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Somebody Loves You, Stephanie Precourt

March 31, 2010 By 42 Comments

SLY header 300x146 Somebody Loves You, Stephanie Precourt

Congratulations to Stephanie Precourt…this week’s recipient of a SLY Award here on Metropolitan Mama.

sly awards stephanie precourt Somebody Loves You, Stephanie PrecourtIf you blog or read blogs, you probably know about Stephanie Precourt (or “Steph,” as many people know her).

Steph blogs at Adventures in Babywearing about life with her four kids in Indiana, but it’s not your typical personal blog. On the contrary, Steph is a highly skilled writer, photographer, and relationship-builder. Her well-crafted posts inspire and motivate the masses (and I do mean “masses” – her influence is off-the-charts!) – encouraging others to live beautiful lives, full of color and meaning and friendship and hope.

Won’t you join with me as I celebrate Steph and shower her with two surprise gifts hand-selected just for her? Oh, and YOU will have a chance to win both products too.

If you know Steph in real life or if you read her blog, please leave a compliment here for her. Let’s give her something to smile about today!

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READ MORE ABOUT THE SLY AWARDS.

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Tuesday Tours: What’s Happening on the Web

March 31, 2010 By 3 Comments

j02933381 Tuesday Tours: Whats Happening on the WebWelcome 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.

Announcements

Have you heard of 101 Snappy Fashions? It’s a new book for crafty, creative people that is coming out next month. If you have a baby (or are expecting one), I think you will like it.

Good Reads

If you’ve ever said, “I just don’t get that tech stuff” – please read What Resistance Teaches Us by Gwen Bell. It is a beautiful post about technology…and life.

Sarah {Emerging Mummy} shares her opinion with grace and candor: In which I talk about spanking.

From The New York Times: Cesarean Births Are at a High in US {March 23, 2010}.

Enjoy this excellent advice from Melanie Nelson of Blogging Basics 101: Can I change my blog name and keep my readers?

Miscellany

Stephanie Ford {Simply Radiant} hosted a yellow-themed party for her son’s 2nd birthday and her ideas are super creative.

These Simple and Healthy Veggie Tostadas look delicious {Make and Takes}.

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*** If you have a contest or an announcement that you think might be a good fit for Tuesday Tours, e-mail me at stephanie@metropolitanmama.net.

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Do you hear what I hear?

March 28, 2010 By 28 Comments

do you hear what i hear1 Do you hear what I hear?

It’s the sound of two little girls, safe and snug, tucked in their beds after a day of picnicking at the park.

It’s the whhrrr-whhrr-whhrr of the dishwasher running in the kitchen.

It’s the sound of pages turning in a book.

I have three books that I just checked out from the library that are calling my name (FYI – I haven’t started reading them yet) – The Woman Who Attracted Money, The Dream Manager, and Reading the OED: One Man, One Year, 21,730 Pages.

What books are on your nightstand?

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3.1 Miles of Smiles (+ Sweat)

March 27, 2010 By 34 Comments

family running in 5k 3.1 Miles of Smiles (+ Sweat)

This 5K may have spoiled me for good.

It was hosted by Sierra Morado, a master-planned community by Pulte Homes. The goal, of course, was to get people interested in their homes in this not-so-hot economy.

But they seriously did an awesome job putting it together. The path was well-marked. The weather was gorgeous (I know they didn’t have anything to do with the weather, but it WAS beautiful!). There were Pulte employees cheering us on at various intervals. And, best of all, there was a huge, family-friendly party at the end.

pony ride 3.1 Miles of Smiles (+ Sweat)Jumping castles. Pony rides. A petting zoo. Facepainting. Hot Dogs. Live Music. All Free.

Our 3-year-old was so, so happy. At the end, she said, “Can we do this more often?“

I’m sure you want to hear about the race.

I ran (almost) the whole time. There was one big hill at the end that I walked partway, until Tim said, “Come on. You can do it. One foot in front of the other. You’re not even breathing hard!” So, I did. And, as always, it felt SO GOOD to run across the finish line. Our family together. Tim pushing the girls in the double jogging stroller (he is amazing) and me beside him. 35:54. Slow, but sure…does not win the race (hate to break it to you…).

family after the 5k 3.1 Miles of Smiles (+ Sweat)

That said, I feel proud. I feel strong. I feel ready to do another one. I hope we always run 5Ks as a family.

P.S. Have YOU signed up for a 5K yet? You CAN. Even if you’re not a runner. Here’s: How to Train for a 5K.

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something Wonderful is about to happen

March 26, 2010 By 23 Comments

wake up every morning with the thought something Wonderful is about to happenMy first thought when I woke up this morning was a quote that I came across on Etsy a while back: “Wake up every morning with the thought that something wonderful is about to happen.”

I like the breathless optimism of that statement. That’s a fine way of looking at life.

picking out books something Wonderful is about to happenMy next thought was how beautiful my baby is. She was lying next to me, her arms above her head, her blonde little ringlets a bit moist from laying just so. “I’m going to miss this someday.”

And then we did a lot of wonderful somethings.

We went swinging and sliding at the park.

We made peanut butter balls and a card for my husband’s grandpa’s 90th birthday party tomorrow.

We read books. Lots and lots of books.

And we ate snacks.

Smiley-faced snacks made out of:

  • bananas for hair
  • raspberries for eyes
  • Dove milk chocolates with peanut butter for the nose (they’re smooth and rich and good…but I still prefer dark chocolate), and…
  • string cheese for the mouth

snack smiley face something Wonderful is about to happen

Yesterday, I put one of those Dove chocolates on my daughter’s salad plate at lunch time. After eating, she announced, “I like chocolate better than salad.” Duly noted.

YOUR TURN: What snacks do you give to your kids? Do you like milk or dark chocolate better?

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***I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of DOVE and received samples of DOVE Milk Chocolate with Peanut Butter products and a gift certificate to facilitate my review.

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I like Wednesdays

March 24, 2010 By 39 Comments

For the past few weeks, every Wednesday has been “Library Day” for us.

Today, the girls and I drove to the library to pick up the books we had on-hold. I request titles ahead of time because – seriously – there are A LOT of children’s books that are horrible [Poorly written. Bad messages. Etc.].

I also let my 3-year-old pick out 2-3 books of her own. She almost always chooses CD books and we listen to them on the way home.

That one in her hand is really good, by the way – Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe.

listening to cd books in the car I like Wednesdays

When we got home, we had tea in the sandbox, with the sun beating down on us.

having tea in the sandbox I like Wednesdays

And per usual – I took out my camera and tried to capture snippets of our day. This one is a little blurry, but it’s still my favorite. 1-year-olds are wonderful.

baby with hand on head I like Wednesdays

Tonight, I have 1 million things on my to-do list [You think I'm exaggerating, but I'm not]. I’m glad I have a lot of things to do though. “It’s a wonderful problem to have,” I told Tim yesterday, “We have so many ideas and dreams and opportunities, we can’t even begin to keep up.”

Despite our crazy to-do list, Tim & I are going to take a break to watch LOST tonight. We always watch it a day (or three) late so that we can pause it at-will if baby wakes. LOST is the 1 and only show we are currently watching. It’s a good thing too because we don’t have time for more.

YOUR TURN: Do you use the “reservation” system at your local library? Also: are you a LOSTIE?

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