Ewww!

How come you can wash your hands 15 times and yet you swear they still smell like poop? Really, you couldn't wait until after I was done changing you to poop...?

Mommy Pet Peeves

How come when my baby boy is wearing a blue onsie that says "Ladies Man" people still say he's a pretty girl?

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I don't care who you are, or how many grandchildren you have that live in New York, don't put your hands in my child's mouth.

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Why is it that the baggers at Publix only offer to help you out to your car when your husband is with you?
Really, because two days ago when I was all alone except for the 20 pound child strapped to my chest , I really felt like challenging myself.

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Why is it that people who haven't had small children in over 30 years, if ever, find it necessary to give you TONS of unwanted advice? Yeah, I think I should give him peas at 3 weeks old. NO!

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Don't say being a stay-at-home mom is "easy" or "just like vacation". And never, ever ask me "what have you been doing all day"? I may have to kill you for that one!

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Please, don't let your dog near my child. In fact, why don't you both stay away!

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Yes I am nursing. You can't see anything, so get over it! On that note, please don't tell me how much easier life would be if I used formula. You don't think I know that. If you would like to have a breast feeding versus formula debate, bring it on!!

*****

And last, but certainly not least, if a woman is walking around with a newborn or young infant, don't ask her when she's due. It's baby weight you dumbass!

I Hate Mondays, But I love...

my Protect-a-Bub Classic Sunshade!

When we were in Disney World last week my main concern was my soon to be 6 month old son, E. I was concerned about the heat and his sun exposure. So the week before we left I went on a mission to find something to help with shading him while in his stroller. I went through a few items before I found a great product. Many items like umbrellas and fans that clipped to his stroller were not worth the money. So I returned them and found a great one that reatails for around thirty dollars. It is called Protect-a-Bub Classic Sunshade. And just like the name states, it really does Protect your Bub! It is a large canopy made of sun protective fabric that you easily attach to your stroller. It can be used in many different positions, depending on the amount of sun protection that you need. 

When we were in Disney I used it with the fullest sun protection available the entire time. And boy, did I make the other moms jealous. A lot of pointing, and "that's cool" coming from parents while their poor kids were melting in the sun. I've kept it on the stroller since then and used it for my daily walks, and it is the only thing that keeps the morning sun out of E's eyes. I love it! I purchased mine at Buy Buy Baby, and you can find other retailers at http://www.protect-a-bubusa.com/. Below is a picture of the sun shade in one postion, and below that is our family at Epcot with the shade in position to get the most amount of protection possible.

I purchased this product on my own and was not compensated in any way for my opinion or review.

I Know, I Know...

So... I've been gone for a little while. To be honest, I hadn't even realized it had been so long. I've come to terms with the fact that I have to make time for myself once in a while. And so I am back, and hopefully I won't drop off the side of the earth again. I wanted to share some news and information with everyone. First of all, I was surprised to find out that I was featured on a fellow mom's blog called A Survival Guide for Rookie Moms! You can check it out at http://survival4moms.com/baby_book/my-mommy-group-my-sanity/. So that got me thinking about the fact that I miss blogging. Even though I haven't been doing it that long, I think it is therapeutic and good for me. With that said, I hope you will welcome me back.

I did have one good excuse for not posting, we went on vacation to Disney World with my in-laws and my husband's brother's whole family. The age range for the children was very broad from 5.5 months (my little E) to 13 years old. And all ages in between. Since we live in Florida, it was only a 3 hour drive to Orlando, and we stayed in a beautiful home that was rented for the week. It was nice, especially to be together at night and hang out as a family. But it was also hard to make 11 people happy!! So, we often split into groups. I got to ride on my favorite rides! Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Tower of Terror! But it was exhausting having to deal with a baby, nurse in public in the heat, and I was concerned with keeping E hydrated and safe. But all in all it was a successful, but tiring trip! Which took me a week to  recuperate from. It was my first time in an amusement park with an infant, and it was difficult. I am fully rested now, and ready to get back to blogging, and the rest of my life! And, although I loved it, I hope it will be a few more years until we decide to go back to Disney World again!

Below is a picture of my husband, E and I with Mickey!!!

Yummy, Healthy, and Husband Approved!

This recipe is healthy without tasting like it, and easy to make.

Turkey Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast- try to get the Lean turkey

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salad oil

1 can red or green enchilada sauce, whatever you prefer

Salt

12 corn tortillas (6 in. wide)

2 cups shredded reduced-fat jack cheese (8 oz.)

Chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation:

1. In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, stir turkey, onion, garlic, and cumin in oil until turkey is crumbly and no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Stir in 1 cup enchilada sauce. Add salt to taste.

2. Meanwhile, cut tortillas in half. Arrange a fourth of the halves evenly over the bottom of a shallow 3-quart casserole, overlapping to fit. Sprinkle a fourth of the cheese evenly over the tortillas, then top with a third of the turkey mixture and a fourth of the remaining enchilada sauce, spreading each level. Repeat to make two more layers of tortillas, cheese, turkey mixture, and sauce; top with another layer of tortillas and sauce, then cheese.

3. Bake in a 425° regular or convection oven until cheese is melted and casserole is hot in the center, 18 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro

*This recipe is easier than it sounds and takes very little time. I don't care for rice and beans, so I served mine with couscous that I seasoned with a bit of cumin, cayenne pepper, cilantro, and lime juice to give it that Mexican taste.

 

The Enchiladas are around 250 calories and 5 grams of fat per serving.

Can you Avoid a Swimsuit in Florida?

E is nearly five months. So, I have decided that it's about time to do something about my baby weight. Unfortunately, since leaving work my baby weight has now combined with my stay at home and eat all day weight, and my married and happy weight. So you could say I have a lot of work to do. I have tried every diet in the world, from Atkins to weight watchers, shakes to raw food, and I have decided to go with my oldie but goody. The Slim Fast diet. I know, you may think that it is a fad diet and you can't live forever on this diet. You're right about that because anyone willing to drink those chalky shakes for a lifetime might as well just give up now. But I have had success in the past losing a significant amount of weight and then maintaining it with diet and exercise. So far it has been 9 days. 9 long days. But to be honest it isn't that bad.

In the back of my mind I know I'm also doing this for my son. I don't want E to have the mom who won't play with him on the floor because I can't get back up. Or the mom who is out of breath playing with him at the park. Or worse, not playing at all at the park! I don't want him to think that a balanced meal is pasta or McDonald's. I also don't want him to think of his mom as the "fat mom". I want him to know nutrition, eat vegetables, and see me working out and think that is normal. So I am 9 days into this diet and 7 pounds less than when I started. Can you tell? Hell no. I need to lose quite a few more for that to happen. But for now I eat well and exercise, for me and for my son. Because really who wants their children to remember them laying on the couch eating chips? Nobody. Would I love to lay on the couch and eat chips? Yes. (Mmmmm chips.) But I am committed to this and to what I have set out to do. So, can you avoid a swimsuit in Florida? Yes. But what's the fun in that?

My Mommy Group = My Sanity

I was really worried when I was pregnant that I would have my baby, leave work, and never leave the house again. Thankfully, I was wrong. Now don't misunderstand me, if I had waited for friends to come to me, I would still be sitting on my couch at home watching HGTV. But I didn't wait, because really, how can you make friends when you never leave your house? So I did just that, I left my house, with a newborn in toe. I did not wait the recommended two months before I took E out of the house. In fact, he was in his first restaurant at 4 days old (oops). I just couldn't stay inside. So when E was 5 weeks old, I decided it was time for us to go make some new mommy friends. Up until this point my friends were women with no children, and if you ever want to bore your childless friends to death, talk about breastfeeding and strollers for thirty minutes. They look at you like you have 3 heads. So I did what my mom and husband told me to do, "make mommy friends". I had no idea where to look. Are there secret hideouts, or mommy only clubs. Well, kind of. I stumbled upon meetup.com. My savior. There I joined a group for moms of babies, hey, that's me! And then I did the really hard part, I actually showed up to something! My 5 week old son had no clue he was at a "playgroup" because he slept all the way through it. But I on the other hand, had the time of my life. I could talk about car seats, nursing, c-sections, bottles, doctors, swaddling, diaper bags, vaccines, tummy time, jumpers, crawling, stretch marks, reflux, and just about anything and everything that has to do with baby and new mommy. And the best part is, the other ladies didn't give me bored eye rolls, because they themselves were in the same situations.

So if anyone else out there is a stay-at-home mom, I know how hard it is. Not only to be in isolation for several hours on end, but to make friends. But it doesn't have to be. Join mommy groups. Then actually go to the meet ups! I have found several great friends, and I have only been in my group for 3 months. In fact, I have more in common with these new friends then any of my other friends from BB (before baby). Our typical week of meet ups include the park, the pool (my favorite), and mall walking. If I don't get out at least 3 days a week, I go crazy. I feel more motivated to clean the house and actually take a shower and do my makeup when I venture out for meet ups! So I guess you could say that for me "A happy mommy makes a happy family"!

Join a meetup group by you at: www.meetup.com