Babies

A typical day in my life right now is drastically different than it was a couple of months ago, and different than it will be a month from now. See, I’m on maternity leave. So a typical day right now usually means I’m surrounded by my awesome kids all day. I’m waking up when my daughter comes barreling in around 8am. If I’m lucky I can give her a bagel and my iPhone and snooze for an extra half hour or so before the baby wakes up to eat. He sleeps on and off in the morning, and I get some time to myself—Well sorta—Alone with the baby, while my husband takes our girl out to the gym. I use that time to write or catch up on freelance work and scarf down a simple breakfast. We spend time all four of us together until my husband goes to work, then we’ll head out to either play with friends, shop, go swimming, anything to get out of the house for a bit. I’ll usually try to squeeze a nap in somewhere if I was up late the night before. The kids and I will crash on the couch or my bed. Late afternoon is dinnertime and usually make pasta or pancakes or grilled cheese, or hot dogs.—Something easy and typically unhealthy (I’m working on that). Then it’s bath, and a couple episodes of something on Nick Jr. or PBS, and it’s bedtime. Bedtime consist of prepping my daughter’s hair, reading 1-3 books and a prayer, sometimes some back rubs and a song. By that time it’s usually a little after 9pm. I sit down and eat something for myself and rock the baby to sleep. He usually doses off around 10pm. Then from 10pm to about 2am (or 4am or 6am this week) I get “me time” to write, edit photos I took during the day, sew, clean, or do whatever else I have a hard time doing during the day when I’m a (willing) slave to my children. The last few nights I’ve been sewing ’til the sun comes up. I’ve realized an afternoon power nap does wonders for me, and I’d rather get less sleep and cross things off my to-do list than sleep my hours of productivity away. The baby is waking up to eat a couple times a night, so I feed him then go back to sleep. Or if I’m still up working I feed him then put him back to bed. In another month when I’m back at work it’s pretty much the same routine except you can add in waking up a little earlier, getting kids ready for school, packing lunches, and working 8 hours in between. I also won’t stay up quite as late since I need to be a presentable functioning adult. On weekends I’m at work just after 4am so I can anchor the morning show, and I try to pre-plan fun stuff in the afternoon or evening with my kiddos. It’s a busy life that’s for sure. But I love it. This was Day 12 of the installment of 30 Things my kids should know about me. Follow the link to play along and link up. The post A glimpse of my busy life appeared first on Baby Making Machine.

(On a trip to Target to pick out a special prize for being well behaved. Arlo had already chosen a toy motorcycle and we were browsing the doll aisle) Everly: Mama, instead of a toy, can I pick out a new pair of shoes? Me: Shoes instead of a toy? Are you sure? Everly: Yes. Sparkly ones. They need to have sparkles. Me: This is proof we are soul mates.

(While watching a Disney commercial that featured a little boy who was talking about his heritage. He looked into the camera and said, “I’m Native American, Irish American and African American”) Everly’s response: Whoa! That’s a lot of Americans!

This girls dream room was designed by ?Ivonne Cervoni, Interiors by Decorating Den. A beautiful color scheme was selected with vibrant shades of pinks and greens, and bold circles pattern. The pattern and colors are girly, but not too little girl. White furniture including a double bed, nightstand, armoire, desk and bookshelves were selected for the room for a soft and feminine look. The bed was dressed-up in colorful fabric with circles and stripes. Bold pillows in pink velvet and contrasting fabrics embellish the bed. The monogrammed canopy with the ruffles and pompons are the finishing touch for the little princess bed. The fabulous bed is complemented by the spectacular window seat. The window treatments were installed outside of the window to “open-up” and frame the beautiful view. The valance was hung with bows on hot pink medallions, and the pompons hanging from the valance are just adorable. A custom window seat was covered in green velvet. Lots of fun pillows were added as well as a hot pink throw. Next to the window seat, a side table and a pink velvet chair were placed. These elements complete a “conversation circle” among the bed, window seat, and chair. This is the area where the owner sits to read the books she keeps in her bookshelves or where she has her girl friends over for tea and to catch-up on the latest. The pink chandelier with crystals, as well as the hot pink lamps and shaggy rug play-up the modern princess look of this room. The post Girls Dream Room appeared first on Design Dazzle.

Do you know where you’re going on your next vacation??? I LOVE to travel and if there’s one thing I’ll splurge money on, it’s that (and concert tickets lol). My husband and I set plans and travel when we can. I think next on our list for a “big” vacation is a trip to Disney for the kids in a few years! The husband and I just got home from a vacation sans kids (what a rarity!)–we were celebrating our 5 year anniversary. Mmmm, kinda makes you want to jump in the car or on a plane, right? Research says 70% of people don’t know where they’re going when beginning the trip-planning process. Are you one of them? DoubleTree by Hilton is launching DTour, the first-of-its-kind YouTube channel for the hotel industry, created in collaboration with Google. “DTour offers travelers a whole new way to plan and share trips. It’s so easy — simply visit the site to upload a photo snapped on Instagram or a video from Facebook. Users can also explore other travelers’ favorite photos, videos, tips and stories to get inspired to plan the trips they’ve always wanted to take!” And get ready for this amazing opportunity–DoubleTree is hosting the DTour of a Lifetime competition: six brand ambassadors who will get to travel the world, having adventures of a lifetime, enjoying  DoubleTree by Hilton hospitality, and sharing their travel tips and stories on DTour. AMAZING. Want to find our more?! Join the twitter party on May 21st (this Tuesday!) from 12-1pm EST. We’ll have travel guru @JuliaDimon there to answer all your travel questions so ask away! Here are the details, prizes, and link for you to RSVP: When: Tuesday, May 21, 12noon to 1pm EST Where: Twitter! Follow the #DTourParty hashtag to track the conversation. Find details and RSVP via this Twtvite: http://twtvite.com/dtourparty Hashtag: #DTourParty Prizes: We will award five prizes during the party. Winners will be chosen randomly based on correct responses to trivia questions. Q1 – 1 tin of DoubleTree by Hilton chocolate chip cookies Q2 – 2 tins of DoubleTree by Hilton chocolate chip cookies Q3 – 3 tins of DoubleTree by Hilton chocolate chip cookies Q4 – 4 tins of DoubleTree by Hilton chocolate chip cookies Grand Prize (Q5) – Complimentary two-night stay at any DoubleTree by Hilton location Hosts: @theMotherhood, @CooperMunroe, @EmilyMcKhann TweetGrid for the party: http://bit.ly/15Nrte2Party co-hosts: Alison, Being Alison - @BeingAlison Amee, Madame Deals - @madamedeals Andrea, Moody Mama Says - @simplyandreah Carrie, Carrie With Children - @CarrieWChildren Emily, Baby Dickey - @babydickey Jen, The Mom Reviews - @themomjen Jennifer, The Dirty tShirt - @Jentifa Julee, Mommy’s Memorandum - @jonbonjovious Mimi, Woven by Words - @MimiBakerMN Toni, Two Traveling Moms - @ToniPatton See you on Tuesday!   The post DoubleTree by Hilton #DTourParty on Twitter 5/21! appeared first on Baby Dickey | Chicago, IL Mom Blogger.

I grew up in a suburban neighborhood where we spent long years on swim team & rode the bus with the same kids for well over a decade. We played cards in the club house when summer thunderstorms rolled through & in the evenings, we’d round up teams to play capture the flag in the woods & creek that wrapped between & around our houses. We dared each other to jump the fence to Peabody’s land where he lived with his 12 Dobermans, then ran like hell home where our moms would call the other to laugh over our stories. The other kids that I grew up with became my playmates & friends & enemies for the first 18 years of my life. Some of my favorite memories are wrapped up in the little world that surrounded my house. When we started looking for houses last year, Doug & I had very distinctly different tastes – he wanted land & lots of it while I wanted neighbors & lots of ‘em. In the end, I won with a promise that when we retire, we’ll own rolling hills & a house without an HOA governing the colors of mailboxes. We fell in love with our Money Pit & the trampolines & swingsets behind the other houses only made me want it more. The first time I watched Harrison run through the cul-de-sac with the girls two doors down, I thought my heart would explode. This was exactly what I hoped for. One night when it was gorgeous, Doug & I sat on the front steps while Harrison played trucks on the ground. It was perfect. Harry looked up & said, “Can those girls play with me?” & I looked over to their house, which seemed shut tight. I stood up & brushed the pollen off my pants & held out my hand. “Okay, buddy. I’m going to teach you Neighborhood 101.” Together we walked barefoot up the driveway & paused at their front door. I kneeled down & told him that he needs to push the doorbell & when their momma answers to ask, “Can M & Acome out to play?” He nodded & repeated me several times until I gave him a wink & a pat on the rump. He rang the doorbell & looked back at me uncertainly. “Remember,” I coached. “Can M & A come out to play?” He nodded again. Yep, Momma. I got this. The door swung open. Harry froze. Their momma waited patiently & I whispered, “Don’t you have something to ask?” Harrison squared his shoulders, took a step forward & boomed, “CAN I COME IN YOUR HOUSE?” & then I died. The end. Related PostsMemory.Almost three.When the floodgates open.Hibby says at the dinner table…It’s the quiet ones you have to watch out for.Zemanta

amazon.com For cute presentation, this sweet pea bundle of baby layette essentials gets a gold star. A woven basket is filled with organic cotton baby basics, including a baby blanket, footed pjs, a cap and bib, and a peas in a pod shaped rattle. The color is a natural beige throughout, with the sweet pea motif of a baby bundled in a pea pod decorating each item. The basket could be re-used again and again by the new mother too, either for keeping baby toiletries in, or giving gifts to the next new mother, so it doesn’t need to be a waste of resources. For elegant mothers who love the quality of organic cotton, as well as its chemical free benefits, this Baby Aspen classic gift set is sure to be a hit at baby showers. The set costs $54.99 at amazon.com.

I never liked liver when I was little. Where we lived, the whole animal was used in food prep, nothing wasted. Nevertheless I attempt to make it palatable for my kids, it's so healthy! So this is yet another try which my husband and I absolutely loved and my kids wanted nothing to do with. Okay, so at least Baby T gets some of the vitamins and minerals through breast milk. Baby E though - who really needs it for remineralizing teeth, can't even smell it! It was worth a try though.This is relatively easy to make, especially because you save time by not taking the film off the liver the way you would need to if you were just sauteing it. You will need a food processor, high powered blender, or meat grinder. I borrow my moms Ninja because yes, my friends, my real foods kitchen does not have a food processor, yet [gasp!]. It worked okay, but I had to stop it several times to scrape the sides and mix the contents because the top wasn't getting ground up. Though an easy recipe, it is a little time consuming, so plan for a solid hour to make it, it is best made a day ahead and eaten cold out of the fridge.There are many ways to eat the pate: as is, as a 'meat' for dinner with a side and salad, on top of toast, with some homemade crackers, in your lunch sandwich, whatever you can imagine. We love it on some sprouted bread. This recipe serves 6-8 people as part of a dinner, or more if used as a toast topping or part of an appetizerIngredients:1 lb grassfed beef liver (optionally soaked in milk overnight)1/4 cup grassfed butter or ghee, softened1 large sweet onion6-10 garlic cloves1 cup carrots, grated 2 cups mushrooms1/4 tsp real saltpepper1 tbsp ghee or coconut oil for sauteing Directions: 1. Optionally, soak liver overnight in milk to make the taste more palatable. 2. Cut liver into 1-2 inch pieces and fry in pan on medium-high until it's brown on all sides and no longer bright pink on the inside. Make sure to cook it through so you don't end up with raw liver pate and the potential for it to spoil quick. 3. Slice onions, garlic, grate carrots and slice mushrooms, saute in one skillet adding them in that order until soft in texture.4. Place the liver, sauteed vegetables, softened butter, salt, and pepper in blender and blend until it all incorporates into the pate. Scrape sides if necessary. 5. Let it cool if it's still warm, place in container and refrigerate.6. Enjoy with dinner, on toast or crackers, in a sandwich, or by the spoonful! If you make this recipe, we would love to know what you served it with or if you put a different spin on it! If you adapt this recipe and post it on your own blog, please link to Eco-Babyz, we would appreciate it :)Contains affiliate links to where we usually shop, your purchase supports Eco-Babyz at no extra cost to you. Thank you!Top Mommy Blogs - Vote for us @ TopMommyBlogs.Com!

This sophisticated nautical boys nursery room was designed by Erin Feasby for her baby boy. She designed it while keeping his future room in mind. You can see that much of the furniture in this room such as the twin bed can be used when he gets older as well or for guests. The boat blueprint wallpaper is such a great idea for adding to the ship theme of the room. Even the toy storage has some coordinates labeled on them for some nautical flavor.  Style at Home featured this stunning room. Through the white crib you can see white and blue striped bedding which are the ultimate boating colors. The vintage car toy is a fun addition to the room. The alphabet on the wall has been a trend in a lot of nurseries. The clean pictures and frames are perfect for the nautical theme. The white shelves are simple and really lends themselves for embellishments like the lamp and model ships. Organize your books and toys that you want on display for your boy.  The boys bed is set up for when he gets to big for the crib. It will be able to fit him well into his teens. You can also see the dresser with the changing pad on top. It is timeless and when he grows up you just take off that changing pad and it is ready for a big boys room. The post Nautical Boys Nursery Room appeared first on Design Dazzle.

For many years now, only Seattle and Chicago have been able to enjoy an actual bricks and mortar Land Of Nod store. Well that ends next month. As you can see from the above picture, South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, CA will be getting their very own Land Of Nod store. The shop will open on Level 3 of the Crate & Barrel Wing on Bear Street. The official opening date is May 31.