DATE ARCHIVES : April 2014

I Pooped My Nemo

Potty training. It really is one of the most annoying things about having a toddler. You desperately want them out of diapers especially when they poop worse than you do. No one likes cleaning that. No one. You desperately want to ditch the diaper bag you’ve been lugging around for more than two years and exchange it for one the pocket books that’s been collecting dust in your closet. Hell, maybe even treat yourself and buy a new bag. You deserve it.

Instead, you spend your days trying to tell your little one that there are no more Pull-Ups in the house even though she knows they are hiding in your bag. You try to tell her no one else in the house wears diapers. You try to show her how cute it is to have Dora or the Disney Princesses all over her little butt. She’s not buying it. Nothing much seems to work.

If you haven’t been able to tell, I’m the middle of potty training my younger daughter. As much as I thought it was going to be a breeze, I was wrong. The potty seemed to be her BFF for a short time. She went to pee every now and again and thought it was great. Now, not so much. I tried letting her pee in her underwear. She got wet, got changed, and moved on with her day. It didn’t faze her. That is until she had to poop.

One day when she was in the playroom, I hear my older daughter yell that her sister pooped in her underwear. It doesn’t get much worse than that from the whole cleaning up perspective. As I walked in, I hear my pooper say, “Mommy, I pooped my Nemo.” You see, she was wearing underwear with Nemo all over it. Well, now Nemo wasn’t so pretty. She pooped for sure. After I cleaned her up, I told her not to poop on Nemo anymore. It’s so 2013.

To this day, Nemo has managed to stay clean. Instead, she takes off her underwear and grabs a Pull-Up. She does her business in her Pull-Up and then tells me she pooped. Couldn’t you have just gone in the potty instead? I. Don’t. Get. It.

Anyway, that’s where we are. The pediatrician says not to push it. She says it will click one day. I know she’s right, because that’s what happened with my first. I’m just sick of cleaning diapers and paying for them! For now, our goal is to keep Nemo, Dora, and all the other characters poop free.

Starbucks Spring Blend Review & Giveaway

Starbucks Spring Blend Review & Giveaway

Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall, it really doesn’t matter, I have to have my coffee. As a lot of you know, I’m a bit of a coffee addict. I don’t know exactly what it is, but I love it. With that said, I’m kinda predictable and tend to always have the same brew. Boring, I know.

When I was in the “out of the house” working world, coffee time was not only a must, but also a great time to gossip and catch up with co-workers. Walks for coffee were always the best. I’ll admit, I used to have my favorite little place to go. But, one former co-worker was a Starbucks lover and introduced me to the brand. I must say, after one cup, I was hooked. But again, I ordered one drink and always stuck to it. I was (and still am) in love with the lattes. I know some of you may think it’s so simple and boring, but oh well!

Fast forward a couple of years, a couple of children, and a “work at home” life later, and I’m still a Starbucks fan. Lord knows I drink more coffee now than ever before with these two little ones! I have tried to expand my horizons, but I’ll admit, I am still boring when it comes to my coffee selections.

One day, I ventured out of my box and ordered the blonde roast. Wild, I know. But, I loved it! Another day, I went really crazy and tried the Hazelnut Macchiatos. OMG! They are my favorite! But, those are for “treat myself” days. Still, I am proud of myself for trying some new stuff.

IMG_0998With that said, I also recently tried out the Starbucks Spring Blend at home.

 

I know some people say coffee never tastes as good when you brew at home. Honestly, that is true sometimes. It’s just like food tastes better when someone else makes it! Anyway, in the spirit of Spring and new beginnings, I tried this new brew. After just the first sip, I really liked it. It didn’t leave a bitter taste in my mouth and didn’t make my heart pound out of my chest. It was a nice, mild cup of coffee with just enough flavor. It was also light, which is great for when the weather gets a little warmer.

Will I continue to brew this at home? Absolutely. It really was that good. Have you tried it? If not, there’s a way you can get some free brews at home.  I’m giving away a pound of the Spring Blend.

Here’s what you have to do…In the spirit of Spring, I’m going to try some new drinks when I visit my local Starbucks. But, I don’t know which ones to spend my money on. So, leave a comment below telling me about your favorite Starbucks drink and why it’s your fave and I’ll enter you in a drawing to win a free pound of Starbucks Spring Blend.  You can enter until 11:59 p.m. on April 30, 2014. I’ll pick the winner May 1, 2014. Good Luck! Recommend some great new drinks for me to try please!

*This is a sponsored post

 

 

 

The Quest for Elsa

Three weeks ago I had a “clever” idea for my girls’ Easter baskets. Since they are obsessed with the movie “Frozen”, I thought it would cute to give them each a basket with a “Frozen” doll in it. My older daughter would get Elsa, of course, and my younger, Anna. Oh what a great Easter morning we would have as they squealed with excitement over their new dolls. The Easter Bunny would be the hero and we would all live happily ever after, just like Elsa and Anna.

anna4Or, this would happen. I would be shopping at Target and notice one Anna doll left. I would pick it up (on sale, of course), and just go to another store and pick up Elsa. No biggie. Well, I must have been under a rock because not only could I not find Elsa at Target, I couldn’t find her anywhere. Not one freakin’ Elsa doll. It wasn’t just Elsa who melted off the shelf. All the “Frozen” areas looked like a bomb exploded. There was hardly any merchandise to be had. So, I did what anyone would do these days, I posted my frustrations on Facebook. To my surprise other mothers were experiencing the same thing and told me there are no dolls ANYWHERE!elsa2

I certainly couldn’t give one daughter a basket with an Anna doll and not give another basket with Elsa. It’s like listening to Bon Jovi without Jon or going to a Maroon 5 concert without seeing Adam Levine. It just doesn’t cut it. So my next logical step was to search the land where dreams come true, if you are willing to pay the price. I’m talking about eBay of course. Well, let me tell you, Elsa and friends are selling for some big bucks. If you don’t mind melting down your wallet, you can have any doll you want. I just wanted Elsa.

Luckily, I found one with a starting bid of $19.99. Not bad, I thought, only a few bucks above retail. With only a couple of hours left, I thought I had a good chance. As the time got closer, I started to bid. As fast as I could put in a price, I was getting outbid! I found myself running on adrenaline. Did I really want the doll or did I just want to win the bid? Anyway, when the price got to $40.oo, I had to stop. I couldn’t morally allow myself to pay that much for a doll. So, I moved on to another one that only had seventeen minutes left on the bid. Bids were only at twenty dollars. I went back and forth, sweating it out for sixteen minutes and forty five seconds.

In the last fifteen seconds, I put out a $28.00 bid and won! I couldn’t believe it. Knowing now that these dolls are going for big bucks, I think I got a pretty good deal paying only about twelve dollars above retail.

Elsa arrived a few days ago in perfect shape. Brand, spanking new! I can’t wait to wrap her up. Excuse me, the Easter Bunny can’t wait to wrap her up. I can’t wait to see my daughters’ faces Easter morning.

I know so many moms who are still hunting for Elsa and friends. Apparently, Disney just can’t keep up with demand. There are even buying limits at some stores. So, unless you want to go broke, you may have to “let it go.”

 

 

 

 

Daycare Costs Exceed College Tuition

Everyone knows daycare is expensive. But now, a new study says it costs more to have someone else watch your kid than to send them to college. What is wrong here? Parents have 18 years to save for college, but no one has that kind of time to save for daycare. That’s why a lot of parents are choosing to stay home. Many are finding it cheaper than go to work and hand over 75% of their paycheck to someone else. When and how did things get so crazy? What do you think?

5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Becoming a SAHM

It’s the life of champagne wishes and caviar dreams. You’re a stay at home mom. You don’t have to listen to a boss. You can pretty much do what you want when you want. You have all the time in the world to devote to yourself and to your home.  You must be floating on freshly fluffed pillows every morning when you wake up and realize this is really your life.

Reality check.

You can’t remember the last time you had champagne. You have two little bosses who constantly nag you for stuff with a deadline of NOW. You can’t do whatever you want when you want because if you did you would have a weekly massage every Thursday afternoon after your manicure. Every day you notice some new cob web or area that really needs to be cleaned. You’ll get to it…one of these days. You can’t remember the last time you slept an entire night on your pillow all by yourself because one of your kids always ends up climbing into your bed. This is really your life.

Since I have been in the world of SAHM-dom for more than two years, I’ve come to realize the many misconceptions people still have about the lives we lead. I could honestly write a book. I, too, had many preconceived notions that I now laugh at. Silly, silly, me. With that said, I’ve come up with five things I wish I knew before becoming a SAHM.

1. You won’t be cooking meals that would make Rachel Ray jealous

“I can’t wait until I’m home so I can try new recipes.” Yep, I remember myself saying those very words. Well, chicken cutlets are still the “house special” and when I see a recipe with more than six ingredients, I still turn the page. If you were never a lover of the culinary arts, you won’t become one just because you have more time at home. The sooner you realize it, the happier you will be.

2. You’re not a circus; don’t try to entertain your kids like you are one

You can’t be “on” for your kids 24/7. This is something I still grapple with everyday. I feel guilty if I’m not doing something with them. That’s the reason I stayed home, right? It is alright to let them entertain themselves. In fact, it’s probably better for them. I’m learning this. You should too. Sure you can do stuff with them, but you don’t have to keep pulling out tricks from your hat.

3. Schedule “time off” for yourself every week

Just because you stay home doesn’t mean you can’t have time for yourself. You may not have the twenty minute car ride to work by yourself or a designated lunch break every day, but you can still have time off. The best way to do this when you’re a SAHM is to schedule it. It may sound silly, but I’ve found it’s the only thing that works. Find a time every week when you know you’ll most likely be able to find a sitter. Stick to that time as “your time”. Use it to do something for yourself. It may be hard, but anything worth having doesn’t come easy, right?

4. Have other interests besides your kids

Okay, so once you can schedule that “time off” you may want to use it to explore interests that are not for the five and under crowd. What did you like to do before you were “so and so’s mom”? Do it now. Maybe you want to try something new…a new workout, a new hobby, etc. The point here is while you’re always going to be “so and so’s mom” you’re also always going to be “you”.  Find your passion and explore it. You don’t have to stop following your dreams just because you decided to be a SAHM.

5. Accept your accomplishments as a SAHM and don’t try to compare

As a SAHM it is sometimes so hard to figure out what your accomplishments are on a daily basis. Some days the only thing to brag about is the fact that you got your kid to the potty before she peed her pants. It’s okay. It’s still an accomplishment. Don’t try to compare it to the promotion your friend got at work. If you do, you’re going to start feeling like crap. The truth is there are accomplishments to be proud of when you’re a SAHM. The moment when your daughter can write a letter on her own that you’ve practicing for weeks. The time when your little one realizes there is more than one color in the rainbow. Some may laugh. While these moments may not fill your bank account, they do make your heart overflow with joy.

I really think knowing these five little things would have made the transition to staying home a lot easier. Trust me, there are a lot more. Each day I am still learning how to make this situation work. Just like anything else, there are easy days and there are hard days.

For all the SAHMs reading this, what is your biggest piece of advice?

Why I Like Waking Up at 5:30

Sleep. You don’t realize how much of it you really don’t need until you become a parent. The days of sleeping until ten in the morning have vanished along with the days you would wear tank tops to the club (without any jacket of course) in the middle of winter. Just as you would never think of wearing something sleeveless in ten degree weather, you also learn to function on less sleep. But, when you can get a little more, you take it, right? I guess so. That is, unless you’re me.

Many people think because I’m a SAHM, I roll out of bed just before the kids need to be awake to start my day. Truth be told, most days I wake up at 5:30…by choice. It’s kinda funny, because I used to have to get up at 3:30 when I had a pay-check giving type of job. I hated getting up early.But, now things are different. I look at my morning time as exactly that…mine. It is really the only decent chunk of time I have to myself all day until the kids are in bed. By that time, I just want to curl up with my DVR and go to bed.

I mainly wake up that early so I can hit the gym. I’m not doing it so I can look like some supermodel. I’m a realist. I’ve had two kids. I was never a size 2 before and I certainly won’t be now. I’ve got cellulite and some extra junk in the trunk, but it’s fine.  I enjoy going to the gym because of the way it makes me feel both physically and mentally. As I put my ear buds on and get going on the elliptical, I think about the day ahead and what I want to get done. I make a lot of mental notes, give myself some internal pep talks if something is bothering me, and most importantly, work out my frustrations. Sometimes that’s also when I also get some of my best writing ideas. It’s just an important time all around.

Once I get home and am showered, the kids are usually awake and I am ready to start my shift. Bring it on temper tantrums and whiny Caillou, I got this today.

But, because I am human, there are days I hit the snooze and choose my pillow over the treadmill. I can honestly tell you, those are the days I feel so crappy. Crappy because I didn’t do anything productive. Crappy because I didn’t have my alone time. Crappy because I have a shorter fuse with the kids. Crappy. Period.

So, call me crazy, I like waking up at 5:30. I dare you to try it for a week and see if you feel better because of it!