MommyCoddle

7 lovely things

Good morning and Happy Valentine's my friends. Oh, I missed this place. I'm completely procrastinating on things like laundry and school work and showers and a huge mess in the kitchen from pink chocolate chips pancakes. But, it's been too long. So, hello. How about a list this morning, shall we?

1. I cashed in on my Christmas present this past weekend. A girls weekend away with two of my bestest cousins. We had grand plans of doing important things like historical tours and traditional working-farm visits--but it happily and comfortably turned into lounging and knitting in hotel rooms, long dinners out and antique shopping. It was perfect. And while, you know, I fought that mama-guilt about being away, it was such a good weekend. So so good. I have made it official that my husband can give me the same gift every year.

2. Do you see this aisle of goodness I stumbled upon in the very back of one shop? I may have had trembling hands when I took this picture.

3. First tractor-driving lessons with her great uncle. The report is that she's a pro and only stalled it out once. Learning to drive a tractor is on my to-do list. I think she just beat me to it. When asked if she wanted to trade in her pony for a tractor, we only got a roll of the pre-teen eyeballs.

4.  My new favorite and also perfect Valentine's listening: Us & Our Daughters (with a hat tip to my music soulmate. You know who you are.) On their site they share that last year was a tough year for them and their love. But they took to songwriting as their therapy. It pulled them through and this album is the fruit of that time. It's beautiful. 

5. Some love of the 4-hooved variety.

6. This knitted lovely is going in the queue. 

7. Some love it's good to remember.

xo.

Molly

it's the best excuse...

Pssst....The new year is my favorite excuse to get myself a brand new planner/organizer. This year, I figured, why wait until after Christmas to get started? I'm giving away three of my favorite family planners over on MommyCoddleLikes. Dude. Check it out.

Little things

It's Thursday. I sat down to write this on Monday. Hmmm. (Not that I've been sitting at my desk that whole time, but you know how it goes.) I have many things on my mind that I want to write about, but for now you'll have to put up with a brain dump of little things that I think are important to share. 

First and foremost, my blogging friend from Babycenter, Kami, just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Afton. Afton was born 3 1/2 months early and weighs a tiny 12 OUNCES. Kami is recovering after her emergency C-section and Afton is a fighter, but of course, Kami, Afton and her family could use all your prayers and wishes of strength and encouragement. There is a long road ahead. 

There's really no good segue here, but....

✳ I'm sharing what I consider to be one of the blogland's best kept secrets on MommyCoddleLIKES. You must check it out (and be sure to subscribe while you're there!)

✳ Internet sleuth and master-googler that I am, I've collected 12 Strange, Weird and Oddly Fascinating facts about Thanksgiving on 4KidsorMore. If you've ever wondered how to tell if a cranberry is ripe, what Mary Had A Little Lamb has to do with Thanksgiving, or what Indonesia has to do with turkey, you'll want to check it out. Makes for good dinner conversation and a way for your kids to impress the grandparents. 

✳ I know I may be biased but habit is awesome this month. (A lot of work for me and emily, phew! But so amazing.)

✳ I just found out two days ago that I'm representing Babycenter in New York City for a Disney/Dreamworks-hosted red carpet premier of War Horse. I'm beginning to think that my editor-friends thought it would be fun to plop the farmgirl in the middle of the city for an event whose dress code has been described as "glamorous." Excited. Freaked out. Excited. Stressed. Thrilled. All of that. But mostly excited. Check out the War Horse trailer. Animal drama? I know I'm going to cry. 

✳ And finally, Snickerdoodles. What a great way to end a post. I asked my friend if she'd share her recipe-thinking it might be some valuted family secret. But. She shared. And it's good. So so good. (Ask Birdy, she's succesfully inhaled three while I've been sitting here distractedly typing away. ) 

Happy Thursday! More tomorrow, I hope!!!

At a whisper

Hello from foggy Thomas Run. Everything is at a whisper around here, inside and out. The fog makes everything quiet outside. Inside, this round of colds has me almost completely without a voice this morning. Only slightly panic-inducing (understatement), since I have to sing at a funeral tomorrow morning. And whispering with four children isn't very effective. As I croaked to my mother on the phone this morning, she recommended whiskey, hot water, honey and citrus--a hot toddy. 

But, thankfully it doesn't take a literal voice to write a blog post, just a figurative one. And since it's been awhile since I've rounded up some good things from around the web....Here's what I'm pinning these days:

❉ Maybe this will clear my sinuses

❉ I will be the cool aunt who shows up with this for post-turkey play. (Usually, we have family wrestling matches. Oh yes, we do. But my mother may appreciate this slightly less violent activity. I'm seeing some family v. family matches ahead.)

❉ I am all OVER this. Where's my cheese grater?

❉ I used to make salt dough ornaments with my 3rd grade students. But I'm digging this upscale version. 

❉ I want these badly. But alas, I am a poor girl. (I welcome any comfortable every day shoe suggestions in the comments. My Danskos are dying.)

❉ This is an important skill every girl should have.

❉ I have some small fabric scraps that I cherish for various reasons. Maybe this is an idea. 

❉ Some people want a maid. Me? I want a personal knitter.  This is the first thing I'd send her.

❉ With four girls, I must master this simple skill.

❉ I'm over at 4KidsorMore talking about library fines (again). And if you're still changing crib sheets, you'll want to know about this. 

Alright. We have a lot on the to-do list today despite the fact that we're all dragging...There's guinea pig food to purchase. Tights to find for my dress tomorrow. (How do we feel about tights and open toe shoes? Is this cool now? Or totally ugly?), A photo walk to take for Emma's e-course. And ironically, library books to return. 

Happy, foggy Thursday! ( I whispered that.)

 

A thank you, a weekend read

The rain outside my window just turned to sleet. Later, they report that it will turn to snow. In October? Oh my. I'm all good with a little hunkering down. 

I'm popping on here this morning to thank you for all the love you sent our way as I shared the news about Mouse. I have to admit, though our family has been through the loss of animals on the farm, this is the first special pet that we've lost. It was good to hear your stories of beloved cats who still hold a place in your hearts. Thank you.

___________________________________

In your weekend reading, please head on over to MommyCoddleLikes. I have a lovely giveaway from Mariah Bruel of Playful Learning for a spot in her Photo-journalling e-course for kids. Emma and I are already signed up!

If my blog had a little sister

This week, my family and I are on vacation. Nothing far-flung and exotic but something more close to home. Dan takes the week off from work, and we spend the days exploring off-the-beaten-path attractions around our community. Some days, we just stay home and enjoy the indulgence of having nothing to do. Other days we pack lunches and make a trek to some low-budget attraction.

Today we visited, of all places, a potato chip factory....

To read the rest, click here, please....

 

Confessions of an irresponsible farmer

I have to confess, lately I've handed over the egg-collecting, chicken-feeding duties to my children. While I enjoy a good trek to the coop with my morning cup of coffee, I've been letting the girls handle the chore. I haven't been to the coop for much more than a nightly lock-in, in quite awhile. 

Apparently, it's been ooooh, about 21 days. 

Precisely the amount of time it takes for something magical to occur in an un-monitored nesting box.

This morning, the children on chicken-duty came blasting back into the house to let me know we had baby chicks. 

No, we don't, I told them. Silly girls. 

But I followed them out to the coop and before I even got to the door, I could hear that familiar peeping.

And there, perched in her nesting box was one of our  Rhode Island Red hens with EIGHT little fluffy chicks tucked under her breast. 

This, by far, has been one of the best surprises ever on our little farm. 

Being the irresponsible farmer that I am, slinging all chicken duties onto the shoulders of my children, the girls confessed that this hen hasn't been letting them collect the eggs she was sitting on. Usually, the girls let me know someone is broody, so we can force her out of the coop during the day. But this time, the message never made it to me. And look what the lack of responsibility for my flock produced! (I'll have to try approach this more often. I wonder if a similar technique works on the vegetable garden?)

But I couldn't share this story without acknowledging that the chick's arrival today is full of irony.

Just yesterday, there was another rooster attack--this time on Elizabeth. It meant another call to my husband reminding him that something had to be done right away. And so yesterday evening, we all hid in the house, covering our ears while Dan took care of the rooster situation. And sparing details, the task proved to be quite complicated.

But today, those roosters, in a final statement of their immortaltiy and unwillingness to leave this earth, leave us with eight fluffy legacies. And chances are, I'll find myself attempting to befriend a rooster (or two! or more!) all over again.

snack break #15

Since my children are on snack break number fifteen of the day, I figured I slip over here to share a few things with all of you while they're stuffing their faces with cheese, grapes and nutella toast. 

*If you sneak a peek at my top right sidebar, you'll see a new little button--I have been nominated over at Parents.com for Best All-Around Mom Blog. And I'm holding steady with my one vote that nominated me. Have a moment? Will you click on over and vote for me? 

Or click on the button below:

By Best All-Around Mom Blog

*First of all, a question: Can someone please tell me what to do with my lovely lavender up there at the end of the season? Cut it back? Let it go? I generally go with the "do nothing" plan, but I love it and I'd love to see it thrive despite my ignorance.

*I'm over on 4Kids or More talking about marking time with family portraits.

I feel like it's been awhile since I've shared some good stuff from blogland. I've been a pinning fool lately. Are you on pinterest? (Make sure you let me know in the comments!). It's one of the most inspiring time-sucks on the internet. 

Recently pinned:

*Mariah Bruehl has a great list of online learning resources and inspiration for children on her website--categories like nutrition, music, math, art, child-safe online searches, writing, organization...great, great lists. 

*I think my kitchen could handle a Big Chill.

*Emma's been asking me to teach her how to "type for real". Dance Mat Typing might be just the thing.

*This feather bangle is beautiful and budget-friendly.

*I really need this Crumpler. Badly. Because as much as I love my KellyMoore bag, I'm not that fancy every day. Sometimes, I just need to throw my DSLR into my every day bag and know it won't get smashed among the diapers and bunny crackers.

*These pillow case cushions for kids are pure + simple genius. 

*I had a plastic version of this in fifth grade. It was my most prized possession atop my school desk. 

*We have serious ponytail holder issues in this house. As in we can never find any. This is an excellent idea.

*And for dessert? Make your own magic shell. Be still my heart (or stomach....)

that's a lot of crazy awesome

I'm really excited to share with all of you something that has been in the works for a few months now. The lovely ladies Kristen Chase (Motherhood Uncensored, CoolMomPicks) and Meagan Francis (The Happiest Mom) asked me to join them in the launch of a new idea. 

Both mothers of a larger than average brood (4 or more to be exact) they wanted to create an online resource for the modern, larger family. So whether you are a mom of many kiddos, or maybe you see yourself going down that path in the future (and you want someone to talk you out of it. KIDDING. ) , or maybe you just want to stop on over and see what we're up to, I hope you'll come checkout 4 Kids or More.

I'll be covering Learning & Education with a little crafty thrown in for good measure. And Steph from Adventures in Babywearing and Lylah from WriteEditRepeat, will be writing and sharing their experiences as well. 

I'm looking forward to being part of this great resource--most selfishly because I'll finally be able to gather all these experienced mothers in one place and learn from their wisdom. How do I deal with 9 going on 16? Do you take them all to the grocery store? Do you ever see the end of the laundry pile?

With 22 kids among us all, that's a lot of crazy awesome. So come on by and say hello and see how we manage with our happy-oftentimes tired-hands full. 

psssst!

Every time I sat down to write last week, surprise surprise, I was interrupted! But I've slipped away to my local Starbucks to get a solid bit of writing in (if my children will stop calling me on my cell phone to find out when I'll be home) and had to quickly give you guys a heads-up about a giveaway on the MOMformation blogs....

If you are like me and carry around any amount of gear--DSLR, laptop, baby/kid stuff, my stuff---you're going to want to check out this giveaway for a beautiful bag from Kelly Moore. Yes, it's a camera bag, but it's got amazing flexibility and tons of room .... 

Comments close late tonight, so don't miss your chance! Find the giveaway here on the MOMformation blogs!

 

Kids' Crafternoon Blog Tour

I'm really excited to share with you the newest round of crafty books from Kathreen Ricketson of whipup.net fame. It makes me really happy to see Kathreen continue to delve into the world of creativity with children because I truly believe she has an intuition and knack for bringing amazing ideas and inspiration to little crafters. 

The Kids' Crafternoon series is published by Hardie Grant and is currently available in two titles, Papercraft and Sewing. (Beading and Felting will be released later this year). The books are aimed at ages 7-12 and the projects are meant to be completed, beginning to end, in one afternoon. And I can tell you, as a mother to four children, I really appreciate this concept. Not only because it means I can reclaim my kitchen table in time for dinner, but also because I believe it is important for children to experience the full creative process from idea to fruition without losing heart or motivation somewhere in the middle. 

Kathreen worked with people in the craft community from all over the globe who contributed to the 25 projects in each book. The projects are designed to be pretty gender-neutral and appealing to both boys and girls, and come in varied complexity. 

In Papercraft you’ll find monster piñatas, kites, pop-up cards, origami lights and much more. Just grab some paper, scissors and glue and get creative with the fantastic projects inside. In Sewing you’ll find iPod creature cosies, bunting flags, personalised brooches, pet pillows and plenty more - all you’ll need is some fabric, a needle and thread.

These books would make a great addition to a crafting library, (or homeschooling art curriculum...hmmm), or great books to pack away for birthday gifts. 

You can find them on amazon or booktopia! 

Only a few more stops on the Blog Tour.....and be sure to check the tour "archives" for projects from the books, giveaways and more photos!

july 22nd | poppytalk

july 23rd | picklebums

july 24th | little eco footprints

july 25th | bea spoke quilts

july 26th | maya made

july 27th | checkout girl crafts

july 28th | the red thread

july 29th | we wilsons

july 30th | maggie makes

july 31st | mmm crafts

aug 1st | domesticali

aug 2nd | floating ink

aug 3rd | elizabeth abernathy

aug 4th | that's me!

aug 5th | the long thread

aug 6th | hannah fletcher etsy shop

aug 7th | pm-between the lines

aug 8th | go make me

some things you might like

On Monday evening, we packed up the kids and headed out to our town's 4th of July parade. I admit, this is the first town parade we've attended since we moved here. Generally, our 4th weekend is overrun with a lot of family in town, but this weekend was a quieter one. So we had the chance to make our own fun. I swear these parades make you kinda fall in love with your little town. It also gives you the chance to become acquainted with every dance group and baton-twirling troupe your town has to offer. Though personally, I found the cloggers to be where it's at. 

I also spent some time catching up online and on pinterest over the weekend....here are a few lovely things you might enjoy:

Amanda's post this morning : Yes, I LOVE the chair. But I so get that last paragraph, about the need to just make, even when there are so many other "musts" awaiting your time. 

(In)courage : 16 Ways to Find Personal Rest : I really need to be better about number 6. Finding a babysitter. I really don't have a babysitter for my children outside of family....can you believe it? I could use a good, trustworthy babysitter. 

I am absolutely ADDICTED to making these bracelets. They are so fun. If you can finger knit (or even if you can't), you'll love these. I have since passed my addiction on to the girls. 

Homemade mozzarella. Enough said.

Choose a chore. I'm always looking for ways to keep it interesting.

DIY Blue Glass Canning Jars. This is a drop everything and try it craft. 

Love this ring. Thinking it might get caught on everything, but still love it. 

Isn't this the truth??

This is wedding weekend. I'm thinking of wearing my hair in something like this. Thoughts?

And one more good thing that I don't want to forget....yesterday afternoon as Emma was flying out the door to go to the barn she said to me, "Oh, Mom. My room isn't as messy as it looks. I'm just airing out my clothes. Bye!!" 

If that's what "airing out" looks like, than apparently my whole house is "airing out"....off to find some order in the madness. 

Have any goodness to share? Leave it in the comments, if you please!

Happy Wednesday, friends!

 

Clever Girls Review: Beaba Bib'Expresso

You may have noticed in my sidebar, that I am part of the Clever Girls Collective. This is a great group of women bloggers that I am happy to be part of. Though I don't do many reviews on here on my blog anymore, every so often, something strikes me, and I take the opportunity to share it with all of you. This review was one of those opportunities given to me through the Clever Girls Collective. 

It probably makes me sound a bit old-fashioned and dowdy, but some of the gadgets available to modern moms are amazing. Even from the birth of my first, to today, raising my fourth the changes in gear, products, philosphies and even healthier, greener choices is astounding.

This little product I've had the chance to review is the Beaba Bib'Expresso. If baby food and baby bottles met Starbucks, I think they might give birth to the Bib'Expresso. 

The Bib'Expresso is a countertop appliance that warms water for baby bottles, perfectly warms jars of baby's food and sterilizes and stores extra bottles. 

If you can operate a coffee maker, you can work the Bib'Expresso. By simply adding water to the well at the top and pushing a button, the water is heated to a proper bottle temperature. Another button is pressed and you can dispense water into your waiting bottle. 

While convenience is a great thing, the Beaba also reduces air bubbles and hot spots in your baby's bottle.

At the back of the Bib'Expresso is a removable compartment that can be filled with water and your baby bottles, placed in the microwave for bottle sterilization. The extra bottles can then be stored in this same compartment at the back of the machine. 

If you're past the bottle stage, or if you're breastfeeding baby and have no need for bottle-prep, the Bib'Expresso also works for warming jars of baby food. Simply fill the well at the top once again, place a jar in the water well and choose your proper setting--depending on whether the food is room temp or straight from the fridge. 

While I haven't given this product a hefty, long-term workout, I have to admit, it's pretty cool. Not to mention, it's kind of cute sitting on top of my counter. With a self-cleaning option to keep the unit sanitary, it seems like a pretty interesting tool to add to a new mother's repertoire. I'm thinking of middle-of-the-night feedings, when, through sleepy eyes, it might be kind of nice to press a button and have my bottles ready. 

And while I tend to err on the side of making-do and frugality when it comes to baby gear, this might be a really fun and out-of-the-ordinary gift for a new mom (or a mother of four who deserves something modern, fresh and new.)

What do you think? Kind of fun? Practical and helpful? Or over-the-top? I'd love to hear!

The Beaba Bib'Expresso can be found at  Beaba USA, and amazon .  It retails for around $129.95

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While Béaba provided me with a Bib'expresso to review, the opinions I've expressed here are solely my own and represent my honest viewpoint. Béaba,Clever Girls Collective and I promote Blog With Integrity.

why we have children

When I got home from exercising last night, I was met at the door by Mary :

Mary : Do you go to the Arena Club to lose weight?

Me (weighing my words carefully, wanting so much to protect them as long as I can from every body conscious thought ) : Well....I go there to exercise.

Mary : Oh. Because boy! Do you ever look skinnier! 

And that, my friends, is why I have children.

Did I ever tell you that Mary is my favorite child?

(Emma, if you're reading this, I'm JUST KIDDING.)

In light of THAT good news, here's some other goodness from around the web...

✽  Kristen Chase interviewed me about homeschooling on The Pioneer Woman

✽  Scratch Baking Co.'s Baker's Notes Issue No. 1 : bagels!! my weakness.

✽  Miss Moss : Farm Fashion ( via amanda ) : I want to look this good chopping wood. (cue my husband's laughter)

✽  Soulful Mothering with Tara Thayer : I'd like to carry these words around in my pocket

✽  Dandelion gone to seed : the anticipation makes you hold your breath 

✽  morning light : I favorite all her kitchen pictures

✽  These shoes, in green.

✽  Grapegruit Sangria (do you have a good recipe for red or white? Share?!)

The weather is sticky here again. The three H's of summer : hazy, hot and humid. Once the baby wakes up, we're headed to the pool! Happy Wednesday, friends!

commonplace

I can't take any credit for this idea, it belongs completely to Dan. Maybe I can earn some points for the follow-through of doing research and making an informed purchasing decision? 

Anyway....a few weeks ago, Dan asked me to find a commonplace for Emma. A commonplace, if you don't know (I didn't) refers to compiling knowledge, usually into books. It is a practice that dates back to Early Modern Europe. (thank you, wikipedia) 

In this case, Dan wanted me to find a journal for Emma to record the books she has been reading. 

Emma was a very reluctant reader. It took quite awhile for the fire to catch. But now, she's the kid who (unbeknownst to her parents) stays up until midnight to finish a book. The girl who disappears into her room to read and read and read. I'm so happy to see her love reading. But I have to admit, there's this part of me that wonders a bit about the speed at which she reads.

She comes to me with a chapter book and says, "I need to go to the library tomorrow. I finished this one today."

Nevermind that we'd been to the library that morning.

I know she's not a careful reader. I've learned that in our interactions during the school day. But she is still getting the gist of what she reads. She knows what's going on in the story. And it's recreational reading. Do I let it go and just be happy that she's finally reading? I still feel a bit torn about it all. But how, exactly does one force a child to slow down their reading?  For now my philosophy is that this is recreational reading. She is reading for enjoyment. We can work at all the other "stuff" during school hours. This is her time to relax and read. Right? Right. 

But that's a topic for another day....

Emma has really taken to keeping track of the books she's reading. She rates them, writes a few words about what she thought of the book or how her mean mother STILL hasn't found more of these books for her. 

It's a great habit to be in, I believe. In fact, I wish I did the same. I'm so forgetful, especially when it comes to what I read. (Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I read right before bed until the book flops down on my chest.)

I'm hoping she'll continue with this through the Summer. And in the Fall, I'll get one for Mary, too, who is rapidly gaining on her sister in the reading department. 

You can find the reading journal I chose for the girls here on amazon or on the Potter Style site.