Hot Idea for a Chilly Problem

The kids and I are enjoying this beautiful, summery weather on a mid-April spring day.

I just love being outside - don't you?  I love the beach, hiking, walking, going to parks - anywhere really.  I never really had to make an effort to be outside.  I just naturally gravitated toward being outside.
Probably because when I was a kid, my parents encouraged me to be outside - ride bikes, roller skate, walk, run, swim - just play outside.

And this is something I am encouraging my kids to do and it's working.  Since they were born - they both enjoy being out and about outside. Not because it's forced - because they sincerely enjoy it.  It helps that we have a great back yard and the time to be outside, of course, but it makes me so happy to see them being active and just being kids.

This is why I was so disturbed and saddened when I came across this article last week on Cafe Mom. The article itself is great - 22 ideas for what to do with your kids outside.

The part I found disturbing was a statistic they shared:

"According to the study, highlighted in The New York Times, only 51 percent of parents said they take a child "for a walk or to play in yard, a park, or a playground" once a day. The stats were worse for girls rather than boys (parents of boys were 16 percent more likely to take them outside for play)." 

51%?  Yikes.

I thought again about that article today - ironically it was around 6:30 a.m. when my kiddos were already begging to go outside. Which again, I love - just after I have some coffee. :)

After eating some breakfast, we were outside by 9:00 a.m.  I hopped on a conference call while they played and by just after 10 - the kiddie pool was filled up and ready for play.

There was a slight problem - while it was already nearing 70 degrees out - the water from the hose was really cold.

What's a mom to do?

Well, I "figured" out something last year when I ran into the same issue of early morning fun combined with the fabulous warm weather & too-cold water.

I'm pretty certain I'm not the first person to think of it (nor do I claim to be) but it's a pretty good idea which I'm going to share with you.  Would you expect any less?

Hurray!  

So what's the big idea?

Add HOT water so it's not so cold.

So, I went back inside and filled up two huge pots of water and put them on the stove to boil.  You could also simply run the water to get it super hot to get the same effect - but it wastes water and also our water heater is set lower so it never gets that hot (safety first!).

After ten whiny minutes later - ta-da!

A "heated" kiddie pool.  Oooh, now that's a genius idea :)
Until then - this will do.

Happy kiddos = Happy Mama

I hope you're having a beautiful day and getting outside for the  kiddos - and remember - for YOU, too :)

Babies, toddlers and TV - finally, a solution!

Ahh, yes.  It's one of those hot topics in the parenting world.

The age-old question:

"How much TV is okay to let my baby/toddler/child/teenager watch?"

And the answer you hear from every parent will vary.  Some say "none".  Some will say "too much".

But the TV/No TV debate is not the point of this post.

Whether you choose to let your babies/toddlers/kids watch TV is YOUR choice and WHAT you let them watch is also up to you.  I'm Pro-Mom, remember :)

Anywhoooo - as a side note I will share with you that both of my children have been watching TV - meaning DVDs and age-appropriate shows on toddler-friendly channels - since they were young.  My now 2 year old son was exposed to it earlier than my 3.5 year old daughter was at the same age, but that's just a result of being in the same room with the older sibling and being a work at home parent.

On to the point - the solution!

One day, when we were a one kid household, my daughter was asking for "Da-Da"- she was around 13 months old.  As he works out of the home, there was really no way for this to happen (obviously before FaceTime on iPhones).  And, since I work from home, something came up where I really needed to do something work-related that was time sensitive and needed my daughter to be entertained so I could just get something accomplished.

As I searched through the selection and debated which DVD to put on for her that would really captivate her attention for longer than the usual 5 possibly 10 minutes. Then, just as I cringed at idea of her watching more TV that day than had already been "allowed"- I came across a "genius" idea.

Genius I tell you!

It was our wedding DVD.  It was perfect for a few reasons:

• It was something she had never seen before 

• It had music, motion and people in it

• She could watch our wedding DVD and therefore see her Da-Da

• It exposed her to a new language (Hebrew) from the Rabbi who married us

With fingers crossed, I popped in the DVD and hopped on my conference call and she was mesmerized!

Aside from screaming Da-da at the TV every few minutes, I was able to get done what I had needed to do while she was entertained by the TV but with something that was family-related and a part of our family history.

Of course, now I'm even more glad we paid a bazillion dollars for the wedding videographer :)

Now, when I need to get something accomplished my kiddos are now older so it is easier to avoid using the TV as a distraction - but there are days when I need to do something urgent or cannot be interrupted every five seconds.

This is now one of my four go-to DVDs.  Since our wedding DVD worked so well, it prompted my husband to create three additional DVDs of our kids and they are a compilation of everything from us in the hospital with each of them to themselves as babies playing with toys, taking their first steps, eating their first foods and enjoying cake on their first birthdays and beyond.

So, yes, it's watching TV.  But they are watching and experiencing our family moments.

Also, watching their faces light up while watching themselves is just adorable, too.

Love Me Some Blogs

I don't know about you, but I could spend all day on Pinterest and reading blogs. 


I just wanted to share with you a few of my favorites - but I'm always looking for new ones to subscribe to and check out, so please, tell me your favorites!


Parenting Illustrated with Crappy Pictures - Hilarious.  


Baby Rabies - Love Jill - she's a moms of two, like me and her writing is exceptional.  She writes honestly and from the heart and she does some great photography, too.


Thrifty Decor Chick - Sarah is awe.some. I wish I could be crafty and I LOVE her style and decor and her thrify-ness. 


Young House Love - These two are super cute and their daughter is adorable and they have a sense of style and do tons and tons of home improvement projects.  Their posts are informative and super funny to read.


Mama Cheaps - Great for saving money and time as it compiles some of the best prices and deals from stores and on the web. 


BabyCheapSkate - Breaks down great diaper deals and coupons and offers, also!


Baby Gear Guide - this is a site byThe Baby Guy NYC aka Jamie Grayson - I "met" Jamie on Twitter and I love him - he is the ultimate baby gear guy - he's single, gay but knows more about pregnancy, parenting, babies and of course, baby gear.  He has great contests, product reviews and more.


I'll have more to add, so check back soon!
Have a great weekend!

I'm Pro-Moms. What are you?

We have all heard of them - and likely been involved in a conversation about one.

I'm talking about those "mommy wars" that just don't seem to go away.  Oh, you know the ones I'm speaking of: formula feeding vs. bottle, crying methods of sleep training vs. non-crying methods, working moms vs. stay at home moms, etc. etc.

They can rear their ugly head from just about anyone these days - even strangers can come up to you and express their (unwanted) opinions to you.

Unfortunately I come across these more often than I'd like as an occupational hazard and within my own circle of friends ;)

However, as opinionated as I am in my personal life and choices I've made along with my husband for our children - I am NOT when it comes to supporting my clients, friends or families I help along the way.

I'm not pro anything.  I believe parenting is a series of choices - most of which we tend to make on the fly or as we go.  There is no right or wrong way, per se, but I do believe in planning and researching from qualified sources as much as possible.  I do believe in getting opinions and having conversations with other moms and professionals and getting different perspectives.

I actually take back what I just said about not being pro anything.  I'm pro-MOMS.  I just support moms in general - regardless of their choices. Period.

What about you?  Has someone recently engaged you in one of those aforementioned "mommy wars"?  If so, what was it?  I would love to hear about it!

Little moments

I miss the days of my now 3 year old and 22 month old when they were newborns. So soft, snuggly and, well - new.

Every now and again I catch a glimpse of those babies that will always be there - despite the whining, crying and fun associated with toddlers.

Today I caught one of those moments - these little moments that I get every day in different ways - that remind me not to take things for granted. Not to yell so much or expect too much from them. To let them just be kids - and to just be.

It's these little moments I treasure. And today, I caught a glimpse of my babies again while they peacefully napped. With our fur-baby not too far away - protecting, as usual.

Holding onto "Me" as a Mom

There are some days when I think back to the life of leisurely dinners out with my husband and good friends, last-minute weekend trips or lounging a little longer in bed on a Sunday morning.  

Luckily, those days aren’t gone, but they have taken a back-seat to our life now with our kids. 

When you become a parent, you know it is the most amazing, life changing experience – both figuratively and literally.  You feel as if you could never love someone more.  Ever.  

Yet, somehow, while that love grew and grew for my children, somehow it diminished the “love” I seemed to show myself. 

Even though it was a choice we made, I started to feel guilty for wanting to be kid-free for a few hours and feeling I needed to be away from my children. I started to feel like something was wrong with me for feeling like that.  These are the types of things I like to call the “dark-side” of parenting. 

However, I’m here to tell you it is in fact completely normal to feel that way and it does not make you a bad parent.  In fact – it may make you a better one.  

I came across two great posts on the subject with some excellent tips:

A Post at Mommyologist

Connected Parenting

A slight part of the problem is I love being with my kids! Even though I still find it hard to take time away from my kids, it’s become something I’m very aware of now because it is healthy and important for everyone.  

So now that I’m aware of it, what am I doing about it?  I’ve decided it’s time to focus on myself again.* I’m reconnecting with my friends and making sure my husband and I continue to take time for each other. 

Additionally, my daughter is starting preschool in just a week or so now and that will be great for her, too.  In time, it will be easier as our kids get older. 

Even though I let a little piece of myself go in becoming a mother, I’ve found it’s easy to get it back and I’ve gained so much more in the “sacrifice”.

If you’re looking for a great laugh and an honest take on motherhood, check out Scary Mommy.



Me & my kiddos



Note: This was a recent column of mine from my Mom's Talk column featured on Patch

*Editor's note: Carly started a new job with Plum District and continues her baby planning business

Got Mommy Friends?

After settling back into my life shortly after having my first child, I strongly began to feel the need again to socialize.  Like most people B.C. (Before Children), I had an active social calendar - dinners with other couples, coffee with friends, shopping, last minute pedicures, long, leisurely lunches, etc.

Eager to resume these social activities, of course, I picked up the phone to call my friends. 

However, after numerous conversations with my now categorized as child-less** friends, both on the phone and in person - I found a huge issue had arose.  In a lot of ways, it now felt to me as if we had nothing in common on the surface. 

While they still spoke of long nights out, shopping sprees and other "fun" things - I was consumed with thoughts of poopy diapers, laundry and just figuring out this whole new "mom" thing I had going on. 

Don't get me wrong or misunderstand - my friends are still wonderful, fabulous people and I am still friends with them today - however; I now had a baby and they did not.  And anyone who has kids knows what I'm sayin'.  It's not a bad thing, per se...it's just different. 

Oh, just let me explain.

Since I didn't have many friends who had children, I asked myself:  "Where can I find me some mommy friends?"

To the Internet I went and discovered a web site called Meetup.com.  I joined a lovely group of moms - some of whom I immediately connected with.  We went to parks, the local zoo, had play dates and I got a chance to socialize myself and my daughter while I still worked from home part-time.

However, I found that even in that large group, it was still hard to connect with another mom "just because" you both have kids.  I mean, you don't just randomly approach strangers in the store or in public and say - "Hey, I see you have a kid.  Well, I have a kid, too, so let's be friends!" 

Yeah...it doesn't work like that.  That would be weird. 

For a few months, I continued to be an active member of the group.  Then, after a short 8 months of having figured out be a mom to one baby, I became pregnant with my second child. 

At the same time, within the larger group of moms - a smaller group had inadvertently emerged with moms who had younger children.  We all started getting closer finding we had a lot more in common and became our own little network.  It was, and is to this day, VERY nice. 

Life went swimmingly along....until about a month prior to having my second child, I was faced with a career change.  This left me (yet again) in new waters which I had never swam before....and I almost sank.  In addition to the rough economy - finding a new career path in the marketing field in addition to being 9 months pregnant just was NOT going to happen! 

(Enter my current career of Newly Nested)

Thank goodness I had my wonderful husband, my supportive parents, friends and family... 

And, yes, you guessed it.

My group of mommy friends! 

So, what is the point of me sharing all this? 

First and foremost as a stay/work-at-home mom, and secondly, as a baby planner and advisor to new and expecting parents, it is important to address concerns and issues that may (or may not) arise as the result of decisions we make - i.e. staying at home versus going back to work*. 

As wonderful an opportunity as it is, at times, staying home can also be isolating.  If anyone would had ever said to me that being with my children all day was lonely, I would have called them crazy.  Even though I considered myself to be a very social person - this happened to me and I decided to DO something about it.

So, the point of all this is to not let it get to that point.  If you find yourself in a position like I was in - a new mom looking to connect with others - here are some ideas that will get you started. 

1. Go to Meet Up.  Like I said earlier, I found my mommy-saviors there. It's fast to sign up, free and will save your sanity!  There are new groups starting everyday. 

2.  Go to the park.  There's always some friendly moms there. (And some not so friendly ones) You'll quickly find who is willing to chat and those who are not.   

3.  The library.  Another great place to meet other moms is in the children's section.  

4.  If you're breastfeeding - visit La Leche Leauge to find a chapter near you. 

5.  Visit your local town or city's web site for classes for your kids.  I found another great friend from our local Toddler Gym Class at the Park and Recreation Department.  There's also Gymboree's and other kid-gyms or music programs to check out for finding other moms. 

Who knows - you may find a new "mom" friend in the least expected places. 

So, get out there and make some mom-friends! 

Note: This post was from my original blog I started in early 2010 and switched over to this site as my main outlet for information.  I felt it was worth updating and sharing.

**Since this post was originally written, one of my very best friends who was child-less at the time has since had her first baby!

*This post and the suggestions apply to working mothers also. I am speaking from my own experiences and am not looking to start the work at home versus stay at home debate.  I support motherhood. Period.