Mom on a mission

I am a mom who loves to cook. My goal is to support my family by helping other families spend more meaningful time together. My plan is to cook your meals for you so that you can spend quality time together as a family, instead of serving fast food or packaged foods to your loved ones. Let's work together to get healthy meals on your table.

Wow - it's been a whole year!

A whole year has gone by since my last post. I apologize. Time rn away as it can for so many of us. I hope to rekindle my love for blogging and hope to earn more followers who are interested in parenting, like I am. I have many new and exciting things to report. My son is nearing 4 years old. What a whirlwind of amazingness. I am feeling so proud to be his mommy. Women were created to carry babies, but not all are cut out to be moms. I have always felt the desire to be a mom. Having my little boy is a dream come true. I try my best each day to give him everything he needs and show him what childhood is. I remember everything I enjoyed as a kid and encourage him to experience those things tenfold!! What better way to show him my dedication than to allow him to grow and change into the individual he is. I wish every mom could feel this way.

What to do about baby #2

I realize it has been a long time since my last post. There have been many changes. One is the fact that I have become "ready" to add a second child into our family. Sadly, my husband is not. What to do about baby number 2...comments?

The Siesta

After junior year of college, I took a summer trip to Greece. During my travels, I discovered this wonderful practice they have in Europe called the siesta. I define a siesta as a block of time in the mid-day which is used to relax and recharge before returning to complete the day. During this 2-3 hour period, an adult may have a meal, nap, sex, read, shower and change clothes or anything else that feels good to them.

During this trip, I kept a routine of waking for bread with butter and honey served with coffee. Went out for sightseeing or swimming followed by a siesta and finally an afternoon coffee at an outside cafe. Dinner was eaten at 10-11pm and a walk under the stars or dancing completed the evening. People do this every day! Even if I had to work in the morning and evening, I think it would be so refreshing to have this mid day gap. But what a vacation it was. I would retire to Greece in a second. And I highly suggest that everyone visit. The food, wine, culture, history and people can not be any more wonderful and welcoming.

Ever notice how much happier people seem to be in other countries? Next time you travel, pay attention to the way things work and the feeling among the local population. Hopefully, one day we as Americans can adopt the siesta. I bet our productivity would rise if our schedules were adjusted to allow for a break during the time of day we are least effective. Makes sense to me!

How socks can help a bad day turn around

It was a gloomy. blah sort of day - a rainy, cold one in May and I felt yucky about the weather and had little hope for a fun filled afternoon. Then, I reached into my sock drawer for a pair of socks and I pulled out two of the same sock - a pair and it was all better. Something so small can make everything ok again. For kids, this is huge! Example, terrible twos moment can be turned around by simply blowing up a balloon! Lesson learned, feel free to use this proven trick.

Doctor's orders - 20 mins TV time per day

At my son's 2.5 year check up the pediatrician told me that he should watch no more than 20 mins of TV per day. His (and my) focus should be on play time with manipulative, imaginative, creative things for him to do. So, I told my mom what the doctor suggested and she laughed. My mom assured me that no matter how much TV he watched that he was getting all of the attention and learning opportunities that a child could need and it certainly shows in his reactions to the world. I agree but, it helped to hear it from the true expert, my mom!

I urge you to encourage your children to become the best they can be, in whatever way you feel works best. I would not allow TV time to rule our lives but, on a rainy day...sometimes I have to do what works for us. And, you should hear the things he learns from Nick Jr. TV saves lives and allows parents to do certain things without being followed every second. So I say to the doctor, thanks but can we stick to the medical stuff in your office and leave the rest to me at home?

Thanks!

Haircut vs. Diapers for a month +

So, around here a haircut for kids costs $30 (after tip) and what that means to me is use the clippers you use on your husband to trim the baby's too. I did it for the first time and it went really well. I thought Jacob would be scared of it but he really didn't mind and I got the results I was after! Go mom - now, I can treat myself to a mani/pedi with the cash I saved or pay for over a month of diapers! Note: hair will grow back if you end up taking it all off by accident. Wish me luck on the next haircutting adventure.