Some of my favorite things

Well I haven't really gotten the chance to do anything new in the last couple days but I thought I would post something anyways. Everyone has some favorite things and I wanted to share some of mine with you all. This list is a great way to get to know other people better but it also a great cheat sheet for the significant other in case they need some inspiration for gifts or special moments. (Hint, hint...Christmas is coming up!)

Favorite...

Candy: Sweetarts
Candy bar: Snickers
Nonalcoholic Drink: Apple juice
Alcoholic Drink: Reisling
Author: Tamora Pierce
Poet: Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Playwright: a tie between Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde 
Movie: A tie between the Harry Potter series and the newer Star Trek movie
Music: I love soundtracks especially of musicals
Date: I know it's cheesy and not very original but a dinner and a movie
Food: Desserts are my weakness but I also love cheese, bread and fruit (or cheese plates).
Me time: A good book, a hot bubble bath, something warming to drink and candles
Family time: Going to local festivals and family events
Holiday: New Years (I love the romanticism of the holiday and how everyone is excited about the new things to come)
Place in America: Seattle, Washington
Place in the world: Edinburgh, Scotland
New experience: visiting a new place or eating at a new restaurant



There are a ton of things you can add to this list but the idea is that it helps those around you get to know you a little bit better. Or, if you have a spouse like mine who has to be reminded of these things, it's a great little cheat sheet for them. There are a ton of things you can do with this information from planning a party, getting a gift or even learning something new about a friend. So, fill out a little list for your loved ones and ask them to do the same and let the fun begin. You can even change it a bit and have it apply to your kids! For example...

Connor's favorites...

Drink: Cranberry juice
Food: blueberries, grapes, pasta, pancakes
Book: Anything with animals
Movie: Veggietales
TV show: Super Why
Toys: Blocks, puzzles and dinosaurs
Craft: coloring and painting
Thing: Froggie (his little blanket with a frog head)
 

 

Mommies Groups

Today's post is about Mommies' Groups. I am personally a member of three different ones. The first one is a local group for Mommies of Little Ones. The second is a local baby wearing group. The third is a group of women from all over the world who were due in the same month as me, and we have stayed in contact. I wanted to talk a little about the different types of groups out there and how to find them.

The Age-Based Local Mommies' Group:

I love my local mommies' group and I think they are a great idea for new mommies as well as mommies with many kids. Local groups let you meet other moms in the area while getting out of the house and socializing both yourself and your kids. What I like about this group in particular is that we are moms with various backgrounds and interests, both working and stay at home, who are bound together through having kids. It gives you lots of various opinions and insights into different parenting styles and personalities. It's also a great way to find other kids around the same age as your children before they are in school. We do playdates, potlucks, moms nights out and other various activities together.  I found a few local mommies groups by using Meetup. After attending a meetup (an event held by the group), I decided which one was the best fit for me and my family. You can do a local search for yourself using yahoo meetup or even facebook. You can check out my mommies group at http://www.meetup.com/Mommies-of-Infants-Toddlers/ or https://www.facebook.com/groups/louisvillemommies/ They are closed groups so you won't see that much info unless you join, but you can at least see what I am talking about.

The Parenting Theory-Based Mommies Group:

The second group is a local baby-wearing group. This group is not really so much about playdates and other get-togethers, but more based on the interest of baby-wearing. This group hosts monthly meetings to talk about the different ways you can "wear" or carry your baby (or toddler). Most people have heard of the Moby Wrap or the Ergo Baby as popular baby carriers but there are other options out there too. Mommies or daddies interested in baby-wearing use a carrier of some form to wear their baby more often than not. It is a way to bond with your child. I found this local group by various means. the first was through another mommy's reference. She told me about the group and I checked it out. I also heard about this group through one of the local natural parenting stores, Mama's Hip. Last, I made contact with them through the facebook page they have. So if you are looking for a group of mommies that share a particular parenting philosophy or theme I suggest using your local resources like the local baby boutiques or other local mommies first. Second, do a Facebook or Meetup search and see what you find. Here is the link to the group. It is also closed so you would have to join to see more info. https://www.facebook.com/groups/KBWers/ You can also go here to see the local store I was talking about http://mamas-hip.com/

The Pregnancy Due Date Mommies' Group:

While I was pregnant with my second, I found Mothering.com. It is a website for parents who tend to lean towards natural parenting. I joined a due date club based on my due date month and talked to women around the world who were as pregnant as I was. We shared our grumpiness and happiness, our fears and hopes, our aches and pains, and our beautiful babies as they were born. Now that the babies are here, some have left the group, but quite a few of us remain in touch. We come from all over so there are many different cultures and beliefs but we remain connected through our babies. It's a great way to talk to other moms about any issues you are having from diapering to feeding to sleeping. It's also a great group to talk about what your little one has achieved so far and see cute baby photos! I found this group by searching for natural parenting sites because that was what was important to me. However, you can find a due date group on most pregnancy and baby sites like thebump.com or babycenter.com.


No matter what type of mommies' group you are looking for, you can probably find one that suits your needs and lifestyle. The best way is to do a search on networking sites like www.facebook.com or www.meetup.com However, don't underestimate the recommendations of local business owners and other mommies in the area!     

Day 36 - Expectant Mamas Giveaway!

Ok, here goes anything. The Expectant Mamas Giveaway starts at 12:01am tonight. I hope you all enter to win. It's good if you are pregnant, if you plan on getting pregnant again or even as a great present for someone you know. Here's some pictures of what you will win again. Good luck!

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Day 35 - Last Part of Giveaway 2

Ok, sorry for the hold up on this one. Here is the last item for the Expectant Mamas Giveaway. I hope you all like it and spread it around!

Pregnancy Tips for the Clueless Chick:

I sure at some point most of you have picked up a copy of What to Expect When You're Expecting. Well, Pregnancy Tips for the Clueless Chick by Jennifer Durbin is so much better! It's like What to Expect's Cliffnotes plus it answers a lot of the questions that the other pregnancy books leave out. It's less than 100 pages long and it is an easy and quick read. At the back of the book, there are even tear out guides to take with you when you go to interviews with doctors and childcare providers and even for starting your registry. This book is perfect for the first time mama looking for some quick info or for those expecting their second or more who wants a quick refresher. Also included is a bookmark/info card with info about what you have to have before you can take baby home and must haves for a nursing basket. It retails for $9.99 and is well worth it! As someone who over researches everything, I would have loved this book while I was pregnant.

 Check back tonight for the chance to enter in this amazing giveaway. I hope you all are as super excited as I am!
   

Day 34 - Part 2 of Giveaway 2

So, I'm sure you all having been wondering what is in that makeup bag. Well, here it is!

What you get:

I've put together a sampling of some of my favorite things along with some new products on the market. I hope you like it!

 

1. Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy Shampoo
2. Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy Conditioner
3. L'Oreal Evercreme Sulfate free Shampoo
4. L'Oreal Evercreme Sulfate free Conditioner
5. L'Oreal Evercreme Sulfate free Deep Nourishing Masque
6. Garnier Fructis Pure Clean Shampoo
7. Garnier Fructis Pure Clean Conditioner
8. Fekkai Shea Butter Shampoo
9. Fekkai Shea Butter Conditioner
10. Jergens Daily Moisture Lotion
11. Pixi Flawless Beauty Primer
12. Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Night Cream
13. The Good Home Co. Lavender Hand Lotion
14. 2 Medela Tender Care Lanolin
15. 2 Medela Breast Pads
16. DHC Deep Cleansing Oil
17. Lotus Wei Inner Peace Mist
18. Costume Jewelry Ring
19. 15% off one item at Mama's Hip

All of this is in that cute makeup bag and is up for grabs. It comes to over $50 worth of stuff. And there is still one more item I am adding in. I will let you know what it is tomorrow! Remember, this giveaway starts tomorrow and is open until Friday (my birthday). I hope you all are excited as I am! 

Day 33 - Part one of Giveaway 2

Ok, here it is, what you've all been waiting so patiently for. This is the first item to be included in the expectant mommies giveaway. It is a leopard print makeup bag from Target. Every expectant mommy deserves a little pampering and this is just the start. Oh, and just to let you know, this makeup bag will be filled with goodies! I'll have more on that tomorrow.

Day 23 - Winter Cupcakes

Today, I had my second cupcake decorating class. We focused on winter/holiday cupcakes: Christmas trees, ornaments, snowmen, and even hot chocolate (the ones with the candy cane bits). We also made two different cake pops: Santa hats & ornaments. My favorite cupcakes were the snowmen cupcakes that we made, but the hot chocolate cupcakes had the cutest idea. However, all of the cupcakes were very cute and I definitely would make them again. The cake pops, on the other hand, need a lot of work.

Here's the directions to make the snowman cupcake:

What you need per cupcake:

A cupcake
White frosting
Two chocolate chips
Five or six mini chocolate chips
One chocolate graham cracker
One orange slice gummy
Crystallized sugar to cover

What you do per cupcake:

Frost cupcake as smoothly as possible.
Press cupcake top into bowl of crystallized sugar.
Find the middle of the cupcake and place the large chocolate chips slightly above center line for eyes.
Cut out the nose from the orange gummy and insert slightly below eyes for nose. It can be any shape you want.
Using mini chocolate chips, make the snowman's smiling mouth.
Take half of a graham cracker (two of the little partitions), and cut out a rectangle shape and half of an oval very carefully and slowly with a serrated knife to avoid cracking.
To place graham on cupcake, take serrated knife and finding the line of the cupcake where the top of the cupcake and the liner meet. Very gently, slice at horizontal opening to the level of the snowman's eyes.
Insert rectangle into slot.
Using frosting, place frosting on flat edge of the half oval piece and place vertically on top of rectangle to complete to form the hat's brim.
Use any color frosting to decorate hat.

That is a snowman cupcake!

What I thought:

I really enjoyed this class and I'm sad that it's over. I'm looking forward to making some of these cupcakes for my family & friends. Hopefully, I will be taking another class in the spring.

Day 16 - Cupcake Decorating Class

Today I attended the first of two cupcake decorating classes. It was a blast and I learned how to make six different fall themed cupcakes. I've always wanted to learn more about cooking and baking and it is great to get out of the house and do something different not mommy related.

What it is:

JCPS has a lifelong learning program that has a bunch of different classes from carpentry to computers. I thought a bunch of the classes would be interesting to take but decided on taking the cupcake decorating class with my mother in law. You can find all their class listings at this site www.lifelonglearning4u.com
I had a great time learning how to make spider, sunflower, apple, pumpkin, owl and scarecrow cupcakes. It was also great that I got to share it with my mother in law. We don't get to spend much time together but whenever we do we have fun. I will also tell you how to make an owl cupcake since that one was the cutest in my opinion.

What you need:

Cupcakes (however many you want to make)
Frosting (you could use either a buttercream or a chocolate)
Butterscotch candies (2 of the circle ones per cupcake)
Chocolate chips (2 per cupcake)
Whole Cashews (1 per cupcake)
Almond slices (a bunch)

What to do:

First, cut the top off the cupcake so that it is flat on top. Spread frosting on the top so that it is smooth. Take the 2 butterscotch candies and place them a little above the halfway point to make the eyes. Use a little frosting to get the chocolate chips to stick in the middle of the butterscotch candies. Take the cashew and place it as the beak, lengthwise. Using the almond slices, place them around the eyes of the owl sticking up but at a slight angle to make feathers. Repeat for all cupcakes.

 

What I thought:  

Learning something new is a great way to get out of the house and keep your mind active. I highly recommend taking a course from your local community college or another lifelong learning if you haven't already. It's never too late to try something new or get more experience. It's also good for your mental health to spend some time away from the kids and focus on yourself for a change. That's something I struggle with all the time. Hopefully this will be the start of me remembering that a happy mommy makes a better mommy.