have never traveled away from your children, not having to get up up until your body wishes to wake up. Then, when you wake up, you may go exercise if you like. If not, you may shower. You don’t have to ask your spouse permission to take a shower or to exercise. You can stay in the shower as long as the water is hot.

When you dress, you can wear anything, even cashmere or dangling earrings.

Hours can pass as well as you do not have to prepare any type of meals, clean up any type of meals, pack any type of snacks, or do anything food-wise beyond seeking out the food you want to eat yourself. You do not have to eat something that sets a great example. have three doughnuts if you like.

Leave the hotel with a little stylish purse. Or perhaps just your wallet in your pocket.

Wander the city for hours. understand that back at home, your parents are organizing their whole day around your baby’s nap as well as your preschooler’s (fake) peaceful time. You are organizing your whole day around exactly how long your feet are happy to walk.

Eat a piece of chocolate in broad daylight.

At a museum, get in a line that indicates a 20-minute wait. Do not concern about exactly how you are going to make it through 20 minutes of entertaining one or more monkeys since you’ve run out of fishy crackers.
Flop on the bed at 5 pm for some afternoon TV watching. open a bottle of wine.

Is it the witching hour? No, not here, in your fantasy weekend away. You are browsing a magazine while you wait on your 6 pm massage appointment. There is no bed, bath, book, breast routine to which you may be a slave.

Have a few mixed drinks as well as autumn asleep with your clothes on. Or naked. Whatever — it’s your fantasy.

————————

What we did, specifically:
1) stayed at hotel Vitale
2) breakfast at Squat & Gobble
3) go to with Adam as well as Quyen
4) Ran into cousins Xan, Layla as well as infant Calvin
5) bought myself lucky brand denim as well as Nike shoes
6) bought random stocking stuffers for youngsters at H&M
7) Lunch in bottom of Westfield shopping center (soup/salad)
8) Beard Papa cream puff
9) massage for me, workout for Ryan
10) watch part of Ricky Bobby
11) dinner at SaltHouse
12) dessert at Americano
13) breakfast with Ross & Karen at universal Cafe
14) Academy of Sciences museum

MAKE LAST minute gift wrap

I like the last minute craft jobs that turn out simple as well as cute. Lisa’s new crafty blog, picnic, has numerous fun activities interspersed with diy kits as well as completed objects of adorable. She has a three year-old, Bijou, so numerous of the crafts are kid-focused in one method or another. as well as her pictures are beautiful!

 

How to make fun gift wrap from apples | Photo

Photo

What you requirement to make apple gift wrap

interested preschooler

red paint as well as clean (she utilizes acrylic)

plain paper (blank canvas to utilize as giftwrap)

half an apple (kid can eat the half without any paint only, ok?)

safe surface (I’m believing washable tablecloth, newspaper, or outside)

Here is the full tutorial of exactly how to make apple prints (with much more of Lisa’s fantastic pictures). This giftwrap is ideal for birthday parties, valentines wrap, or even cheeky wall art.

Other outstanding things to inspect out at picnic.com:
Pirate celebration set on etsy
How to throw a kids’ craft party

CELEBRATE ILLITERACY

My homegirl Lesbian daddy published this creative tshirt she is selling on CafePress.com.

She wrote, “I got so worn out of seeing tee shirts that proclaimed, from the standpoint of the kid, that the youngster believed something (cool, or politically according to the parents, etc.) ”” even stuff that I believed in! hell, I’ve stuck my youngster in ”˜em! ”” that I went out as well as made a tee shirts that truly told the truth.”

Please get one so we can be sure her young child gets to go to college someday — after he learns to read.

A picture ideal family Picnic in Bolton Abbey

earlier this month, in a bid to catch the last of August’s rays, we headed for a pretty picnic in Bolton Abbey, a place I went to myself numerous times as a child.

It was fantastic sharing one of my all time preferred Yorkshire spots with the young boys and Oliver’s excitement at running around the countryside, viewing in awe as older children swam and threw stones in the river while cautioning them to be careful (so mature) was hilarious. Memories all summers ought to be made of!

Definitely a picture ideal family picnic in Bolton Abbey as you can see!

Alexander loved chewing on everything as you can see below (teething baby alert) and laughed in delight at little dogs who kept making their way over in attempts to eat our sandwiches!

For those who don’t know, Bolton Abbey is an estate in Wharfedale in North Yorkshire which takes its name from the ruined 12th-century Augustinian monastery now known as Bolton Priory.  Its breathtaking remains still stand along the banks of the River Wharfe making it a ideal spot for picnics and exploring North Yorkshire with the family.

Finding a quiet spot on the top of the hillside overlooking the pictureque abbey, we began our feast!

After our main lunch of sandwiches and salad nicoise, we opened the picnic basket kindly sent to us from Bespoke provides below.

This English gift hamper was full of treats and would typically cost £65 plus £9 P+P. It was utterly darling! look whatsoever the goodies inside:

– Kent and Sussex tea (x 50)
– Canterbury roast coffee (277g)
– Mrs Darlington strawberry jam (340g)
– Edible chocolate flower
– Gooseberry jam (340g)
– Lemon and lime marmalade (340g)
– Thick cut orange marmalade (340g)
– Farmers pickle (300g)
– Caramelised onions chutney (312g)
– border biscuits
– Glacé cherry shortbread (165g)
– Milk chocolate viennese (150g)
– Creme fraiche and spring onion crackers (125g)
– Cheese melt biscuits (60g)
– Manderine bralevarde

I’m still eating Mrs Darlington’s caramelised onion chutney with cheese today! It’s made with love as was the whole day!

So scrumptious, the picnic, my kids, the views. A pretty day with my ideal little family!

Photographs ©Peter Broadbent.

 

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MAKIN’ IT: PRETTY, basic CIRCLE MOBILE

I saw this charming and incredibly basic mobile on Sew She Sews and really wanted to share it. Jaime chose coordinating circles of fabric and stitched them together to form this hanging nursery decoration.

So cute, right? I think this sort of mobile hung high above the changing table might just be the thing to keep Sawyer on his back for the 90 seconds I need to change him. See a lot more pictures (for pinning), full instructions (for following), and reader comments (with a flickr collection of other examples!) on her post, For the love of polka dots ”“ a crib mobile tutorial.

Since a lot of of us don’t have Whitney’s stash of charming fabrics sitting around, Jaime sells a diy kit through her etsy shop so you can make a mobile yourself without gathering all of the supplies. She’s talented and thoughtful.

Baby mobile not your thing? choose another fun Makin’ it project.

The lots of benefits of Tommie Copper Compression wear

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After an intense workout or a long run I normally have rigid as well as sore muscles as well as body aches.  This signals that I worked my body hard.  often I feel fantastic about the pains as well as aches, however when I have a hectic afternoon chasing after my youngsters as well as taking them to their after-school activities, sore muscles sluggish me down.Now with Tommie Copper’s Pro+Onic copper technology, active mommies like myself can keep up with their youngsters without fretting about body aches as well as pains.  Their full line of compression wear for guy as well as women infuse high density triggered copper into their performance yarns. This copper infused material releases ions, which may assist minimize the oxidants in the body as well as is a natural, long-term anti-bacterial agent with skin benefits.Copper has lots of health and wellness benefits.  It boosts oxygen transfer in compression products, neutralizes “free radicals,” enhances muscle mass tone, emits ions, has been utilized in medicine for countless years as well as is one of the needed micro-nutrients discovered naturally in the body.

Tommie Coppers collection for women includes whatever you would requirement to be comfortable working out inside your home or outdoors in any type of type of weather.  They bring scarves, compression socks as well as leggings, jackets, long as well as short sleeved shirts, compression gloves as well as sleeves, shorts as well as storage tank tops. Their product line likewise is available in a large range of colors to fit any type of style.

Tommie Copper’s material feels soft as well as elegant against my skin. After a great workout my muscles were less sore than usual. The leggings as well as long sleeved compression tee shirt are best for the cooler climate right here in Spokane, Washington. When I wear Tommie Copper I feel cool, comfortable as well as confident.

For a lot more info about Tommie Copper as well as to view their total catalog go to TommieCopper.com.

*Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I got products from Tommie Copper in exchange for this review. All opinions are precise as well as 100% mine.

About Our Founder

Cascia Talbert is a hectic blogger,  and mom of five children, living in Spokane, WA. With a B.A. in history as well as legislation as well as a enthusiasm for composing as well as staying healthy, she started The healthy mommies Magazine in 2007. The healthy mommies magazine is currently placed the top health and wellness blog for moms. Ms. Talbert believes that if moms are well informed on health and wellness problems as well as exactly how to stay healthy, they can pass that info down to their kids as well as reverse the youth obesity stats in the U.S.

Ms. Talbert  runs the Healthy mommies Social Network, is the creator of Healthy mommies Media, as well as likewise blogs at talbertzoo.com. You can comply with her on facebook.com/TheHealthyMomsMag, and twitter.com/cltalbert.

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MAKIN’ IT: easy photo PLACEMATS

This is a quickie craft project to turn a stack of photos, like the ones my mom is always sending me, into personalized placemats for sloppy eaters. We have several of these and they make me very happy.

Finished placemat, getting put to the test

My cousins originally created unique placemats that were photo collages of my life and Alec’s life up until the moment we were engaged as a bridal shower favor. Each side of the family had provided pictures of our babydom and childhood and they were intermixed with more recent photos of us together. We ate off of them during the bridal shower and were sent home with a stack of 12 one-of-a-kind placemats.

When Holden graduated from the feeding chair to eating at the table with us, we busted out the placemats to catch his food-overflow. He loves them because he can see his extended family every morning (as well as baby-daddy, little-kid-mommy, and other younger characters from his life).

In the interest of full disclosure, Alec hates these placemats because they showcase some of his geekier looks (boy in cage, boy with huge hair, and mismatched boy of the seventies) while I think they’re charming (me at prom, me looking remarkably like my son, me with good hair, and me with my dad).

I created a few more current placemats so I could share the technique with you. Holden and Milo love seeing themselves in pictures over breakfast!

Collage in progress

Here are the steps to creating your own custom photo placemats:

Gather materials: a stack of photos, scissors, glue stick (or tape), and some construction paper.

Snip and layout a simple collage. glue it down. If your kids (or relatives) are score-keepers, make sure each page is a fair balance of your cast of characters.

Bring to Kinko’s FedExOffice for lamination. request that they leave a 1/2 inch border of laminant around your work to keep them water-tight. My first effort (pictured above) had only 1/4 inch and that’s not as good.

All ready for lamination

Variations:

Kid art. use some of your favorite kid art and laminate that. Make sure to label Picasso’s name and date.

Educational. Why not laminate a map or label some pictures with vocabulary words?

Proper place-setting. I don’t know about you, but I still forget where the fork, knife, spoon goes in relation to the cup. What about drawing outlines for these so your kid can learn correctly?

Freestyle. What else have you seen that you immediately wanted to copy? Can you draw something awesome? print out a coloring sheet? write simple words in a foreign language? draw a family tree?

You can lay them out in the span of one nap and drop them off on a walk to pick up another time.

Once you get the hang of these, you’ll have your own bright ideas. Please share them in the comments to inspire us!

Not interested in cheesy placemats? find one of our other Makin’ It simple diy projects.

SAWYER’S BIRTH STORY: CHOLESTASIS triggers early INDUCTION

It’s Birth story time. If you’re new here, my third infant Sawyer was born in 2011. Whereas Holden’s birth was a extremely scientific 44-hour ordeal as well as Milo’s birth was a quick as well as simple four-hour walk in the park, Sawyer split the difference at 24 hours as well as a new type of medical drama.

The pregnancy had new difficulties for me — advanced maternal age, prolonged diabetes test, half marathon, a cough that lasted my entire celebration trimester ”“ however I went into my final month of pregnancy healthy as well as radiant. people were so good to me. At 34 weeks, I had this incredible series of photos taken by professional photographer Brian Smith at the BlogHer seminar in my preferred blue dress.

The itching starts
Monday after the conference, I was exhausted. I likewise discovered that my skin was feeling itchy as well as my hands were red as well as puffy. I presumed it was from the additional heat, walking, as well as flying. I called in a beautiful at-home mom masseuse who provided me a chamomile massage as well as suggested that I drink tea as well as take it easy.

Soon after drinking the tea, my skin ended up being even much more itchy particularly my hands as well as feet. The itching subsided after a few days.

On Friday night, we were on a double date with friends. I keep in mind it was a special night since Karen as well as Ross told us they were expecting their very first baby, so all of us headed to a tea shop after dinner for our after-dinner drinks. once again I purchased the chamomile since I believed it was the most mild/gentle tea available. Again, the itchy hands as well as feet came back. This time, I wondered if there was a connection between the tea as well as my incredibly itchy extremities. It did not subside.

My whole body was itchy however my hands as well as feet were the worst. I appeared like a crazy monkey. On heroine. At night, the feeling was much more intense. I wanted I had a metal clean to scratch at my palms as well as soles of my feet.

I had heard that itchy skin was typical toward the end of pregnancy however this felt different.

By 35-weeks pregnant, after fervent googling as well as trolling the babycenter boards, I found a condition as well as asked my physicians to test me for it: obstetric cholestasis.

It takes about a week to get results for the bile acid test. My own preferred OB was on getaway so I satisfied with others in the exact same practice. The dr. who verified my suspicions made it noise extremely serious while the next dr. I saw made it seem like no huge deal. My bile acid levels were evaluated at 41 (and they stated anything over 20 is cause for concern).

Cholestasis is a liver condition that occurs to 1 out of 1000 expecting women. essentially my liver couldn’t breakdown bile acids so they end up in my blood stream triggering me to itch around endlessly 24 hours a day. It has the prospective to put the infant at high danger too. extremely high risk. like still birth high risk.

I was provided a prescription for Urso as well as asked to find in for biweekly non-stress tests (fetal tracking for 30 minutes laying flat on my back) in addition to my regular visits around 37 weeks. I took the Urso medication which didn’t seem to help; stopped eating all food with fat in it (which is everything!); as well as bought this special anti-itch Sarna lotion. The lotion made my skin feel better, however I couldn’t shake the picture that whatever I was eating was attacking my baby. Time seemed to be the enemy. Three days after my very first test, the levels were pushing 70.

After freaking out on the babycenter birth club boards I discovered that bile acid levels over 40 are a strong indicator to provide early. These levels can double overnight as well as do not seem to be assisted by basic anti-stress testing or fetal monitoring.

On some level, I had really hoped that I was overreacting. when my physician came back from her vacation, she stated that we needed to get the infant out before 38 weeks or danger stillbirth. My liver enzymes were attacking the fetus as well as birth was the only remedy. We selected 37.5 weeks for the induction.

I kept it quite peaceful on the internets as well as among my real-life buddies as well however the night before my arranged induction, I sent out a fleet of “pray for me” emails to the numerous people in my life who I would want to understand if the worst happened.

My induction was arranged for Holden’s second day of 1st grade while Milo’s preschool was closed for the week. Luckily, my mom was able to find in on short notice. Her primary task would be juggling my two young boys as well as keeping them pleased as well as fed.

The morning of the induction.
I was dropped off alone at the medical facility to begin the process as well as Alec joined me (by bike) when the morning logistics were sorted.

It was strange being at the medical facility however not in labor. I inspected in on foursquare. I checked out my depressing book on the iPad. I was bored. concerned for the baby, however bored.

Alec as well as I hung out while we waited for labor to begin. He keeps in mind me taking a pill to begin contractions; I was likewise hooked as much as an IV drip of something. We viewed I like you, guy on the iPad. I ate a ton of red Jello as well as slurped poultry broth. We debated infant names, we were down to two names that we both liked. We walked the halls together with me clutching my IV stand on wheels.

I heard shrieks as well as screams from down the hall. The lady had run out of time for her epidural. F that.

Every time a new physician came on shift, I repeated my fervent rate of interest in having an epidural: Blah blah, third baby, last one came fast. “Oh yes,” the nurses would certainly keep that in mind.

Around midnight, after taking induction meds all day, the physician told me I wasn’t even in labor as well as I ought to be eating genuine food. What the hell? Seriously, what had I been doing if this wasn’t even labor? I was not pleased. however I did have dinner.

Ultimately, I spent about 12 to 15 hours hooked as much as the IV drip of pitocin before anything looking like labor started happening. Contractions as well as labor pain began in earnest around 3am the next day. I got the epidural in time. I pushed for around 20 minutes. Sawyer was born healthy as well as strong at 8:18am on Thursday.

We texted our liked ones the details: infant boy!! 21″ 8#5oz no name yet.

What a huge boy! I had feared that he would be small or his lungs would be immature since he was coming so early. Neither of those fears concerned pass. Instead, he was so inflamed from IV fluid that he didn’t regain to his birth weight for abut 4 weeks.

Can you see exactly how puffed out all his bit skin is? So numerous rolls.

My healing was all about the swelling. The sheer size of my feet, ankles, calves, as well as all the method up past my knees because of pregnancy water retention topped off with IV fluids from my birth had me persuaded I was in kidney failure. I almost inspected myself into the ER. Cankles past my knees, people!!

I never discovered out if drinking the chamomile tea had anything to finish with my liver issues however I haven’t touched it in over a year.

Welcome infant sibling, we like you

WRITE YOUR MOMOIRS

Cori Howard, author of between Interruptions: Thirty women tell the reality about Motherhood wishes to motivate us all to compose down our “momoirs”.

To get started:

Get a notebook as well as to keep it with them at all times. You never understand when you may discover a spare few minutes, or when as well as where your bit angel may autumn asleep. having a notebook means you’re a mobile writer as well as all moms are mobile!

Have belief in your own story. There’s a great deal of composing on motherhood out there, however each of us has a unique point of view as well as a unique experience as well as almost all the moms I know, never tire of hearing new stories.

If you get stuck as well as don’t understand where to start, to just pick a topic: preschool, the dinner table, stating goodbye, faith. Those usually stimulate some amazing stories in my classes.

She likewise tells us:

In the crazy, overwhelming chaos of daily life as a mother, there is so much to compose about, as well as so bit time. From memorializing your daughter’s sentences to your inner struggle with your post-baby identity, there are a millions stories you want to remember. The very first thing I did upon ending up being a mom (after the identity crisis, the aspiration dilemma as well as the marriage dilemma kind of subsided) was compose a book, an anthology about all this struggle (Between Interruptions: Thirty women tell the reality about Motherhood).

After getting lots of emails from women wanting to understand if there was a sequel as well as if I was thinking about hearing their stories, I decided to begin mentor “momoir” classes, assisting women get their personal experience with motherhood into well-crafted words, whether it’s for themselves or to publish in a magazine or as a book.

If you want to discover more, or checked out a few of the new stories written by Cori’s students, inspect out: TheMomoirProject.com. Canadians can discover in-person classes in both Toronto as well as Vancouver too! Or grab her book, between Interruptions: Thirty women tell the reality about Motherhood.

Related activity: Track your new mom milestones

MAKING BABY-PAINTED greeting CARDS {ROOKIE mothers difficulty #6}

When I saw Activity #6, paint Your Baby’s Feet, I understood I might put my own spin on this for my husband’s birthday card this year as well as have my son, Eli, make it.

A bit backstory: When we were dating, my other half as well as I were quite huge gift givers. whatever from skydiving to sleigh rides as well as even diamond earrings, we both went all out when it concerned birthdays, Christmas as well as the sacred dating anniversary. After we got married as well as started sharing a bank account, those lavish gifts rapidly fell by the wayside, not since we didn’t want to provide the other person special things, however since the other person didn’t want to get them any type of more. I’ll never fail to remember the time I bought a canine sledding experience for my outdoorsy, animal-loving husband, as well as he sheepishly (and kindly) asked me to return it.

OUCH. however I understood. since just the year prior, I had requested a “no-frills” birthday – we we were DINKS (If you haven’t heard that before, that’s double Income, No Kids) as well as typically bought anything we truly desired whether it was our birthday or not, so I wasn’t in requirement of anything, as well as a dinner out costs high quality time with my other half was gift sufficient for me. (My exactly how things modification when ending up being a self-sufficient adult!)

One of the other things that has fallen to the wayside in the name of saving money is buying cards. I don’t understand about you, however I’d much rather spend my $4.00 on a fully-loaded latte than on a piece of paper. We still compose cards for every occasion, however normally they’re homemade.

What we did: I started out by totally covering Eli’s high chair in plastic. We have the Ikea Antilop high chair,(Amazing for only $25!) as well as while it’s totally wipeable, I wasn’t sure exactly how it would hold as much as paint. I likewise chose to switch him from his typical fabric diapers into a disposable, as well as it’s a great thing I did – since this activity is untidy – remarkable – however messy.

To try to manage the amount of paint he played with, I took a paper plate with a lot of paint on it as well as dipped his hands into it, then let him play. At first, he truly didn’t care about the paper, he just wished to gaze at his hand. Please notice the crossed-eyes below. His eyes were stuck like that while he turned his hand around as well as around for a great five minutes.

Eventually, I took his hands as well as showed him exactly how he might “paint” the paper as well as he took rate of interest in seeing the colors transfer from his hands to the paper, as well as the plastic, as well as his body, as well as of course, his mouth.

To keep it simple, I just selected two colors, blue as well as red, as well as I tried to let the blue dry a bit before I let him relocation on to the red, just so things wouldn’t turn as well brown.

Before he started painting, I cut out a couple pieces of cardstock to 8.5” x 5.5” as well as folded them in half to look like cards, as well as I kept a handful of extra 8”x10” sheets on hand so he might make a few pieces of art for us to hang on a chalkboard wall we have in our house.

Here are a few of his masterpieces.

I’m hoping these will be worth billions of dollars someday when Eli grows as much as be a master artist. You never know!

Oh, as well as right here are 10 recipes for homemade, edible paint or you can likewise purchase non-toxic paint in situation you want to try this as well!

[Photo credit: Laura Wifler — all rights reserved]

Find much more infant activities with the 52 regular rookie mother challenges.

If you’re already participating, utilize hashtag #rookiemoms on instagram or twitter so we can applaud each other on.