Win a Passel of Baby Carriers!

Win the Essential Babywearing Stash from Along for the Ride (one Beco Butterfly, one Hotsling baby pouch, one BabyHawk Mei Tai, one Zolowear Ring Sling, and one Gypsy Mama Wrap)

Ends at Midnight tonight, so get on the stick!!

What Time of Day Are You?

So very cool. And fairly accurate. I'm really no good before 10am, and Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day.

I hope it's not a one-way street

Since Big J was born, Big Sis has vacillated between smothering him with hugs, kisses, and pats, and utterly ignoring him. On occasion she will delve into playing too rough (evoking a "What Did I Tell You About Being Too Rough?!?!?!"), or giving him the barest of acknowledgement with a look out of the corner of her eyes. But lately she has discovered the power of showing off to Big J. He's taken a grand interest in her doings of late, and she is gobbling it up. In the car he will stare her down until she looks at him, then breaks into a smile of unadulterated joy. She can make him laugh like no one else, and he is mesmerized by whatever she does. His favorite game of late is to sit in his Jumper positioned in the doorway to her room. She will then romp and stomp around her room, playing tea party with him, doing somersaults and generally being looney. He is GLUED to her every move. When she is particularly delightful, he jumps like a madman, catching air and slapping his hands on the tray. I never had a close sibling (it's complicated) and I always felt like I missed out. I envy Big Daddy and his brothers. They may not be close now, but when the family gets together they have so many stories to tell. I expect these two to have a contentious relationship, but I desperately hope they end up being close. Hence, the above picture. I was deliriously excited about getting their picture taken together. I hope this will be the first of many.

Sqwick!

I saw a snippet on Cross-Nursing shown on Good Morning America this morning. I watched with a mixture of horror and curiosity. When I was able to scoop my jaw back off the floor, I thought about what I'd seen. Two close friends had children very near in age (they looked to be about 18-24 months old). When one of them goes to work, errands, etc. the other will nurse the firsts little one. Interestingly, the other's child (the one who nurses her friend's child) won't nurse with anyone else.

Now, I know what wet-nursing is. But this is the 21st century, and we DO live in America - a relatively civilized country with a plentiful supply of baby formula (not that a 2 year old should be drinking baby formula). And while I can appreciate that a mother wants to continue nursing, I was appalled for a number of practical reasons. First, what is this woman doing that she needs to be away for more than the 3-5 hours between meals for a 2 YEAR OLD? Second, that kid was WAY too big to be nursing. I know, I'm sure there are many who would disagree, but IMHO, when your child is old enough to walk up and pull your shirt up because they feel like taking a sip, it's time to wean. Finally, you may think you know someone, but you don't really know everything they are doing. You don't know what they've eaten or drunk. You don't know what might be coursing through their bodies. If you MUST use human milk, go to a milk bank (yes, there actually are such things), where the milk is screened and cleansed.

And cross-nursing GMA ladies? I guarantee your kids are going to be grossed out when you tell them that mommy's friend nursed them. P.S. - If I were you, I would have invested in some better make-up to hide the enormous crescent moon tattooed on my forehead. Double Ick.

I Am So Out of Fashion

In an interview for Time Magazine, Tim Gunn (style guru and co-host of Project Runway), was asked the following question:

"What's the worst fashion trend you've ever seen?"

Answer: "...Generally speaking, it's footwear trends. I mean, the Croc - it looks like a plastic hoof. How can you take that seriously? I know its comfortable; I understand that. But if you want to dress to feel as though you never got out of bed, don't get out of bed."

To a point, I agree with him. I am late to jump on the bandwagon of anything, much less be at the forefront of any fashion trend (too much work for this girl). I didn't personally investigate Crocs until last summer, and when I did, I fell hard for the Mary Jane. So comfortable on my pregnant feet! When I was here in July, looking for places to live, I noted that the Croc was a BIG trend here. I chuckled to myself about it, as I think the original Cayman style is SO UGLY. Well, then I had to eat my words when I bought my Crocs in Salt Lake City. I wore them all year, and I was happy.

I take no issue with Gunn's comment. He is a man of great personal style. As CCO of Liz Claiborne, I have yet to see any of that style translate into the clothing line, but I'm sure it will. And I really can't quibble with his opinion on Crocs. After I read that, I took a hard look at my old Mary Janes. He's right. But I still like them. So don't worry yet - next time you see me, I'm sure I'll be clomping along in my comfy plastic hooves, thinking about how awesome they will look with socks this Fall. And now I'm going to bed.

Customize a Cookbook

I was poking around Food Network the other day and found a link to a great website called Tastebook. You can customize your own cookbook. Choose recipes from a number of online sites, or add your own. Pick the cover graphic, title it whatever you want, and the cost depends on the number of pages you want. The interior pages are in binder form, so you can add or rearrange at will. What a great idea! I have so many random recipes floating around, and I have always wanted a way to keep and organize them. And what a great gift idea, especially for family, or for someone getting married. Check it out. I was impressed and hope you are too.

WHEW......

I just checked the list of 600 Starbucks stores which will be closed within the next 12 months. Des Moines is safe! Those of you who know me well are aware of my love for Starbucks. It's been an adventure - with my love affair coming full circle after journeying from Hot Chocolate to a near-daily Grande Latte (I desperately needed the caffeine jolt when I was in the midst of my unmedicated thyroid woes), and back to Hot Chocolate (try it with Soy - Yum!). Even Daddy is addicted to the Hot Chocolate. With the rising prices of everything, we've cut back significantly, but still enjoy this treat on special occasions.