But.. if you have a bit of time please check out Girly Mama below! She's AWESOME!
Meet girlymama
Here's
a glimpse into my life as a mom juggling three small kids and one very
full calendar, finding joy (and angst) in the most unexpected places.
about me
Where
to begin... this is a glimpse into my life as a young mom of three high
energy little ones. I love good coffee, dark chocolate, pilates,
shopping, my ipod, the beach, pedicures, red wine, sleeping, design, my
husband, my kiddos and Jesus (Not necessarily in that order).
Living in the 'burbs with a mortgage, driving a minivan with three
car seats in the back…. Its not at all the life I planned on living.
But when that stick turned blue at age 24, my life changed forever. And
I wouldn't trade it for the world.
Special Guest Stars: Husband:
my wonderful, adorable husband of over 9 years. This blog will
hopefully give valuable insight as to what happens when an artsy
liberal arts major tries to live with a logical engineering major who
is a soccer hooligan in his spare time.
Ellie:
(age 6) Beautiful, sweet natured girl who loves life. She is smart,
sassy and funny. Her hobbies include coloring animals on every
available surface, learning to read, driving her sister crazy and
obsessing over when we will get a puppy.
Gracie:
(age 5) Petite and very adorable. She is funny, adventurous and sweet
with an overabundance of sass. She hates sleeping and being left out of
anything. She challenges me daily. She is going to be one heck of a
teenager. I can tell.
Colin:
(age 1) Our baby boy! We are totally in love with this beautiful
creature. He is pretty mellow so far. His hobbies are eating, not
sleeping, watching Cars, throwing things and trying to injure himself.
Here’s one of my favorite pictures. Don’t they look so adorable and
precious? And not at all threatening? Can you not even imagine that
these beautiful creatures would ever make me want to tear my hair out,
run away from home and/or drink tequila directly from the bottle?
Don't be fooled. We took like 1,000 pictures to get that one.
My little girl just took her first gymnastics class.
And she is in love! So I was thrilled when she got the change to try
the newest addition to Ubisoft's games for girls: Imagine Gymnast.
What they say:
Learn gymnastics under the instruction of Olympic Gold Medalist Shannon Miller
Join a team of gymnasts at a premiere academy
Compete in Vault, Balance Beam, Uneven Bars, Floor, and Rhythmic Gymnastics events
Customize your look, routine and team
Unlock new outfits and accessories for you and your teammates by completing competitions and events.
What we say: My daughter just loved this
game. Its her new favorite! She's five and a half and it was just a
little challenging for her, but my 7-year-old had not problem. (And
even the non-gymnastics-crazy daughter loved this one!) Their favorite
parts were all of the customizing options - they love designing
leotards and choreographing routines.
And I am still a huge
fan of Ubisoft kids games. They have great themes, are always
age-appropriate and manage to be educational and fun. My
girls are young and just scratching the surface of what Ubisoft games
offer. So I know they'll be still playing them in a few years, so I don't mind buying them!
disclaimer: i received a copy of imagine gymnast to review and a nintendo ds in order to do the reviewing
from ubisoft. i was not compensated financially for this post.
Massage beads in the Maui focus on the arch and midfoot.
100% recyclable
In addition to being anti-microbial and machine washable, Okabashis clean very nicely in the dishwasher.
Made in USA
and comes with a two year guarantee
What I say: I was surprised at how comfy these
were! I love the massage beads! I have high arches, so regular cheap-o
flip-flops don't really work for me. But the shape of the Maui sandal
took care of that. I wore them for hours and my feet felt great!I'm mostly impressed with Okabashi's philosphy. The
average pair of Okabashi sandals made this year is expected to have
about 25% recycled material and when you're done wearing them, just
mail them back to the company and they'll recycle them for you. AND Okabashi's manufacturing process is waste-free! Amazing! This is a company I can wholeheartedly support!!
disclosure: i received a pair of okabaski sandals to facilitate this review.
Maybe you've never heard of Parigi Fashion. But I'd bet my bottom
dollar that you've seen their children's brands like Apple Bottoms,
Baby Phat, DKNY and Puma at your favorite department stores!
My daughter was sent an absolutely adorable outfit -- a pair of dark denim Applebottom
skinny jeans and a plaid Applebottom
blouse. She LOVED them! "Mom, this is so cool!" And I have to tell you
that my daughter is very - VERY - picky about clothes and usually does
not like what I buy for her. Apparently Parigi Fashions should go
shopping for her instead of me.
These clothes were very well made
and will surely last to be worn by her younger sister. As a mom, I have
to say that I REALLY appreciate that these clothes are hip, but modest.
The material on the blouse was sheer, but has a camisole sewn into the
shirt. And it was nice and long on my daughter's long torso. The jeans
were skinny, but not tight, and didn't gap at the waist. Finally! I'm thrilled!!
I'll be keeping an eye out for more Parigi Fashion items as I'm shopping for summer!
An
outfit
was provided by Parigi Fashions and MomSelect for this review and they
also generously provided another outfit that was donated to the Dine Out to Fight Hunger event on May 17th. I was not compensated financially for this post.
Anyone who knows our family, knows that we are HUGE soccer fans. Especially my soccer hooligan of a husband.
All of our kids love soccer - one of my son's first words was "GOOAAALLL!"
So we were really excited to read two new kids soccer books from Candlewick Books.
The first one we read was Big Kicks
by Bob Kolar. Its an adorable story about a big bear trying to learn to
play soccer. The kids thought it was funny and they loved the colorful
illustrations of animals playing soccer! Its intended for ages 4-6, but
our two-year-old son totally loved it and keeps asking to read "GOAL
BEAR!" again.
The other book we read was Goal!
by Mina Javaherbin. Its a gorgeous book about boys playing soccer in an
alley in South Africa. Archbishop Desmond Tutu described it perfectly
as "uplifting and inspiring, this
beautifully written and illustrated book reminds us of the joys and
saving
grace of friendship and sport. Set in South Africa, this book is a gift
for soccer fans and all families around the world."
And it truly is - its a wonderful story and gives kids a glimpse
into the power of friendship and the bond playing soccer can bring. I
loved it. And with the World Cup being in South Africa, it is just
perfect!!
Both of these books would make terrific gifts for coaches to give
their players (or vice versa!) Any soccer fan would love these -- I
highly recommend them both!
disclosure: i received copies of goal! and big kicks to facilitate my review. i was not compensated financially for this post.
Last week our family went to a place that holds a special
place in my heart, the Philadelphia Museum of Art. (A certain blog author *AHEM. ME!* was proposed to on these very steps overlooking Philadelphia!)
We went to see the special exhibit Picasso and the Avant Garde in Paris. It was just fabulous. The exhibit includes over two hundred works of art, including Picasso’s Three Musicians!
We took our girls - ages 5 and 7 - and, yes, even our two-year-old!
They really enjoyed it. This is their third trip to the art museum and
they always love it. The colors, the energy, the whole atmosphere of
the Picasso exhibit was perfect for them.
My 7-year-old even recognized some of
the paintings from art classes and the 5-year-old claimed she saw one of Sesame
Street before. They seemed drawn to the sculptures - looks like another
visit to the Rodin Museum is
in order - and really enjoyed the dramatic presentation of the larger
paintings. Its such a gorgeous exhibit - even children can appreciate
it!
I know that when it comes to activities to do with children, the art
museum probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind. After all, it
is very quiet and full of things you're not supposed to touch. But I
really encourage you to give it a try.
Its probably too much for your
average toddler, but older preschoolers and elementary age kids really
can enjoy it. There is so much to see. My kids love rooms like the ceremonial teahouse and temple hall.
And
they recognize lots paintings now from art class or books or tv.
You need to tailor your visit to your kids - go when they are well
rested and have full bellies - and don't plan on seeing the entire
museum. Be flexible and just enjoy sharing the world of art with your
kids. You'll be amazed at how much you'll inspire them and how much
they'll learn about art!
Yesterday, my 2-year-old walked up to me and said "Heere, Mama!" ...and handed me a booger. I guess I should be thankful he didn't eat it. But sadly, this is not an unusual thing to happen to me. And this tops the list of...
Things I Will Not Miss When My Kids Are Older
Wiping other people's noses.
Clipping other people's toe nails.
All TV programs geared towards children. And their theme songs.
Diapers in general.
Having to keep tabs on other people's bathroom habits including,
but not limited to, reminding people to flush, wiping people's bottoms,
and reminding people that if they want privacy, they really need to shut the
door.
Planning all activities around naptime and/or crankiness levels.
Wrestling kids into car seats, shopping carts, strollers who clearly don't want to be there.
Happy Meals.
Being used as a human trash can.
Little people sneaking into my bed at night.
Things I Will Miss When My Kids Are Older
Cuddling while reading books or watching tv
Excitement over simple things.
My kids being sad when I leave and ecstatically happy when I come home.
Teeny-tiny Crocs.
Little hands holding mine, little arms hugging my neck, sloppy kisses.
Songs sung with the wrong lyrics, but that are actually a lot funnier.
The sweetness. Oh, the sweetness.
Cute little outfits. Like sweater vests and Easter dresses.
When I recently heard about StrapDiva, the no slip purse strap, I was
totally game. I am always losing my purse off my shoulder and it is so
annoying!! Especially when you're trying to carry your purse, your
diaper bag, shopping bags AND a squirming toddler! What they say:
StrapDiva is the ultimate handbag accessory for anyone who carries a
purse on their shoulder.
It will keep purse straps from slipping off
your shoulder and you will look smart and stylish at the same time!
StrapDiva is a cover that snaps on to a single purse strap or two handles
together made of super soft and luxurious leather with a suede
lining. On the outside, there is a special material to prevent slippage
and help keep your straps where they belong.
Uses two types of leather: lambskin and supple grain leather for the ultimate in durability and style.
StrapDiva is available in six colors: Black, Dark Brown, Tan, Red,
Light Gold and Dark Blue. Grain leather is available in Black, Tan, and
Dark Brown at this time.
What I say: StrapDiva delivered. I'm
fairly sure I will never be taking it off of my laptop bag. It really
is just the cutest, cutest bag, but the slippery leather handles always
fall off my shoulders and it drove me so super crazy that I was
thinking about getting a new bag. On my recent trip to New York City, I
was trying to navigate the train and taxis, bundled up in my coat and
carrying my suitcase and laptop bag. And my silly laptop bag was constantly
falling off my shoulder - and that is not a light bag to have slipping
around. I almost fell getting out of a cab! So that was the first bag I
tried my Strap Diva on! StrapDiva kept my bag in place - and I
hardly remembered it was there! Its terrific! I probably wouldn't need
it on my cute little satchel purses, but for my massive, overloaded
"mom bags" its perfect!! And like I said, its great for laptop bags and
diaper bags. I love that you can remove the Strap Diva and use it on
multiple bags, so you'll really get your moneys worth.
You can get 10% off if you buy two or more
StrapDivas and they offer FREE shipping within USA and Canada. And they offer
secure online shopping, guaranteed delivery, and 30-day hassle free
returns. disclosure: i was provided with a strap diva to review. i was not compensated
financially for this post.
Bella Sara recently sent me,
I mean my horse-crazy daughters two sets of Bella Sara's new
Sunflowers collectible cards and collectible Minis from the new
Signature Series 3 set.
What they say:
Featuring
20 new velvety figurine horses, the Miniatures set includes a secret
code in each pack to expand online play through Bella Sara Adventures.
The beautifully illustrated Horse Keepsake Cases are complete with four
collectible card packs, one secret code that unlocks Sunflowers adventures and Horseshoes at BellaSara.com, and one exclusive collectible promo card.
The new Sunflowers collectible cards series from Bella Sara invites
fans to join Emma
and friends in a captivating search for Herd
Sunflower. Using secret codes found in the set of 55 collectible cards,
featuring horses, characters and stories, girls will be able to unlock
the exciting Sunflowers adventures and experience the new features of
the mesmerizing online world, including the ability to customize their
own avatar on BellaSara.com.
BellaSara.com offers a private user experience, creating a fun and
carefree place for children to play online where parental controls
allow parents to decide their child's appropriate level of access.
What I say: My horse-crazy girls thought
these were super cool. They love teeny-tiny toys and just thought these
little horses were the neatest thing. (My 5-year-old even brought hers
to show and tell this week because it was "U" week and her horse was a
unicorn.) They thought the online game was fun too. My 5-year-old had
trouble with it, but she isn't reading yet. The 7-year-old was able to
navigate the site with only a few questions about where to enter codes
and such. She loved being able to create a home and caring for her own
foal.
Beyond my kids enjoying the mini-horses
(what little horse-crazy girl wouldn't?) may I say kudos to Bella Sara
for coming up with a online world that is safe for kids. Interactions
with others online is not possible at BellaSara.com, so your child will
have a completely private user experience. I LOVE that parental
controls allow you to control what level of interaction you feel is
appropriate for your individual child - you can even turn your child's
account off if you wish. With all the cyber-worries out there, I really
appreciate this as a parent.
Bella Sara products are available at Target, Toys R Us, Walmart and at BellaSara.com. At BellaSara.com, there are fabulous horse-themed Easter baskets, filled with stuff for under $15! So cute! disclosure:
i was provided with bella sara sunflowers collectible cards and
collectible minis to review. i was not compensated financially for this
post.
He loves to wear headbands. And necklaces. He wears pink snowboots. He rides a pink and purple bike. He cries when I won't paint his nails pink like his sisters. He recognizes Disney Princesses.
What is hilarious is that he's SUCH a boy. He growls to show affection, will find any mud puddle within 300 yards to jump in, he loves to wrestle and is obsessed with Cars.
Its just so funny to see his masculine and feminine sides collide :-)
On Sunday, we went to the pet store to begin researching different pet possibilities for the kids, now that we are down a goldfish.
We were thinking maybe a gerbil, seeing as they are small and live in something about the same size of a goldfish bowl, but then I saw the gerbils. Did you know how much gerbils look like mice?
Neither did I. So we're not getting one of those. We have mouse traps
set up in our house to get RID of mice, so WHY would we buy one AS A
PET? YUCK!
Humm... maybe a rabbit?
ANYWAY, then I saw the cutest puppy in the entire universe. It was a Cockapoo and was just about the most adorable thing I'd ever seen.
I fell in love. But I've always said that we weren't going to get a
dog until the kids were much older. But he was SO CUTE!!! SO SUPER
STINKIN' CUTE!!!
So I put out this statement on twitter: "totally fell in love with a puppy yesterday. please remind me why I do NOT want a dog. like NOW!!" And boy did I get some answers:
"the carpet always smells. the doors all have scratch marks. hair everywhere. enough?"
"It's taken me three days to find and pick up all the dog poop in
my back yard that was hidden under three months worth of snow."
"Cause it's like having another baby. Except babies wear diapers."
What I say:
Last summer, I had this huge canvas tote that I used for bringing
the kids to swim lessons twice a week. Within about a month, when I was
loading up all of our towels and goggles I noticed something very
gross: mold. There was MOLD inside the tote bag. EWWW!
I just
love with this bag: this will be my go-to beach bag this summer. I love
the interior pocket - which most tote bags don't have - perfect for
stashing my keys and phone at the pool or park. Its roomy without being
bulky, has really strong straps, a water-resistant lining, is feather
light and comes in tons of cute patterns. And the best part? Almost all of their designs are LESS THAN $35!! I highly recommend them!
You know those leashes for kids? I always thought those were so horrible.
Until I had my son.
My almost-two-year-old hates to be in the shopping cart. HATES shopping carts. He wants to
walk around like his sisters, touching everything and trying to sneak
thinks into the shopping cart when I'm not looking (our last grocery
store trip I found a box of Toy Story
fruit snacks under the cart!). So when I put him in the cart, he says
"DOWN!" in an increasing loud voice until I put him "DOWN!!"
Then he
immediately gives me this huge grin... and runs away.
Today at Target, I was the lady yelling "HEY, COME BACK HERE!" the entire time. Occasionally, I was yelling "I MEAN IT! COME BACK HERE!" or "NOW! I MEAN IT!!"
Not only was I totally losing my mind, but I actually lost HIM twice. TWICE!
The
first time, after running around for several panicked minutes, I found
him in the shoe section, hiding under a bench. That PUNK!! The second
time, I swear mere seconds later, I found him in the intimates section playing with underwear. (Let us not even explore that one, okay?)
When
he started to ran away the third time (but I caught him before he got
far), I put him in the shopping cart and strapped him in. Then we
became a Baby Siren walking through the store, which is always a treat
for everyone!
Almost exactly two and a half years ago, we finally caved and got the girls a pet. Two $2.50 goldfish from PetSmart. (What? That's almost as good as a dog!) They were promptly named Cinderella and Ariel, were deeply love and the girls could even tell them apart, despite them being small, virtually identical goldfish. We were not expecting them to last long.
Background information: Our first attempt at pets was during my oldest daughter's Nemo-obsessed stage. We bought her two goldfish. They lasted less than a week before they both died. Luckily, she was only 20 months old, so she didn't notice and we decided to quit before this got expensive.
Anyway, I walked in the girls room to get their pajamas on Monday night and noticed one of their beloved goldfish was floating at the top of the tank... Upside down.
CRAP!
Sidebar: I knew these dumb fish would die while my husband was out of town, so I would have to deal with it on my own. I just KNEW it!
You see, my girls are very emotional about saying goodbye. They cry for three days after Grandma leaves. They cry at the very thought of moving to a different house someday, because they would miss their pink bedroom. And its not unheard of for them to tear up a little when Daddy leaves for work. So you can only imagine the grief and the tears I was anticipating. And oh, the questions! "Is Cinderella in heaven now?" (Cinderella died. Not to be confused with the virtually identical Ariel, who is alive and swimming.)
The girls were busy playing in my room, so I quickly took the fish tank downstairs and cleaned up the tank (ew) and took the dead fish out and put it in a coffee cup (EWW!!!) and tried to decide what the heck to do with this stupid, gross dead fish i mean "Cinderella."
I decided against showing them the dead fish and having any type of 'ceremony.' These fish had an extraordinarily long lives for cheap goldfish, so we are unlikely to have this same luck again. And I do NOT want to start a tradition I'll have to keep up!
I sat the girls down in their room and had the dreaded conversation. They actually took it pretty well. Their faces were initially horrified and sad, but as we talked about what a long life the fish had, what a good fish she was, and how lucky we were that she was our fish. We talked about how thankful we can be for our wonderful Cinderella and how she will be missed. (INSERT INTERNAL EYE ROLLING HERE!) When I said that we can get a new fish soon, they cheered up and were okay.
Tears were shead. Prayers for Cinderella were prayed. They talked to Ariel about not being afraid to be by herself in the fishtank.
Then, with zero ceremony at all, I snuck into the downstairs bathroom and flushed our dear pet fish, "Cinderella" down the toilet.
This past weekend, my family and I enjoyed two nights at the brand new Hope Lake Lodge at the Greek Peak Mountain Resort in Cortland, NY. We drove up in a light snow and saw the lodge, warm and welcoming like a postcard! We walked into a gigantic three story lobby, saw a roaring fire in the stone fireplace surrounded by comfy couches and picked up a cup of the complimentary hot coffee that is waiting to be enjoyed all day. Let me tell you, after a drive in the snow with three kids, it was heaven on earth! We went up to our room and gave a collective "Wow!" It was gorgeous: rustic without being tacky (hard to pull off!), more than enough room for our family of 5, and had all the comforts of home. I was very impressed with how well-stocked the room was. We've stayed at a ton of hotels, condos and timeshares over the years and generally the "kitchens" are ridiculous. Usually they have one small pot and a frying pan and they never have enough dishes. This kitchen had everything from steak knives to a can opener to cookie sheets to wine glasses to food storage containers. I've never seen one like this. There was everything we would have needed to cook a big meal for our family! There was even a dishwasher. We ate breakfast in our room both mornings, relaxing in our pajamas. There are several room layouts that fit anywhere from 4 to 10 people. We had layout B and it was perfect for us - plenty of room for us and all our stuff. The rooms have tons of storage in the huge closets, so we weren't constantly tripping over all our boots and suitcases and stuff. You probably know that my two non-negotiables of a hotel are 1) comfy beds and 2) a great shower. The beds here were very comfortable - even the Murphy bed I shared with Colin was nice! The shower was terrific - actually the whole bathroom was gorgeous, now that I think about it! Cascades Indoor Waterpark (located right in the lodge) was super fun. The kids had such a blast. We could hardly tear them away to eat and sleep - it was all they wanted to do. It was torture when they woke up at seven and had to wait three whole hours for it to open. ("It is open yet?" "What about now?" "Is it open now?") It was very fun - even for mom and dad. We spent most of our time there over the weekend, going there twice on Saturday and again on Sunday before we left. The waterpark has a great variety of attractions, so its perfect for families with little kids and big kids/grownups. My husband also went tubing with the girls on Saturday afternoon, which was a huge hit! The girls had never been before and they really enjoyed it. Meanwhile, I got pampered at the gorgeous Waterfall Spa. I was so impressed with how affordable, yet luxurious it was. My Apres Ski Massage was fabulous! I highly recommend scheduling some "me time" while you're there! There are two restaurants in Hope Lake Lodge: Acorn Grill and Edgewater Cafe. We hit the Edgewater Cafe for lunch on Saturday while we were at the waterpark. The burgers were very good and the kids devoured a pizza. That night we went to the Acorn Grill, which was excellent. My husband and I both had very yummy meals, going with the entrees our server recommended highest, while the kids happily devoured their chicken fingers. (We skipped dessert at the restaurant and got ice cream at the Edgewater Cafe instead! Yum!) Greek Peak Resort is a terrific family destination. We had such a terrific time - my kids were in tears when we left, saying they wanted to stay for a whole week next time! I'd love to come back with my extended family -- this would be such a great place for a little family reunion! The small touches made a huge difference: hot coffee and muffins in the lobby, a hotel store that actually had reasonable prices, shuttles to the ski area every 10 minutes... Plus, every employee we interacted with was eager to help, very friendly and constantly asking if there was anything they could do to make our stay better. Disclaimer: greek peak mountain resort provided our family with lodging for the weekend, so my family and I could experience the resort. i was not compensated financially for this post.
I've been thinking/reading/researching about eating whole food lately. I've
been slowly trying to wean my family off of processed foods... within
reason. (Mama's gotta have her Cherry Coke Zero!) Its going to be a
long process. My family would probably revolt if we went cold turkey, so we're doing little changes! I don't grind my own
wheat or bake my own bread like some people. So here are the baby steps we're taking:
1. Trying to cook from scratch whenever I can. This has been the easiest step! I never used boxed dinners (like Hamburger Helper... shudder)
and I love to bake. So, yes, they're eating cookies but at least I know
what is in them! (And I've been exploring sneaking whole wheat flour
and such into my cookie recipes. But don't tell them, okay?)
2. Adding more fruits and veggies. I'm a lucky girl
- this is not hard for me. My whole family - even the kiddos - love
every kind of fruit and most vegetables. So its just a matter of
staying on budget :-) I've been making a point to stop at my local
farmers market once a week or so to stock up.
3. Buying all hormone-free dairy (organic when I can): I buy all our dairy at Trader Joes. Everything is hormone-free and affordable. My kids love single-serve Stonyfield Farm and Trader Joe's
brand yogurts, which make great snacks! And I always buy large tubs of
vanilla yogurt (to serve with fruit and granola) and plain (for smoothies). Trader Joes has great cheese options as well.
4. Making breakfast 3 days a week: The other two
days my kids have toast and yogurt or cereal. We are no longer buying
sugary cereal or, more specifically, any cereal with more than 10 grams
of sugar per serving (because there is a lot of 'healthy' cereals out
there that really aren't all that healthy!). We have pancakes and waffles, smoothies and
toast, scrambled eggs... its great to have a hot breakfast on a cold
morning!
5. Snacks. My challenge: My kids are just like
me... I tend to eat small amounts all day long as opposed to three big
meals. And my kids are the same. They'll eat a meal and want a snack
two hours later. And its a challenge to keep those snacks healthy. They
love their fruit snacks and granola bars as much as the next kids! But
we've been having more cheese, fruit and veggies, yogurt, popcorn,
homemade banana bread or muffins, or pretzels.
6. Shopping at Trader Joes: This is KEY to my
success so far! Its where I can find great prices on everything from
whole-wheat pretzels to canned beans. My kids love so much of their
food, so its easy to convince them to try new things from there.
As I said before, I still buy soda (for the grown ups) and juice.
But I'm (slowly) trying to convince the kids that water is an
acceptable beverage! Its all baby steps and I'm hoping to make some
bigger changes in our diets soon!
We just recently enjoyed a three night stay at Disney's Polynesian Resort. And when I say "enjoyed" I mean "had the socks knocked off of us." Lets start at the beginning:
We pulled up to the Polynesian after getting off the Magical Express,
walked over a waterfall-lined, tropical walkway lined with flaming
tiki-torches and into the amazing lobby. We were all given leis and my
kids were literally squealing in delight - it was just so beautiful.
The main building - the Ceremonial House - hosts the hotel main desk,
several shops and restaurants and the walkway to the monorail. Seeing
as its Disney, the staff was absolutely delightful. Our room
was a standard garden view room. It had two queen beds, a day bed,
gorgeous Polynesian-style decor and a huge marble
bathroom with private toilet. The rooms also have coffeemakers,
refrigerators and microwaves (on request), hair dryers, irons and
ironing boards and an in-room safe. We also had a crib in our room
(also complimentary on request). There was more than enough room for
our family of 5, the huge double stroller, our four suitcases and our
piles of other stuff. Our room was quiet, comfortable and gorgeous!
As I've said before the two non-negotiables of a hotel are 1) comfy
beds and 2) a great shower. The beds at the Polynesian were very comfy.
I loved the bedside lamps on a dimmer - they made perfect nightlights
for the kids. (The hotel also will provide bedrails if you need for
little ones). The shower was literally my only disappointment with this
hotel. Our shower was week - only one setting worked and not very well.
I couldn't even get my hair clean, so that was a little disappointing. The hotel offers so much
right on site (which we learned during a rainy day!). There are four
restaurants on site - one of which is Ohana, which offers a popular character breakfast. (Get there early, even with a reservation. Its really
popular!!) Captain Cook's is a quick service restaurant that offers
kids meals for around $5 as well as bottles of milk and juice that we
stocked our fridge with to pacify the toddler until we could get him
real breakfast. The Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show is very popular as well. They even had craft activities every afternoon for the kidlets.
As for location, I cannot imagine a better location within the Disney
Resort - its located directly across the Seven Seas Lagoon from the
Magic Kingdom. You can even watch the fireworks from the sandy beach at
the resort! The monorail comes right outside the lobby and within
minutes you can be at the Magic Kingdom. Buses to Epcot, Downtown
Disney, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom full up
right outside, or you can walk one block to the Transportation Center
and get the monorail to Epcot. This hotel was FABULOUS! Our
next trip to Disney, I will look into staying here first before any
other Disney hotel. The location is just too perfect!! And my kids, who
have stayed at lots of hotels in their young lives, said this was their
most favorite hotel ever!
disclosure: i stayed at the
polynesian as part of the disney social media moms conference. while i
did pay to attend the conference, we were given a terrific deal by
disney!
I literally stopped in for soap and toilet paper. But they were having a killer sale! Really!
See those pillows? They had a package of two feather pillows for $6!
See the display right behind the cart? Kids t-shirts for 75 cents and hoodies for $1.50! Colin is good for the summer!
Valentines Day stuff was 75% off, so we got some sweet stuff for the goodie bags for my daughter's birthday party.
Target carries groceries now and its about to snow, so like a good Philadelphian I needed to pick up a few things to help me ride out the storm. Because one can't possibly make it through a storm without necessities like Doritos and Coke Zero. (I'm the very embodiment of healthy eating, aren't I? I bought healthy things too!)
The dollar section had awesome stickers! We love stickers! And they're only $1!
Do you like how I can totally justify that overstuffed shopping cart? I'm not the only one this happens to, right? What store is your downfall?
I could list
a whole bunch of excuses for you: I'm tired, I'm sick, I'm PMS-ing, the kids
were being especially disobedient and whiny and not listening...But
excuses don't matter.
What matters is that I totally lost it with my
kids yesterday afternoon. I was annoyed and frustrated and hormonal and
tired and instead of handling it, I took it all out on them. And I felt
terrible for it.
Of course, despite feeling terrible, I spent
most of the afternoon justifying my outburst to myself. "They needed a
talking to," I told myself. "They know better. They shouldn't be acting
like this" blahblah blah Excuses, excuses. It took several hours
to get me to the point where I recognized that I was the one who
handled things wrong - not them. And I was the one who was responsible
- not them. And I was the one who needed to apologize - not them.
Few
things in life are more humbling than needing to apologize to your
kids. But I needed to do that. I needed the reminder of how I am
supposed to deal with them, of what my responsibilities are, of the example I want to set for them.
The other day around 1pm,
Colin fell off the bed and landed on his head.
This is not unusual for him. He
falls down alot, walks into walls and generally injures himself quite
frequently. He has a dangerous combination of strength, daring and no
concept of self preservation, so I generally only worry when blood is
involved.
All that to say, he fell off the bed and I didn't
really give it a second thought. I cuddled him and put him to bed for
his nap. He work up 2 hours later, VERY cranky. He kept crying and
whining... and driving me crazy. Finally, around 4:30, I noticed that
while he was crying he was rubbing the back of his head - right where
he fell. That sent off warning bells in my head.I called
the doctor and she said to take him in to the ER if he was still in
pain hours after falling.
So off we went! We were admitted with zero
wait (miracle!) They said he had a concussion, but they wanted to do a
CT Scan just to make sure that's all it was. You can imagine how well that
went. They tried to strap him down, but he was freaking out and
wouldn't stay still. He was looking at us with terror in his eyes...
clearly wondering why we were letting this happen to him.
When they
asked me to leave the room, I was in tears. They had to give up.
When they gave him back to us, he was hysterical. He wouldn't cuddle
with either me or Husband. I think he was so traumatized that we let
that happen to him. It took almost ten minutes for him to relax and
snuggle up to me quietly. They told us we had two options: go home and
observe him or drive into Philly to Children's Hospital and have him
sedated so they could do the scan. The doctor told us that Colin didn't
have signs of neurological problems and seemed to be improving, so it
was up to us. Husband and I talked it over and we decided that there
was probably greater risk having him sedated than there was that they
would find something beyond a serious concussion on the scan.
We
came home, watched him, gave him
Tylenol and had a looong night of waking him up every 2 hours. (You
know that saying "Never wake a sleeping baby"? VERY TRUE) He's not even two yet, and he's been to the ER three times! I'm a little afraid for the future... when is he really going to start hurting himself?
The other morning, we left the house at 9:30 to run errands.
We went to get Colin's hair cut. (NOT a hit with the boy. He SCREAMED!)
We ran to Target to pick up diapers and batteries. And left $127
later. (How does that happen? Darn you, Target and your cute stuff!)
We drove over to Old Navy to make a quick return.
Headed to Sam's for the monthly stock-up-on-meat run.
Realized it was 11:40 and Grace had to be at school at 12:00. 20 minutes away.
Ran through the drive-thru at Wendy's for a very healthy pre-school lunch of chicken nuggets.
Dropped Gracie off at school ten minutes late.
Got home, carried zonked Colin up to his crib, made a quick lunch for me and sat down at the computer to work.
Colin wakes up and we immediately head out to the car and go pick up Gracie at 3:00.
What was wrong with this picture? If you guessed "The Crazy
Lady never unloaded the tons of groceries she bought at Sam's because
she is a total FLAKE" than you guessed right.
I'm not the only one who does stuff like this, am I?
We have had
basically the same policy with the same agent with the same company for
almost 10 years and we've been pleased with our service. We had to make
a claim or two, during our string of hit-and-run accidents between
2004-05. (One of the hazards of living across the street from a bar!
Yipee!)
Anyway, we decided to shop around a little and see if
we could save some money. After seeing a commercial, I went online to a
very heavily advertised company that rhymes with "Agressive" and
discovered that they offered a policy with twice the coverage for
almost $200 less for a 6 month policy.
What? That couldn't be right.
So
I called our insurance agent to ask about it and see if they had a
competitive offer. And after convincing the lady that I had a 'real
quote' not from a no-name company, she then proceeded to tell me that
there was a new type of policy that would probably save us lots of
money and that we were seriously underinsured now that we are homeowners.
I'm sorry, but isn't the point of having
an insurance agent that they would let you know about things like
"being seriously underinsured" or telling us about "new policies that
will really save you money"? I would imagine that our signing up for a
homeowners policy would indicate that we were buying a home and would
therefore need the increased coverage she insisted we need.
Insurance shopping is annoying. I would so rather be shopping for something fun. Like boots.
This morning I sat down with my coffee to read my Bible. And read this:
"Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is
in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor, 'Come back later; I
will give it tomorrow' - when you have it with you." Proverbs 3:27
I simply had to stop right there. The horrible, tragic situation in
Haiti is already fading from our news headlines, as we go about our
daily lives. And as I'm sitting at my kitchen table, drinking a hot cup
of coffee in my warm house while my children played in the
background... and I got this startling reminder of how much I have
while others have lost everything.
Haiti needs our help. And we have power to act. Let us not withhold good from those in need.
If you haven't given yet, I encourage you to give through Compassion International.The FBI is warning of several Haiti charity scams
that have popped up in the wake of this earthquake, and they are
suggesting that donations only be made to organizations monitored and
rated by CharityNavigator.org and The American Institute of
Philanthropy. Both organizations have given Compassion
International their highest approval ranking. Compassion International
is the only non-profit in it’s category to receive eight consecutive
years of four star rating from CharityNavigator.org. You can trust Compassion to use our donation to help.
Well, I decided to go to the Disney Social Media Moms Conference. Now comes the big question:
WHAT AM I GOING WEAR??
A conference at Disney comes with a unique problem: you must wear comfy shoes. Which can put a serious damper on cute outfit planning. But we can push past this, Ladies. Let us begin.
1. SHOES: You
don't have to limit yourself to your chunky ol' workout shoes! I'm
definitely bringing my suede Puma sneakers which were one of my best
fashion investments because they are at least 6 years old and still
awesome (They look a little like this). I adore my Uggs, but they are not for 70 degree weather. So I'm seriously eying these little beauties. Aren't
these cute? I could even wear them with everything from skinny jeans to
leggings or yoga pants. (Please tell me you know better than to wear
huge workout shoes with skinny jeans? Please?) Plus, it looks like
there are a few times when we're not in the parks that we can still
sneak on our awesome shoes ;-)
2. LAYERS:
Layering is key at Disney - for you and your kiddos. Its a little
chilly in the morning, but by afternoon it gets quite toasty when
you're waiting in the sun for Dumbo. Just remember that whatever you
take off, you have to then carry. So leave the bulk at home. This is
the perfect time to pull out a cute cardigan, sweater wrap or hoodie sweater. I love this belted boyfriend cardigan - would look terrific with a ruffled t-shirt and skinny jeans. I'm bringing my go-to sweater this winter, the runched cardigan from LOFT. I have two and I wear them all the time. For days in the parks with the fam, I'm all about sporting just a cute t-shirt and jeans with my Pumas.
Sidebar: I cannot begin to tell you how much these rompers disturb me. Sometimes researching fashion posts is scary.
3. DENIM: The no brainer at Disney: wear jeans, jeans and more jeans! I'm a little bit in love with these Dark Wash Boyfriend jeans from LOFT. Talk about something comfy to wear around Disney! And my year-long premium denim search ended with LOFT's Modern Boot Cut Jean and the Modern Skinny Jean.
(They are fabulous - and right now buy one, get one 50% off! Use code
SAVE50.) For a cheaper option, hit up Old Navy or Target. The Diva Skinny Jean is very nice as is the Sweetheart Boot Cut.
4. CUTE & COMFY: A T-Shirt can be so much more than just a t-shirt, girls. Old Navy has these cute Jersey Cardigans and I love this Surplice V-Neck Top. Just the tiniest details, like runching or ruffles can turn an ordinary t-shirt into something cute. For the conferency-part, the cuteness possibilities expand! There are zillionsofcute, lightweight sweaters to choose from. Tunics are also super comfy with jeans or leggings and are great for traveling or sitting in an air conditioned meeting room.
Last night, I returned a quick phone call before dinner. I found Colin at the table, eating guacamole out of the serving bowl with a fork.
This morning, I was putting on my makeup. I found Colin drawing on the bedroom wall with a non-washable marker. I did not handle it well.
I arrived at Bible Study frustrated and exhausted and happily dropped him off in the nursery, eager for two whole hours of peace and quiet. Then i learned that my friend's 5-year-old son was just diagnosed with thyroid cancer. He's having surgery today.
Please pray for little Josh. And hold your babies a tighter tonight.
As I'm
unpacking all of our Christmas gifts, I've realized that we have
waaaaaaaaaaay too much stuff. My kids in particular have so many toys
that we no longer have any place to put them. LITERALLY. There is no
place to put any more toys. They have so, so many. The stuffed animals
in particular are out of control. They have THREE huge storage totes
FULL of stuffed animals. Not to mention the 25 My Little Ponies, 15
Barbies, more Littlest Pet Shops than I can count... not to mention,
the gazillion books, markers, stickers, barrettes, plastic animals,
little princess figures, jewelry and little teeny-tiny do-dads that are
vitally important to their happiness.
I can barely shut their
dresser drawers because they have so many clothes now. And I'm pretty
sure that Colin has every piece of Cars merchandise ever made. Ever.
I feel a purge coming on. Look out Ebay, here I come.
2010 is a big year for us. Husband and I will celebrate our 10th
anniversary. It marks the 10th anniversary of my dad's death. My baby
sister is getting married. Ellie turns 7, Gracie turns 6 and Colin
turns 2. (2!! ALREADY!!) Suddenly this week, I've been hit with how fast life is
going by. (How have we been married for an entire decade? How do I have
a seven year old?)
Time is flying by at an increasingly rapid rate... and its
inspired me to simplify our lives. And it starts with organizing my
time better.
Husband and I tend to wake up and hit the ground running. And its not
unusual to find Husband and I still working on things at 11 at night.
I
think we need to organize our time so we can be more flexible. Our
evenings and weekends are so packed with chores, obligations and to-do
lists, with little down time.Is that the life I want? Or do I need to
simply remember what is most important?
Do I want my kids to remember us working on the computer all the
time saying "Just a minute!"? Or us always running around, behind
schedule, exhausted? Or do I want them to remember how we spent time
with them? And made family time, our relationships and our ministry our
first priority?
I want to be more disciplined with my time so that I can have more
flexibility without guilt. I hate that I take a night off... and feel
guilty about it. Why should I feel guilty about ordering in, ignoring
the dishes and laundry and emails and snuggling in with the kids for a
movie night? That's crazy!
Does our schedule allow for an impromptu visit with friends or family,
unscheduled focused time with the kids, or even an impulsive date
night? Its amazing - and a little embarrassing - how much time gets eaten up during my day. And I don't even know where it goes!It just disappears and suddenly I scrambling to get things done - and
things get pushed later and later into the day, into time I should be
focusing on the kids.
We've made a few changes along this line. Along with getting up
earlier, Husband and I are shutting down the computer from 5-8pm. That
is family time. We're not rushing through family devotions or dragging
the kids off on errands that could have been done during the day. I've
been more deliberate about my computer time and have begun using the
"Mark All As Read" button on my Google Reader. I'm even determined to
have a meal or two in the freezer for those afternoons/evenings when I
need to focus on the kids after school instead of worrying about
getting dinner on the table.
Has anyone else made the exact same resolutions they made last year again?
No? Just me?
Every year I want to do the same things. Generally they are some
combination of eating healthier, exercising, getting more organized,
waking up earlier, reading my Bible/praying more... stuff like that.
(So, basically I usually resolve to do things I should have been doing
already. Ahem.)
Going along with this trend, Husband and I decided that we will
start waking up at 6am Monday morning. We used to do this, but slacked
off majorly in the fall, due to Colin not sleeping for approximately 3
months. (Remember that?)
And then we were crazy busy at Christmas, then we were both sick,
taking turns getting up with this kids while whoever was sicker got to
sleep until the NyQuil wore off. Its not like we're sleeping in until
10 am... but many days we were getting up with this kids at 7-ish and
racing to catch the bus at 8.
Those who know me in real life, like mysisters
for example, know that I am NOT a morning person. Never have been.
Functioning before 7am is very difficult for me. My husband learned
soon after we were married that I am not very sociable until I have had
a shower and at least one cup of coffee. Having kids has forced me to
function on very little sleep, but I still do not naturally wake up
easily.
So... getting out of bed today was brutal. But we did
it!! We had that First Day of a New Resolution energy going for us. And
a lot of coffee.
Tomorrow is probably going to be rough. More coffee. Wednesday will be rougher. Maybe I can sneak in a nap. Thursday will probably suck. I'll be falling asleep in the carpool line. And Friday is going to be brutal. You may not want to cross me that day. Just a head's up.
