My New Nutritionist

I have a new rule to help me eat healthier snacks(meaning more fruits and veggies, less chocolate and ice cream). If Aubrey is eating it, I have to eat it.

I was walking through the grocery store with my cart loaded with healthy stuff, and I thought how if someone looked in my cart they would probably assume I was quite healthy. Unfortunately, I am more likely to snack on Cheez- Its or Mike and Ikes when hungry strikes, as opposed to an apple or carrot sticks. However when Aubrey is ready for a snack, I take plenty of time chopping up fresh fruits and preparing veggies for her. I am really not being fair to myself! I should take care of myself as well as I take care of her.

So, my new rule is if she's eating it, I must eat it. Even if I don't like it. Like bananas-gross. I only like bananas if they are on top of ice cream or in the form of tasty banana nut bread. But, if she's eating them, I will eat them- plain. If she's eating peas and carrots, I will make myself eat peas and carrots.

So far my plan is working pretty well. It's a gradual process, but I know that I have to be a healthy example for her. If she grows up watching me eat healthy foods, she will be more likely to pick up those habits. If she sees me eating junk all the time, chances are she will eat the junk too. This is one of the best parts of being a parent-when you have a child, it automatically flips a switch in you that MAKES you want to do better and be better in every part of your life.

Thanks Aubrey! Don't worry, we'll still sip on Cokes and munch on fries when you're older, but just as a treat, not as a habit :)

Last Minute Weekend Plans for South Jersey Moms!

So, I'm a little late getting this post out there, BUT if you are a reader who lives in my area (which I know many of you are), I have a great opportunity for you this weekend. And chances are, you are already heading to the mall anyway (I know I will be, thanks to the $25 gift card I received for promoting this fun event for the team at Everywhere!).

The Rockettes are coming to Macy's at the Cherry Hill Mall this weekend! Not only will you and your children be able to meet The Rockettes, but your little ones will also be able to receive dance instruction! There will be plenty of photo ops and each young dancer who participates will receive an “Honorary Rockette” certificate! Sorry Moms, our honorary Rockette days have long passed, haha. Can you imagine how fun and exciting this will be for your kids? They'll be the center of attention Monday morning during "Share Time" in school :)

This is a FREE event and takes place THIS Saturday at 2pm at Macy's in the Cherry Hill Mall. If you can't make that event, the Rockettes will be back in New Jersey on October 16th at Macy's in Bridgewater for a similar demonstration.

This is a once in a lifetime event for your kiddos, and something they will never forget. I hope you get a chance to get out to the Cherry Hill Mall and see the Rockettes. What a great way to "kick" off the fall season.

What Do You Wish You'd Known at 13?

Imagine a world...

…where every girl grows up with the self-esteem she needs to reach her full potential.
…where every woman enjoys feeling confident in her own beauty.
…where we all help to build self-esteem in the people we love most.

It would be wonderful, wouldn't it? These are the inspiring words behind Dove's Self-Esteem Movement.

I don't usually do many reviews, but when Dove contacted me about spreading the word for their campaign, I couldn't refuse. I think that self-esteem is such an important issue facing women and girls today. It is my belief, as a woman and mother, that it is our responsibility to give our daughters the love and support they need to reach their full potential.

Visit their website to find out how YOU can be a part of this movement. One of the many ways to get involved includes having conversations with girls and women of all ages about self-esteem. One conversation starter is, What do you wish you'd known at 13?

If I could talk to my 13 year old self, I would tell myself to never hold back who I really am to try to fit in. In the real world, how popular you are in high school means NOTHING. I would tell myself that as it turns out, ALL 13 year olds have the same worries and insecurities as me, and although things may get harder before they get easier, I WILL look back at my teenage years and laugh at how silly it all seems now. And oh yeah, I would tell myself to stop liking that boy that doesn't give me the time of day, because he is NOT worth one second of my time!

So, what do you wish you'd known at 13? Please leave a comment, I'd love to know!

Here is a link to find some more conversation starters and activities that you can do with an important female in your life, whether it be your daughter, niece, sister, or friend.

At the Dove Self-Esteem Movement website ,you can find more information about their Dove Self-Esteem Weekend, October 22-24. Please check it out. You can make such a difference in a girl's life by just taking out a little bit of time each day.

Oopsie

Recently, I blogged about how saddened I am by people's lack of manners. Particularly in scenarios when I am trying to squeeze through a door with a stroller and twenty other things. All I ask is for a simple door hold!

Yesterday Aubrey and I went to the mall to find me something cute to wear for my big birthday night out this weekend. As we were approaching the entrance to Macy's, I noticed a little old lady waiting by the curb. Surely, I did not expect her to hold the door open for us. To be honest, I don't think she could have made it to the door without some help herself. She gets a free pass.

However, I did expect the young man I saw standing on the other side of the doors to help me out. As I got closer to the doors, I noticed he wasn't making any effort to approach the door and hold it open for me. I thought to myself, "Typical. He's just standing there waiting for someone and he can't take two steps towards the door and open it for a woman with a stroller? I know he's young and able because he's dressed young and stylish. Oh well, I will just open the doors myself and make sure I give him a 'Thanks a lot, buddy' look once we get in the store."

As I pulled Aubrey's stroller through the second set of doors, I glanced up to get a look at the guy who couldn't help a momma out. Yeeeeah, there was a pretty good reason why he didn't help me...he was a mannequin. Oops.

I Wish I was 7 Months Pregnant Right Now

But totally not for any of the reasons you are probably thinking. I'm definitely not ready for another baby, and I certainly don't miss the giant belly that prohibited me from doing simple tasks like bending over, sleeping, and even breathing.

No, I wish I was pregnant because I had the cutest maternity clothes last year! And since I was working, I had a great mix of stylish, trendy, and fashionable clothes. Not to mention comfortable...elastic waistbands on jeans? Who knew they'd be so cozy, yet look so chic! From leggings and tunics to adorable dresses with flats, I was dressed to the nines.

But, now that it's fall and I'm taking inventory of what I have to work with this year, I am left looking at a depleted wardrobe of "regular sized" clothes that hasn't been replenished since 2008. All of the lovely clothes I bought last year were for a woman who was working full time and was 6-9 months pregnant.

Since I am low on funds this year and not working full time, I don't really have a NEED to go out and buy a new wardrobe like I've done every year in the past. I'm sure I'll pick up a few new things here and there, but I am pretty much stuck with what I've got (Aubrey, on the other hand, will be decked out in the latest baby fashions!). So, as I disappointedly look at the tired, worn out clothes from my '08 fall wardrobe which will also sadly be my '10 fall wardrobe, I find myself wishing that I was 7 months pregnant again...but just for the clothes.

Why do We Bother Buying Toys?

I KNOW I'm not alone when I say that Aubrey would much rather play with household items than with her clean, bright, child safe, developmentally appropriate toys. However, I still get lured into buying a new toy in the store because I think to myself, "THIS WILL BE THE ONE! This will be the toy that Aubrey loves so much that she will actually prefer it over the dog's food bowl!" Usually she does love the toy. But the love affair lasts about 1 minute 30 seconds and then it's back to the dog bowls.

Here are Aubrey's favorite "toys":

1. Dog bowls
2. Electrical cords
3. Magazines (that she loves to tear into pieces)
4. Anything on a shelf that can be pulled off. This includes (but is not limited to) lamps, picture frames, photo albums, and cans of open soda.
5. Pillows...that she likes to bury her face and drool in.
6. The glass sliding door and everything dangerous that comes with it.
7. Spatulas
8. Electrical cords. Yes, I know I already said this one. But she goes after so many cords in any given day that I thought it warranted two spots on the list.
9. Strings, tags, ties, etc.
10. Shoes/flip flops. As in she likes to flip them over and lick the sole before I notice.
11. Remote controls. Her favorite thing to do is hold down the volume up button and let the tv get extraordinary loud.
12. Laundry that has already been folded. Meaning that she likes to "de-fold" the laundry for me. Aw, mommy's little "helper" :)
13. KEYS. She turns into a 2 year old and throws a temper tantrum when I take them away from her.
14. Sunglasses. She refuses to wear them, but she likes to rip mine off my face and threaten to poke her eyes out with them.
15. Playing cards. She hasn't mastered poker yet, but she has mastered bending/chewing on every card in the deck. Although, the cards are pretty sturdy and they keep her entertained for quite a while!
16. The dog's dirty, slimy toys. Poor dog--she actually waits when Aubrey picks up her bone, thinking that Aubrey is going to toss it to her!
17. Insert any other thing in the house she shouldn't be playing with here. If it's off limits, she wants it.

Quote Time!

When I was in college, I was the queen of quotes. Anyone who had me on their AIM buddy list can attest to that. My AIM profile and away message were filled with quotes regarding whatever drama was going on in my life during that particular hour.

Whenever I came across a quote I liked, I typed it up on a file that I appropriately named, "Quotes". I recently came across a hard copy of these quotes and it was pretty fun to revisit my college days through quotes from various people such as Cher, Shakespeare, Mark Twain, Woody Allen, Katherine Hepburn, even a quote from Gilmore Girls (loved that show back then!).

It got me thinking to look up some parenting quotes, just for fun. Here are some of my favorite parenting quotes that I came across. Some I can relate to, some I can understand how others can relate to, and some are just plain old funny :)

“It is not a bad thing that children should occasionally, and politely, put parents in their place.” -Sidonie Gabrielle Colette. Amen sister...especially when the "children" are adults!

“I've noticed that one thing about parents is that no matter what stage your child is in, the parents who have older children always tell you the next stage is worse.” -Dave Barry. I can TOTALLY relate to this one!

"All good qualities in a child are the result of environment, while all the bad ones are the result of poor heredity on the side of the other parent” -Elinor Smith. You mean this isn't a legitimate way of thinking...??

“Parents who are afraid to put their foot down usually have children who step on their toes” -Chinese Proverb. I will recite this mantra continuously during Aubrey's teenage years...

“Listening to parents' advice is sort of like watching commercials. You know what's coming, you've heard it all before, it's a big bore, but you listen anyway”

"The real menace in dealing with a five year old is that in no time at all you begin to sound like a five year old." Jean Kerr. I can relate to this from when I taught 1st graders. My vocabulary shifted from pretty good, to using words that had 4 letters or less.

"Parents are not interested in justice, they're interested in peace and quiet." Bill Cosby. And I can relate to this one from when I taught middle-schoolers. Many of times I would find myself saying, "I don't care what she said, this happens every day with you two! Sit down and do your work!"

Hope you enjoyed the quotes. I could've added so many more, but it's fastly approaching 10pm and I am exhausted!

Would it Really be so Bad if Aubrey Just Drank Formula for the Rest of Her Life?

Well, according to Giselle Bundchen, I've already poisoned my child for life by feeding her formula. But that's for another day.

Lately, I've been giving Aubrey more and more finger food. I started out just giving her the Gerber Graduates, but as of late I've been venturing into more dangerous exciting things like fruit, veggies, pasta noodles, etc.

THIS IS THE SCARIEST PART OF MOTHERHOOD YET!

Every time that girl puts something in her mouth, I can't help but intently stare at her in fear that she may choke. Perhaps this fear stems from when my mom insisted Aubrey could eat a Cheerio and she CHOKED on it. As in she wasn't making noise, mouth wide open, eyes popping out of her head, CHOKING. In my mom's defense, she did know to flip Aubrey over and hit her back to make the Cheerio fall out. Nonetheless, I have been traumatized by this! Nothing personal, Mom :)

Anyway, even with the foods that "dissolve" in the mouth or that I chop in pieces so small that Aubrey can't even pick them up, I still worry she will choke. It doesn't help that she often makes funny noises when tasting or swallowing them. Of course this sends me straight into my paranoia.

I'm trying not to project my fear of choking onto Aubrey, so I give her finger foods daily. The girl's got to learn how to eat! As much as it would be easier on me to have her drink from a bottle for the rest of her life, I don't think she'd make it very far if she whipped out a bottle of formula during a business meeting...

Buying Pregnancy Tests...Justified Phobia or Just Paranoid?

You would think the pregnancy test walk of shame would only happen to teenage girls or single 20somethings. But for some reason, buying a pregnancy test has always made me more self-conscious than a 12 year old at their first dance.

I have never felt comfortable buying a pregnancy test. Ever. Even as a married woman who was actively trying to have a baby, I felt so secretive carrying my pregnancy test up to the counter. I would usually pick up some other things on the way up the counter to conceal what I was really there to buy. So not only was I spending a fortune on a pregnancy test, I was also racking up the bill with a bunch of crap that I didn't need--like extra kitchen sponges and a bag of Reese’s. Then I would go crazy thinking to myself why I picked up random items like sponges and chocolate...was I nesting?! Was I having cravings?!

Perhaps the reason I always felt so awkward buying pregnancy tests, was because I had always associated pregnancy tests with people taking them in hopes of NOT being pregnant! I always felt like the other customers in the store or the check-out person were looking at me thinking, "Ohhh, she was careless and now she might be pregnant. Shame on her!" And this is the reason why I relate my pregnancy test phobia to a 12 year old at their first dance. It's one of those situations where you swear everyone is looking at you and making judgments, when in reality they weren't even looking at you in the first place!

Thankfully, my mom is a nurse and has informed to never waste money on a pregnancy test again because she has them at work. Hallelujah!

Disclaimer: The content of this post was solely written based on previous experiences occurring prior to April 2009. The author of this post is not currently purchasing pregnancy tests nor trying to have a baby.


"Don't you lie to me, I know I saw you slip a pregnancy test in that cart!"

Where are Your Manners?

A lot of people give kids today a bad rap for manners. Well, let me tell ya--I see bad manners in ADULTS more than children.

Example: Every time I need to get through a door with a stroller.
I can't tell you how many times I approach a door with my huge stroller and the person in front of me completely lets the door close on my face. I have noticed that more KIDS, as in teenagers and younger, hold the door for me than adults! Yes, more eight year olds and fifteen year olds have stopped to help me with the door than their parents. That is sad. Well, I’m glad the kids have manners, but it’s obvious that they most likely learned their manners from school rather than their parents who watch doors close on people’s faces.

I am a bit fired up about this because it happened today when I went to pick up a slice of pizza for lunch. I had to bring the stroller in because I couldn't carry the baby, my wallet/keys, my pizza box, AND my fountain soda (come on, you know I can't go to a pizza shop and not get a fountain soda!). Well, as I was leaving the pizza shop, a woman was coming in. I thought to myself, "Oh good, she will hold the door for me so I can get through without propping the door with my back and pulling the stroller though all awkwardly." I was wrong. She flung the door open and whipped right by me, allowing the door to close on my face. How rude!

Another example- The other day I was leaving Wegmans through the single door exit. I saw a man about to walk in the store. He opened the door. Now, I was waiting at the door with my cart and crying baby, and in order for me to let him walk through first, I would have had to back up about 10 feet in order to get out of the narrow hallway. Manners aside, it just made more sense for me to walk through first. Well once he opened the door, I assumed he was being a gentleman and letting me by. Well, well, well. Who do I think I am? A woman with a cart full of food and a screaming baby? This man ROLLED HIS EYES AT ME for walking out of the door first! Here I was thinking he was being a gentleman, and he was pissed off that I had the audacity to walk through the door with my cart before him (for the record, he had no cart). It was as if he was aggravated because now Wegmans would be out of bananas since he had to wait 5 extras seconds for me to walk through the doors. Seriously?

I sure hope that I raise a daughter that can take 5 seconds (literally) out of her day to hold a door for a lady with a baby. This world will be an awful place to live if we all stop being considerate of one another.