Epic Mommy Failure Moment

Yup! The title says it all. Today was my 2nd biggest Mommy Failure moment. You know what I mean right? Those moments were you can’t possibly face palm yourself hard enough!
My 1st moment was about 2 1/2 years ago. We were about 45 minutes away from home when I realized I had packed Corinne’s formula but no bottle! Since Corinne was only about 4 months at the time this was a huge problem! Oh and of course this revelation came to me as I was frantically digging through the diaper bag and Corinne is screaming her head off. So I feel like the worse Mom ever and immediately start crying, Josh who thank goodness is the yin to my yang in the situations, calms me down and drives us to a nearby Babies R Us. I run inside and by one of the ready to go formula bottles and a pack of nipples. I am in the checkout aisle literally trying to convince myself that Corinne is not going to contract some horrible disease from using an un-sterilized nipple and that the most important thing is that she eats. I get outside to the car where Josh is trying his hardest to entertain her and quickly assemble the bottle and nipple and hand it over to Josh and my starving (practically malnourished) baby and BAM! This Chick didn’t screw the nipple on all the way and the WHOLE thing dumps all over the both of them. To the point Corinne is now choking because it went up her nose! I look over at Josh and he is covered in putrid smelling formula and a baby that is screaming bloody murder. And now I am balling! I usually handle situations like this pretty well but not this time! I literally say down on the ground in the Babies R Us parking lot and cried. I vaguely remember Josh undressing Corinne and getting a 2nd bottle ready but I was too busy crying. Yup, face palm!
We’ve all had these moments right? Parenting is hard, being a Mom is even harder! We all make mistakes but when they involve and effect our children it hits us even harder. At the time I was convinced I was like the worse Mom ever and I was doomed to fail. Now, I can’t stop laughing at myself while I am typing this!
Well fast forward 2 1/2 years and I almost topped myself! What did I do your wondering? Stop by tomorrow to find out!

Paleo Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

One of our go to treats (as we call them) are these cookies.  They are super easy to make and Josh is always happy when he can have a sweet snack that stays within the Paleo lifestyle.  These cookies are also Gluten Free!

Paleo Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/2 Cups Almond Flour

3/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon Salt (I like to use Kosher)

1 Cup Chocolate Chips (soy free)

1/4 Cup shredded Coconut Flakes

2 Large Eggs

1/3 Cup All Natural Raw Honey

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

2 Tablespoons melted Coconut Oil

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium sized bowl combine all dry ingredients and stir.  In a separate large bowl add eggs and vanilla and stir until combined than add the honey and coconut oil.  Slowly add the dry ingredients to your wet mixture until combined.  Your batter will be moist but not sticky.

Spoon batter onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 11 minutes.  I tend to make smaller cookies so I don’t feel as bad when I eat so many!  If you make larger cookies than increase your baking time accordingly.

If you try these let me know and I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

 

What a great way to start your day

Surround yourself

with the dreamers and the doers,

the believers and the thinkers,

but most of all,

surround yourself with those who see greatness within you,

even when you don’t see it yourself.

Edmund Lee~

Spring Fever

Spring has sprung (barely) and we are trying our hardest to enjoy some warm weather!  I know that by living in New England I should be used to Roller Coaster weather but this is just ridiculous!  Today is May 13th and I tjust turned our heat on!  4 days ago it was in the mid 80′s!  Blah!!!!

I really want the warm weather to come and to stay!  I promise I won’t complain when it is so humid we can barely breathe, or when I look at our Electric bill after 30 days of round the clock Central Air.  Pinky promise, I swear!  Warm weather and sunshine is so motivating!  It makes you want to start your day earlier, eat your healthiest and drink lots of summer drinks.  Okay, I know, I know!  I drink all year long so what’s the difference you are wondering?  No difference in quantity but my beverage of choice does change!  Don’t judge me, 2 girls only 16 months apart, enough said!  Back to my topic now.  I want warm weather and I want it now!

Here’s a few pictures of the girls outside!

    Most beautiful field in Litchfield, CT 

 

    Oh and I’m sure you have noticed how huge the Girls are!

Rocking out with Sesame Street

Over the weekend we were able to take the girls to their 1st concert!  Haha!  So obviously it wasn’t a real concert, but going to see Elmo and the other other Sesame Street characters are as close to Rock Stars for these girls as you can get! 

About a week before the show the girls helped me pick out some blue, pink and purple tulle.  I spent a few late nights cutting, tying, and fluffing to make two fabulous Abby Cadabby tutus!  After a few tries and failed attempts they came out pretty cute but not very durable.  Oh well, they were a hit with the girls so that’s all that matters! 

Thanks to my wonderful MIL we had passes for a Meet the Characters Photo Shoot before the show!  I was most anticipating this part as I was dieing to see if the girls would sit with them or freak out!  Leading up to the day of the show we talked with Corinne (since we all know she leads the pack) about the size of the characters.   We were trying to prep her for the fact that they were going to be huge in her eyes and hopefully avoid her being scared.  It seemed to work!  While were were in line waiting our turn my Mom and I could see the excitement on her face which in turn helped McKenzie be excited and not scared.  When it was our turn they sat right on Elmo and Cookie Monsters’ laps and took pictures.  Now they may look like they were being tortured in the picture but I swear they were having fun! 

The show itself was tons of fun!  It wasn’t too loud or flashy that the girls became scared!  The storyline was cute and age appropriate and there was lots of singing and dancing.  McKenzie surprised us by dancing and singing through the whole show!  Corinne was upset that she could not get on the stage and dance with Abby but overall she had a great time!  Here’s a few more pictures of our day!

 

 

 

 

Co-Hosting a Mommy- Brain Mixer

Welcome to the Mommy-Brain Mixer! So happy you’re here.

Let’s face it, it’s fun to share stories about motherhood and our littles. As mamas, we understand one another. At the Mommy-Brain Mixer, we invite your to share about anything and everything motherhood or little people related. Be sure to visit one another. —->>This mixer is all about building community between moms.<—

This is a perfect place to find great blogs to follow, make wonderful new blog friends, and enjoy entertaining reads!

Mommy MUSTS:

1. Say hello to my cheery cohost, Coretta.
2. Link up your mommy post, not your homepage.
3. Visit at least the two links ahead of you & leave comment love.

Optional, but appreciated:

• Follow your host, Jelli
• Meet new mama pals with lots in common at the Mommy-Brain Mixer. Tweet
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• Link back to the party by adding the button or a text link to your blog post.

Button code (copy & paste): <a href=”http://www.jellibeanjournals.com/tag/mommy-brain-mixer/&#8221; title=”Mommy-Brain Mixer”><img src=”http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg481/fairyjuliet/mbmbugsbutton_zps8bd75349.png&#8221; alt=”Mommy-Brain Mixer”></a>

If you are interested in co-hosting a Mommy-Brain Mixer, send Jelli an email at jellibeanjournals@hotmail.com!

Link on up, Ladies!

A plea for Birthstories!

      

 

 

So as you all know I am a Doula and i am obsessed with all things pregnancy and birth related!  I love reading birth stories and would love to read yours and share it with others!  If you haven’t written your birth story or stories yet I highly suggest that you do.  It is a great process for yourself and can be a wonderful gift to your children in the future.  If you would like to share your story with others please email me your story at LaborofLoveCT@gmail.com.

Days like these

Monday Josh and I took the girls to the city (NYC) for the day.  Other than being around our family, the only plus side to living in Connecticut is having the ability to wake up, get in the car, and head to the city.  While we were getting ready that morning we kept telling Corinne we were going on a trip which got her super excited although I’m pretty sure she had no clue what we meant!  The girls were great on the way there, Kenzie slept most of the ride and Corinne played with her Doc McStuffins bag.

Once in the city we strapped the girls in the stroller and walked!  Yup, we walked!  We didn’t do anything fancy or elaborate.  We walked around downtown, ate some yummy NYC pizza, and took them to Washington Square Plaza.  For those of you not familiar with Washington Square Plaza, it embodies all things NYC.  It’s full of people of all walks of life, different performers, and a dog park.  It’s great for relaxing, playing, people watching and playing.  As we were making our way to the park we found the Bubble Man, as I have nicknamed him, and we stopped to have some fun!

It’s such a simple concept which was part of the joy of it.  He wasn’t trying to sell anything or profit off of us.  He was out there entertaining kids and having a great time himself.  Surprisingly the girls jumped right in!

After our bubble fun we walked about 20 more feet to a park and played with the girls!

       

It’s like days like these that are my favorite!  The four of us spending the day together not doing much at all!

  Today we are linking up with some wonderful Women who happen to be amazing Moms as well!  Stop by the Mommy-Brain Mixer and see what else is going on!

Easter Festivities

Like most Holidays, Easter came with a new excitement now that we have the girls.  Being able to experience the festivities with them and seeing the genuine joy that they feel is truly something remarkable.  It also is an ongoing reminder to take time and enjoy every moment of every day.

We started our Easter weekend with a small egg hunt at a friends’ house on Friday.  It was the perfect introduction to this tradition for McKenzie, and Corinne.  It was also the first semi-warm day since last Fall so it was nice to be outside!  The girls and the other kiddos there had a blast!

  

Saturday was our usual routine of Gymnastics and Dance classes for Corinne and I.  The rest of the day was spent running into a million and one stores for all of the last minute items and our weekly grocery shopping.  Before the girls went up to bed they left their baskets out for the Easter Bunny so he could leave them some treats!  After the girls went to sleep Josh, Tiago (our room mate) and I started putting together their Easter baskets.  To me, Easter baskets are more about the thought and are for fun.  I never even knew until after high school that it was possible to buy the pre-made wrapped in cellophane kind.  Not that there is anything wrong with those, it just takes all of the fun out of it for me!  I enjoy doing these little things for them.  We filled our eggs with jelly beans, stuffed their baskets, and set up the table for them.  With two dogs in the house that are especially found of all things candy, the baskets needed to be up high!

Thankfully the Easter Bunny was finally able to get his paws on the Doc McStuffins doctor’s kit that a certain little girl has been wanting for months!

Corinne and McKenzie woke up bright and early Sunday morning excited to see what treats the Easter Bunny left for them!  Lol!  They were very happy and excited when they came down and saw the easter eggs throughout the downstairs, the baskets on the table, and a note the Easter Bunny left for them.

   

 I know you love Corinne’s fabulous outfit!  Her new thing is to “change her outfit”  after we put her to bed every night.  It is amusing to see what she has created every morning when she wakes up!

For Easter dinner we went to a lovely families house!  They are a great big Italian family, that love to eat, laugh and spoil our girls!  Ha ha!  The food is amazing and I always eat too much while we’re there and bring home way too much food!  Besides the amazing hospitality, one of the highlights of spending time with this family is listening to the Women talk about their labor stories and breastfeeding their little one’s.  It’s so cool to hear them talk about nursing, there is an absence of bragging or needing to prove themselves, it was just what was done.  They all nursed one another’s kids when needed too!

All in all Easter was a blast this year!  The girls had so much fun which always makes Josh and I happy.  How was your Easter?  I would love to hear how you spent it and see pictures!  If you wrote your own Easter post link it in the comments!

What’s Going On

I love to read other bloggers Currently posts so I thought I would do something similar.  For as organized and high-strung as I can be, I am extremely impulsive, so live in a constant state of being all over the place!  I constantly have too many things on my plate that need to get done and get done well.  I am the Queen of making lists and then having to make a list about my lists!  So I guess this is more of a blog showing my current priority list!

Get It Done Now:

I just finished the second of two books that I am reviewing for the wonderful Kathy Morelli and I have to get my reviews written up and posted.  The books were great and super informative but with my other readings I have to do I feel bad that I am taking so long to get this done.  Start my Community Project and Reflection Guide for my SBD training.  I am in love with everything I am learning and doing so far in this training,  I would like to obtain my certification sooner than later so I NEED to start my Community Project and Reflection Guide!  Get more homeschool organized, Corinne and McKenzie are loving doing “fun things” every day.  I would like to have a few weeks worth of activities and worksheets planned, printed, with their supply list, ready to go!

What I Want To Do:

Get more quotes and artwork on the walls in the girls’ playroom.  I have the frames, and know what I want, it’s JUST a matter of doing it.  Start working out more.  Ok let me be honest, I want to workout!  I am not one to focus on a number or stress over a size.  But I want to be healthy for myself and my family so I need to live a healthy lifestyle.  I would really like to know how others living in New England avoid the winter rut?  It’s hard when you are stuck inside day after day with the kids, I just have little motivation to be active.  It’s freaking cold outside!

What’s Going On:

Corinne is in the homestretch of Dance and Gymnastics classes.  Her dance recital is mid June and gymnastics ends around the same time.  Yes, we will be that crazy family that has like 30 people at her recital.  Hey, it’s her 1st and it’s also less than a week after her birthday so we are combining celebrations.  McKenzie is finding her voice and speaking it loud and clear in this house!  No more laid back and mellow Kenzie Bear!  She’s here and a force to be reckoned with!  My SBD training is amazing!  I am learning so much and it has sparked so much drive and enthusiasm that I need to reign myself in.  I am currently in the 7th of 8 weeks of online training and then there are two projects I need to complete.  I recently started a collection of tap and ballet shoes for Girls Inc which is a non-profit organization that is doing amazing things with young girls.  If you would like to donate some shoes or a Payless gift card please let me know!

What’s Happened:

Last week I had the amazing opportunity to speak on a panel of Birth Gurus!  I honestly was so low on the Todom Pole that I found myself listening to them speak in awe and forgetting that I was a speaker as well! I had some Labor of Love t-shirts made and am rocking them like crazy!  Ha ha!  Let me know if you want one!

What’s Caught My Eye:

Celebrity Apprentice, All Stars has us hooked already!  Omarosa drives me nuts but she makes for good rating so I’m sure she’ll be there for a while.  All my Housewives continue to crack me up and ! wonder what I watched before reality tv!  Nashville is still my current favorite and the soundtrack is amazing!

Well that’s it for me! Lol  What’s new with you?  If you do a Currently or a What’s Going On post, tag me so I can read it!