Category — moms

Today is the last day of Summer vacation for our family – tomorrow both of my babies are going to school, and I will have 2-3 days per week of perfect, uninterrupted peace & quiet… there is potential for that to totally suck. For the past 6.5 years, I have had at least 1 child with me 24/7 (with rare breaks) except for the 1 hour 2 days per week last Spring that they were both in school at the same time.

However…

With this 2-3 days per week of quiet, I should be able to get some kickin’ bags thought up & made… the creative juices will be able to flow unstiffled. This is a good thing that I am sooooooooooooo looking forward to – once I get used to it.

It’s just the thought that my baby is going off to kindergarden, that her “childhood” is now over, and her “school-age” has begun. Have I done everything I could have to prepare both of my girls for the big bad world? I fear that I haven’t. Will they be safe? Will they get along with the other kids? Will they have nice teachers? Will my oldest watch out for her little sister – or be her worst bully? These are the thoughts that are running through my head today.

Please God, watch over my girls… keep them safe, help them to make new friends easily, help their teachers to be a perfect fit with them. Protect them from the bad people that are out there… preserve their innocence for a little while longer. Help them to have a rich childhood & kid-hood to look back on as they grow up. Hide your work in their hearts so that they will have it always there to draw from. Surround them with your angels. These are the prayers of a mom as she watches her babies grow up.

On top of all of this, tomorrow I get a little older… oh well, at least I get to spend half of my birthday with Ari in tow – she has kindergarden testing tomorrow afternoon, so she won’t be gone all day.

We will, however, be starting the day with green eggs & ham… it’s tradition!

…I do, I love green eggs & ham
Thank you, thank you Sam I am!

Do you have a little artist in the house? This is a wonderful solution to store all of their fanciful creations!

My Place For Art is a large accordion file folder (in great kid colors) that will sort and store the creations of your budding artist – or artists – in an easy-to-access place that will not only keep everything contained, but keep their art accessible for years to come.

Take a look at My Place For Art today!

These are a must have accessory for any mom on the go! The fabrics are very nice, and they hold onto your keys so you don’t have to dig for them.

The only problem I found was that they occasionally swung a little too wide and would cause my keys to bump into things. However, I loved the convenience of always having them handy. And, with the bright fabric, when I did toss them into my purse, my keys are MUCH easier to find!

If you know a Mom who is always on the go, head on over to A.B. Baby Boutique and pick up this fun and fashionable key ring to help her out!

As those of us who have been through the baby years understand, spit up happens… and it’s usually messy! Sheila McGoldrick cas come to the rescue! She has invented a new kind of burp cloth called the Handy Burpee tm that will help keep your hands clean and dry, but catch all of that messy spit up.

We recently reviewed this wonderful mom-invented product with a baby that liked to “waste her groceries” as my mom loves to call it. When my daughter spits up, she does a very good job!

Up until now I have been using a receiving blanket as a burp cloth for her – brings a whole new meaning to the term “receiving blanket” doesn’t it!

The Handy Burpee is very useful for keeping your hands clean and dry, and for a “normal baby” it will work like a dream. The only problem that I had with it was the size. With the tummy troubles that my daughter had, it just didn’t quite catch everything. If it came in a larger size, it would be the perfect feeding accessory for her!

I use it now that my daughter is spitting up less, and it is working like a dream – it is easy to clean, and it keeps me from having to clean up in the middle of a feeding. And it does a great job of replacing a large receiving blanket for days around town!

If you are looking for the perfect gift for a new mom or mom-to-be, check out the Handy Burpee tm at Love Prints

If you are looking for a great gift for a family on your list – or your own kids – you need to take a look at a new book by Sara Ann Denson called Christmas Turtles. This great story is about Sara’s own grandmother, and the wonderful turtle candies that she used to make every year when Sara was growing up – even though her grandmother couldn’t eat them herself!

This is a wonderful and heartwarming story that may bring back fond memories for you Moms, Dad’s and Grandparents, and it includes a recipe for turtles and a wooden mixing spoon to help you create new memories of your own!

Christmas Turtles is available from Purple Sky Publishing, and if you use the coupon code “cottagegiftspecial” you can save 15% on your total purchase. Hurry over to check it out – there may still be a few autographed copies left to order!

Christmas Turtles is also available at Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com and borders.com, however the 15% off coupon is good only at purpleskypublishing.com

Do you want more info about the author & illustrator?

Sara Ann Denson has been a nationally published author since the age of 18. In 1995, she received the first place One-Act Play Award at the annual Alabama Writer’ Conclave and she went on to publish three books of scripts and play along with various magazine credits. She currently lives in Jefferson City, Missouri with her husband, Boyd, and their two sons, Samuel and Gideon. She is a member of the MOMpack.

Tara McMillen as always had a special love for art. Tara is a painter who has done numerous murals in the Kansas City area. Her attention to detail and her intuitive nature makes her the perfect illustrator for children’s books. Tara has been married for seventeen years and has two wonderful children, Ericka and Kyle, who have also been blessed with their mother’s artistic ability.

For additional information regarding the author and illustrator, as well as other authors and illustrators employed by Purple Sky Publishing LLC, please visit purpleskypublishing.com

For Mother’s day this year my siblings and I wanted to do something special and personalized for our mom. We ordered a custom Mama Loves Necklace from julesjewlery.com. It was a wonderful way to include all her kids and grandkids in a gift that she can wear everyday.

When she got her package in the mail she was touched to find such a beautiful and personal gift inside. This is a gift that will last her a lifetime. Two of the hearts have pearls on them to represent my sister and I’s soon to be born children. Julie graciously told us that when the babies are born, she would be more than happy to add those birthstones to the necklace.

If you are looking for a gift with a personal touch, I would highly recommend julesjewlery.com.

Review by Tami