Finally…A Study That Makes Me Feel Better

It seems like every study that comes out makes me feel like a bad parent. But, finally there is one that has me singing Alleluia!

Apparently, kids over two who nap may have a harder time sleeping at night. They apparently take longer to fall asleep at bedtime and have a poorer quality of sleep compared with kids who don’t nap.

My kids stopped napping before age 2. They still wouldn’t win any awards for “Best Sleeper”. Nevertheless, this study makes me feel better, so be sure to check it out.

How about you? Do your kid still nap? Are they good bedtime sleepers?

NCircle DVDs Giveaway

Welcome to the NCircle DVD’s Giveaway

Sponsored by NCircle Entertainment

Hosted by Kathy’s Savings

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This giveaway is for four DVD’s from NCircle. The Mommy Rundown is helping to get the word out! These DVD’s include Octonauts, Pocoyo, The Wiggles and Wibbly Pig! The giveaway is open to the U.S. only. This will run from 2/20-3/6. Good luck to everyone.

Disclosure: Kathy’s Savings and all other participating bloggers are not responsible for prize shipment. The giveaway is in no way administered, sponsored, or endorsed by or associated with Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or any other social media. The winner will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is drawn.

Sponsored Post: Gifts For You Now

We  all know how hard it can be to come up with creative gifts for the same holiday or special occasion every year.

Ties for Dad. Been there, done that.

Earrings for Grandma. Over it.

Gift card for just about anyone. Useful, but can be seen as impersonal.

Sigh.

What’s a momma to do?

As a mom, we don’t always have time (or ambition) to trek through stores with kids and gear in tow to find that “perfect” one-of-a-kind gift that will get all the oohs and ahhs. That’s why it may seem almost impossible and downright stressful.

That’s when you let your fingers do the shopping. Personalized gift sites are a great resource for unique gifts that will get all those oohs and ahhs. Gifts for You Now is one of those sites.

Whether it’s Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, wedding, baptism, or any other special occasion, you can find those unique gifts topped with a personal touch. How about a personalized bunny for your little one? Or an engraved frame for Grandma for Mother’s Day?

Instead of buying another tool box for Dad for Father’s Day, what about some cool engraved items for his man cave?

When it comes to weddings, there are all kinds of gifts starting with the bride and groom and ranging to the parents as well as the wedding party. As for baptisms, there are so many keepsake gifts like blankets, bibs, and crosses that are sure to warm the hearts of those receiving them.

So, the next time you want to give a great gift but don’t have the time to shop around, just click and create for a one-of-a-kind gift.

 

It’s All About the Showers, the Showers, No Bubble

Giving my kids a bath is one of the things I really loved as a Mom. The toys, the playing, the splashing…so much fun.

Noticed I said loved…past tense.

Yep, that’s right, my girls have moved on.

Both my 5 and 3 year-old daughters are now all about the showers, the showers, no bubble.

Let me rewind a couple of months ago when I introduced my 5-year-old to the shower. I told her this may be a better option on the nights when we wash and condition hair. Since her hair is getting longer it became a real pain in the bubble to get all the soap out.

We did it. My 3-year-old took one too.

They liked it the first time. After that they missed playing in the bath. So we went back to the bath. I went back to hunching over the tub to make sure every nook and cranny was clean and every bubble of shampoo was rinsed.

Of course I complained about it. But, deep down I loved it. It was our little quiet time to talk without interruption. At times I would learn an aspect of their day they didn’t bother to tell me earlier although I was around for hours. That time was sacred. Not anymore.

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago when my 5 year-old requested a shower totally out of the blue. Her sister followed. I wasn’t going to say no, but I saw the look on rubber ducky’s face. He didn’t like it. Neither did I. My girls didn’t give a quack.

Ever since then, each girl has taken her turn stepping into the shower. They pull the curtain closed and tell me they’re going to get washed all by themselves…even my three-year-old.

Sigh.

So, I stand on the outside, shut out of our otherwise special time.

Did you wash your face? Did you wash your ears? Did you wash your butt?

Yes. Yes. Yes. That’s all they tell me. I do sneak the curtain back to make sure they are scrub a dubbing all the essential parts and everything else in between. Believe it or not, they do a really good job.

Sigh. Sigh.

You would think I would be happy because it’s one thing to cross off my “To Do List”. But, I’m not. Truth be told, I’m sad. It’s just more proof they are getting older. You would think my 3-year-old would indulge me and let me at least give her a bath. Nope. Instead she reminds me she’s getting bigger every day. Geez, can you throw momma a bubble? Afterall,  I did lug you around in my uterus for nine months. Isn’t that the least you could do? Guess not.

It seems as though there’s no turning back now. It looks like rubber ducky and I are on our own.

That’s right little yellow guy, it’s not about us anymore. It’s all about the showers, the showers, no bubble….or ducky for that matter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday’s Mommas: Lorrin from Hello Sister Love

Who doesn’t love a perfect chocolate chip cookie?
This week’s Monday’s Momma, Lorrin from Hello Sister Love, has a super yummy recipe for a cookie I can’t wait to try.
Read on & learn more about Lorrin too!
The Perfect Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

A well known fact about me is that I am a terrible baker. I am just not good at it. I am (if I do say so myself) a pretty good cook, but when it comes to baking, I stink. That, of course, does NOT mean that I don’t like a baked good. I definitely have a sweet tooth, and that was clearly inherited by all four of my children. I love cake, and brownies, and cookies, but chocolate chip cookies are my all-time favorite. You can pretty much ask anyone that has ever seen me eat, and they’ll tell you that I love cream cheese. During one visit to my sister Amber’s house, they generously brought us panera bagels for breakfast complete with one large tub of cream cheese for all of us to share.  Stone-faced and as serious as I could be, I asked, “is that all the cream cheese? I mean, this is for all of us?” They teased me, but I was so serious. I like a little bagel with my cream cheese.  Needless to say, this is pretty much the perfect combination for me.

Since I stink at baking, I didn’t even know such a combination even existed. Then, at Christmas, Amber asked me to come and bake Christmas cookies (this means, I watch her bake and talk- a lot–  I like to talk… and then, I eat the cookies she made by herself). She only had time to make one kind of cookie before I headed home to pick up things 1 and 2. Lucky for me, they were cream cheese chocolate chip cookies, and they were insanely good– and completely devoured by myself, and things 3 and 4 before we even made it home.

I’ve been dreaming about them ever since.

On Saturday, despite my lack of baking skills, I decided to make my own batch. I modified a couple of recipes that I had seen to come up with this one. It is the perfect amount of chewy and cake-like. Chocolate chip cookies are hands down the most subjective cookies. Everyone has a different opinion of what makes a chocolate chip cookie the best. Amber and I actually have very different preferences in our chocolate chip cookies (with exception of the chocolate–we both like ‘em overloaded with semi-sweet goodness!). She likes hers fluffy and more cake-like, and I like mine kind of flat and chewy, with just the right amount of crunchiness.

These are PERFECT!!  Not too cake-like, not too flat, just a pinch of saltiness, so many chocolate chips, and just the right amount of cream cheese flavor (even if you aren’t as obsessed with it as I am!).  If I was able to bake these, anyone can make them!

So, here is the recipe..

cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1/2 cup of margarine

1/2 cup of cream cheese

3/4 cup granulated [white] sugar (i used splenda)

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

4 cups of semisweet chocolate chips (that’s 2- 12 ounce bags, and I used a bag of halloween chips- that’s why there were orange chips in there. Next time, I will use one bag of regular and one of mini chips. Obviously, how much you add is completely up to you.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Soften, but don’t melt, margarine and cream cheese. Beat margarine, cream cheese, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each one, gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop batter by tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. I like to drop mine without rounding them, because I just like them to look “messy” and imperfect.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Take them out of the oven, and let them cool! Then, eat ‘em up!

About Lorrin: Lorrin is a wife and mama to 4 awesome, and exhausting kiddos.  She is a Baptist, a dreamer, a procrastinator, a planner, a cook, a hockey mom, a soccer mom, a dog lover, a Florida baby and Pennsylvanian, a flip-flop wearer, boot lovin’, business owner and photographer.  She’s loud, loves the beach and hates the snow.  Most nights, she falls into bed, and thanks God for the chance to sit down.  There isn’t a day that goes by though, that she doesn’t realize how blessed she is, and she wouldn’t change a thing.   Her blog, Hello Sister Love, is a place for Lorrin and her sister, Amber, to share mommy moments.  Lorrin & Amber “keep it real” with their heartfelt, genuine posts, and hopefully, make life a little more fun, and a little chaotic with easy-to-do crafts and recipes.  Hello Sister Love gives old, and new mommies alike, a place to go to laugh, learn, and, most importantly, remember they are not alone!

Putting the “O” Back in Organization

I am a self-proclaimed organization freak.

Granted a lot of that went out the window once I became a mom. Nevertheless there is nothing like finding a good mess and organizing it.

I know…I’m a freak.

So, let me tell you what gave me a big “O” in the organization department lately…

I was googling some stuff and came across a fantabulous way to organize kids’ coloring books, drawings, paintings, markers, etc.

For the longest time, I had them “neatly” organized in a bin. Oh no no no.

That was embarrassing compared to what I discovered.

Check it out…this was my kids’ coloring bin before.

messy bin

“The Bin” Before…Ugh

Stickers, coloring books, papers, and who knows what else piled in the bin.

How many coloring books are in there?

No idea.

What kinds of stickers?

Kinds that stick.

What type of paper?

Blank?

Now, I introduce to you my kids’ new coloring station…

"New Bin"...A.K.A. a little slice of heaven

“New Bin”…A.K.A. a little slice of heaven

It’s enough to bring a tear to my eye.

Stickers, coloring books, folders with school work…all neatly organized in a dish drying rack!

I couldn’t believe it when I first saw it.

I would have never thought of using this to put my kids’ things in.

The books not only stand up perfectly, but there’s also a handy dandy utensil cup that can be used to store markers, crayons, paint brushes, etc.

I think I’ve died and gone to OCD heaven.

I can not tell you how happy this made me.

I know, I need to get a life.

But, if you have coloring books and stuff just making a mess, try this little tip.

It seriously will put the “O” back in your organization…at least for awhile.

 

Monday’s Mommas: Nicolette Brink

Monday means one thing around here…time to meet the week’s Monday’s Momma.
I’m pleased to introduce Nicolette Brink from  Decisive. Empowered. Resilient.
Nicolette is a  success author, blogger, runner, martial artist, wife, and mother. She lives an active lifestyle of health and fitness and teaches life empowerment skills through her writing, martial arts and running. Along with writing about success, Nicolette also writes Beast Mode Motivators for athletes, inspiration for writers, articles on running and martial arts, and a bit of parenting humor. She is a Girls Gone Sporty Ambassador and Top Mommy Blogger. You can follow Nicolette on Facebook or Twitter.
Today Nicolette shares a post about a topic that’s extremely important to me…Moms & Exercise.
Just like Nicolette, I think every mom needs that time not only for her physical, but also mental well being.
Motherhood & Exercise

It’s my Me time. There is no other definition. It is my kid free, chore free, work free, hubby free, friend free, society’s demands of me – free time. It is all about me. I need it. I crave it. I function throughout my day (and tasks and relationships) a completely different person than on the days I don’t get to exercise.

It is a choice to exercise. Yes it is so good and wonderful for my body and mind to be fit, strong, and healthy. But it goes beyond this. Each time I get to run or workout, it is a declaration of my worth, that I am more than just a wife, mother, chef, housekeeper, educator, entertainer, errand runner, scheduler etc. It is a declaration that I, just as I am, am worthy of time for myself, to be alone, with my body, with my thoughts, and with nature.

In this time I get to process what is going on in my life, and often am able to work through all the emotions attached. In this time, if I choose, I can forget about everything and everyone in my life and just be me. Free to explore in the depths of my mind who and what I can be. I can focus on my careers, my future, new ideas and avenues to pursue and explore. I can focus on what I am really feeling and thinking, which for every moment throughout the rest of my day, gets pushed to the far corners of my mind and heart, for my responsibilities have to come before me. But not here, not in my workout. My workout it is about me and being free to be who I am.

In this time I can push my body and mind beyond what I previously thought was capable. I can be in awe at just what my mind and body can do and accomplish. I can take pride in the strength, flexibility, and endurance of my body. I can feel my heartbeat pounding strong, which in turns gives me strength knowing I can handle so much more.

When I push myself hard enough and try new things, I am filled with such gratitude that I have been given this body that can do so much. It inspires me to continue, to keep testing my limits and the possibilities. It tugs at the strings of the natural leadership tendancies in me – to pursue that which can motivate others and set an example of how to make it happen.

My time given to exercise begins with that simple and complicated decision that I am worth it. Following through on this decision, just making it happen in this busy and wonderful life, is such an accomplishment in itself. When I complete a workout and have worked hard, I am empowered. When I find it in myself to do this daily, to deem myself worth it, and to make it happen, makes me resilient in life.

Because I have to fight so hard to make my work out time happen, fighting against the family schedule, the family’s health, the gym’s hours and it’s limited childcare, the weather, my to do list, the daily unexpected interruptions, the commute to and from the other gym, and so on, just showing up is half the battle.

Unlike so many other women who spend their time walking slowly and chatting nonstop, when I get there, it is my time to work. I vent my life through my workout. It is my therapy, my drug, my caffeine.

To run during the week, I utilize the gym daycare. The dear sweet young ladies that watch my children, if I could pay them extra rewards I would. They are so young and innocent and have no clue as to how appreciative I am that their low paying job not only helps burn my kids’ energy but gives me a sweet hour of relief from life, to be alone, to be me.

I long for my workouts to not end. I wish I could attempt to run ten miles every day, just to have that solace, that quiet time for me. But my runs end at the hour mark whether its three miles or five. Dinner beckons, and the kids dash out of the gym almost faster than I can keep up. Life resumes as soon as I turn off the music.

When I am lucky, and lucky indeed, I can venture the half hour drive into the city for boxing. The drive is filled with checking off that to do list, and sighing over what truly won’t get done this day or likely the next. A mother’s job is a cascading stack of plates and bowls always on the verge of tumbling to the floor and cracking into zillions of pieces – that you won’t find until you step on a few.

But when I enter this gym, it is all about getting fierce. It is about the pain and making my body work hard enough to feel pain. I want to crawl out of this gym on my hands and knees. If I give everything I have in me to this gym and this workout, my body will be thoroughly exhausted. In other words I will be so tired I will sleep well, unless one of the two kids or dogs decides not to. If I push myself past my previous abilities at this workout, my mind leaves knowing I am fully capable of handling anything life throws at me.

Unlike many others, I consider myself a true athlete. Workouts are necessary, daily, and more than once a day is a desired blessing. I tear myself apart, breathe, recoup and rebuild so that when I leave that workout, I am stronger, wiser, more determined and capable than I was when I began. It is my place to burn off stress.

It’s not just a workout. It’s a big part of what makes me who I am. It is about opportunity, possibilities, worth, believing and faith. Without it I am a mess. An overwhelmed, half functioning, grouchy mess. Exercise makes me alive, gives me great health, a better attitude and a happier, balanced mind and life.

It is not just about getting an hour to escape life and the demands of the roles I have chosen. Often it is simply a place of sweet fun. A time to enjoy nature when I get to run outside, a time to feel inspired watching others improving themselves. When you find a type of exercise that you find fun, boxing for me, it doesn’t feel difficult. And there is nothing like rocking it out to your favorite tunes, lip synching it out pretending to be your favorite rock star with a smile on your face.

Why Snow Days Don’t Have to Suck

It is the morning of our fourth snow day in one week.

Sigh.

We all know this is what to expect in winter, but when it comes all at once it’s enough for parents to want to poke their eye out with a spork.

Yes, I said spork…a spoon and fork combo I always used to get in my lunch trays at school.

If you’re a working parent with no real daycare options, snow days can be hell on earth. I remember what it was like for my husband and I to juggle our daughter when I had to be at work at four in the morning in a foot of snow. Again, enough to poke my eyes out with a spork.

But, if you are lucky enough to have the day off too or work partially from home, I’m here to tell you, snow days don’t have to suck.

They can actually be enjoyable.

Here’s why:

Sleeping In

No fumbling around to finish packing lunches. No dumping half of a great cup of coffee down the drain. No brushing your daughter’s hair while she’s brushing her teeth because you need every second you can get before bolting out the door.

None of that.

You can sleep until you naturally wake up or one of your kids comes in your room and jumps on top of you. Whatever the case, you don’t need to rush. You can finish that cup of coffee. Heck, maybe you can have two!

coffee-151406_1280

The kids can play, watch TV, have breakfast, and get dressed (totally optional, jammies all day totally acceptable on snow days) when they want.

Not too shabby.

Arts & Crafts & Nails

Bring on the glue sticks and construction paper.

My kids and I are no Martha Stewart, but we haven’t met a craft set we didn’t like. We’ve glued and colored our way through two sets, as well as colored and painted until we ran out. Bring it on Mother Nature, we’ll just keep crafting.

Also, my girls love a good manicure. So, after we’ve washed off the glue and glitter, time for a little nail party!

Baking

Nothing says warm and cozy like some fresh baked goods. Although this does nothing for my never ending battle with my muffin top, it’s fun to bake with the kids. My kids love a good batch of brownies or cookies…or both…I do too!

Spic and Span

Snow days are great to get stuff done in the house. While the kids are busy playing, you can get that laundry done and maybe even folded.

I know, amazing.

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If you’re really crazy, you may be able to get some vacuuming, dusting, or mopping in too.

I have to say, some parts of my house have never looked so clean.

It’s Showtime…Actually HBO

Okay, so we just upgraded to HBO for a trial period. Let me tell you, it couldn’t have come at a better time! Movies and snow days are like peas and carrots.

We’ve watched “Curious George”, “Rio 2”, and “Dumbo” to name a few. It’s nice to spend some quality time with the kids and just relax with a movie.

Be a Kid

Snow days are great for just playing around and being a kid. Whether you’re building a snow man or squeezing Barbie into a dress that should be a shirt, it’s fun to just play around with the kids. With all the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we sometimes forget how much fun this can be. Knowing you don’t have to run out to appointments or activities really means you can just have fun.

barbie

So do you still think snow days suck? I hope not.

When life gives you two feet of snow you don’t make a snow man…you make a snow family.