Moms

Today I am feeling Not Very Well and I don’t like it. I don’t like it because I know that I am really not very ill at all, but still I can’t help complaining and making little moany noises to myself. When it comes to other members of the family being ill, I am just about the least sympathetic person you have ever met – I just can’t be doing with it. When I am ill though, I put on this annoyingly feeble voice and make a sad face that irritates even me, and I can’t even see it. “Put I am pooooorrrrlllllyyyy,” I will say, sounding like a whiney three year old.  Gross. I can see that other people have about as much sympathy for me as you have for a toddler who cries for forty minutes because they get a stone in their shoe, but still I just can’t help sticking out my bottom lip and talking in an unnecessarily hoarse voice. “But I have a sore throat!” I say, coughing a little bit. Pull yourself together woman! I shout at myself inside my head before frowning a bit and having a little lie down on the sofa. And now I must go, for I am too ill to type much longer and must rest my weary fingers. The post On being ill appeared first on Slummy single mummy.

Before I hip Beyonce to the second baby game, I need my second baby, my little Lila, to know this one true thing: she was wanted, made from love and the product of lots of plotting and planning and... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

On Friday, I chaperoned a bunch of 8th graders on a field trip. Middle schools from all over Florida participate in an event called Gradventure, where the 8th graders get to go to Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure here in Orlando and stay until midnight. The parks are closed to outside guests for the duration so the kids pretty much have the place to themselves. It’s a really fun night! CONTINUE READING HERE!

Jennifer here to share with you an exciting update about the Damon Clear braces and give you an update on the progress of my teeth. I have been compensated to write this post and received orthodontic treatment during this campaign, however all opinions listed are my own. Today I was looking through pictures and ran across the first one I ever took right after getting my braces put on. I realized that I also took one a couple of weeks ago, so I decided to put them side by side just to see how much difference there has been made so far. I can’t believe how much things are changing. My facial shape, my lips, my teeth — everything is really moving into place. Damon is really making my smile more beautiful day by day! Because Damon is amazing at making beautiful smiles, they have announced that they are re-branding their name from Damon Clear to Damon Smile!  I truly feel that is fitting for them. They believe in giving anyone a gorgeous smile. The Damon® Smile transforms smiles in less time that normal braces, with greater comfort and extraordinary results. You can use me for example. My teeth were HORRIBLE, and in just 5 short months, my orthodontist says that we are soon gonna be to the point we can start talking about the next step to my beautiful smile! An independent study found that the new Damon Smile name encourages prospective patients to think more about improving their smiles. To everyone considering enhancing their facial appearance and correcting their teeth—young and old—there’s never been a better time to achieve a new, beautiful smile, as the Damon Smile enables orthodontists to deliver remarkable outcomes. Treating more than 3 million patients, the Damon Smile is an orthodontic treatment, offered by thousands of orthodontists worldwide, that is proven to improve smiles and provide results that go beyond straight teeth, correcting bites, smile arcs and overall facial symmetry for smoother cheek contours and enhanced profiles. Damon Clear™ is a virtually invisible option—ideal for today’s image-conscious adults and teens—that offers clear brackets for the upper and lower arches. If you are interested in learning more about the Damon® Smile, use the Damon Doctor Locator, an easy-to-use search tool for locating a local Damon Smile provider.

A little perspective can go a long way.Feeling frustrated that my children are so loud and noisy outside may be annoying to me personally; it may be annoying to the neighbors who get to witness my constant shouts to "PLAY NICELY! For the love of GOD, listen when someone says something!" But feeling frustrated isn't a national tragedy. It's a minor inconvenience that I am blessed to be able to feel.My children aren't witness to gang shootings. My children don't really even know what a "gang shooting" is.My children have green space and a safe neighborhood to race around within. There is no need for "safe passage" because, in comparison to many parts of America (specifically, inner-city Chicago, just a short drive away), their entire environment IS a safe passage. Warm weather for them equals happy times and independent play; not an increase in the violent crimes that neighbors bring upon each other.My children are blessed to be allowed outside of my sight. They are blessed to have the freedom to grow up in the relative safety and security that their parents' financial status allows them. I wish I was able to bring this blessing to more children in the world.~~I started this a week ago. I had to stop for some reason. Some small reason that obviously needed to be taken care of, but was most definitely not life-threatening. In light of today's recent events, I am so grateful for each day I GET TO be annoyed by my children. Knowing that not all parents receive this luxury and privilege, and knowing that we are all only one storm or accident or illness away from BEING that family won't stop me from being annoyed by them. It will keep it all in perspective, though.I am sending all of my love to Oklahoma and the surrounding areas that are being affected by today's tornado devastations. I hope with all my heart that any children they pull from the rubble of the schools are still alive and able to be helped at local hospitals...

“Trust, like the soul, never returns once it is gone.” - Publilius Syrus When I was in high school, there were two quotes I held onto. The one above, and this: “He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss [...]

This is not my first time at the rodeo. I have done many birthdays. I have learned that the bigger and more over the top the birthday - the less everyone, especially the birthday kid, enjoys it. Too overwhelming. Simple, sweet, small works best for us. I am not a cranky, overworked host and the kid can just have fun.With that in mind we planned the five year olds 'big' day. Her birthday is on Cinco de Mayo and so the shops are always filled with vividly colored Mexican decorations at this time of year. The five year old was very clear - she wanted only one thing for her birthday - a piñata.Easy.I decided to be authentic to we drove to our local Mexican neighborhood to shop at an authentic La Bodega. Suspended from the roof of the store were many piñatas. Elmo, Hello Kitty, Spongebob - they were all there. I felt a little pride when my girl strode past them and pointed to a traditional burro piñata. "That one, can I have that one?" she asked sweetly. We pulled it down from it's hook and she carried it proudly to the register. Fiesta (as she was now named) sat, held tightly, on the five year old's lap all the way home. She was given pride of place in the five year old's bedroom, waiting for her big day.When the day finally arrived, together we packed Fiesta full of treats and found the piñata rope and stick. We made cupcakes and iced them. We packed them and some snacks for her little friends. We dressed in our party finery and I started to load the car. I am pretty sure I was wearing a look of smug self satisfaction that said "I know just how to handle this kid party thing." When I came back into the house I was met by the five year old sitting at the table with tears pouring down her face. She was chewing her lip trying to hold the tears back but they rolled down anyway."I don't want Fiesta to get bashed open," she sobbed. "I want to keep her, like a pet. She's too precious." Screeeeech. The brakes on the easy going birthday party are slammed on.My sweet hearted girl cried for a full ten minutes, clutching her cardboard donkey. She stroked it's tissue paper skin and stared into it's sticker eyes.I stood there, thinking about our waiting guests. I offered to remove the treats and just hand them out leaving Fiesta intact. I offered to get another Fiesta so she could have one to keep. The tears rolled on.I watched the clock tick relentlessly. "We need to decide what to do - we have to go sweets..."Tears still pouring, she was immovable. None of my presented solutions were appealing. All she wanted to do was to sit at the table clutching her cardboard pal. Any hint of smugness I had felt was long lost and instead I felt like rookie mom, with no idea of what to do."Let's take a photo of you and Fiesta for you to keep." Her face brightened. She wiped her tears and turned Fiesta to the camera. Two pictures later she jumped down from the table and ran out to the car."Come on mama, we're late!"Cut to one hour later when my big hearted girl was pounding Fiesta to a pulp with a big wooden stick.A photograph, the difference between heartbreak and joy. Who knew?Parenting - the never ending lesson in trial, error and surprise redemption.

A Paleo smoothie is a great way to start the morning.   Some days, I just don’t have time to enjoy a sit down breakfast.  Some days, the kids have been just pokey and disorganized enough to make me late. Others, I have an early phone call with a client.  Either way, I need something fast and portable for breakfast that is still healthy.  Most portable breakfasts are fairly high in carbohydrates and sugars. That’s not really what I want to eat first thing in the morning. I don’t find it filling and the crash after the sugar high doesn’t leave me very productive for the rest of the day. Banana Almond Paleo Smoothie Banana Almond Paleo Smoothie – Delicious & Healthy Save Print Author: Ellen Christian Recipe type: Smoothie Cuisine: Paleo Serves: 1 Ingredients 1 frozen banana 1 cup of almond milk 2 tsp almond butter 1 packet Stevia 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds – unsalted 1 tbsp heaping of slivered almonds Cinnamon to taste Instructions Add everything to the blender. Blend on your smoothie setting until well mixed. Pour in a glass. Sprinkle cinnamon on the top. Enjoy 3.2.1753 I added pumpkin seeds to my smoothie but  you could easily add sunflower seeds instead.  I have read conflicting information about Stevia and the Paleo diet.  Some articles say that it is fine in moderation since it is natural.  Other articles say that since it has been processed into a powder, it should be avoided.  I enjoy my smoothies on the sweet side so adding a packet of Stevia work for me. If you’d rather not use Stevia, you can certainly leave it out. It still tastes good. it is just not quite as sweet without the Stevia. I love the taste of the almonds and banana together.  Adding the almonds and pumpkin seeds gives this Paleo smoothie a little bit of crunch to it which is fun. The post Banana Almond Paleo Smoothie – Delicious & Healthy appeared first on Confessions of an Overworked Mom.

This post on nuts and Paleo eating is brought to you by Fisher.   I am working with Fisher to share Chef Alex Guarnaschelli’s recipes and create my own original recipe using Fisher Nuts and tools they provided. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments. Nuts and Paleo eating go hand in hand.  If you’re not familiar with the Paleo diet or  Paleolithic diet, encourages people to eat mainly fish, grass-fed pasture raised meats, eggs, vegetables, fruit, fungi, roots, and nuts, and excludes grains, legumes, dairy products, potatoes, refined salt, refined sugar, and processed oils. Our early ancestors were much healthier than we are today. This is, in part, due to the fact that they didn’t have foods like brownies, soda, potato chips, and cheese puffs available to them. They also didn’t sit in a chair all day behind a computer screen or on the couch watching television. Nuts and Paleo Eating While I don’t follow the Paleo diet all of the time, I do try to incorporate Paleo meals into my family’s meals and snacks.   I generally don’t have a problem sticking to the Paleo diet for dinner time.  Low carb is really a very healthy way to eat so leaving out the pasta or rice from my meal is not a huge problem.  Where I do seem to have a problem is with snacks and “treats” during the day.  I love to nibble and most of the things that I am used to nibbling on are salted snacks, candy or cookies. None of those are traditionally considered to fit into the Paleo diet. That’s why understanding how nuts and Paleo eating work together is important. Here are a few of the snacks that I enjoy that do fit into the Paleo diet. Celery sticks and nut butter.  Be aware that peanuts are not part of the Paleo diet. Peanuts are actually legumes and legumes are not included. However, you can enjoy cashew butter or almond butter. You can use nut flours. Because you can use nuts, you are allowed to use nut flours. Baking with them isn’t the same as baking with traditional flour but it is possible. I’m still working on this one. Almond milk can be substituted for dairy in many recipes. I admit that giving up traditional dairy products is the biggest stumbling block for me with the Paleo diet.  Almond milk lets me make things like cream soups and smoothies that are Paleo. I make a yummy Banana Almond Paleo Smoothie that is really good. Nuts as snacks.  When I really get the urge to nibble, I grab a handful of nuts to snack on.  It gives me the ability to snack without snacking on something I shouldn’t. Fisher Nuts and Chef Alex Guarnaschelli offer several tips on cooking with nuts.  While they aren’t all suitable for the Paleo diet, some are.  These are a few of my favorites: Upgraded Spice Rub: Next time you’re cooking meat, add some ground nuts to your spice rub. The nuts can mellow some of the heat from the spice and add needed richness to the mix. Spruced up Salads: Healthy greens are a great companion to nuts. Try topping a chopped Arugula salad with walnuts or adding pecans to Dandelion greens. Radicchio is delicious with almonds and apples. Using nuts can easily expand your salad horizon. Healthy Snack: Nuts add wonderful flavor and texture when mixed into recipes, but they can also be a healthy snack—season nuts with a little cayenne and quickly roast them in a little olive or nut oil One of my lucky readers will win a prize pack from Fisher Nuts so they can try a few of their recipes: The prize pack (approximately a $56 value) will include: Trudeau Melamine Mixing Bowls (Set of 3) Trudeau 5-Piece Measuring Spoon Set Casabella Jumbo Muffin Cups Fisher Chef’s Naturals Sliced Almonds Fisher Chef’s Naturals Walnut Halves & Pieces Fisher Pecan Halves Image provided by sponsor a Rafflecopter giveaway This post on nuts and Paleo eating is brought to you by Fisher.   I am working with Fisher to share Chef Alex Guarnasc

Festival season is upon us. (You can tell because it has been raining a lot lately.) We’ve been to quite a few festivals over the years, and there are a few essentials that all families need at a festival. Wipes and wellies obviously are a must, as is a wallet bulging with twenty pound notes to pay for overpriced pies and chai teas, but one thing you absolutely cannot do without is a tutu. Honestly, if I had a pound for every tutu I had seen at a festival – on everyone from babies to large bare-chested men in pink wigs – I’d have almost enough to pay for churros and chocolate for the whole family. (If I could be bothered to stand in the queue for half a day). I’m going to be off to Camp Bestival this summer again, which is one of my favourite family festivals, and so was very happy indeed to be sent a handmade tutu from Baby CoCo Bellea. Baby CoCo Bellea specialises in outrageously beautiful and decadent outfits for babies and children – (think My Gypsy Wedding meets Harrods) – and their tutus are absolutely perfect for festivals and parties. If I were four, I can’t think of anything more wonderful than dressing up in one of these, can you? When I was asked what colours I would like, I suggested ‘something lovely and peacocky’, and this is what they made for us: The colours are beautiful, and I love the peacock feathers and flower – a really lovely unique touch: Now the only slight issue is that Belle isn’t going to be coming with me to Camp Bestival this year. Good job the elastic is nice and stretchy. Now I just need to find my pink wig… The post Kids’ tutus from Baby CoCo Bellea appeared first on Slummy single mummy.