STOP THE JUDGING

Oh, parents, parents, parents, please be nicer to yourselves and each other! (Heck, everyone for that matter, seriously!)
Throughout my pregnancy and during the first few months of having my daughter,I had different people in my life drop this comment on numerous occasions:

"It must be nice..."

At first I didn't think much of it - one of the people making the comment was pregnant at the same time as me and due within a month of me - hormones were running high, along with stress and a myriad of other things. Also, not all the people I talked to knew about the different decisions my husband and I had talked about and made when we decided to start adding to our family.What started to bother me about the phrase was the animosity I could hear and the unpleasant look I received with each repetition of those words. Like I had somehow done something on purpose just because I knew that person couldn't.

I kept my mouth shut and rarely verbally responded to each repetition, but my brain sure had a lot to say...

I'm sorry I am able to take uninterrupted three hour naps during my first trimester?

I'm sorry I am able to sleep in and more or less choose my work hours and you have to get up at 5:00am to get your kiddo(s) to daycare so you can get to work on time?

I'm sorry my husband and I decided to make less money and have me stay home to raise our baby?

I'm sorry I have more "free time" than you do?

I'm sorry your pregnancy is turning out to be more uncomfortable than mine?

I'm sorry my parents and I co-own a home and I have extra sets of hands to hold the baby so I can take a shower?

I'm sorry my kiddo sleeps through the night pretty consistently and yours doesn't?

I'm sorry our lives are different?

We all make decisions that shape our lives. We all have to live with the 'consequences' of said decisions. We should not 'punish' or put down what other people have decided to do as adults, parents, spouses/significant others, friends. We are all trying to make our way through this crazy world in the best way we see fit. My way may never be the same as your way, but that doesn't mean it is any better or worse.

Nowadays I hear that dreaded phrase less often. Thank goodness. I know I'll never be rid of the phrase, but at least it happens less often.

So before you want to throw out the "It must be nice" as a response, take a moment or two to think about it. If you are just saying it because you aren't happy with a part of your life - do your best to change it; don't judge someone else based on your standards. There's enough judging going on in this world - add joy, not more judgement. :)

Spackle Season is Here!

Spackle Season - No, I'm not talking about any kind of DIY home renovation, I'm talking about my skin.

Now that you're most likely confused, allow me to explain. 

I have really dry skin. I mean REALLY dry skin. If my skin weren't so pale, I would probably be ashy. I'm not trying to be offensive, that is just how dry my skin gets. Face, arms, elbows, legs, feet - you name it!

This usually isn't too much of a problem in the summer. Come to think of it, the SPF I practically bathe in to keep from turning into a lobster probably helps more than I realize, but come winter time, drastic measures have to be taken.

There are several 'remedies' in my arsenal:

Gold Bond Ultimate Restoring with CoQ10

Vitamin E Oil (found in the vitamin and supplement aisle)

Arbonne FC5 Ultra-Hydrating Hand Creme

These are my ultimate favorites, but I have also used other products. 

I have shocked many people when I apply the Gold Bond or Vitamin E Oil not only to my arms, shoulders, legs, etc, but also directly to my face. (Yes, my face really does get that dry. No, I don't break out from it.) There are weeks where I feel like I bathe in it. The Vitamin E oil is particularly effective on my face . If I apply is before bed, my skin looks and feels AMAZING in the morning!

Between the above remedies, drinking as much water as I can, having a moisturizing and gentle shower gel, and having a humidifier, this is how my skin survives the winter weather.

In case you haven't figured out why this blog entry has this particular title: Spackle is white and fills in drywall cracks and seams and lotion is white (usually) and keeps my face from cracking and falling off, thus making me official nickname for winter "Spackle Season". :-)

How do you get your skin through winter?

Mommy Confessional #1

I totally handed my baby girl to my husband under the pretense that I had to go to the bathroom, grabbed my kindle, and read in there for fifteen to twenty minutes...with chocolate in hand.

(I didn't really have to go to the bathroom.)

Balancing Act

Being a stay/work-at-home mom is not as easy or glamorous as many would like all of us to believe. Today, for me, is a prime example.

Miss E decided that 5:30am was a wonderful time to wake up today, and that spitting up all over herself, as well as my bed spread, after eating (and before I had three seconds to burp her) was also a great time. So, before 6:00am I had already done a complete outfit change on E and had a load in the washer and decided to eat breakfast since I was up and wandering around my house already.

And was E tired after all this activity? Of course not. So the day began. I think sometime around 8:30am she finally crashed for a nap, and then baby food making began! :)

Yes. I'm making my own baby food as much as possible because I am on a tight budget and it is SO MUCH CHEAPER than having to buy it. I'll explain it more in a follow-up blog. :)

Peeling, cutting, cooking, and pureeing sweet potatoes, green beans, pears, and butternut squash took some time, but there was some downtime - which I filled with feeding E, who had woken up during the food prep process, and grew a few inches and out of most of her clothes during her nap. OK, so she didn't grow that fast, but it has happened in the last week or so.

Down to the baby dresser!

Time to move out all the 3 and 3-6 month onesies and bring out the 6 and 6-9 month clothes. (FYI, E is four and a half months old - yay for tall genetics!) And of course, are any of them washed? Maybe five things. One of which went directly on her and a mini photoshoot kind of happened. I'm a photographer...mini photoshoots spontaneously happen. How could you resist the smiling face of your own adorable babe?!

So the baby's laundry I washed yesterday is now moot and has to be packed up instead of put in a dresser, and there is now a follow-up load of laundry to the comforter. Time to puree more food and switch out what is in the freezer and get that laundry going again!

There was another nap for Miss E in there somewhere - I think in between lunch and the new load of laundry.

A (post nap) feeding and I had to pick up one of the daycare kiddos from preschool for my mom (runs a daycare in our home) - yay G! He's a pretty awesome kiddo!

Post pre-school run brought on the folding of the first dryer load! I love looking at all the 'new' clothes she gets to wear now!

Dinner happened! So glad tonight was not my night to cook... E got some baby oatmeal and fresh squash and a taste or two of applesauce. After which I sat down on the couch and was trying to figure out why I was so tired...oh yeah, I' had been running aroung for twelve hours. Woot!

My hubby and I caught up on some DVR stuff and finished folding up clothes. We are the epitome of romantic. ;)

He crashed around 9:00 and E followed suit at around 9:30. After tucking her into her crib, I took the liberty and luxury of a SHOWER! :)

Then it was time to get to work...at 10:00pm. I had six photo orders, laying on my desk, mocking me, waiting to be packaged for shipping. Honestly. the photos were begging and pleading to get away from the baby drool and spit that was moving closer and closer to my desk. ;) Not to say anything about the pictures waiting not so patiently on my computer to be edited. The editing was going to wait, but the mail was going to be ready for the morning.

Two Facebook distractions, six orders, and one blog post later it is now 11:25pm.

I'm not complaining at all when I say this, but it has been a long day and I think Mommas (and Daddas) everywhere need to get those precious hours of sleep in - that 5:30am (or 4:00am...or 1:23am) wake-up call comes way faster than any of us would like.

For all those parents staying at home and raising those babies and working - GO YOU! and For all those parents working outside the home and raising babies - GO YOU, TOO! We can do this! :) Sleep and stay caffeinated, my friends!

I bought boy clothes for my little girl.

I did it and I would, have, and will do it again!

I have no personal vendetta against the color pink, but seriously, little girls should have clothing options outside pastels and pink and outfits dripping with lace and bows.

If you are a pink loving momma, awesome - seriously, I'm happy for you! - I'm glad the clothing market is catering to your needs. Now before some of you rage at me about the fact that there are non-pink/pastel girls clothing, I know! I have seen them and purchased them with glee and delight. My point is that, especially in the teeny tiny sizes, there are not a lot of non pastel/pink/lace/princess options. Thus my trip to the other side of the aisle.

I confused many a family member with my baby registry when I was pregnant. I had found out and informed the masses that I was having a girl, and then they saw BOY CLOTHES on the list of things I'd like to have. 

Aunt: Did you know there are boy clothes on your registry?
Me: Yes.
Aunt: ...but you're having a girl, right?
Me: Yes...?
Aunt: Did you do that by accident?
Me: Nope. I thought the outfit was super adorable, so I registered for it.
Aunt: Oh, okay. I was confused.

First, what does it matter that I registered for boy clothes? There is no law, THANK GOD, that states girls have to wear ONLY girls clothes. Second, thank you for having the decency to ask me to my face. Seriously. I'm sure she asked other people first, but at least I was directly asked. But still...who cares which side of the aisle the clothes comes from?

I have seen this issue/complaint pop up several times on social media, and I'm glad it is being addressed. Clothing companies are listening to their customers and are finally addressing the fact that maybe not everyone wants shirts doused in glitter or lace or pastels. Girls like saturated colors, sports, science, super heroes, construction (etc.), too!

So, if you want to buy that "little boy" outfit for your little girl, GO FOR IT! I applaud that social conventions and gender stereotypes don't restrain you. (I also applaud that parents that wanted to buy the "Doc McStuffins" costume for their son because he wanted to be a doctor for Halloween - go you!!!)

I would like to think that my daughter will be well rounded in not only what she learns and is introduced to, but that her wardrobe will also be well-rounded with dresses, jeans, princess/pirate/ninja/butterfly/dragon dress up clothes, and shirts from both side of the aisle.

I also feel this way about toys, but I'll save that for another day.

Keep on being the best parent(s) for your kiddos! :-)

Welcome!

Welcome to our crazy little corner of the world!

We are Monika and Elisabeth - some of the funniest, caring, creative, goofy, kid-loving people you will meet.

After reading, laughing with, commiserating with, and being inspired by other blogs like Baby Sideburns and When at Home, we decided we wanted to take a leap and join the blogging momma world - with our own little twist of course. In addition to the day-to-day mom life, we also like getting crafty with art projects and food. Oh, how we LOVE our food. No, we are not "Martha Stewart" or and of the food or cooking channels, but we can do some stuff.
(Randomly, there is talk going on for a cooking show type vlog ('video blog' for the less than tech vocab savvy). Stay tuned to see when that launches.

This whole thing is going to be crazy - in probably every sense of the word.

Our husbands think this is a great idea. We shall see how long that sentiment lasts. ;-)

Welcome to our journey of raising our kiddos, keeping up with life, and having some fun in the process.