Strawbery Banke Museum celebrates 30th Annual Candlelight Stroll
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Sunday, December 13, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Another Writing Gig!
So, I'm sure you know I write for Examiner.com as the Manchester Family Recreation Examiner. But, last night, I was approved as the Manchester Social Services examiner, as well! This makes me really exited, because I will finally have a regular forum that I can share information that comes to me through work or other means.
Last night, I started by writing a story about 2-1-1 NH, which is a phone number people can call to get information on basic things, and referrals to different services that can help. I don't think enough people know about this service, so I'm really happy to be able to start sharing this with people!
So, if anyone has any information that they think would be relevant, please let me know!
Last night, I started by writing a story about 2-1-1 NH, which is a phone number people can call to get information on basic things, and referrals to different services that can help. I don't think enough people know about this service, so I'm really happy to be able to start sharing this with people!
So, if anyone has any information that they think would be relevant, please let me know!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Holiday Portrait Time
Today, I took Hannah to Target to get her holiday portraits done, and they came out pretty good, considering the poor photographer (Renee) couldn't get Hannah to sit still for more than two seconds! Hannah did pretty darn well herself, too. Since I already had the e-mailed version of the proofs when I got home, I figured I would share them!
It is possible to order extra prints, so if anyone is interested, let me know, and I'll send you the e-mail with all the info on it! I think they came out great!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Fall Volunteer Opportunities
Greetings! I wanted to let you all know about some fall volunteer opportunities coming up at Seacoast Interfaith Hospitality Network, the program for families experiencing homelessness that I work out.
The following are volunteer opportunities that are available through Seacoast IHN.
AUCTION:
Set up crew -
Place: The Masonic Temple, 351 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH
Date: Thursday, November 5th
Time: 9:30 AM until 11:30 AM or until set up complete
Duties: Set up tables, auction items, food tables, check out tables, decorate, assist in other duties
Auction Workers -
Place: Masonic Temple
Date: Thursday, Nov. 5th
Time: 5 PM to 9:30 PM
Duties: Work as an auction assistant. Could be food, sales, general auction, table runners, etc. Break down will begin at 9 PM.
Free food, music, lots of fun
PUMPKIN PATCH WORKERS:
Place: Shaw's Supermarket, Portsmouth Ave, Stratham, NH
Dates: Oct. 18th through Oct. 31
Times: Monday through Saturday 10 AM to 7 PM. Sunday Noon to 6 PM
Duties: Enjoy the outdoors and assist people purchasing pumpkins. Measure and price pumpkins, hand out shelter literature, smile, enjoy. Ability to make change necessary. Must be honest with a desire to assist families with children experiencing homelessness.
Please contact the Seacoast IHN Office at sihnnh@comcast.net or call 603-658-8448
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Long time, no write!
Boy, I haven't sat down long enough to write an actual blog entry in far too long. Not for a lack of spending time at my computer, I just never seem to make it over to Blogger because I'm busy writing for examiner.com or whatever. I just finished up a writing piece about adoption in NH for Parenting NH magazine as well, which kept me pretty busy for a while. That is slated to run in Novembers issue. And, of course, I'm still working at the shelter. I just celebrated my two year anniversary with the program, and have no plans of changing jobs any time soon, or even not so soon.
Hannah is doing really well - she's growing like a weed! I've been working on her Halloween costume a lot lately - I'm making her one this year! She's going to dress up as a monarch butterfly. I'll be able to post some pictures in a couple of weeks when we have our Halloween party at our Wednesday morning moms group.
We went apple picking at DeMeritt Hill Farm not too long ago, which was fun, but I think next time we'll check out another orchard in the area that has wagons, so I don't have to lug both Hannah and the apples at the same time. That makes for a very tired mommy.
John went back to work a little over a month ago, and so far, his school year is off to a good start. He's in the new building now, and his new facilities are really, really nice. He's also been busy teaching lessons outside of school, as well as playing with the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra, Portsmouth Brassworks, and a few other organizations. He had applied for a conducting job with the Nevers Band, based out of Concord, but didn't get it. It kind of works out, though, because it would have been a lot of additional driving for him. Plus, I enjoy getting to see him now and then!
Hannah got glasses at the beginning of September. We discovered she is farsighted, on top of crossing her eyes (acquired esotropia). We got her some lovely purple ones that have no hinges or parts that will break, so she can't do much to hurt them. The two questions we get the most are 1) Are those real, and 2) How do you get her to keep them on?? It gets a little old after a while, especially the "Are those real?" Of course they're real!! You expect that I would fight with my 20-month-old to keep on her fake glasses? I'm not stupid.
Anyway, get off that little rant. I wanted to put up some pictures, but I can't because Blogger won't let me right now... Hopefully again soon!
Hannah is doing really well - she's growing like a weed! I've been working on her Halloween costume a lot lately - I'm making her one this year! She's going to dress up as a monarch butterfly. I'll be able to post some pictures in a couple of weeks when we have our Halloween party at our Wednesday morning moms group.
We went apple picking at DeMeritt Hill Farm not too long ago, which was fun, but I think next time we'll check out another orchard in the area that has wagons, so I don't have to lug both Hannah and the apples at the same time. That makes for a very tired mommy.
John went back to work a little over a month ago, and so far, his school year is off to a good start. He's in the new building now, and his new facilities are really, really nice. He's also been busy teaching lessons outside of school, as well as playing with the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra, Portsmouth Brassworks, and a few other organizations. He had applied for a conducting job with the Nevers Band, based out of Concord, but didn't get it. It kind of works out, though, because it would have been a lot of additional driving for him. Plus, I enjoy getting to see him now and then!
Hannah got glasses at the beginning of September. We discovered she is farsighted, on top of crossing her eyes (acquired esotropia). We got her some lovely purple ones that have no hinges or parts that will break, so she can't do much to hurt them. The two questions we get the most are 1) Are those real, and 2) How do you get her to keep them on?? It gets a little old after a while, especially the "Are those real?" Of course they're real!! You expect that I would fight with my 20-month-old to keep on her fake glasses? I'm not stupid.
Anyway, get off that little rant. I wanted to put up some pictures, but I can't because Blogger won't let me right now... Hopefully again soon!
Friday, October 2, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
I'm so neglectful!
Okay, it's been a really long time since I've done an actual blog post. I spend a lot of time working on my writing for Examiner.com that I find myself neglecting my blog a lot. It's kind of sad, really. But the writing for Examiner has been going well. I've also been doing some freelancing for Parenting NH magazine. I had two articles published in the spring, and will have a third published in October.
John is back to school now. He had three teacher days last week, and will start with his students on Tuesday. One more day off tomorrow, then he's back to a relatively normal schedule, holidays aside. He's been busy with gigs and lessons this summer, but the fall will slow down his performance schedule a bit. He'll be picking up some new students this fall, which is exciting.
We did some projects around the house this summer, like power washing the house, staining the deck and ripping up (two!) linoleum floors to tile the kitchen, which looks fantastic. We still need to lay the decorative tile we're going to put down between the kitchen and living rooms, and then the project will be done.
Hannah is growing and changing every day, which is really fun to watch. She's starting to talk a lot and is using to "use her words." We're still attending moms group at Frisbie Hospital on Wednesdays, but that will change after she turns two, because she'll age out of that group at that point. We'll look into going to a story hour at the library at that point, as well as going to play groups with Little Sprouts, which she can stay in until she's 5.
I never got the chance to post her 18 month photos, so I will put them up here:
I'm hoping to start finding some time to get out and do more "adult" stuff on my own too. I joined a knitting group that I haven't gotten to go to once yet, and would love to get there before the end of the year! =) I'm also hoping to maybe join a book group, but I've got so many books I want to read before I get to do that! I'm currently reading The Host by Stephenie Meyer, and before that I read the entire Twilight saga in 8 days (also by Stephenie Meyer), and I have read Lucky by Alice Sebold, The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood, and The Shack by William P. Young, all of which were excellent books. I'm re-reading the Twilight saga as well, but now that I'm on the 4th book again, I've sort of put it back on the back burner so I could get through the rest of my "to read" list. I want to re-read the Chronicles of Narnia for fun, and I want to read Crime and Punishment because I found it at a library book sale for $1. I've also got a copy of Memoirs of a Geisha that I've been looking forward to reading too, and I've had my eye on Unconventional by J.J. Hebert.
I guess that's about all from here. Hope to start getting into posting more often again, now that we'll be back in our routine!
John is back to school now. He had three teacher days last week, and will start with his students on Tuesday. One more day off tomorrow, then he's back to a relatively normal schedule, holidays aside. He's been busy with gigs and lessons this summer, but the fall will slow down his performance schedule a bit. He'll be picking up some new students this fall, which is exciting.
We did some projects around the house this summer, like power washing the house, staining the deck and ripping up (two!) linoleum floors to tile the kitchen, which looks fantastic. We still need to lay the decorative tile we're going to put down between the kitchen and living rooms, and then the project will be done.
Hannah is growing and changing every day, which is really fun to watch. She's starting to talk a lot and is using to "use her words." We're still attending moms group at Frisbie Hospital on Wednesdays, but that will change after she turns two, because she'll age out of that group at that point. We'll look into going to a story hour at the library at that point, as well as going to play groups with Little Sprouts, which she can stay in until she's 5.
I never got the chance to post her 18 month photos, so I will put them up here:
I'm hoping to start finding some time to get out and do more "adult" stuff on my own too. I joined a knitting group that I haven't gotten to go to once yet, and would love to get there before the end of the year! =) I'm also hoping to maybe join a book group, but I've got so many books I want to read before I get to do that! I'm currently reading The Host by Stephenie Meyer, and before that I read the entire Twilight saga in 8 days (also by Stephenie Meyer), and I have read Lucky by Alice Sebold, The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood, and The Shack by William P. Young, all of which were excellent books. I'm re-reading the Twilight saga as well, but now that I'm on the 4th book again, I've sort of put it back on the back burner so I could get through the rest of my "to read" list. I want to re-read the Chronicles of Narnia for fun, and I want to read Crime and Punishment because I found it at a library book sale for $1. I've also got a copy of Memoirs of a Geisha that I've been looking forward to reading too, and I've had my eye on Unconventional by J.J. Hebert.
I guess that's about all from here. Hope to start getting into posting more often again, now that we'll be back in our routine!
Friday, August 28, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Ignore This
I'm trying to just get a link for a picture I need to use somewhere else. Please ignore this picture =)
Monday, August 3, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
The Good Home Cookbook
What I got was a whole lot more!
The book is full of tips and tricks for preparing different foods, such as chicken, fish, meats, and other things. There are great references for conversions, substitutions, canning and food preparation, among other things. I gave a copy of The Good Home Cookbook to my mother-in-law as well, and we have had fun discussing which recipes we like, and which ones we can't wait to try. My personal favorite is a recipe for steak kababs using a marinade that is so perfect, I use it for tons of stuff! One of my families favorites, too, is the recipe for chicken noodle cassarole.
The thing I like the best about it is that most of the food is all homemade, but using things that are easy to find. I like feeling like I am making the best food choices I can for my family, and this cookbook allows me to do just that. Often times, when I find myself planning meals for the week, all of them come from just flipping the pages of the book and seeing something that looks delicious!
The best part about The Good Home Cookbook is that the recipes aren't intimidating to try, and the ones I have tried have been hard to mess up. Many that I've done even allow some wiggle room for me to make substitutions or eliminations (for mushrooms, for example) that don't cause the final product to be an inedible mess.
I strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cooking, or is looking for some great, easy, family friendly recipes! Please check it out!
Win a Wii Fit!
With childhood obesity reaching an all time high across the country, many parents struggle with how to help their children maintain a healthy weight with proper nutrition.
Dr. Joanna Dolgoff, the official doctor of Camp Shane and a board certified pediatrician, has created Dr. Dolgoff's Weigh, a traffic-light system that allows kids to learn which foods are healthiest without counting calories. To spread the word about her site and program, Dr. Weigh, is sponsoring a Wii Fit contest to help you get your family up and moving this summer!
To enter to win the #KidsWeigh Wii Fit contest, check out client testimonials and fabulous Dr. Weigh success stories then fill out this secure contest form telling us which story was your favorite!
Form: http://tinyurl.com/
(optional content follows) Want a chance to speak with Dr. Dolgoff about your nutritional questions and win more prizes?
Join her Friday, July 10th at 9 p.m. ET on Twitter for her #KidsWeigh discussion. Door prizes will be awarded. To RSVP and for more information go to:
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
Getting into the summer routine
Hitting up summer vacation can be tricky in our house, because John is suddenly both home all the time, and never at all, if that makes any sense. He's home during the day, which makes me get all screwed up figuring out what day of the week it is, but he's out a lot at night with rehearsals and gigs on the weekends.
Fortunately, we were able to have an enjoyable 4th of July weekend with hardly any rain, for the first time since summer started! We went to Hancock to visit my parents and see the fireworks there. We had a great time visiting the Friendly Farm, and taking Hannah to her first fireworks show! She did great, which was awesome. She only cried a little near the beginning, but got over it really fast!
I'm still working my 2 days a week schedule, which works out well for us doing things on the weekend, because I have a 4 day weekend. I just signed up for a knitting group as something new to do to get out of the house that is something that would be just for me. I already can't make it to the next meeting because it's Wednesday evening and John's got a rehearsal, but since they try to meet every other Wednesday or Thursday, I will be able to get to one probably on the 22nd. I'm looking forward to meeting some people in the area that aren't just at moms group (though the people I have met there are awesome).
Anyway, I wanted to share pictures from our latest trip to the Friendly Farm, but Blogger won't let me... I will keep trying though!
Fortunately, we were able to have an enjoyable 4th of July weekend with hardly any rain, for the first time since summer started! We went to Hancock to visit my parents and see the fireworks there. We had a great time visiting the Friendly Farm, and taking Hannah to her first fireworks show! She did great, which was awesome. She only cried a little near the beginning, but got over it really fast!
I'm still working my 2 days a week schedule, which works out well for us doing things on the weekend, because I have a 4 day weekend. I just signed up for a knitting group as something new to do to get out of the house that is something that would be just for me. I already can't make it to the next meeting because it's Wednesday evening and John's got a rehearsal, but since they try to meet every other Wednesday or Thursday, I will be able to get to one probably on the 22nd. I'm looking forward to meeting some people in the area that aren't just at moms group (though the people I have met there are awesome).
Anyway, I wanted to share pictures from our latest trip to the Friendly Farm, but Blogger won't let me... I will keep trying though!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Migration and moving?
Okay, I figured that I was going to try to enter into the realm of paid blogging, so I planned to migrate my blog to Wordpress. Did that, got it all set up. Only then did I come to find out that I can't put up half of the things I have been able to have in my sidebars on this blog. Unfortunate too, because it seems that Wordpress is capable of so much more. Unfortunately, in order to put up any of the widgits on the side that I want to use. If I wanted to put them up, I would have to find my own host and start using wordpress.ORG instead of wordpress.COM. Ugh.
So, until I can afford to utilize wordpress the way I'd like to, it's not really worth it for me to migrate. At least not right now.
So, until I can afford to utilize wordpress the way I'd like to, it's not really worth it for me to migrate. At least not right now.
Monday, May 18, 2009
What a week!
Well, for those of you that hadn't already heard, Hannah and I were in a car accident on Tuesday, 5/12. While no one was injured, the car wasn't quite so lucky, and I totaled my 2003 Hyundai Elantra hatchback. It was quite unfortunate because the car was running great, just had two new tires put on it, and everything...
I was driving home from work on Tuesday, and was coming up to an intersection with a stoplight. I noted that the light was green, and figured that the line of traffic would be moving by the time I got there. I set down a container of animal crackers that I had been giving Hannah on the passengers seat. The faux pas was that I also happened to look at the container as I set it down, and when I looked back up, the traffic was not moving, and I hit the car in front of me while driving about 35-40 miles per hour. I slammed on the breaks, but to no avail. I hit him, and he careened into the car in front of him, which, fortunately for me, was an SUV, so there wasn't a ton of damage there.
The car that I hit was also totaled, which makes me feel terrible. The SUV was relatively unscathed, just some bumper damage. Fortunately, there were no injuries, just some bumps and bruises. Also fortunately, my insurance covers most of the cost of a rental car, so I was able to drive one of those until we found a new vehicle, which we did on Sunday.
After lots of test driving and looking, we settled on a used 2008 Chevrolet Malibu LT V6. We went back and forth between an '06 and an '08, but ultimately decided we would get more years out of the newer car, despite them having just about the same number of miles.
Those are the photos of the car we bought off the dealers website. It rides great and is very comfortable inside. The trunk is very, very roomy, so it will serve as a good trip car when we need to take it on long rides.
That's about all the news from here, and that's about all the news I want from here right now! Hoping things go back to normal now!
I was driving home from work on Tuesday, and was coming up to an intersection with a stoplight. I noted that the light was green, and figured that the line of traffic would be moving by the time I got there. I set down a container of animal crackers that I had been giving Hannah on the passengers seat. The faux pas was that I also happened to look at the container as I set it down, and when I looked back up, the traffic was not moving, and I hit the car in front of me while driving about 35-40 miles per hour. I slammed on the breaks, but to no avail. I hit him, and he careened into the car in front of him, which, fortunately for me, was an SUV, so there wasn't a ton of damage there.
The car that I hit was also totaled, which makes me feel terrible. The SUV was relatively unscathed, just some bumper damage. Fortunately, there were no injuries, just some bumps and bruises. Also fortunately, my insurance covers most of the cost of a rental car, so I was able to drive one of those until we found a new vehicle, which we did on Sunday.
After lots of test driving and looking, we settled on a used 2008 Chevrolet Malibu LT V6. We went back and forth between an '06 and an '08, but ultimately decided we would get more years out of the newer car, despite them having just about the same number of miles.
Those are the photos of the car we bought off the dealers website. It rides great and is very comfortable inside. The trunk is very, very roomy, so it will serve as a good trip car when we need to take it on long rides.
That's about all the news from here, and that's about all the news I want from here right now! Hoping things go back to normal now!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Lots to update!
Well, I feel like I've been doing generic posts lately. I should feel that way, because it's true! But I'm trying to increase readership of my blog with various different things, so I am hoping that this is going to help. I won a contest out of the deal too, which is nice - I won a free book that I can't wait to get! Sometimes this blogging thing is nice for getting free stuff!
Anyway, to play catch up:
I had a great Mothers Day yesterday! John and Hannah gave me some really sweet cards, and John bought me a new digital camera! Mine died about a month ago, and I've been camera-less since then, which has been really hard for me. Last year I took almost 1500 pictures, so I have really felt weird not having my camera!
We bought a Canon SX110 IS, and so far, the pictures have been looking really good! We still need to get a new memory card for it, because we just have the stock one it came with, and the older ones we had won't work in this camera.
Fortunately, the new card we'll need to get is really inexpensive, so it won't break us to buy a new one. So far the pictures I've taken with it are coming out really good, and it's almost easier to use than my old S1, which makes me really happy!
We went to my parents house for a cookout yesterday, since it was also my dads birthday, and my grandmothers 83rd birthday will be next Sunday. We always put all three celebrations together into one party. My parents are going away on a trip this spring and will be leaving on Friday, so it worked out well to do it yesterday. Next Saturday, my sister and I are taking my grandmother out to lunch as her birthday present. Since my parents will be away, we didn't want her to spend her birthday weekend alone, so we decided that it would be fun and a nice gift to take her out.
I was finally able to take some pictures of the sun hat I made for Hannah too:
That is the Adorabubble sunhat pattern. For some reason, I couldn't seem to make it work the first time I tried it about a year ago, but this time it worked fine. Maybe I've just gotten better since then. I used the Ecoknit yarn for it, so I made the 2T-3T size, and it fits her fine.
I think that's about it for now... Have to get showered and dressed - taking Hannah to the library today, and then we're going out to lunch with a friend. Yay!
Anyway, to play catch up:
I had a great Mothers Day yesterday! John and Hannah gave me some really sweet cards, and John bought me a new digital camera! Mine died about a month ago, and I've been camera-less since then, which has been really hard for me. Last year I took almost 1500 pictures, so I have really felt weird not having my camera!
We bought a Canon SX110 IS, and so far, the pictures have been looking really good! We still need to get a new memory card for it, because we just have the stock one it came with, and the older ones we had won't work in this camera.
Fortunately, the new card we'll need to get is really inexpensive, so it won't break us to buy a new one. So far the pictures I've taken with it are coming out really good, and it's almost easier to use than my old S1, which makes me really happy!
We went to my parents house for a cookout yesterday, since it was also my dads birthday, and my grandmothers 83rd birthday will be next Sunday. We always put all three celebrations together into one party. My parents are going away on a trip this spring and will be leaving on Friday, so it worked out well to do it yesterday. Next Saturday, my sister and I are taking my grandmother out to lunch as her birthday present. Since my parents will be away, we didn't want her to spend her birthday weekend alone, so we decided that it would be fun and a nice gift to take her out.
I was finally able to take some pictures of the sun hat I made for Hannah too:
That is the Adorabubble sunhat pattern. For some reason, I couldn't seem to make it work the first time I tried it about a year ago, but this time it worked fine. Maybe I've just gotten better since then. I used the Ecoknit yarn for it, so I made the 2T-3T size, and it fits her fine.I think that's about it for now... Have to get showered and dressed - taking Hannah to the library today, and then we're going out to lunch with a friend. Yay!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Mamapedia
It's 2:00 a.m. and your three month old is crying...a lot. You're a first time mother, and while you've got a ton of questions, you called your mom at 2:00 in the morning last night about that crazy looking diaper, so you'd really like to get through this one on your own.But where can you turn?
Mamapedia is a new site that takes the wisdom of thousands and thousands of moms and makes is searchable! You can head to the computer with that screaming infant in your arms and type,
"Why does my baby cry so much at night?"
And this is what you'll find - an article about a mom who asked a question titled "Sleepless Nights with a 13 week old" and the responses of forty-four moms. You can read those forty-four answers while bouncing your baby, and with a little luck by the time you are through your infant will be fast asleep and you will feel better as well.
To launch this new mom resource, the Momfluence network and Resourceful Mommy are throwing a party. Join us on Twitter this Friday, May 8th, from 9:00 to 10:00 p.m. eastern time along with mom experts in a variety of parenting areas: multiples, kid crafting, health and safety, potty training, home schooling and more!
During the party, details about a "What Can I Learn Today?" contest will be revealed...along with the incredible grand prize.
Join us by http://resourcefulmommy.blogspot.com/2009/05/mamapedia-sitewarming-friday.html">RSVP'ing here!
This event brought to you by Momfluence: rocking the cradle and shaping the world.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Mothers Day Gift Ideas
Featured Products
Chic and Carry Wristlet - Make mom’s quick trips out with baby much easier with this great product.
Miessence Organics Mothers Day Set - Every mom deserves to be pampered once in awhile, and these organic body products allow her to do just that.
Sara Lee Simply Sweets Pies - Sara Lee’s Simply Sweets line gives you a delicious way to treat Mom this Mother’s Day with a fast, easy and delicious dessert.
Children Should Come With Warning Labels - Patti McKenna offers a humorous take on motherhood, giving mom a chance to laugh, cry, and identify with her tales.
Roundhouse Designs Desktop Mobile - Roundhouse Designs origami mobiles and wall art are handcrafted creations that make a unique Mothers Day gift.
Roundhouse Designs Jewelry - Roundhouse offers a wonderful selection of handmade jewelry, with styles that are perfect for every mother on your list this Mother’s Day.
Heart of A Mother - Heart of a Mother is a gift book filled with touching tributes to Mothers and Grandmothers, inspirational short stories, poems, proverbs and quotations.
Protect-A-Bed - Protect-a-Bed waterproof mattress covers provide protection from allergens, dust mites, and bedbugs, helping to extend the life of your mattress and mom to sleep a little sweeter.
Ultimate Woman Vitamins- Make sure that mom is getting everything she needs to stay healthy and active with the Vitamin Shoppe's Ultimate Woman vitamins.More Great Gift Ideas
April Cornell Shoulder Bag
BabyPlus System
Not Just Any Old Day Keyrings
Menu For The Week Subscription
For My Mother Reflection Journal
Vintage Body Spa
No Throw
Me Time Sportswear
Peek-A-Boobs
Kind Notes
Aventine Hill Bath Products
Treadlight Eco Snack Kit
Name Your Tune CDs
Things Remembered Charm Stories
Diaper Clutch
Pedometer
Lia Sophia Riverside Necklace
Lia Sophia Beaujolais Necklace
Lia Sophia Mandalay Bay Necklace
Lia Sophia Athena Necklace
Lia Sophia Love Dust Set
More Great Gift Guides
The Mom MavenMomECentric
All reviews listed in the Momfluence gift guide were product provided. Featured positions were purchased by sponsors. Member gift guides are not affiliated with Momfluence.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Screen Names
Why is it that when you think you come up with a great screen name for, say, AIM or something, within 6 months, you get bored with it?
Okay, maybe it's just me. I like to change things up now and then. But the one time I came up with a screen name I didn't really want to change, I started getting random IM spam. Okay, come on people, I get enough junk mail as it is, I don't really want you spam IMing me too.
Whatever. I'm going to try to revert back to one of my old screen names to see what happens.
Stay tuned!
Okay, maybe it's just me. I like to change things up now and then. But the one time I came up with a screen name I didn't really want to change, I started getting random IM spam. Okay, come on people, I get enough junk mail as it is, I don't really want you spam IMing me too.
Whatever. I'm going to try to revert back to one of my old screen names to see what happens.
Stay tuned!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
It's a jungle sometimes!
More parenting videos on JuiceBoxJungle
What to do when tempers flare... hmm... Well, with an almost-15-month-old, that can happen way more than I'd like it too. So let see what the best way to handle it is:
1) Scream and yell. Well, I'm pretty sure that's not going to work. That's only going to escalate the situation! On the upside, it can show your kids that you have feelings and get frustrated too, though it probably wouldn't be the preferred method of choice.
2) Ignore them/Walk away from them. Ahhh, yes. As much as I would LOVE for this one to work, it just won't, most of the time. Why? Safety issues. If I ignore my daughter and she finds an uncovered outlet, we're going to have some big, big problems. (Not that I have any uncovered outlets in my house, mind you.) There are a few times that I think it will work: in the supermarket/department store/park/etc. If you ignore the behavior (assuming it's a temper tantrum in the middle of the isle), kids will learn that they won't get the attention they want that way. However, tantrums are ususally a way of a kid expressing their frustration when they don't have the vocabulary for it. They can be scary for kids, because they don't know why their out of control.
3) Firmly tell them why they can't do what they're doing. This one probably makes the most sense to me. Besides, what you're doing is establishing rules/guidelines/givens or any other thing you call them in your house. Using words like "Stop" instead of "Don't" or "No" will likely work better, because, frankly, what's the first think you want to do if someone says "don't open the box on the table!" Get the drift?
So, now it's 3:30pm, way past nap time, your kids having a meltdown, and you can't cope anymore. How do you take care of YOU? Some tips from me.
1) Put your kid in his crib, pack 'n' play, somewhere safe and take a shower.
2) Grab the stroller and go for a walk (weather permitting).
3) Count to 10.
4) Get a drink of water just to get out of the room your in.
5) Seek out help with the kids.
6) Change your laundry over from the washer to the dryer.
7) Tell your kids what's wrong. You'd be amazed at how much help they want to give if you say you're having a hard day too.
8) Try breathing deeply.
Then, start creating a normal routine that incorperates things you enjoy in your free time (whatever THAT is!):
1) Try a new hobby
2) Exercise
3) Become financially savvy - not the same thing as having all kinds of extra money, just know how to use what you have wisely.
4) Delegate tasks. If your kids are old enough to empty the dishwasher, let them! If their not, teach them how to put away the tupperware.
Those are just a few tips from me to you on navigating the "Mommy Meltdown." Don't let the stress get you down - don't let it get to you in the first place!
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