She poses

By Stephanie | March 19, 2010

Yesterday, I asked if I could take her picture.

Generally, she’s not a huge fan of pictures (Unless I’m taking other kids pictures. Then, she wants in immediately).

So, I say, “I’ll give you a gummy bunny from Trader Joe’s.”

She agrees and comes up with this pose:

ME: “Why don’t we try having you put your hands on your hips?“

ME: “Now, look straight ahead.“

HER: “Can we do a craft now?“

ME: “Okay. Done.“

ME: “You are so beautiful.”

{I think I like her first pose best}.

Topics: About Me, photography | 9 Comments »

She’s sick, and I’m sad

By Stephanie | March 18, 2010

My baby has a fever today. And a cough. And a runny nose.

She’s sitting in my lap right now. Resting her head on my chest. With her hand down my shirt.

I’m sad. And can’t think about much. Besides helping her feel better.

Tomorrow, there will be time for other things. Today, I’m going to hold her.

***Side Note: This morning I explained to my 3-year-old that her little sister wasn’t feeling very well. She looked at me wide-eyed and said adamantly, “Babies don’t get sick!!!” And I thought how wonderful that sentiment was – how much we have to be grateful for. Because – this is the first time she’s ever been sick! Well, she had a runny nose once before. But that’s it. So very thankful.

* Picture taken last weekend on her 1st birthday.

Topics: About Me, baby care | 25 Comments »

Trader Joe’s, I Love You (but not your green juice)

By Stephanie | March 17, 2010

There are a lot of things I like about Trader Joe’s.

1. For one, it’s Small(er) than traditional grocery stores, which I appreciate.
2. And then there’s the Free Sample Counter. Need I say more? It’s awesome.
3. And we musn’t forget the wine-tasting. Again, self-explanatory.
4. The organic selection is top-rate. This is important because we buy only organic whole milk (we’ve been doing this for several years now) and lately we buy only organic meat. On top of those two things, Tim & I both think organic produce TASTES better than non-organic (is that possible?).
5. The balloons at check-out make my 3-year-old very happy.

Last week, the sample at the counter was Macaroni and Cheese. They also had Green Juice.

The mac & cheese was super tasty, despite the fact that it came from a frozen TV-dinner style box. I was surprised that it had REAL cheese on top (none of that powdered Fake-roni stuff in the blue box).

I was going to pass on the juice, but it caught my 3-year-old’s eye (dark green is her favorite color, after all). “You can try it if you want,” I said.

I poured 1/2 a dixie cup.

“She’s brave,” the guy in the hawaiian shirt behind the counter said.

She took a swallow and I would have asked her if she liked it, but I already knew by her expression and the fact that she was waving the glass in my direction, wildly.

“It can’t be THAT bad,” I thought, taking a sip.

I almost gagged. Literally. But I tried to smile and cover it up.

Apparently, my acting attempt was mediocre at best. The guy behind the counter looked amused, “Do you want some peach juice?” Yes, we did. Two full glasses, in fact.

All in all, we survived. And we have a green balloon to prove it.

Oh, and I now have 3 boxes of TJ’s Macaroni & Cheese in my freezer.

Do you shop at Trader Joe’s? What are your favorite things to buy there?

Topics: About Me, recipes/healthy eating | 36 Comments »

Tuesday Tours: What’s Happening on the Web

By Stephanie | March 16, 2010

Welcome to “Tuesday Tours: What’s Happening on the Web” where I serve as your tour guide and showcase the best contests, freebies, deals, and reads for moms on the web…all in one convenient location.

Contests

Enter to win a beautiful heirloom diaper bag by Petunia Pickle Bottom over at Mama Sparkles. Deadline: Mar. 22.

Send Motherwear your favorite nursing tip or story, and be entered to win a $100 gift certificate. Deadline: Mar. 31.

Announcements

Have you heard the BIG news? Jennifer James, social media maven and founder of the Mom Bloggers Club, recently debuted Mom Blog Magazine – a place to find “must reads for savvy new media moms.”

Mom Blog Magazine is actively seeking columnists who will write a monthly article about blogging and social media. There are 6 positions available. Apply before March 31.

Good Reads

Cameron {Create Beauty Daily} crafts a beautiful post about infertility and miscarriage. Read – Setting It Down.

Amy {the Finer Things in life} writes a frame-worthy post about thankfulness: Somebody Wants What You Have.

Get ready to cry: Ashleigh {Heart & Home} writes about her husband’s deployment – What It Is.

Michele Dortch {The Integrated Mother} writes a post I can relate to. Read: Social Media – the great connector, or not.

From ABC News – 7-Year-Old Hero Calls 911, Saves Family {March 10}.

Miscellany

Topics: Tuesday Tours | 8 Comments »

So, did you like the SLY Awards?

By Stephanie | March 16, 2010

Congrats again to Kristen, the very 1st recipient of a SLY Award here at Metropolitan Mama. She’s kind. She’s intentional about parenting. She’s honest. And she previously lived in SE Asia, working toward literacy development. She is totally worthy of this honor and it was my pleasure to provide her with a few gifts to show my admiration.

The past few days have been so, so, so much fun. You know that little quote, “it’s better to give than receive“? Well, it’s true.

Quick Question for you – how often do you want to see SLY Awards happen here at Metropolitan Mama?

I may or may not go in the direction of the majority, but I’d really like to hear your thoughts. I’m curious if you’re more on the side of “I like it, but I prefer to read your personal musings most of all” or “If you have sponsoring companies all lined up, why not surprise as many people as possible?” If you would click on my poll, I’d be appreciative. Thank you, mucho.

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Topics: SLY Awards | 10 Comments »

SLY Awards: Moby Wrap

By Stephanie | March 16, 2010

Whenever the subject of favorite baby carriers comes up, someone inevitably mentions Moby Wraps. Several of my friends have owned one and they say all good things. And I have to admit that whenever I see a baby snuggled in one of these, I can’t help but think how cozy they look – so loved, so peaceful.

SLY Award recipient Kristen McGee is an active babywearer and I know she’ll love having her newborn baby girl snuggled up close to her heart come May in a soft, stretchy, highly-acclaimed wrap by Moby. She’s the kind of mom who loves her kids with a love that comes from the deepest part of her soul.

Moby Wrap offers wraps in pastels, brights, patterns, and darks. They offer organic wraps, silk wraps, wraps with UV protection, and wraps with beautiful batik designs (inspired by Indonesia).

Here are a few of my favorites [click on each image to see more details]:

If you are intimidated by wraps, you’ll be happy to know that Moby Wraps offers super helpful step-by-step visual guides and videos to show you how to get your baby into a variety of positions in the wrap. There are even tips for nursing in your moby or getting a workout while carrying your baby! Sweet.

Other things about the Moby that you should know:

• You can wear your baby facing you, facing the world, sideways, or on your back.
• Moby wraps are appropriate for preemies all the way up to 35 pounds.
• Moby Wraps are machine-washable.

All in all, the Moby Wrap appears to be exceptionally versatile with high ratings from moms when it comes to comfort and style.

P.S. If you’re a social media savvy kinda girl, you may want to:

Follow Moby Wrap on Twitter *** Become a Fan of Moby Wrap on Facebook

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WIN IT! One winner will receive a wrap of her choice by Moby Wraps (I’m curious: which one would you choose?). To enter, leave any topic-related comment on this post prior to Wednesday, March 24th at 11:59 p.m. All generic comments like “Enter me!,” “Love it,” and “Cool stuff!” will be disqualified. Winner must provide a U.S. mailing address.

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Moby Wrap has generously donated 2 wraps for this SLY Awards promotion – one for Kristen and one for the giveaway. I received no product or monetary compensation for this post. I’m just excited to celebrate Kristen and…you.

Topics: SLY Awards, babywearing | 51 Comments »

SLY Awards: Glamourmom

By Stephanie | March 16, 2010

SLY Award recipient Kristen McGee nursed her son for a full year and I know she is looking forward to offering that same gift to her baby girl (due in late May).

Kristen is the best kind of breastfeeding advocate because she willingly and humbly shares her breastfeeding experiences with other new moms and moms-to-be. She’s not pushy about it though; just helpful and supportive. The world needs more moms like that.

I am happy to be gifting Kristen with a Nursing Bra Tank or Top of her choice from Glamourmom.

Glamourmom’s tanks and tops “feature a built-in nursing bra that offers superior breast support and tummy coverage for discretion.” Invented by a mom of three small children, the tanks are available in a wide variety of colors and lengths. I particularly like this ruby red color…

Glamourmom also sells nursing sleepwear, a nursing bra slip dress, and a long-sleeved nursing shirt.

YOUR TURN: Have you ever bought a Gamourmom nursing tank? If so, what did you like/not like about it? What other nursing tanks do you love?

WIN IT! One winner will receive a Nursing Bra Tank (Style A1) or Nursing Bra Top (Style B1) from Glamourmom. To enter, leave any topic-related comment on this post prior to Wednesday, March 24th at 11:59 p.m. All generic comments like “Enter me!,” “Love it,” and “Cool stuff!” will be disqualified. Winner must provide a U.S. or Canadian mailing address.

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Glamourmom has generously donated 2 nursing tanks for this SLY Awards promotion – one for Kristen and one for the giveaway. I received no product or monetary compensation for this post. I’m just excited to celebrate Kristen and…you.

Topics: SLY Awards, breastfeeding | 40 Comments »

SLY Awards: Dick’s Sporting Goods

By Stephanie | March 16, 2010

SLY Award recipient Kristen McGee left this comment on one of my recent posts about running, “There is another mom I like to walk with here, and I am thinking of convincing her to run a 5K with my in the fall (I figured that would be enough time to recover from baby #2…). We’ll see!“

As most of you know, I run regularly and have competed in completed several 5Ks. Now that I’ve discovered all of the boons of running, I can’t help but encourage my friends to give it a try.

As such, I’m happy to be hooking Kristen up with a $50 gift card to Dick’s Sporting Goods to help her on her way.

Perhaps she will pick out a performance tee, some great new kicks, or a super cute running skirt [click on each of the pictures to see more details]:

I also wanted to take a minute to tell Kristen (and you! – my readers!) about a special opportunity that you might be interested in:

Dick’s is currently hosting a Starting Lineup contest to find 10 people to test out new products for them in the coming year. You can check out all of the rules by clicking on that little button to the left (FYI…you do have to have a Twitter account to participate…another reason to sign up for a twitter account). The deadline is March 31st.

Even if you choose not to participate in the contest, you can still keep-up-to-date with all of the latest news related to Dick’s Sporting Goods by following on twitter: @dickssportcmo.

Oh, and Kristen? If you do decide to move forward with your plan (I hope you do! 5Ks are so much fun!), you might want to check out my past post: How to Train for a 5K.

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WIN IT! One winner will receive a $50 gift card to Dick’s Sporting Goods. To enter, leave any topic-related comment on this post prior to Wednesday, March 24th at 11:59 p.m. All generic comments like “Enter me!,” “Love it,” and “Cool stuff!” will be disqualified.

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Dick’s Sporting Goods has generously donated 2 $50 gift cards for this SLY Awards promotion – one for Kristen and one for the giveaway. I received no product or monetary compensation for this post. I’m just excited to celebrate Kristen and…you.

Topics: SLY Awards, exercise/fitness | 115 Comments »

SLY Awards: Discipline Without Distress

By Stephanie | March 16, 2010

When I asked Kristen about her hobbies, she said, “spending time with other adults, talking grown-up talk (even if it is mostly about our kids!), and reading food blogs and various parenting books.”

Since she likes parenting books (she’s a person who thinks about things deeply – a quality I appreciate), I am happy to present her with a book that I am about halfway through and enjoying immensely.

Discipline Without Distress: 135 tools for raising caring, responsible children without time-out, spanking, punishment, or bribery offers a beautiful parenting framework and philosophy – plus, solid advice and hundreds of practical tips.

Author Judy Arnall is the mother of five children and a well-known parenting writer/expert in Canada.

Consider this excerpt:

Discipline comes from the Latin word that means “to teach.” Punishment means “to hurt either by physical, emotional, or social pain.”

But in reality, both types of parent reaction “teaches” the child.

The difference is what each does to the parent-child bond while it teaches. Sometimes punishment “works” in that it gains compliance but at a grave cost to the relationship connection. (page 83)

Arnall uses a combination of science, research, reason, and experience to provide helpful guidance for parents of children, birth to teen. Her book spans a gamut of topics – everything from potty training and sleep to homework and dating. Every parent will be able to glean some nuggets of knowledge and truth from this book – whether or not they agree with every single suggestion in its pages.

I have a feeling this won’t be the last mention of the book on my blog as I’ll probably quote it and refer to it in many future posts. In fact, it’s one of only a handful of parenting books that I’ve read that I actually like (hmmm…I feel a post coming on…).

YOUR TURN: What are your favorite parenting books?

WIN IT! One winner will receive a copy of Discipline Without Distress by Judy Arnall. To enter, leave any topic-related comment on this post prior to Tuesday, March 23rd at 11:59 p.m. All generic comments like “Enter me!,” “Love it,” and “Cool stuff!” will be disqualified. Winner must provide a U.S. or Canadian mailing address.

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Judy Arnall has generously donated 2 books for this SLY Awards promotion – one for Kristen and one for the giveaway. I received no product or monetary compensation for this post. I’m just excited to celebrate Kristen…and you.

Topics: SLY Awards, discipline | 29 Comments »

SLY Awards: Zutano

By Stephanie | March 15, 2010

Kristen has a 14-month-old son…and a girl on-the-way in late May (Girls are wonderful and sweet and stupendous…and she’s going to love it).

I’m pleased to introduce her to Zutano, a leading clothing line that features newborn, baby, and toddler apparel in bright colors and whimsical designs.

She’ll be receiving a $75 gift card.

Maybe she’ll want to pick up a few pieces for her sweet new babe from the Itzy Bitzy line [click on each item to go take a closer look]:

And I bet her little boy would look grrrrr…eat in this lion-themed ensemble (and, if he gets cold, how about having him slip on that sophisticated olive-colored pea coat?):

Go check out the full Zutano line and tell me what YOU like.

You can keep up with Zutano by following on Twitter or fanning on Facebook (the Facebook page is super fun because it has pictures of real kids in Zutano…).

P.S. I totally think Zutano’s styles are perfect for photo shoots. Has anyone else noticed that kids look AWESOME in bright colors and eye-catching patterns?

WIN IT! One winner will receive a $75 gift card to Zutano. To enter, leave any topic-related comment on this post prior to Tuesday, March 23rd at 11:59 p.m. All generic comments like “Enter me!,” “Love it,” and “Cool stuff!” will be disqualified.

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Zutano has generously donated 2 $75 gift cards for this SLY Awards promotion – one for Kristen and one for the giveaway. I received no product or monetary compensation for this post. I’m just excited to celebrate Kristen and…you.

Topics: SLY Awards, baby/toddler/kids clothing, contests | 104 Comments »

SLY Awards: Learner’s Bibs by Baggino

By Stephanie | March 14, 2010

Kristen’s 14-month-old son is a mega-cutie (see left).

She’s told me in the past that he usually makes a mega-mess when he eats. To this, I say, “Welcome to the Club” with a wide smile.

Our girls, for example, manage to cover our floor and table with sauce, vegetables, fruits, and bread crumbs after almost every meal. Tim actually has been known to say, “Other kids don’t eat like this!” in frustration. I, however, don’t think too much of it because I know that other kids do indeed eat like THAT (right?…RIGHT?!?).

Anyway, I do have one solution to offer Kristen. Lo and behold…the Learner’s Bib by Baggino, the revolutionary bib with long sleeves and an extra-long front. It really COVERS your baby and his/her clothes. Plus, it can also double as an art smock or a baking apron.

The bibs are made of soft terry cloth, they’re easy-to-put on, and they’re machine-washable! It is obvious that this is a product that was designed and invented by parents because it’s clearly brilliant.

To stay up-to-date with all of the cool things that Baggino is up to, you can become a fan on Facebook or follow on Twitter (the Twitter page is brand new).

WIN IT! One winner will receive a Learner’s Bib ($12.50) by Baggino. To enter, leave any topic-related comment on this post prior to Monday, March 22nd at 11:59 p.m. All generic comments like “Enter me!,” “Love it,” and “Cool stuff!” will be disqualified. Winner must provide a U.S. or Canadian mailing address.

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Baggino has generously donated 2 Learner’s Bibs for this SLY Awards promotion – one for Kristen and one for the giveaway. I received no product or monetary compensation for this post. I’m just excited to celebrate Kristen and…you.

Topics: SLY Awards, baby care | 31 Comments »

SLY Awards: Knit Picks

By Stephanie | March 14, 2010

Kristen knits.

This is what she said about it, “I am REALLY into knitting right now. I guess it’s a bit trendy these days. I am by no means good at it, but I pretend. It’s an expensive hobby, tho, so I am learning to salvage thrift store sweaters to use for just a fraction of the price…“

I am delighted to be gifting her with a $20 gift card to Knit Picks, a premier online knitting shop that is all about offering “quality products at a reasonable price.”

If you don’t knit, you may reconsider after seeing these adorable projects (all available for free or purchase from KnitPicks.com — click on each picture to view the pattern):

Knit Picks offers yarns, kits, patterns, needles, and tutorials (for beginners too!). It’s much more than just a place to buy things. It’s a place to learn, to be inspired, and to connect with other knitters.

Intrigued? Stay up-to-date about the latest products, free tutorials, and knitting news by following Knit Picks on Twitter or becoming a fan on Facebook.

WIN IT! One winner will receive a $20 gift card to Knit Picks. To enter, leave any topic-related comment on this post prior to Monday, March 22nd at 11:59 p.m. All generic comments like “Enter me!,” “Love it,” and “Cool stuff!” will be disqualified.

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Knit Picks has generously donated 2 $20 gift cards for this SLY Awards promotion – one for Kristen and one for the giveaway. I received no product or monetary compensation for this post. I’m just excited to celebrate Kristen and…you.

Topics: SLY Awards, website spotlight | 48 Comments »