Off To Toronto

Traveling once again.  This time to Toronto for work. No, I've never been.

What an eventful trip. First, a foreign worker at the airport told off another worker in a language she couldn't understand. It was kind of funny. Then, flight delay and we missed out flight by about 10 minutes. Seriously they couldn't wait 10 minutes?

Then another flight delay and we were stuck waiting in the basement.

Finally on our flight but probably won't get in until the morning. Thank goodness for those late nights with baby...good training for work travel and functioning on a lack of sleep!

Taking a Break

I'm a slacker.  Well, only for my blog that is.  In all honestly, I work a pretty hectic work week and of course have a small babe to take care of.  It's tough, and sometimes I have to just admit that I can't do everything.  Unfortunately what gets cut out of my life is the fun stuff, like my blog.  Tear.

I took a new job at work which I love so far, but I'm working long hours each day and on the weekends now.  Basically once Jack goes to bed I go back to work.  And I work late.  Every night.  I can't complain because I chose this route, so I need to give it the time to get better.  With that note, I may have to take a break from posting everyday.

I hope to be on from time to time posting at least once a week some great ideas and thoughts.  I hope to also share Jack's progress (how he is growing so fast)!

Don't un-follow me please!  I love this blog and my followers so much.  I just need a bit of a break to get my head above water. 

So until I post again, farewell, xoxo.

Mama Scored a New Job!

I've been doing my current job for a little while, and I love it, but a new one in my company came along that I just had to have...and I got it!  I'm actually going to be working within the social media space, a big passion of mine.

With a new job comes new responsibility, including travel.  It's been a while since I've had to travel, and I'm actually really excited.  I think it will be manageable--a night here and there in different cities. 

With travel comes the need for a new overnight bag.  No way am I going to have time to check bags.  Preferably there is one out there with wheels too....  I found this one on Amazon, but basically found the same one at T.J. Maxx for half the price!

Carries a laptop, clothes, and hopefully my jogging shoes.  I plan on getting my jogs in on the road when I can.

Happy travels!

More Hands Free Help!

First there was the hands free pumping bra.  Then the baby katan.  Now the wireless headset.  And I'm in love.


So I tried using the bud headset that came with my smart phone for a while and it seemed to work okay for calls and when I wanted to listen to music; however, the wire on them kept getting tangled and twisted up.  Plus, Jack liked to play with it when he sat on my lap.  After a while, it just wasn't working for me. 

A few weeks ago, my client asked me to call him about a work question.  I happened to be home at the time with a sick Jack.  Although Jack was quietly playing on the floor, I knew I could be in a danger zone.  Just as my client starts asking me his question, Jack started crawling over, screaming and crying.  Of course I panicked, hit the mute button, and reached down to grab my baby.  When I pulled him up, my headset detached from my phone and I couldn't hear a thing.  It felt like forever before I got my phone back to my ear so that I could listen and answer the question.  I missed it all.  I took a random guess at what he was asking and somehow I got lucky and guessed right. 

I don't think the client ever knew what happened that day, but the thought still haunts me.  It was just too close of a call.

This week I just decided to finally invest in a Bluetooth Stereo Headset.  For the $30, it's well worth it.

So far I love it.  I'm hands free when I make calls and I have the ability to control volume from both my phone and headset.  I can also run and listen to music now without a pesky wire!  Everyone at work will be jealous when I'm on the treadmill.

Happy Friday everyone!  Cheers to wireless chatting this weekend!

Worry Less Now!

I don't know about you other moms out there, but I'm a worrier.  Always have been.  Always will be (to some degree, until I have enough time to take up yoga classes again).

I was reading an article the other day on Real Simple about worrying less and I thought some of the learnings may help you all too...

image via real simple

Worry About Money?
I think no matter how much money you make, it's important to keep this top of mind.  Keep a budget and write everything down.  Knowing where you money goes, helps you find places to cut back and save.  It can also give you peace of mind. 

Worry About The Safety of Your Kids?
I constantly worry about my little baby and his safety.  The article suggests finding a pediatrician you can trust to help ease the concerns by offering solutions.  I find this extremely true.  My pedi gives me great advice on baby safety, which helps ease my stress.  For instance, she told us after we had our baby to close the bathroom door at all times and get used to doing so.  When the baby starts crawling you don't want them going into the bathroom.  So true.  I'm really happy we got used to shutting the door several months ago now because Jack crawls everywhere.

Worry About Your Health?
Sometimes I stay awake at night thinking about my health.  I want to be around for my children forever.  Although forever may not be possible, I can at least do some things to make sure I'll be around for a long time.  One thing I thought was great advice was to get checked out.  For instance, I have fair skin so I made an appointment to get a cancer screening.  Yes, I was scared, but everything turned out fine and that is one less thing to worry about for now.

All in all, the main message is act, not react.  By acting, you are gaining knowledge.  Knowledge is power.  I for one would like all the power. 

To read more tips on worrying less (which all moms should try to do), here is the full article on Real Simple.

Stomach Flu Essentials

Wow, what a weekend.  Stomach flu, all the way!

It hit me like a ton of bricks on Friday night.  Luckily Jack was already in bed.  I won't go into details, but it was bad.  Really bad.

Then on Saturday, it hit my husband like a ton of bricks too.  Oh yuck.  Luckily though he was able to run out to the store to get some must needed essentials.

What are the must-have's to get you through the flu with a baby?  Let me tell you...

Vitamin water.  Take slow sips only ever 5 minutes until you are able to keep things down.  Hydration is key to getting well fast.

Bread for making toast when you finally start to feel 1/8 human again.  Make sure it's organic to get those extra vitamins in your system.

The sauce.  Applesauce that is.  That's right, your baby can eat it too.

And above all else, get rest.  Take a nap when you can and of course take turns with your spouse.  It's so hard, I know.  I really hope none of you have to go through what we went through last weekend!  Yuck-o-la.

Random Rant: The Why Game

Just warning you that I am a major sour pickle today.

Look, I try to be cheerful and happy most of the time. I don't let things get me down. But, when there are so many crappy things that keep piling on top of a person, that person must let off steam. So let's play the why game...

Why does your house always have to get so dirty to the point it is likely to disrupt a good fourth of your weekend?

Why does the baby get sick more than 50% of the time? Why do we pay so much for daycare if the baby always gets kick out? My baby "spit up" the other day and they kicked him out of school. Thank goodness I have an amazing mother in law to help us out so we can go to work. I wish I could cut her a check instead!

Why do I feel like I'm going in circles all the time?

Why do good people I know not get a break? How much more can I pray for them? I feel helpless at times.

Why don't we ever plan a vacation to enjoy our lives a bit more? Oh yes, because of having to pay for daycare and college now.

Why do people ignore me? I feel like people ignore me. Sometimes I just want to scream at the top of my lungs, "I have ideas, I have thoughts, I have goals, and dreams. Listen to me! I deserve more than this!"  And then I die a little inside when I realize no one cares, so why should I?

Thank goodness for this blog and for it being my outlet. I feel better. Time to change my attitude and get back in the game. And, at the very least it's Friday.

Mom Goes Out for Dinner

One of the nice perks of my gig is going out to dinner with sales reps.  Tonight I'm doing just that.  It's kind of nice that this is a "semi-requirement" of my job.  I love eating dinner with two hands, which is rare these days.  Other moms probably know what I'm talking about here.  You shovel your food in with one hand and use the other hand to shovel food into your kid's mouth! 

How nice it will be to have an adult conversation and a glass of good pinot noir.  Oh, and hopefully a nice medium steak too.

 

I think these outings are good for baby and his daddy to spend some quality time together.  It feels good when my baby wants me, but I also try to recognize that it's important for him to want his daddy too.  In fact, sometimes I think my little dude prefers his daddy at times because he is pretty cool.  I just love the smile he puts on Jack's face when he walks in the room.

It's all about work/life balance, right?

Baby's Laugh

Do you ever have a very busy day?  I know, funny joke, right?  Well that was my day today.  Throughout the day I longed to snuggle up with my little Jackson and even better, make him laugh.  His laugh makes my life so much sweeter.

Everyday something different makes Jackson laugh.  Some days tickles work the best.  Other days, peek-a-boo gets his belly chuckling.  What was tonight's secret?  Hand puppets.

I picked up some super cute hand puppets at Costco, but they also sell similar ones on Amazon.

 

My little dude has never really been into these puppets, but tonight was different.  He couldn't get enough of them.  I made little noises when I tickled him with them and he was even grabbing and hugging them.  It was too cute for words.

If I could offer a little advice to every mama out there...don't forget to celebrate your baby's laugh everyday.  I personally think the busiest days are the ones to celebrate baby's laughter the most.

Spring is Near! Stripes are the Ticket

I am one of those lucky people that got President's Day of work today.  Heck yes it was fabulous having a day off.  I'm also fortunate to have a daycare that was open...which could only mean one thing...mama went on a mini-spring shopping spree.  Seriously, this day off is just about the only time I have to go out for a couple of hours to grab a few must-haves for spring.  I decided to omit any mommy guilt my outing because I literally have no clothes since I was pregnant last spring!

I ran around town hitting up some of my fav stores.  One message was clear:  it's all about stripes this year.  They were everywhere.  I decided to go along with the latest trend by picking up some fun striped pieces.

For just under $100 I brought home...one striped sun dress, one skirt, one pair of flats, one striped cardigan, one round neck t-shirt, one long sleeve striped shirt, and one pair of cute jean shorts.  Can you say bargain shopper?


Here are a few affordable online finds I came across too...I really love the stripe on top of floral look.  I think this season it's even acceptable to do some stripe on stripe action.

image via Forever 21

Rolled Slub Knit Cardigan for $22.90

Here's a sweet striped sundress at Target for only $20.  Might as well pick it up when you are grabbing those Pampers, right?

So there you have it; I highly recommend all working moms take advantage of a day off once in a while to treat yourself to some well-deserved stripes!

An Abundance of Design Ideas in One Episode

Happy Friday!  Today I'm having a guest blogger stop by and talk about getting your house ready for sale.  I know this is something both myself and some family members are trying to do right now, and it's tough! Plus, I absolutely love the show "Designed to Sell."  It's one of my favorites when I work out at the gym.  Enjoy!


Thanks for the post from Wilbert Aguilar

Thanks to the television show "Designed to Sell", I can get an abundance of redecorating ideas for my home. The design team of this show seem to have the most marvelous ideas for getting the most use out of every space in the house. They offer a wealth of organizational ideas. Watching this show on satellite TV from http://www.DirectStartTV.com has helped me utilize the space in my own home. I've learned some excellent furniture arrangement that will make a room look larger and be more functional. I have also learned numerous organization techniques from the design team of this program.

Seeing the misuse of space in a home that someone is trying to sell is almost comical at times. Watching the transformation of both an interior and exterior area of a home is amazing. The end result is always a home that is much more inviting and enticing to prospective buyers. Watching this show makes me realize how easy it is to become accustomed to the flaws in a home and never really address the need to repair or improve certain issues. One additional advantage of the design ideas presented in the program is that the team works within a small budget. The transformation that occurs can be accomplished by almost anyone striving to improve the appearance of their home.

Crazy Thursday. Spa Relief

It's been a wild day full of work.  Let's just say this week has been so busy I haven't had time to hit the gym nor watch my favorite dramas.  I literally only have a minute or so to write this post, so here it goes. 

For all of you working moms out there here is a virtual gift I would like to give to you....





It's a spa therapy stress relief kit.  Wouldn't that be a nice gift for Valentine's Day?  Plus it's all natural and you can't beat that.  Honestly though, I would probably rather hitting up my favorite spa.  Yep, that's a dream that's not going to happen any time soon.

As for my giveaways, essentially everyone that entered has won something!  Hopefully I will be able to catch my breath and post the winners tomorrow!

Nighty, night.

Sneak Peak! Katherine Heigl Interview

I have some very exciting news...in effort to promote the upcoming DVD release of Life As We Know It, Katherine Heigl sat down with about 15 mommy bloggers (via conference call) to talk about motherhood, work/life balance, and her movie.  I got to be one of the lucky 15!  Holy cow!  How unbelievable is that?

Each blogger was able to submit questions for the interviewer to ask Katherine.  It was so wild when they asked her my question.

Katherine had a lot of interesting things to say about motherhood.  I found her comments about work/life balance particularly interesting because she had the same thoughts and feelings as so many of us working moms.  Basically she said it's hard when your child just wants you, or needs you because she is sick, and you can't be with them.  You have to let someone else take care of your baby because you have to work.

I know a lot of us struggle with this situation everyday.  I'm struggling with it right now as Jackson has had a fever all week that just won't go away.  It's so hard.  I just want to be there for him and snuggle him tight. 

Katherine said unfortunately, she can't take off when her baby is sick.  She has to go in and people are counting on her.  However sometimes she will steal an extra 10 minutes to hold her baby tight...which I'm sure several of us have done even when we know we will be late. 

Okay so all of that had nothing to do with the question I asked Katherine.  I had a much more light hearted one.  And what was it you ask?  Well, I have to leave a little something to be desired for when I host a giveaway promoting Katherine's movie next week! 

 I'll also be posting the entire interview for everyone to hear.  I can't wait to share all the fun with my fabulous readers...

Happy Friday!

Sick Baby? Try Baby Love

There I was.  Sitting at my desk about to dial in for a conference with my client when I received the dreaded phone call.  Jackson is sick.  He has a temperature. Can you come get him immediately?  Poor baby.  I hate it when this happens.

So I go get my little man and he is burning up.  I immediately pull out all of my super mommy tricks...binky, bottle, snuggly outfit, quilt, super smooth rocking chair, mama love, and finally baby love.  What the heck-o-la is baby love?

Of course it's a crazy week at work and I had to get some things done.  Knowing Jackson loves to touch and feel my computer when it is out, that wasn't really going to work.  What else could he touch and feel to keep him entertained?  The Baby Love Book of course!

Baby Love is this rag book that Jackson absolutely loves (and so do I).  It has the cutest little animals in it telling their babies how they love them.  How cute is that?!?!  For instance, the mama dog says to the baby dog "I ruff you."  Wow, that is poetic, right? 

This book also has an amazing touchy-feely aspect including soft and super-soft fabrics for baby to test out.  Later on down the road, this also makes a great piece of wall art as the book expands to become a horizontal wall hanging.

So if you are looking for a really chill book to keep your little one entertained and relaxed, this is a great pick.  I guess you could say I'm pro baby love.

Semi-Wordless Friday: Snow Day!

Yesterday Jack and I shared a snow day...something I had forgotten all about since I was a young gal in school.

We spent the day snuggling, giggling, and taking some pictures (when I wasn't trying to work that is)!

I bet you can't guess the theme of all of these pictures....

Before taking each one of these pictures, he was crying.  I guess the camera brings out the smile in him. 

Happy Friday.  Happy weekend.

Getting Balance Back: Yoga Practice

Another goal:  Get my balance back.

I know right, what do I even mean?  Well I would like to restore balance in the literal sense and balance in the mind, body, spirit sense.  Two ways, two actual goals I suppose.

Something that has always helped me establish balance in both senses is yoga.  Before and after I got pregnant, I routining practiced yoga each week.  It not only helped me maintain my physical balance throughout my pregnancy (which is no small task), but it also helped me keep life in perspective.  For instance, whenever the balance between work and personal life felt way out of wack (and it does so often, let's face it), yoga helped me re-balance it all.  

Some words of advice if you are interested in yoga or want to get back into it...

First, find a studio where the people there truly care about you and offer you a safe haven.  I go to a studio in downtown Kansas City called Boulevard Yoga.  I have gotten to know the owners over the last couple of years and I love how personal and warm they are every time I visit (even if I don't see them for long stretches at a time).  I'm so lucky to have found such an amazing studio for my practice. 

Second, try to do your own practice for 5-10 minutes a day.  I know, us moms don't have any time, but just 5 minutes a day can be a really beneficial practice.  I am going to spend 5-10 minutes every morning after my baby's first bottle.    He loves to crawl around on the floor now, so I'm going to let him while I do a few sun salutations.

A great resource for coming up with your own home practice is yoga journal. You can browse different poses, select them, and print them off.  How fun.  I'm starting mine right now...

Namaste.


image via yoga journal

Keep Baby Busy with Photos

Let's face it, when you are a mom and have a job, it is a requirement to wear clothes to work.  Lately my little guy just wants to be held which makes it difficult to get dressed in the morning.  If I put him down the tears start to flow.  It is hard enough taking him to daycare each day, I simply can't bare these sad tears!

One thing that seems to help is his new photo album.

My mom got Jackson his own little baby sassy photo album for Christmas.  I put pictures of him in it smiling, laughing, and spending time with family members.  Now whenever he is a little teary-eyed I place this little happy book into his lap.  

The bendy plastic is great for chewing on and he loves looking at the pictures of himself.  Who wouldn't though?  He is just too cute!

Back to It

What is the worst thing about winter break?  The Monday when you have to go back to work.

It's back to the everyday grind.  What are a few things I'll miss about being on break?

Sleeping in and snuggling with my little man
Playing on the floor with Jackson
Shopping during the day
Having a clean house
Watching Days of Our Lives at noon

One thing I definitely didn't miss?

Frozen meals for lunch.

Happy Monday.  Let's all just remember, we must move forward in order to have another break!

Day Off, Hardly

We are thinking about of selling our house this spring and I can't even begin to tell you how much work we need to do to get it ready.  Add all the housework on top of it and you have a big old bowl of overwhelming ice cream.  Not my favorite flavor.

I had the day off so I decided to let Jack play with his friends at school while I worked on the house.

What did I do from 9 to 5?  Let me give you recap of my day.

Touched up paint on the kitchen cabinets, living room ceiling, dining room ceiling, bathroom wall, hallway, mopped the wood floors, organized the baby clothes, put away all the toys, organized my clothes, swept my bedroom floor, made the bed, dusted the entire house, scrubbed the bathroom floor, scrubbed the shower, cleaned the toilet and sink, took out all the trash, bought a new plantation shutter for the front window, washed the outdoor funiture cushions, took the dog on a run, painted the back porch.

Here are some shots of my new and improved back porch....

 

The previous picture of the porch was so hideous I can't bare to share it, but here is a peak at the awful color....  Note my favorite color is yellow, but I don't recommend it for a wall color.

 

 It's incredible how much I got done today.  Another great thing about being a working mom...if you have a vacation day, you can take a day for yourself and get stuff done while the baby plays at daycare.   Next time though I might hit the spa instead.

Get to Sleep with Tea

Sometimes our minds can wonder on and on.  Do you ever have trouble sleeping, or wake up with some anxiety in the middle of the night?  For whatever reason (I won't bore you with details), this seems to be happening to me a lot lately.

Well I think I found a solution.

 Instead of enjoying that glass of wine at dinner, try a cup of hot chamomile tea instead.

It is supposed to help you sleep (naturally) at night.  And I think it works.  I tried it the other night and slept like a baby.  I'm trying it again tonight.  

If you don't like it by itself, there are so many varieties that include yummy accent flavors such as honey and vanilla.

Try it tonight and get some sleep.  Just remember to make sure it's decaf.  Cheers.