Santa Claus is Coming to Town!

Woo hoo! It's officially December, which means it's appropriate to start listening to Christmas music, decorate your house in tinsel and lights and spend an exorbitant amount of money to prove you love someone. Oh wait.

I love the holidays, I really do. There's nothing better than waking up Christmas morning and spending time with your loved ones. But Christmas presents definitely add up. And now that my husband and I have a child, things could get out of hand quickly. Since Baby C really has no concept of Christmas this year, we're really not doing much for her. I got her a pair of Christmas pajamas (I love the tradition of getting new PJs for Christmas Eve), and we may get her one more toy. But I know she'll be totally spoiled a lot of other people (grandparents are currently going bananas), so I just don't feel we need to spend a ton of money.

Then I heard about a great way to keep spending on your kids in check during the holidays. Each kid gets 3 presents: one thing they need, one thing they want, and one thing that's educational. Or if you want to do four presents: one thing they want, one thing they need, one thing they wear, one thing they read. I love that idea and I think it's a great way to a) keep things in check and b) not have your child expect a dozen presents on Christmas. Don't we want to teach our kids the true meaning of the holidays?

I'd love to hear some ideas from all of you - how are you planning on keeping Christmas spending in check? 


Bonus - any fun holiday traditions you do with your family?

Stylish Mom = Oxymoron?

I just googled "how to be a stylish mom". I wish I was kidding. 

It's easy when you're a mom to think you're condemned to a life of yoga pants and old t-shirts when you're around your family. Why bother getting dressed? It's just going to be puked on/spit up on/pooped on/spilled on! But I was always that person who dressed up for work even when I was working from home. If I'm going over to a friend's to hang out, I don't just put on my tracksuit (okay, sometimes I do). I think that how you put yourself together gives you a feeling of self-worth and confidence. Clearly, what's on the inside matters WAY more, but what's wrong with feeling good about how we look?

Figure out what works for you

Are you going to be that mom with a crisp button down shirt and ironed khakis? Heels and pearls? No one said because you're a mom you have to be relegated to sweats and tennis shoes. You still have style! You just have to figure out what works with your new life as a mom. Me? I was never a heels girl to begin with, so that was easy. My new "uniform" is whatever is comfortable and makes me feel good. Sometimes, it's a cozy sweater with jeggings and boots. Sometimes, I layer a cardigan over a blouse, roll up my jeans and put on my TOMS. And yes, sometimes it's sweats. But I refuse to believe that I shouldn't put effort into what I wear just because I'm not going to work or going out for dinner. I dress for myself, thankyouverymuch.

Make your hair stylish AND functional 

I know, sometimes we're lucky to get our hair washed - who has time to style? First off, if you're washing your hair every day, stop. It's not good for your hair (sez Ken Paves, hairstylist to the stars). If it's oily, use a dry shampoo. So that saves some time right there. If your favorite go-to style is a ponytail, try twisting or braiding back the front section. What about a bun instead? Headbands are also great to keep hair out of your face and add a touch of style to your outfit.

Cute mom Kourtney Kardashian making the bun look sexy!

Accessorize!

Okay, so you're probably not breaking out your diamond bracelet when you're playing in the park, but having a few accessories can really spice up any wardrobe. Obviously, some pieces are going to be more enticing for little hands, so choose wisely. I'm a big fan of stacking a few simple silver bangles on my wrist. Bonus - they entertain Baby C for diaper changes and can be a good distraction from crying if needed. 

Lovely Reece Witherspoon with a simple necklace and bangles

One bright color

It never fails - whenever I feel totally blah in a t-shirt and jeans, I throw on a hot pink or bright yellow scarf and instantly cheer up. And I even get complimented by complete strangers while waiting in line at the grocery store. Having a brightly colored handbag, pair of shoes or scarf can add instant style and glamour to a plan outfit.

Beautiful mommy Jessica Alba doing a bright color perfectly

If all else fails, wear red lipstick

Nothing makes me feel more glamorous or sexy than putting on some red lipstick. Not mulberry or mauve. RED. The key is finding a red that works with you...the clown look is not sexy on anyone. Well, except clowns, I guess. 

Hot mama Gwen Stefani rocks her trademark red lips!

Remember, style is not something you buy. Style is something you already have. So don't feel like you have to go and buy a whole new wardrobe. Try searching fashion blogs for new ideas (my favorite is Kendi Everyday - be careful...it quickly becomes an obsession), or join Pinterest and comb through the hundreds of style pins. Or maybe see if anything that works for me works for you.

Oh, and if you're on Pinterest, we should be friends! Find me here!

Reasons I'm Thankful for Claire

Happy Day After Thanksgiving, friends! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! We are observing Thanksgiving tomorrow so we can celebrate with Claire's grandparents coming in from out of town! Woo hoo for family!

If you haven't checked out Young House Love, you are missing out! They write about adventures in cheap home improvement, DIY successes, and family - and are super, super cute and hilarious. Anyway, my two fave bloggers (John and Sherry of YHL) also write regularly for BabyCenter (check out their blog here) and totally inspired me to write this blog entry. Now I don't want to blatantly rip them off, but since we're still in the realm of Thanksgiving, it's time I pay homage to my little girl's first Thanksgiving and why I'm so happy she's around.

1) She makes me laugh - ALL THE TIME.

I'll admit, it's pretty easy to make me laugh. I love to giggle and be silly. But Baby C turns it up to 11 ( This is Spinal Tap? Anyone?). The expressions she makes, her daily discoveries and her goofy nature is just funny. Plus, she laughs back. So it's just one big laughing cycle. That probably sounds annoying to most people, but it really is the funniest thing ever.

2) I am more active.

Even though Baby C has only been around for 8 1/2 short months, she has completely changed my life. Okay, I know every parent says that, but it's true. First off, she really makes me want to be a healthier person all the way around. I'm not going to lie - sometimes, I would like nothing more than to eat a Reese's Pieces Blizzard on my couch and keep up with those Kardashians. (Oh right, like that doesn't sound good to you). But I'm aware that everything I do influences Baby C. We go on daily walks, and we try to have an "excursion" every day, whether that's to a class, a friend's house, the park...That, plus that whole pregnancy weight gain thing. I needed to nip that in the bud.

3) I am healthier.

As I started making Claire's food, I noticed I took great care in selecting and preparing her meals. I made sure things were as balanced as they could be, made sure she ate lots of green vegetables, and I tried to go organic whenever I could. And then I would reach for chips and salsa for myself. Something wasn't right with that picture. Now, I do my best to have lots of fresh fruits and veggies on hand for snacks. I'm also trying to be better about my long-term health. I see my doctor more often and ask more questions. I need to be around for the long haul with Baby C. And I nag my husband to do the same. Sidebar: why don't men like to go to the doctor?

4) I'm more invested in my community.

Having a baby makes you lay down your roots, whether you want to or not. You get to know your neighbors. And you may even stalk neighbors you notice with strollers on their porch. Not that I do that or anything. The thing is your community is now your child's community, and you want to know EVERYONE and what their story is. You want to know the good parks, the restaurants that have clean bathrooms, the teacher that will challenge his students, places to avoid. Not only that, but you also want to take care of your community. You making your community a better place means that it's a better place for everyone, including your family.

5) I have never loved something so much. 

Baby C is seriously my world. And loving something so much is scary. But I throw caution to the wind and love her more each and every day. And that's all I can say about that before I turn into a puddle.

6) Watching her learn and discover is just as fun for me.

Seriously, I think I get just as excited when Claire discovers a new skill. I don't know who clapped more when she learned how to clap! I'm so excited to experience childhood all over again and help Baby C make memories that last a lifetime. How lucky am I?

7) She makes me a better human being.

I hate bike riding. Really, it's one of my least favorite things to do. But when Claire's ready to learn, I'm going to take her. I'm going to step out of my comfort zone because it's the best thing to do for my daughter. I'm also trying to live more honestly, more lovingly and with more integrity because kids need to learn that from their parents. A girl like Claire deserves the best of me.

And that's just a few reasons of why I'm thankful for my little girl. Sappy, but true.

Hi, I'm Claire's Mom - Nice to Meet You

Oh hey, friends. It's November! Sorry for the prolonged absence. Nothing like having back-to-back illnesses, a family emergency, a mobile baby and studying for two tests for pre-grad school to take me out of the blogging game for 6 weeks. Ay. But I'm back!

Now that Claire's getting older and in need of constant redirection, er, entertainment, we are venturing out and trying new things. We go to story time at the local library, we took a music class at Gymboree, we're taking gym classes at The Little Gym...it's been great fun. But one thing that always takes me by surprise at all of these places is the kids are totally running the show...all the way down to parents' identities.

I first noticed this at Gymboree. Here's how my first conversation went:

Me: "Hi there! I'm Melissa and this is my daughter Claire."
Parent 1: "Oh hi! This is Zoe."
Parent 2: "This is Bella. Hi Claire! Hi Claire's mom!"

I almost wanted to interject and remind them my name was Melissa, but I refrained. Next up was The Little Gym.

Instructor: "Okay everyone, please welcome our new student Claire and her mom."
Me: "Hi, I'm Melissa."
Group: "Hi Claire! Hi Mom!"

Hmmm...

Now, clearly I do these extracurricular activities for my daughter. I'm not going to Gymboree or The Little Gym for my own enjoyment (although who doesn't like a good parachute game? Am I right?). But I'm amazed at how parents don't even introduce themselves unless it's as their child's parent. Is that it for my identity? Am I now Claire's Mom and nothing else?

I should probably cut parents a break. After all, some people have a hard enough time remembering one name. Two might be more than they can handle. And if there's someone who will be around my daughter for awhile, I'd prefer they'd remember her name. That's not going to keep me from introducing myself.

Sidebar: if you haven't yet watched the show "Up All Night", you are missing out! It has a fantastic cast (Will Arnett, Christina Applegate and Maya Rudolph) and it's hilarious even if you don't have a child. If you do have a young one, it's like they peeked inside your life for inspiration. Imagine my surprise when I'm watching "Mr. Bob's Toddler Kaleidoscope" and everything that I just wrote about appears in the first 3 minutes.  I couldn't embed the episode (sorry y'all), but you can find it here on Hulu. I promise, it's worth 21 minutes of your time.

See, who doesn't love parachute games?

*Psst - any website I linked to, I do not get paid for. I love them and I'm just spreading the good word.

My Eager Eater

Since we last caught up about baby food, Baby C was just dipping her toes into the figurative baby food pool.  We started out with avocado and banana, and have since mastered and enjoyed pumpkin, peas, sweet potato, apple, pear, peach, carrot...it's a veritable farmers market in my little girl's tummy!  With new foods, we're trying some rather interesting combinations.  I don't think I'd eat carrots and applesauce, but who knew my 6 month old would be more adventurous than me!

She looks like she's having fun, right?

Now that Claire is starting to eat a varied selection of food, I have to be choosy when picking out my produce.  Clearly, organic produce is ideal...but I don't have a money tree in my backyard.  Here are some things I do to save a bit of money (and in some instances, time!):

The Dirty Dozen

If you have a limited baby grocery budget, but still want to buy organic, prioritize with the Dirty Dozen.  These are foods that carry the most pesticide residue.  They are apples, blueberries, celery, grapes, kale, lettuce, nectarines, peaches, potatoes, spinach, strawberries, and sweet bell peppers.  The way that I look at is anything that I'll either eat with the skin on or has a very thin skin, I should probably buy organic.  So even if they're not on the list, I'd probably add other berries, like raspberries and blackberries, as well as pears and plums.  Bananas?  Definitely don't eat the peel (intentionally) and even if I did (?), it's thick so pesticides would probably not be able to seep into the fruit.  Same thing with oranges, avocados, cantaloupe, etc.  But as my husband always reminds me, he didn't eat organic growing up and he's just fine.  The jury's still out on that one...

Buy Frozen/Canned

Frozen fruits/veggies are a money and a time saver!  It's usually much cheaper and the prep work is usually done for you!  For instance, my favorite way to make Baby C peas is to buy a bag of frozen (and shelled!) sweet peas, steam them in my rice cooker, puree them, and voila - baby food for 4 days!  Easy as pie!  Canned is similar, but you have to be a little more careful.  First, be sure to check that nothing else is added (should just be the fruit/veg and water).  It's also tough to determine whether or not it's organic.  Just remember my peel rule and you'll be fine.  With the abundance of canned pumpkin in the grocery stores right now, I picked up a can for $1 and got 5 2 oz. servings out of it!  I figured it was way easier and cheaper than buying a baking pumpkin, roasting it, scooping it out, pureeing it...a lot less messy, too!  You can find great organic applesauce made of just apples and water that is way easier than baking or steaming, then peeling, then mashing apples.  Hey, I like to make my baby food, but I also like to work smarter not harder.

Farmers Market

Getting your produce at the farmers market is a great way to go.  Most of the time, food is organic, it's local, and you can likely talk to the farmer themselves about their produce.  On occasion, the market can be a little more expensive than going to a grocery store, but try some different strategies to save some money.  Ask if you can get a flat of berries for a cheaper price then freeze them.  Or try going close to closing - vendors are usually willing to cut you a deal so they don't have to pack as much back up.

Something else I do to get a bigger bang for my buck - make food once or twice a week and store it in the freezer in these:

photo credit to Amazon

I usually make food on a Saturday or Sunday, and then again midweek.  My preferred method is steaming in my rice cooker.  I can leave it be for about 10-15 minutes, let it cool down, puree and baby food is made in the time it would have taken me to pack up Baby C in the car, drive to the store, and pay 2-3 times the price for the same amount of food.

Who makes food for their little one?  Any money or time saving tips you can share?  

No One Told Me!

When most people talk about how life changes after having a child, they only tell you the good things.  "You are filled with such a sense of joy and love."  Yes.  That's true.  But no one wants to talk about the ugly things.  Or the negative things.  Oh, let me break it down for you.  Some aspects of LAB (life after baby) are great.  Obviously, the biggest part of LAB is baby!  And that's awesome...99% of the time.  You have a cute reason to make silly faces, dress up in mini clothes, and go to Disney movies.  But there's a few things about LAB that aren't so glamorous.  Here are some things to watch out for:


You will get more cavities

I had a dental checkup 3 weeks postpartum.  It was great because I had a whole hour lying down by myself!  I think I actually fell asleep at one point.  To all those people who don't like the dentist, go after you have a newborn and it's like a spa.  Anyway, one thing my dentist told me is the people he sees who get the most cavities are new parents.  Not kids after Halloween.  Not junk food addicts.  New parents.  He's a dentist and he had 2 within the first 6 months of his son being born!  His reasoning: you are eating at weird times (or constantly eating if you're breastfeeding) and not brushing after each time you eat.  Sometimes, you'll fall asleep without brushing your teeth because you're so tired.  And you can throw flossing out the window.  To keep cavities at bay, try flushing your mouth out with water after you eat at the very least, but brush if  you can.

You may go bald


This may be a bit dramatic, but you will lose A LOT of hair postpartum.  Don't be alarmed - it's just hormones, and it's more than likely all things will go back to normal (i.e. pre pregnancy) by the time your baby is 1.  But I remember very vividly washing my hair about 6 weeks after I had Baby C and feeling like my hair was coming out in clumps!  This was even more concerning considering how full, thick and non-shedding my hair was during pregnancy.  It basically boils down to being annoying to me, but if it's an issue for you, trying experimenting with a different cut, or ask a stylist what they recommend.

You will cry at the drop of a hat


My husband STILL makes fun of me for this.  For whatever reason "Dog Days are Over" by Florence + the Machine was mine and Claire's song during my pregnancy.  When I first started hearing it on the radio, I was about 4 months pregnant and Claire was really starting to move around.  I distinctly remember one of the first times she kicked was during this song, and since then, it's held a very special place in my heart.  About 2 weeks after Claire came into the world, the song came on the radio during a car trip and I completely burst into tears.  Why?  I have no idea.  I also broke down at a few doctor's appointments, watching "The Today Show", and maybe at a Subaru commercial (okay, it's the one below).

Powerful stuff, right?  I wasn't much of a crier before.  It's probably the hormones.  But having a child does make you more sensitive, I've found.  You feel things differently, you feel more, you're more affected.  So I'll probably keep crying at commercials because it makes me think about my little girl.  And I'm okay with it.  I cried at this one, too:

DAMNIT!  Now I'm crying again.

You will probably not sleep soundly for a long time


Even if you're blessed with a solid sleeper, you will likely not get the 8-10 hour chunks you were used to getting because you wake up to go to the bathroom (thanks, extra 100 ounces of water I'm drinking) or because you're worried that your baby is sleeping on their stomach/dropped the binky/too cold/too hot or because you're busy figuring out what you'll tackle on your to-do list this weekend.  So, my advice to all of you who don't have kids - SLEEP.  And enjoy it.  And maybe sleep a little more for those of us who can't anymore.

Childbirth doesn't make everything disappear

Sorry - those 35 pounds you gained at pregnancy?  Only about 15 of that will be gone when you leave the hospital.  That weird line down your stomach?  Yeah, it'll stick around for months.  Other things you thought were a quirk during your preggo time may not go away immediately after childbirth.  It can take weeks or months, or even longer in some cases.  Having realistic expectations can go a long way, but talk to your doctor if you're feeling like you need some extra guidance or help.

How did your life change after having a baby?  What's something you wish people told you to expect?

Mahvelous Meal Monday!

Happy Monday friend-os!  Sorry I haven't done one of these in awhile - I was on vacation, then it was Labor Day weekend, then I was busy...yada yada yada.  Excuses, I know.

Anyhow, I love Real Simple.  If I could pick one magazine that I wish my life looked like, it would be Real Simple.  Good food, nice clothes, clean houses... sounds just about perfect.  Doesn't just looking at the cover give you a zen-like feeling?

One of my favorite recent recipes comes from Real Simple.  And it's just that - really, really simple and really, REALLY delicious.

Grilled Spiced Chicken with Chickpeas

photo credit to Real Simple

This recipe was fantastic because most things I already had on hand (except parsley, which I omitted anyway because it's not my fave) and it literally took 10 minutes to prep and 20 to cook on the grill.  I prepped the chickpeas and the chicken while Baby C slept and still had time to do laundry, er, catch up on "Keeping Up with the Kardashians".  For shame, I know.  Another change I made was adding feta cheese to the chickpea salad and putting it on some mixed greens - gotta get the veggies in, right?  Plus, this is a healthy, cheap meal (all in all, it comes to about $3 a serving).

Bon appetit!