Mama Loves: Good Libations

Welcome to another week of Mama Loves! So glad that you've stopped by!

Mama Loves is a linky party where mamas can share anything that has made your life easier as a mama.

Maybe you've found:

• a toy or book that captivates your child(ren)
• gear you just can't live without
• a recipe your choosy toddler gobbles down
• a parenting book that you've found perspective changing
• an activity that wears your kid(s) out (these lead to good naps, which we all love)
• an outfit that flatters your post-baby body and makes you feel fabulous
• or anything else you're loving--creativity welcome!

Share it with us! Blogging has made me a better mama, because I've learned about all kinds of great things, like those listed above, from mamas just like you. Here's your chance to share it with all of us!

To link your post up, click on the linky tool at the bottom, and follow the directions, it's really easy. You can also add this beautiful button to your post. Just grab the code in the box, copy and paste it into your post. Easy.

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I hope you're all enjoying the beginning of this holiday season. Good conversation with family and friends, good food, good drink. It all makes me breathe a happy sigh.

Most evenings, after the girls have gone to bed, I enjoy a nice glass of red wine (or two).

Every once in awhile, I enjoy a sweet treat to go along with my wine.

Recently, a friend introduced me to a delectable indulgence that combines wine and sweet treats together.

ChocoVine.

 
Friends, mamas---if you enjoy chocolate, and a good libation every now and then. You should give this a whirl.

Seriously.

Your taste buds will dance and sing and twirl!

And, for $10, it makes an inexpensive hostess gift for all those holiday parties you'll be attending (buy an extra bottle as a present for yourself while you're at it).

Anyone find any great shopping deals they want to share? Can't wait to see what you're loving this week!

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Pirate Ship

Today, I am thankful for pirate ships, my friends.

Let me explain.

This past week, it was my turn to be sick. My husband was leaving town for three days, so I went to Urgent Care (1050) and got some good drugs (1051) before he left.

This wasn't the "out of commission" type of sick (1052), just the "cough, blow your nose, talk like a frog" kinda sick.

Kids don't really get it when you don't feel well. They still want you to read the same books to them over and over again (1053). I really am so very grateful that they love books, my throat on the other hand, was begging for a break.

During nap the girls' nap, the kind UPS man, who always quietly delivers to our door (1054), placed a very large box of diapers on our front door (1055).

I unpacked the box, and decided to leave it out for the girls to play with.

I told them it was a boat.

We decorated our boat (1056).

We love pirates around here. The girls will tell you that pirates say Arrrrh! Brynne has also been singing Yo-ho, Yo-ho around the house lately (1057), which is so cute I could just die. We have pirate bath toys too. Yup, we love pirates around here. So...we decided to make our boat...

...a pirate ship (1058).

We put on the appropriate attire (1059:

The girls filled their boat with their baby dolls, books, and toys for the journey (1060). Then, we sailed all around the living room.

Our pirate ship is the greatest and grandest ship in all the seven seas, and daily provides the girls with lots of imaginative fun (1061). 

Finding them like this completely blesses my heart (1062):

Two girls smiling at the camera is aaaarh-guably the cutest thing ever (1063).

Rest

As I type, it's a rainy, gloomy Sunday. The entire house is asleep. It's peaceful.

I listen to the gentle patter of rain.

My thoughts go to the idea of rest.

Sabbath rest.



As a mama, I feel the constant demand of mama-ing.

When the girls are awake I feed them, dress them, fix their hair, read to them, play with them, teach them, change diapers, referee disputes, and kiss bumps and bruises.

When the girls are asleep, I prepare meals, mend torn books, fold laundry, clean, straiten, organize, have my own meal, and sit down for just a moment to catch my breath. All, so I can do the above list all over again when they wake up.

It's constant, and I find myself questioning, even agonizing over whether it's enough. Mama-ing is an important job, after all. Tending to God's sheep.

In all of that, I often forget. I'm a sheep too.

I need rest. Physical rest, yes. More importantly, I need soul rest.

I need to intentionally sit and bask in the delight that God takes in me, his sheep, his daughter. I need to let the words, ...it is very good... that Jesus spoke when he created me, soak into my soul.

None of my lists above do anything to change God's delight and pleasure in who I am. Meditating on that is freeing, and brings great rest to my soul.

Practically? How do I do this?

Connecting with God is such a personal and intentional thing. Praying and reading the Bible are such Sunday school answers. While important and necessary, connecting with God is so much more than that.

I find Sabbath rest in my garden. He makes my flowers lovely and our vegetables flourish--that beauty seeps into my soul. Even in the winter--the bones of last year's growth is full of beautiful promise.

I find Sabbath rest in a good glass of wine. The complex flavors dance over my tounge--I whisper, Thank you, Jesus.

I find Sabbath rest in words. Writing. Reading. Listening.

How do you find Sabbath rest?








 

Mama Loves: BabyLegs

Welcome to another week of Mama Loves! So glad that you've stopped by!

Mama Loves is a linky party where mamas can share anything that has made your life easier as a mama.

Maybe you've found: 

• a toy or book that captivates your child(ren)
• gear you just can't live without
• a recipe your choosy toddler gobbles down
• a parenting book that you've found perspective changing
• an activity that wears your kid(s) out (these lead to good naps, which we all love)
• an outfit that flatters your post-baby body and makes you feel fabulous
• or anything else you're loving--creativity welcome!

Share it with us! Blogging has made me a better mama, because I've learned about all kinds of great things, like those listed above, from mamas just like you. Here's your chance to share it with all of us!

To link your post up, click on the linky tool at the bottom, and follow the directions, it's really easy. You can also add this beautiful button to your post. Just grab the code in the box, copy and paste it into your post. Easy.

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I was, nostalgically, looking through old pictures of our girls the other day, and there was one article of clothing I saw that has been themed throughout pictures for over a year. These have been around just about as long as the girls have been alive, and definitely gotten the best bang for our buck.

BabyLegs.

Last year, when our girls were wee, BabyLegs made a Onesie and outfit. Which was fabulously easy, and made diaper changes a breeze! 

This year, the BabyLegs continue to be part of our girls' wardrobe repertoire:



Now, BabyLegs are more like a footless-tight. They spruce up the girls' dresses and skirts, while adding extra warmth and protection to their legs. We love the versatility!

And, the best part---they will still fit next year!

BabyLegs come in just about every color and style you can imagine--for girls and boys. Think: holidays, professional sports teams, colleges/universities, colors, characters, animal prints, food, shapes---you have an idea---there's probably a BabyLeg style to go along with it.

Go check it out!

Every once in awhile, on Mama Bargains or Baby Steals (you can "like" both these on facebook, or sign up for daily emails)---will have a deal where you can get five for like $25 (great deal!).

When I was a new mama, I thought these were pretty much the best thing to come around since the invention of the Internet, and a year later, I still feel the same way! Definitely worth the money. We've put a lot of miles on these! It will be so much fun to compare pictures of yet another year of BabyLegs wear.

Can't wait to see what you're loving!

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When God closes a door...

...he makes it warm enough outside to open our windows!

Just a quick list today. We are off to pick up more medicine.

One day we will be 100% all better. Until then---we're going to enjoy this 72 degree day in November.

1038. My Christmas cactus blooming a month early, right on cue!

1039. A few cough-free nights.

1040. Watching Harry Potter 7.2 with Brad.

1041. Honey and lemon for my throat.

1042. Brynne asking for the orange bib for every single meal.

1043. The girls learning how to do moose calls (thank you, YouTube).

1044. Teaching the girls to take big drinks and then say Opa! No, we are not Greek, and really, I have no idea why I went with Opa, but it's pretty funny, and the girls get a kick out of it. We're multicultural in this house, that's what it is.

1045. Laughter over purple buttercream frosting.

1046. Potty chair and potty books.

1047. Smiles from my baby girls.

1048. The girls playing with their cousins.

1049. Windows open in November.



Mama Loves: Grace

Quickly,

I feel compelled to ask forgiveness.

When I tell you of our "green-ness" I feel it may communicate that I draw some sort of line to say "I'm better than you, because I do all these 'green' things".

That is absolutely not my intent. Please forgive, if it came across that way?

I've said this before, we all have to figure out what works for us . As mamas, as humans--we do whatever works, right?

No judgements. Period.

If you don't believe me, just ask me about our gigantic SUV gas-guzzler, or my husband's nightly dumpster diving, because, in my haste, I don't always do the best job of recycling.

If I've offended you, please forgive me? Drawing lines in the sand is not loving. That is not what I meant with my post.

Love wins! Always.

Mama Loves: Being Green

Welcome to another week of Mama Loves! So glad that you've stopped by!

Mama Loves is a linky party where mamas can share anything that has made your life easier as a mama.

Maybe you've found: 

• a toy or book that captivates your child(ren)
• gear you just can't live without
• a recipe your choosy toddler gobbles down
• a parenting book that you've found perspective changing
• an activity that wears your kid(s) out (these lead to good naps, which we all love)
• an outfit that flatters your post-baby body and makes you feel fabulous
• or anything else you're loving--creativity welcome!

Share it with us! Blogging has made me a better mama, because I've learned about all kinds of great things, like those listed above, from mamas just like you. Here's your chance to share it with all of us!

To link your post up, click on the linky tool at the bottom, and follow the directions, it's really easy. You can also add this beautiful button to your post. Just grab the code in the box, copy and paste it into your post. Easy.

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I believe that one of the best ways to teach something, is through example. 

We make a point of letting Brynne and Hadley see us be ecologically responsible, and we encourage them to join in too! 

• They love to take things out to the recycling bin. 
• We cloth diaper.
• We buy used books.
• We use natural cleaning supplies.
• We bring our own bags to the grocery store.
• We buy local as much as possible. You can too!

Being "green" doesn't always mean we have to spend lots of money. We can repurpse things we already have and we can buy second-hand--vintage (sounds better, doesn't it?).

Here are some great ideas from a few mamas:

• You don't always have to go to the store to introduce a new toy. I'll let Melissa explain.
• Can't find just what you need at the store? Melissa suggests getting out your iron.
• Save money and the earth! Jessica can tell you about great reusable water bottles. (She has some other great "green" ideas to share with us too!) These bottles are going in our girls' stockings this Christmas!
• Make your own baby food. Saves money, it's better for your baby, and it's easy! Just ask Katie!

When I run to the store with the girls in tow, they're always in the stroller (unless I leave it in the Walmart parking lot).

I often found that I'd forget to grab a shopping bag. Enter the reisenthel mini maxi shopper.

It fits in the palm of your hand:

What I really love is that it fits in my stroller console:

Now, if I forget to grab bags when I'm out with the girls, I always have one with me. And this baby can hold a ton of stuff!

I tried to get the girls to each hold a handle to show you just how big these bags are, but that is a lot harder than it sounds. So, this is the best I could come up with:

I'll say this too: I figured that once I took it out of the bag, I'd never get it back in.

Not so! You don't have to do any fancy folding; just stuff the thing back in there and snap the carrying case shut. Easy!

The reisenthel mini maxi would make the perfect stocking stuffer! For under $8, it's a great deal!

Christmas shopping made easy and your grandchildren won't grow up in  landfill. That's a win/win!

Can't wait to see what you're loving this week!

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Oh. My. Goodness.

So.

Tuesday, the girls and I met some other mama friends for a special story time at our local cupcake bar.

As the weather has gotten cooler, we've tried to find fun activities to do indoors, and this event was something we've been looking forward to for quite some time!

The book they were reading was Purplelicious. I should have previewed this book ahead of time. It was terrible! The main character of the book got bullied the entire way through the book. Her "friends" said mean and nasty things to her.

For goodness sakes! Children figure out how to bully on their own. Do we need to show them how to do it, and introduce them to ugly language like that--in a children's book no less?!

I digress. Let's just say I could only find three positive things to say about this book:

1. There is a school bus in the book.
2. There was a pink sheep in the book. Hadley spotted it right away during the reading, pointed and said "Baaaaa," in a very loud voice. We do love our farm animals around here!
3. We learned that pink + blue = purple.

All of these points were running through my head as the story finished up, and we moved on to snack.

Now, I'll say this: I knew that having story time at a cupcake bar would probably mean a sweet treat.

I was prepared for a small sliver of cupcake. (And I know I'm not crazy for thinking this, because my friend brought along an egg-free cookie, so that her son, who has an egg allergy, wouldn't feel left out). In fact, I was sorta hoping against hope that just maybe the "small sliver of cupcake" would be the pineapple upside down cupcake, so at least there would be some fruit involved.

So, you can imagine the look of horror that came over my face when they walked out with this:



Yes, that's right. Cups of purple buttercream frosting. With sprinkles.

Just. Frosting. (with sprinkles)

No cupcake. Oh, and a spoon, so that our toddlers could get every last bit of frosting. With sprinkles.

I didn't really know what to do. So, I gave each of the girls a taste. Then I tasted it. HOLY SUGAR!

I wasn't sure if my turning stomach was guilt that I'd just given the girls pure sugar, or if it was the jolt of consuming something so atrociously sweet before noon.

Still not sure.

As we left the cupcake bar--dazed and shell-shocked by the events that had just transpired, my friend says:

What just happened in there? I gave my son spoon fulls of frosting. At 10AM.

I don't know about her, but I'm totally expecting my Mother of the Year Award to arrive any day now.

Now that I've had a few days to reflect there are a few things I'm certain about:

1. The organizer of this event (God, love her or him) does not have children.
2. Purple buttercream frosting + sprinkles = terrible naps.
3. Next time I'm bringing grapes.

In Sickness...

My list of thanks is a day late. This time the "sickness" was me, not the girls. Sunday evening I ended up with the stomach flu. You'd think after all the coughing and snot in our home, that I'd sing the same song, but alas, I got the curve ball. But, I'm so thankful:

1029. Brad was able to stay home Monday, so I could rest.

1030. The girls seem to have escaped the stomach flu (you can pray about that one, I am).

And in other news:

1031. We were most thankful to receive a beautifully crafted Halloween card (and a sweet note from their mama) from our friends in Kentucky :)

1032. The girls learning that pirates say, Aaaarrrrrh!

1033. Vases of delicious smelling roses all over our house! Who would have thought our roses would go crazy with blooms in November?!

1034 and 1035. While the girls were sitting on my lap, Hadley reached over to give Brynne her bink. Brynne then signed thank you, completely unprompted!

1036. Brynne telling me every time she needed her diaper changed.

1037. Ready for winter!



Sometimes I just need some perspective.

Have you guys seen this article circulating around facebook?



The resounding theme of this column, to me, is grace. Or lack of.

At the same time, the title, Why don't friends with kids have time? rings true. Pursuing friendships is a challenge with children.

I admit, pre-children, I didn't have a lot of grace for mamas, or anyone that wasn't as efficient or as intentional as I was.

Mostly, because I just didn't get it.

Now the whole, It takes 45 minutes to do what takes others 15, is ringing in my ears!

I've always been a little slow to figure out the way things are supposed to go.

I remember once asking a college friend if she'd like me to go with her to register for her wedding. Yes, that's right, I really thought I should be the one to help decide what she and her future husband would like in their home.

And seriously, I was a little hurt that she didn't take me up on my "generous" offer.

Today, it's laughable that I would have even offered my "services" to my friend. Brad and I had so much fun choosing things to add to our registry. That's the way it's supposed to be.

I lacked perspective. And, I lacked grace.

I've said before that the very hardest thing I've ever done was becoming a mama. It has stretched me in more ways than I could have possibly prepared myself for.

The greatest gift that stretching has given me? Grace.

The "hard" of becoming a mama, the infinite number of possible challenges that can creep up with mama-ing has given me grace.

You don't have time to talk with me right now?
You're running late?
You need to cancel last minute?
It takes you a few days to return my phone call?

Grace to you.

I get it.

I get the constant-ness of mama-ing. Whatever is present to you---work, school or just life--it can be constant-ness too.

So, I completely understand that when you finally get a sweet break in the constant-ness, sometimes, you just want to do your own thing or nothing.

I'm grateful to Brynne and Hadley for helping me to be a more grace-filled person.

Have you had a life event that has caused you to give grace more generously?

Linking with Jen.

Mama Loves: Christmas Gift Ideas

Welcome to another week of Mama Loves! So glad that you've stopped by!

Mama Loves is a linky party where mamas can share anything that has made your life easier as a mama.

Maybe you've found:

• a toy or book that captivates your child(ren)
• gear you just can't live without
• a recipe your choosy toddler gobbles down
• a parenting book that you've found perspective changing
• an activity that wears your kid(s) out (these lead to good naps, which we all love)
• an outfit that flatters your post-baby body and makes you feel fabulous
• or anything else you're loving--creativity welcome!

Share it with us! Blogging has made me a better mama, because I've learned about all kinds of great things, like those listed above, from mamas just like you. Here's your chance to share it with all of us! 

To link your post up, click on the linky tool at the bottom, and follow the directions, it's really easy. You can also add this beautiful button to your post. Just grab the code in the box, copy and paste it into your post. Easy.

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There are 49 days and some hours till Christmas. How does that sit with you?

My goal is to get Christmas shopping done as quickly and as painlessly as possible. I'd love to be done by December 1st. We'll see.

Last week two Mama Loves posters gave some great book recommendations, just in time for me to add them to the girls' Christmas list. Seriously. Check out Katie's place and Mandy's place. We love books in this house--thanks, ladies!

I thought I'd add another book for your Christmas list consideration.



The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen.

It's rhythmic, and fun--one of those books you won't mind reading over and over and over again.

My girls love to stand up and dance to beat of the words as we read them, and they usually chime in on chorus.

That's right, because of this book they've learned the word pout, but they always have to say it twice. They've also learned the word blub; I'm not sure if that's a word or a sound. Blogger says it's not a word, but the Merriam-Webster dictionary says it is a word. Why can't we all just get along?!

Anyway while Blogger and Merriam-Webster duke it out over blub, you should check out The Pout-Pout Fish. It won't disappoint.

In the middle of the fun words and beautiful illustrations The Pout-Pout Fish has to offer, there are two great messages for kids to hear:

1. That we are what we believe about ourselves.
2. Love wins. 

Love that last one.

Can't wait to see what other great stuff you have for me to add to my Christmas list!

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Our Little Fall Leaves

Last year we introducted the girls to the great fun that comes with sitting in a pile of leaves.

We have these two gorgeous maple trees in our back yard. The leaves turn fiery red, and then float to the ground, pretty much all at the same time.

This year they were excited to get back out there! The sheer delight they had playing in those leaves brings me such joy!

Thanks to Cheryl for hosting Way Back When-esday. It's so much fun to see how much fun the same experience can be so different year after year. 

Broken Record

Please forgive? I'm a bit like a broken record.

The girls are still sick. We're on week three of coughing and crying throughout the night. The girls' cough is a terrible wrenching sound that hurts my heart. The cough has sort of ebbed and flowed. Right now it's definintely flowing.

The days are tiring and the nights provide no relief.

Still, I'm so thankful:

1019. New words, new signs and new animal noises.

1020. Warm, beautiful, vibrant fall days.

1021. All the many blessings in the middle of the stroller incident. 

1022. Taking a few moments to play in the leaves.

1023. Hadley bringing me her tea cup for a "tea party" to drink hot honey and lemon water.

1024. Brynne joining in on the fun.



1025. Success in sewing part of the girls' Halloween costume.

1026. The cutest little garden gnomes you ever did see.

1027. Semi-annual haircut.

1028. An organized box of crayons.