{Take Time for Mama} Mom’s Night Out

Posted by Erin on May 16, 2012 in Erin | 0 comments

Mom’s night out is a bit of an average ”TTFM”, but I’ve done this with a varying group of up to about 20 other mothers since my oldest was born about 7 years ago. In the early days we would set a schedule to meet every other sunday at 6 pm, each time at a different location. This worked quite well when we could put the baby to bed, leave a bottle, point out the stack of clean diapers and rush out the door. Since most of the women in this group have acquired more children, full time employment, and endless volunteer commitments, the frequency of the meetings and size of the group have dwindled.

It’s a bit harder to arrange now, but still a tradition I enjoy, especially now that we’ve learned to not talk about the kids and to give into the urge for “just one more beer!” Even though the opportunity arrises only once every-other-month or so, it’s still great “girl time”; a chance for me to forget all my other roles and just let loose for a couple of hours.

The other thing I have really enjoyed is making full use of the childcare services at our health club. My husband and I often go to a fitness class together while the kids stare at a TV upstairs in the “kids club”. I know this isn’t necessarily only for me, but as the driving force behind the outings, I really like that my husband will join me for some of the things I like to do, and it’s scheduled time I look forward to each week. It may not be the most beneficial thing for my kids, but it’s not detrimental, so the benefits far outweigh the risks.

Oh, and since I went back to work full time this month… I hired someone to clean my house.  YES!

Welcome Charlie!

Posted by Anne on May 15, 2012 in Anne | 0 comments

Welcome to the world, little Charles Benjamin! Even though I’m the last in our group of girlfriends to have one of my own, I’ve still managed to be completely overwhelmed with not just the delivery process but the actual “parenting” bit And as I’ve learned, everything I had “planned” for this baby did not necessarily happen according to MY plans…. rather, they happened according to HIS plans.

I had planned to be in & out of the hospital, spending as much time of my pre-labor at home and as little time actually delivering as possible. Instead, he was VERY late to the world (42 wks, 5 days!). I was induced during the busiest week ever in London hospital baby wards. The week I was in the hospital there was an amber alert at all London hospitals – in the UK that means that there are too many women giving birth and not enough beds to accommodate. And after trying everything else first, our little bundle FINALLY arrived at the end of it all by emergency c-section 6 days later (weighing in at 10 lbs, 6 oz – he was probably a little over-cooked).

But for all my initial apprehensions about public healthcare, my experience with the NHS for my pregnancy and Charlie’s birth was actually a very positive one. Though I felt some of the effects of under-staffing that week, I met some unbelievably hard working and capable midwives and doctors. We were so lucky that our awesome community midwife Meghan, who had seen me through the pregnancy, was coincidentally on-duty that morning and able to be in the room when they did my c-section! It was a beautiful, amazing experience.

{Take Time for Mama} Guilty Pleasures

Posted by Sarah on May 11, 2012 in Sarah | 0 comments

I have one child in second grade all day and one in preschool three days a week so my alone time is limited to that, and with school ending in just a few weeks, I have mixed emotions about summer vacation and my extreme lack of “me time” in the near future. For now, some of my time alone is spent doing dishes, laundry, and taking a nice long hot shower without anyone banging on the door. But I try to make some time for myself doing something that I want.

After dropping the kids off at school I should drive straight home and throw in some laundry, organize my kitchen cabinets, mop the floors… fun stay-at-home mom stuff, but sometimes I just can’t. I sometimes (and probably should more often) take time for me. I love to go through the Starbucks drive through and get something mocha flavored (not even nonfat – I know, pretty hard core). Then I go home and indulge my guilty pleasure, aka catch up on tv shows. I DVR some or go to On Demand to watch them. I need my fix of Grey’s Anatomy and 90210. Something about Dr. Jackson Avery and good ol’ 90210 drama puts me in a happy place. I live vicariously through tv dramas.  I also LOVE reality shows like Mob Wives, Celebrity Apprentice, Big Brother, and Teen Mom. I mean, it’s shows like these that make me feel a little better about my own life.

I guess I refer to them as guilty pleasures because I feel a little guilty spending my “free time” watching tv. I can’t watch my shows around my kids and my husband isn’t really into any of them. But it’s important to take some time for myself, and my time should be about me and what I want to do. Time spent outside my own reality rejuvenates me and satisfies me, something I really shouldn’t feel guilty about– just don’t tell my husband! I swear I’ll get the housework done… me and Dr. McSteamy.

What do you do for yourself when you have some free time, guilty or not?

Sarah

{GRFB} The Big 3-0! (and some random Yard Sale advice)

Posted by Heather on May 10, 2012 in Heather, Pregnancy | 0 comments

How awesome would it be if I was actually talking about my age and not baby’s gestation? Sadly, I can’t even see 30 in my rearview mirror anymore. In just a few short months I’ll actually be halfway to 40. Holy. Crap. Anyway, I digress…

30 weeks pregnant– this is crazy! It seems like just yesterday I was 10 weeks and creeping along. Then, almost overnight, I’m in “the 30s” and getting those oh-my-god-this-baby-is-coming-soon-and-I’m-not-even-close-to-being-ready feelings. Thankfully we have all the major newborn necessities taken care of (thanks to big brother B!), but I still have a running list of “baby to-dos” that has been growing by the day. I have not felt pressured at all to start marking them off… until now. It’s officially go time.

First item on the list– Make room for baby. Sounds easy enough, right? Unless you don’t have the space.

If I haven’t written about this before, we are literally renting a shoebox of a house. It’s a 3 bedroom, 1 bath home, with the 3rd “bedroom” being a converted one-car garage. I use the word “bedroom” very lightly, because while it has drywall and carpet, it’s not very suitable for living in. For the last 2 years it’s been an office/storage unit/dumping ground that we barely go into. When people come over, we close the door and skip it on “the tour”. But with a new addition on the way, we’re forced to take matters into our own hands and upgrade its status, because we need to make room for baby!

Without getting into a ton of details, here’s a breakdown of how we’re doing it– Fix up 3rd “bedroom” to make it functional and comfortable; this space will become a new bedroom for Brady. Get rid of all office furniture/decor and find a new storage solution. Keep B’s really nice furniture in his current room (convert his toddler bed back into a crib) and this becomes the baby’s nursery. Buy Brady new furniture that will get us through the next 2 years (read: IKEA). Have a yard sale and sell everything that isn’t absolutely needed. And I mean everything.

{Here’s when I transition into Yard Sale tips… very smooth…}

At first, I was really excited about having my very first yard sale. Sorting, cleaning, organizing, using fun different colored stickers… right up my alley. Then I started prepping for it and it became a nightmare. How can I part with all this stuff? How do I price everything? Is anyone really going to buy my stuff? What if I end up giving it away for next to nothing? What do I do with everything that doesn’t sell?

To ground myself, I actually did a search online for “how to have a yard sale” and found a ton of links. Some tips made a ton of sense (“decide immediately if you’re having the yard sale to get rid of clutter or to make money “) and some were not practical at all (“provide music, food and drink to attract customers”). I mean, c’mon. Seriously? Am I having a yard sale or hosting a mixer?!

Being a yard sale pro now, and with Summertime just around the corner, I thought I would share some pearls of wisdom from my personal experience last weekend:

1. As I shared above– before you do anything, decide if you’re having the yard sale strictly to get rid of all your clutter or if you’re looking to make money. This will put you in the right frame of mind when you’re pricing your items.

2. Expect to get about about $.50 less on smaller items and $5.00 less on larger items than what you have priced. Yard sale shoppers love to get a deal and will haggle like crazy. So if you want $3.00 for your candlestick set, price it at $3.50 and be willing to negotiate down to your bottom line.

3. Decide on what that “bottom line” is ahead of time (this will depend on your decision in #1). If you really just want to get rid of your stuff, then take any reasonable offer because once a customer walks away, another one may not take their place. If you have nicer items and your goal is to make some good money back on your investments, stick to your guns. But have a back up plan of what to do to sell the items in case you don’t get a buyer at the sale (ie., Craigslist).

4. Clean your stuff. Believe me, it makes a difference.

5. Organize your items by space/use (kitchen stuff, electronics, decor, baby stuff, etc.) and place them up on tables, if possible. I only had one folding table and that stuff sold like hot cakes. I had to put a lot of other smaller items on a blanket on the ground and no one wanted to bend over/squat to look at them, so they walked right past.

6. Place items with good curb appeal close to the uh, curb. That way people doing “yard sale drive bys” get intrigued and park.

7. But also place hot items like kids’ toys near the garage, so people have to walk all the way through your sale to get the goods.

8. Check your city’s community website to see if they are hosting any city-wide sales and plan to host yours on this day, if possible, to take advantage of free advertising and traffic from neighbors’ sales.

9. Post details of your sale on Craigslist a few days in advance with a list of desirable items for sale that will draw a crowd. I did this and actually sold a couple of things in ADVANCE of the sale. Driving up demand also helped me get higher prices!!

10. Never underestimate the power of old school marketing– On the first day, we went almost 2 hours with very little traffic (after the first morning rush). We made some quick “Yard Sale This Way (arrow)” signs and posted them on nearby busy streets. Within minutes, we were flooded!

We didn’t sell everything we needed to, but we got the room cleared out and we’re finished with the repairs… so I’d call that success. We’re already two steps closer. Next week, we’re getting B’s new furniture and then it’s time for the big move. We’ll finally have a room for baby, with (hopefully) 7 weeks to spare!

What are you doing to get ready for baby? Do you have any additional Yard Sale advice to share? We’re all ears!

{Take Time for Mama} Curling Up With A Good Book

Posted by Megan on May 7, 2012 in Megan | 6 comments

One of the things people tell you when you become a mother is to kiss your alone time goodbye. If that is not the most correct statement, I don’t know what is! It even seems like in the moments when you want some quiet or alone time is when your kids are pulling on your apron strings most. You know, the moment when you take an important phone call, need a shower like it’s nobody’s business, or when you are trying to make a meal for ten.

My youngest likes to hang on me, lay on me… just be ON me whenever possible. My mind and my body just need to be left alone sometimes and my favorite thing to do to meet this need is to curl up with a great book. Reading is something I can’t get to unless it’s late at night and most of the time I am dozing off at this time and have to re-read half the paragraphs I’m trying to concentrate on. If on a weekend my husband takes the kids out to spend quality time with them while I get to read for a few hours, he’ll get paid back dearly. Sounds like everyone wins in this scenario!

When you “Take Time for Mama” do you like to curl up with a good book? Are you still a paperback kind-of girl or do you only read electronically now? And are you totally sucked into Hunger Games and/or the Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon? I’m always looking for suggestions, so tell me what’s on your nightstand!

{Cinco de Mayo} Lighter Chicken Enchiladas

Posted by Heather on May 4, 2012 in Heather, Recipes | 0 comments

I have been making this chicken enchillada recipe for years and it’s absolutely delicious! I ripped it out of a magazine so long ago (seriously, it had to be at least 5 years), that I’m afraid I have no idea where it came from. I tried “Cooking Light” online, but it’s not there. So unfortunately, I cannot give credit where credit is due. I can, however, NOT take any credit for creating this recipe, but I do whip it up pretty good  I like to serve it with this Cilantro Lime Rice from Two Peas & Their Pod. But new Mama Anne “love, love, loves” this recipe for Mexican Rice and suggests you give it a try too!

I wish I had a photo of this tasty dish because for a “light” recipe, it does not lack at all on looks or taste appeal, I promise! Instead, I’ll share a photo of a few of us Mamas in Mexico at Anne’s wedding back in Dec. 2010 (which also does not lack at all on looks…. ha ha ha!)

Lighter Chicken Enchiladas

 Ingredients

• Coarse salt & ground pepper
• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 oz. each)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 to 2 tablespoons minced canned chipotles in adobo
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup water
• 8 corn tortillas (6-inch)
• 1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese (2 oz.)

Directions

1. Cook chicken breasts thoroughly, however you prefer. This recipe suggests cooking/steaming them in 1 inch of water on the stove (5 minutes of simmering in water, 12-14 minutes of steaming off the heat). I prefer just to bake them in the oven for 12-15 minutes (depending on thickness of breasts)… less hassle.
2. Shred chicken with two forks. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (or adjust if you have just baked your chicken).
4. While chicken is cooking, make sauce. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook about 1 minute. Add flour, cumin, and chipotles in adobo and whisk for another minute. Add in broth and water; bring to a boil.
5. Reduce to a simmer and cook, whisking occasionally, until sauce has thickened slightly (approx. 5-8 minutes). Season with salt and pepper.
6. Transfer 1 cup of the sauce to the bowl with the chicken; combine.
7. Warm tortillas in microwave (about 1 min.), wrapped in damp paper towels.
8. Pour 1/4 cup of sauce into the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish.
9. Fill each tortilla with the chicken mixture*; roll up tightly and arrange seam side down in baking dish. Tortillas should all pack in nicely side-by-side.
10. Cover tortilla rolls with remaining sauce and top with MJ cheese.
11. Bake until hot and bubbling– 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

* I like to add a little bit of cheese on top of the chicken mixture ‘cuz I love cheese! You can choose to stick with Monterey Jack or add some finely shredded cheddar. This makes it less “light”, but I’m okay with that. I’ve had it without the additional cheese and it’s still very good.

Note:  The chipotles in adobo sauce are spicy! If you want to reduce the heat, scrape out the ribs and seeds before cooking. I do this when I’m making this for a “family” dish, since B can only stand so much spice.

Enjoy!

{Cinco de Mayo} Taco Salad

Posted by Kristin on May 4, 2012 in Kid Friendly Foods, Kristin, Recipes | 0 comments

My favorite food is Mexican, but for the past seven years we have had a hard time finding a really good Mexican restaurant. So, I came up with this taco salad recipe that has become one of our weekly dinner staples. It’s super easy to make and even the kiddos will eat it!

Taco Salad

Ingredients

1 lb. package of ground beef (or you could substitute ground turkey)

1 packet of taco seasoning

1 package of butter lettuce

Shredded taco cheese of your liking

1 can of whole kernal corn

1 can of black beans (make sure to rinse them)

1 avocado sliced

Cherry tomatoes (as many as you would like to add)

Tortilla chips crumbled for top

1 lime

Dressing:

1 package of Good Seasons Italian Dressing (follow directions on back to add olive oil, red wine vinegar and water)

Directions

Cook ground beef with the taco seasoning until fully cooked. Combine lettuce, cheese, corn, black beans, tomatoes, tortillas, avocado and ground beef. Pour dressing over salad, squirt one fresh lime over and toss. That is it! Muy delicioso!!

What is your favorite go-to weeknight Mexican meal?