Archive for the ‘Super Mom’ Category

Survival of the fittest?

Jan 22nd, 13 / 2 Comments

I’ve been a mom of two for three and a half weeks now. And I’ve been having …. dare I say it? …. fun. No really! I’ve been having a lot of fun! Abby is such a great baby and Aric has been amazing. Really the only problem we’ve been having with Aric is the fact that we’ve been cooped up inside for so long and he’s getting bored. And I don’t blame him.

But honestly, as much as I hate putting this out into the universe, I’ve been having a great time! I love all the snuggles I get from a yummy smelling baby. I’m actually ENJOYING breastfeeding and I only hate overnight feedings in the first minutes I’m awake.

I have a couple items that I use daily that have been helping me get through these early weeks of infant care, so I thought I’d write about them for those who are in the same place as we are, or those who will be soon (hi Jill!!).

1. My smart phone.

This has been amazing. In the first weeks I used it to track Abby’s diapers and feedings. I downloaded a library app and have been renting and reading e-books during marathon feeding sessions. I keep up with facebook, blogs, and twitter. I’ve spent more time talking with friends and family members with my boobs hanging out than I’m sure they’d care to know about. I didn’t have one when Aric was a baby, so I spent a lot of time alone with my thoughts. Not the best plan!

2. Our nighttime routine

This includes a nice warm bath in her warm room (using an infant tub, obviously), a tight swaddle (using these), and the myBaby Soundspa Lullaby Sound Machine. I don’t know how well it actually works for Abby’s sleeping. I mean, she’s never gone a night without it and she’s a decent sleeper, so I can’t say for certain this is why, but still. I even find the ocean noise from the sound spa soothing and I don’t mind listening to it at 3am while lounging in the rocker with a nursing babe.

3. Freezer meals

Remember all those meals I made in the beginning of December? They have been amazing. I have not had to actually cook a dinner since we got home from the hospital. All I have to do it remember to take something out of the freezer the night before, then throw it in the over the night of. If there is ANY advice I’d give to a first time mom, it would be to stock up on freezer meals. Even for breakfasts and lunches, if you can. It’s so amazing to not have to think about what to make when you’re running on little sleep.

4. Swing

We have the same swing we used when Aric was a baby. It’s a great way to keep Abby moving when she just needs to have some sort of stimulation. Plus she naps like a boss in it.

5. Bouncy seat

We don’t have a fancy bouncy seat (even though I really want one for no reason other than I want one) and that’s been OK. Ours is just a seat that vibrates. No hanging things, no fancy bouncing or swaying. I actually bought it used from a daycare center that was closing. Again, Abby naps like a boss in that thing, and she sits in it when we have dinner so she can join us.

6. Soothies

Abby LOVES these pacis, She doesn’t use them frequently, but she sucks on one for a few minutes to calm down, spits it out, and falls asleep. I call that a win. And actually, I just bought her a WubbaNub, which is a soothie attached to a bean bag animal. They are just too cute to NOT get :)

7. Social Media

How do I make my boobs stop hurting? What breast pump is best? Is an Ergo carrier worth the money? All of these questions and then some have been posted on Twitter and have been answered by moms of all different kinds who have all different experiences. I find those reviews FAR more helpful than Amazon reviews or my patented “whichever brand is cheapest at Target this week” (which is how I bought my breast pump for Aric and discovered this time around that that pump just won’t cut it, at which point I turned to twitter and got a recommendation for a pump that’s in the mail as we speak!). Social media is like a nurse line, but with much quicker service. OBVIOUSLY it doesn’t substitute for a REAL nurse line/doctor advice, but it’s great to get instant answers from friends/moms I trust.

8. Coffee

‘Nuf said.

I’m sure there are more things, but these are the most important items that I use on a daily basis to keep me and Abby feeling our best in these early weeks. Next up – Toddler must-haves.

Don’t forget, I’m closing out everything in my shop! Save 50% by using the code CLOSEOUT at the checkout. Stock up on Christmas coaster sets, now $2.50 with the code!

Abby, Beginnings, lessons, parenting, Super Mom, things that are awesome

Things that are awesome: Freezer Dinners

Dec 11th, 12 / 2 Comments

That, my friends, is what my downstairs freezer looks like. Actually, that’s what SUCCESS looks like. I worked my butt off this weekend, but two days of work = 25 dinners that are super easy to make.

I remember the worst part about life with a newborn was finding the time and energy to make dinner. Most of the time we could get away with eating just whatever floated by, but with a three year old in the mix, we should probably NOT rely on sandwiches every night.

So I whipped out my handy “Fix, Freeze, Feast” cookbook and my family cookbook and went to town. After a trip to Target for the ingredients, this is how my weekend ended up:

Day One-

- Honey Glazed Chicken Thighs (FFF)
-Teriyaki Chicken (FFF)
-4Bs Grilled Pork Chops (FFF)
- Cajun Pork Chops (FFF)
- Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas (this recipe is actually for the stuffed shells version, but switch tortilla shells for the stuffed shells and it’s the same)
- Italian Chicken (family recipe)
- Chicken Wild Rice Soup
- Chicken Parmesan (FFF)
- Tex Mex Chicken Fingers (FFF)

Day Two-

-Manicotti (FFF)
-Lasagna (Family recipe)
- Spaghetti Sauce (family recipe)
- My mama’s meat loaf (family recipe)
- Cheddar Biscuits (FFF)

The best part, I only spent about $200 on the ingredients I needed.

It took me two days, but we are set to eat for a months straight … and that’s not including leftovers from any of those meals! Now, lunches are another story, but I’m sure Aric and I will be just fine with sandwiches, which are easy enough to whip up quickly.

So yes, I worked my buns off. But honestly, two days of work for a month of meals?? TOTALLY WORTH IT!!

What are some of your favorite freezer meals? Or, related, what kind of a meal would you make for a family with a fresh bebeh to help them out a bit?

nesting, preparations, Super Mom, Suzy Homemaker, things that are awesome

It’s a Razzle Dazzle Birthday!

Nov 22nd, 11 / 4 Comments

We celebrated Aric’s birthday last weekend with a Yo Gabba Gabba themed party. My goal was to make it low key and no big deal. It turned into a DIY-nightmare.

The whole reason I wanted to do a Gabba birthday was because I wanted to use my brand new Cricut machine to make this banner:

Click image to see full size

I honestly don’t remember what gave me the inspiration to make this, but I completely LOVE how it turned out. It’s made with scrapbook paper, my Cricut machine with the cartridge that came with it, rubber cement, and ribbon. And it only took me 2 hours. Or something. I don’t remember. But I love it, and it’s now hanging in Aric’s room as a permanent art installation ;)

So. Now that I had the banner, I needed to come up with an awesome cake idea. A lightbulb turned on in my head and I thought, “ZOMG! I’ll make a Muno cake (the red guy) but I’ll make it out of RED VELVET CAKE!!!”

So I bought a box of Red Velvet Cake mix and threw it in the oven. Thirty minutes later I checked on it, only to realize I didn’t actually turn the oven on. Fail #1. So I turned on the oven and baked it. When it was time to take it out, I put it on a wire rack to cool. When it was mostly cool, I used my hands to transfer the 13×9 slab of cake onto a flat cookie sheet for easier decorating. It broke in half. Fail #2. I took my knife and started shaping it into the Muno body shape I wanted. And I cut. And cut. And cut some more until there was hardly any cake left to decorate. Fail #3. Then I attacked it with red frosting. And it crumbled apart. Fail #4.

So I said, “Screw this ish!” and turned all the unfrosted Red Velvet Cake into Red Velvet Cake Balls.

Basically, they are as delicious as they look.

These? Totally made up for the massive fail that was Muno Cake Attempt #1. (Super easy recipe from Bakerella!)

So then I was in a pickle. I didn’t have enough cake mix left to make another cake. OR DID I???? Turns out the Baking gods were smiling down upon me and gifted me with a box of white cake mix stashed away in my pantry. Muno Cake Attempt #2 went MUCH better.

Mildly frightening looking

This went over so well Aric talked about his “Nuno Ake” for a solid week.

Then, as if that wasn’t enough, I decided to attempt rainbow cupcakes. Of course I don’t have a photo, but I got the recipe here and that’s almost EXACTLY how mine turned out. These were oddly A LOT of fun to make, and even more fun to eat :)

AND THEN (oh yes, there is more) I went to the fabric store looking for a print that I could use to applique Aric’s name and the number 2 to the back of the shirt I bought for his party. But what I walked out of there with was 2 yards of flannel Cars print and 2 yards of a minky dot fabric to go with. And I made him a quilt. With 4 matching throw pillows. And the quilt needed those adorable little yarn knots to hold it all into place. But those adorable yarn knots are a PAIN IN THE YOU KNOW WHAT to add to an already thick quilt. And I had blisters on my fingers for days afterwards. But his reaction to it was pretty awesome:

The look on his face says it all!

 

Not the best shot of the quilt, but you get the drift.

I don’t know that I’ll ever attempt a quilt like that again, but I have to admit, I really like having something like that that I MADE!!

So there you have it: the low-key, no-stress birthday party that turned into a giant DIY mess. It’s a good thing Aric will always remember how much fun he had at his party!

Wait……

birthday, crafty, DIY, I can't do everything but I try, nomnomnom, parties, recipes, special days, Super Mom, Suzy Homemaker, things that are awesome