It's been awhile since I did one of these posts. I always love seeing these on other blogs, so here goes.
1) Barilla whole wheat pastas.
Will loves pasta. This is a good way to serve him pasta without feeling guilty about it. You can find these at pretty much any mainstream grocery store.
2) Deceptively Delicious cookbook.
I think I have posted on this before, but now that Will is eating more "Big Kid" food, I am really enjoying a lot of the recipes in this book. A nice side bonus is that my husband (a notorious veggie-hater) is even eating more vegetables. . . and he doesn't even know it! Some of my favorites (and Will's, of course) are the applesauce muffins, chicken nuggets, green eggs, and the meatball soup. Even if you don't follow the recipes exactly, there are good ideas that you can use in other recipes (I now stir purees into almost anything, from boxed mac & cheese to spaghetti sauces to pancakes).
3) Disposable stick on place mats.
This is something that I probably would have made fun of someone for having pre-baby. But now that Will is sitting and eating at restaurants, I have to say that I really love my adhesive place mats. I actually found mine at Tar.get for a lot less than listed here, but couldn't find the link. You can actually get these for free at certain restaurants, but you can never count on it, and if you really look at the tables at restaurants. especially on the side and underneath, where they tend to chew and grab. . . ew.
4) The BEST diaper ointment ever.
I really seriously cannot believe that I haven't posted about this before. It is not the least expensive option, but it WORKS. It leaves a great scent and it stays on the skin for a long time. I love it. It is so worth it. Diaper rash has not been a problem for us since I started using it.
5) Extended-wear/overnight diapers.
These aren't perfect, we have still had some leaks, but not nearly as many as when he was wearing his normal diapers. They are more expensive, but using only one per night, saving on laundry, and not having a soaked-through Little Man at 3 AM. . . priceless!
6) Take n' Toss stuff.
First off, it's clearly a price advantage to purchase these take and toss spoons, forks, cups, etc. You can get a twelve pack of spoons for $2.97. It would cost three or four times that to get those little Ger.ber ones. And if you lose these or don't want to take a dirty one home, well, don't worry about it.
7) Suction, divided, covered plates/dishes.
I could not find a link to the exact ones that I have. I got mine at Tar.get for $4 for a three-pack. These are close, but more expensive. I use these ALL of the time, not just for travel (though that's why the cover is genius), but at home, too.
8) Miracle cream.
You know how the dad in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" thought Wind.ex could cure anything? Well, I am like that with this stuff. Will has a pimple? Aqua.phor. Will gets a scratch? Aqua.phor. I have chapped lips? Aqua.phor. The moon reverses the tides and he is fussy? Aqua.phor. Okay, maybe not that last one, but for reals, this stuff is freakin' amazing. We buy the BIG tub at Tar.get.
So. . . what are your favorite things? Either comment here or put a post of your own up and let me know so I can check it out. I will add a link to this post so that we can all find out each others' favorite stuff.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Inquiring Minds. . .
With the feeling of fall in the air, I find myself with the following questions. . .
1) When can Will have a blanket in his crib?
Right now, he sleeps with two very small, stuffed "lovies" and a small square of a blanket that doesn't even cover his tummy. During the warm, summer months, I dressed him in lightweight jammies. Now that the air is getting brisk, I am using blanket sleepers, but I still worry about him getting a chill. When can he use a blanket?
2) With holiday travel in our near future, what is a good option for a travel bed?
Has anyone used one of these to travel with? We have a standard sized pack n' play, but it doesn't fit in the tight space that we stay at when we are at my in-laws or my parents' houses. Also, it is cumbersome to lug the big ol' pack n' play around, and this sounds like it might be a more space-saving option, especially if we ever get brave enough to travel by airplane. If you have any other small travel bed ideas, or experience with this one in particular, PLEASE leave them for me in the comments section.
3) What toddler-friendly, make-ahead, economical, easy meals do you make during the fall and winter time?
I have a lot of great recipes that I am excited to make, but I am always eager to learn more. Again, please leave in the comments section. As a thank you in advance, here is one of MY favorites. I love it because you can prep it all the night before or the morning of. It just sits in the crock pot all day and makes the house smell like your grandma came over and is making dinner. It is "fancy" enough to serve for guests, but "homey" enough to make for just any old weeknight dinner. This time of year, most grocery stores have really good deals on the cream soups and roast meat cuts so you can stock up and make this recipe really affordable.
BEEF POTROAST RECIPE (CROCKPOT)
1 (12-ounce) bag frozen onions
*I have used cream of mushroom soup and added some diced celery and it tasted almost exactly the same and was a little less expensive.
4) Baby needs new shoes.
Will hates to have shoes on his little feet. He does love to pull them off, though. We have a lot of right shoes and a lot of left shoes, but not a lot of pairs since I don't always see him pull them off. I'll be honest, during the summer months, especially before he was walking, I kind of let it go. Now that he is walking around and it is getting colder outside, he needs to have shoes on. P So, give me some good toddler shoe ideas. I am willing to spend a bit more for good quality shoes that he can walk easily in and not pry off, but I don't want to spend a fortune if we can help it (especially if he does lose them).
I think that's it. Thank you for your advice!
1) When can Will have a blanket in his crib?
Right now, he sleeps with two very small, stuffed "lovies" and a small square of a blanket that doesn't even cover his tummy. During the warm, summer months, I dressed him in lightweight jammies. Now that the air is getting brisk, I am using blanket sleepers, but I still worry about him getting a chill. When can he use a blanket?
2) With holiday travel in our near future, what is a good option for a travel bed?
Has anyone used one of these to travel with? We have a standard sized pack n' play, but it doesn't fit in the tight space that we stay at when we are at my in-laws or my parents' houses. Also, it is cumbersome to lug the big ol' pack n' play around, and this sounds like it might be a more space-saving option, especially if we ever get brave enough to travel by airplane. If you have any other small travel bed ideas, or experience with this one in particular, PLEASE leave them for me in the comments section.
3) What toddler-friendly, make-ahead, economical, easy meals do you make during the fall and winter time?
I have a lot of great recipes that I am excited to make, but I am always eager to learn more. Again, please leave in the comments section. As a thank you in advance, here is one of MY favorites. I love it because you can prep it all the night before or the morning of. It just sits in the crock pot all day and makes the house smell like your grandma came over and is making dinner. It is "fancy" enough to serve for guests, but "homey" enough to make for just any old weeknight dinner. This time of year, most grocery stores have really good deals on the cream soups and roast meat cuts so you can stock up and make this recipe really affordable.
BEEF POTROAST RECIPE (CROCKPOT)
1 (12-ounce) bag frozen onions
1 (8-ounce) bag frozen baby carrots
1 (8-ounce) package sliced mushrooms
1/2 pound small new potatoes, halved
4 pounds beef chuck roast, rinsed and patted dry
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup*
1 packet onion soup mix
1 cup low-sodium beef broth
1/4 cup steak sauce
Into a slow cooker, put the onions, carrots, mushrooms, and potatoes.
Season the roast with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the meat on all sides in oil. When it is browned, put it in the slow cooker on top of the vegetables.
In a small bowl, stir together the cream of celery soup, onion soup mix, beef broth, and steak sauce. Pour over top of roast. Cover and cook on high setting for 3 to 4 hours or low for 8 to 9 hours.
*I have used cream of mushroom soup and added some diced celery and it tasted almost exactly the same and was a little less expensive.
4) Baby needs new shoes.
Will hates to have shoes on his little feet. He does love to pull them off, though. We have a lot of right shoes and a lot of left shoes, but not a lot of pairs since I don't always see him pull them off. I'll be honest, during the summer months, especially before he was walking, I kind of let it go. Now that he is walking around and it is getting colder outside, he needs to have shoes on. P So, give me some good toddler shoe ideas. I am willing to spend a bit more for good quality shoes that he can walk easily in and not pry off, but I don't want to spend a fortune if we can help it (especially if he does lose them).
I think that's it. Thank you for your advice!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Wanted: WAHM
When I didn't get moved to the next phase of the Verity Mom selection process, M asked if I was "done" looking for a job for awhile.
I said, "No."
See, the thing is, we don't need the money. We are comfortable, we are able to pay all of our bills, and we even have a bit of extra for fun things like dinners out and trips to the fair.
It's not about the money, although a little extra certainly wouldn't hurt. What I want from a job is that feeling that I got last week when I was campaigning. I loved the "zing" of excitement that came from doing something that I enjoyed. I loved the outlet for my creativity, the passion that I had for blending motherhood with a career, and the self-satisfaction from doing something that I felt successful at.
I don't ever regret the fact that I didn't go back to my job at J&J. It would have been very difficult for me to be the type of mom that I want to be and the type of employee that I had been. While I know I would have found my way, as millions of other working moms do each and every day, I know that feeling so torn would have been very difficult for me. If I had gone back, I know I would have resented the travel, the amount of time I was away from Will. Although I worked from a home office, I was really not working "from home." My job required me to be out in the field all day, and I was often not home until after 10 PM, taking clients to dinner, hosting programs, or trying to get into difficult to see departments that would be less busy at night. If I was home, I was on conference calls or on the phone with clients, so it wouldn't have been quality time with Will. I know that many women have to work, but since I don't have to, I know it was the right choice for me, for our family, to stay at home.
I do love being at home. I love being with Will. I love the fact that I get to see all of his firsts. I love the close bond that I have with him. I am thankful for this amazing opportunity to have so much time with my son. That being said, I really do believe that there is time left in my day for me to find an outlet for my professional side, my creativity, my passion, my sales and marketing background. I am finding that easier said than done.
It is difficult to find a work from home position. First, there are a ton of "work at home" scams out there. I feel as if I am pretty saavy, but I have been duped by more than a few ads that seemed promising and ended up not panning out. I actually got that ad sales job, and it was legitimate, but it was also a really crappy job and when they started haggling over my commission, I realized it wasn't worth my time. I know any job is going to have it's downsides, but it also needs to have an upside to be worth it.
Today, I got offered a job working for an at-home call center. I was all excited. It paid a reasonable hourly amount, even for training. In six months, I would qualify for benefits and a raise. I was about to accept, when the person on the other end of the phone mentioned the 10 hour shifts. As I had applied for part time only work (which stated shifts no longer than 4 hours), this was a bit of a surprise. The lady apologized and said she would put my name back in the hopper for part time work, but that those shifts are few and far between.
Sigh.
Back to the drawing board.
I said, "No."
See, the thing is, we don't need the money. We are comfortable, we are able to pay all of our bills, and we even have a bit of extra for fun things like dinners out and trips to the fair.
It's not about the money, although a little extra certainly wouldn't hurt. What I want from a job is that feeling that I got last week when I was campaigning. I loved the "zing" of excitement that came from doing something that I enjoyed. I loved the outlet for my creativity, the passion that I had for blending motherhood with a career, and the self-satisfaction from doing something that I felt successful at.
I don't ever regret the fact that I didn't go back to my job at J&J. It would have been very difficult for me to be the type of mom that I want to be and the type of employee that I had been. While I know I would have found my way, as millions of other working moms do each and every day, I know that feeling so torn would have been very difficult for me. If I had gone back, I know I would have resented the travel, the amount of time I was away from Will. Although I worked from a home office, I was really not working "from home." My job required me to be out in the field all day, and I was often not home until after 10 PM, taking clients to dinner, hosting programs, or trying to get into difficult to see departments that would be less busy at night. If I was home, I was on conference calls or on the phone with clients, so it wouldn't have been quality time with Will. I know that many women have to work, but since I don't have to, I know it was the right choice for me, for our family, to stay at home.
I do love being at home. I love being with Will. I love the fact that I get to see all of his firsts. I love the close bond that I have with him. I am thankful for this amazing opportunity to have so much time with my son. That being said, I really do believe that there is time left in my day for me to find an outlet for my professional side, my creativity, my passion, my sales and marketing background. I am finding that easier said than done.
It is difficult to find a work from home position. First, there are a ton of "work at home" scams out there. I feel as if I am pretty saavy, but I have been duped by more than a few ads that seemed promising and ended up not panning out. I actually got that ad sales job, and it was legitimate, but it was also a really crappy job and when they started haggling over my commission, I realized it wasn't worth my time. I know any job is going to have it's downsides, but it also needs to have an upside to be worth it.
Today, I got offered a job working for an at-home call center. I was all excited. It paid a reasonable hourly amount, even for training. In six months, I would qualify for benefits and a raise. I was about to accept, when the person on the other end of the phone mentioned the 10 hour shifts. As I had applied for part time only work (which stated shifts no longer than 4 hours), this was a bit of a surprise. The lady apologized and said she would put my name back in the hopper for part time work, but that those shifts are few and far between.
Sigh.
Back to the drawing board.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
When Good Naps Go Bad
2 - 1 Nap Transition.
How did you handle it?
What advice do you have?
Help. . . please.
How did you handle it?
What advice do you have?
Help. . . please.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Memorial Monday
It's been awhile since I have had the honor of posting a Memorial Monday on the good ol' blog. Please keep sending them my way . . . you can find my e-mail in my profile. Please do not forget to comment and show your love and support.
And, Lisa, I just want you to know that your baby is important and not just a "little miscarriage." I have grieved as much for my chemical pregnancies as I have for my sweet Gummy Bear. I don't think a mother's heart measures its love in terms of time. Please let me know when you start your own blog so that I can link to it, and also, maybe you could do a Memorial Monday for me.
Dear Katie,
My name is Lisa and I just found your blog on Friday. Friday is the day I miscarried my first baby at 14 weeks, 2 days. My friend told me about your blog.
I started reading it Friday night. And I kept reading and reading and reading. I cried, I laughed, I got angry for you, I celebrated with you. It took me all weekend (not all at once, of course) to read your entire blog, from start to finish. When I first got to the Monday posts, I didn't really think I would ever send mine in to you, because each post was sadder than the one before it. I didn't feel like one little miscarriage would count the same as all of those women with their really sad stories.
But then I thought some more about it and figured I would let you decide if you thought my one baby was worth mentioning. I would appreciate it if you would, but I also understand if you don't. I kind of think you will, though, because we both think each life is important. I am thinking about starting my own blog and hope you don't mind if I steal the idea of Memorial Monday from you.
Thank you blogging, for letting people know they aren't alone. I see that you don't get as many comments as you used to, but I'll bet a lot of people still go back and read your old entries and get comfort from them. I know that's what I did.
Thank you,
Lisa S.
And, Lisa, I just want you to know that your baby is important and not just a "little miscarriage." I have grieved as much for my chemical pregnancies as I have for my sweet Gummy Bear. I don't think a mother's heart measures its love in terms of time. Please let me know when you start your own blog so that I can link to it, and also, maybe you could do a Memorial Monday for me.
Dear Katie,
My name is Lisa and I just found your blog on Friday. Friday is the day I miscarried my first baby at 14 weeks, 2 days. My friend told me about your blog.
I started reading it Friday night. And I kept reading and reading and reading. I cried, I laughed, I got angry for you, I celebrated with you. It took me all weekend (not all at once, of course) to read your entire blog, from start to finish. When I first got to the Monday posts, I didn't really think I would ever send mine in to you, because each post was sadder than the one before it. I didn't feel like one little miscarriage would count the same as all of those women with their really sad stories.
But then I thought some more about it and figured I would let you decide if you thought my one baby was worth mentioning. I would appreciate it if you would, but I also understand if you don't. I kind of think you will, though, because we both think each life is important. I am thinking about starting my own blog and hope you don't mind if I steal the idea of Memorial Monday from you.
Thank you blogging, for letting people know they aren't alone. I see that you don't get as many comments as you used to, but I'll bet a lot of people still go back and read your old entries and get comfort from them. I know that's what I did.
Thank you,
Lisa S.
Thank You
I just wanted to post here, thanking everyone again for their support as I campaigned to be the Verity Mom. It was an amazing experience and one that I would do again (although I would have preferred a different outcome, to be sure). The comments that I got from readers here, from my IRL friends, and from my family brought tears to my eyes and warmed my heart.
I feel as if I did my best, and there is never anything to regret when you do that. So, I gave myself 15 minutes to feel sorry of myself (14 of those have passed as I type this) and that's it.
I guess that's the "best" thing about infertility. It has taught me to keep things in perspective. Of course I am disappointed, but it's just that: a disappointment. There will be other opportunities in my future and I can't wait to find out what life holds in store for me!
And, no matter what else, I have an absolutely amazing, gorgeous, wonderful Little Man, who says, "oooooh, eggs!" when I put them on his tray in the morning (trying to get it on video, trust me). And thinks that I am the best mom in the world. That is what really matters!
I feel as if I did my best, and there is never anything to regret when you do that. So, I gave myself 15 minutes to feel sorry of myself (14 of those have passed as I type this) and that's it.
I guess that's the "best" thing about infertility. It has taught me to keep things in perspective. Of course I am disappointed, but it's just that: a disappointment. There will be other opportunities in my future and I can't wait to find out what life holds in store for me!
And, no matter what else, I have an absolutely amazing, gorgeous, wonderful Little Man, who says, "oooooh, eggs!" when I put them on his tray in the morning (trying to get it on video, trust me). And thinks that I am the best mom in the world. That is what really matters!
Friday, September 18, 2009
Fall Family Fun Friday
Last year, when Will was just 10 weeks old, I took him here.
This is one of the best pumpkin patches I have ever been to, and I have been to my share. It is small enough so as not to be overwhelming, but big enough to have a lot of different things to do with the kiddos. There is a barn with animals, a huge pumpkin patch (they even have a tour of the patch and wheelbarrows to help with your selection), a general store where you can buy produce and baked goods, and some fun photo ops. It's also 100% free, which you have got to love!
I can't wait to take him back this year! I love the fall and I love that Halloween is the kick off to all of the holiday festivities!
Want to join in the fun? Go here to see all of the Fall Family Fun Friday blogs!
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