Today, Kate shares a recommendation to help cope with picky eating:
Like many parents, I periodically wind up locked in conflict with my 5-year-old about whether or not she will eat the food I put in front of her. I know this is a poor parenting strategy, but also know that there were few things I hated more as a child than being made to sit at the table until I swallowed down whatever despised leafy green my parents insisted upon. To this day I have a limited vegetable repertoire, and wonder how much of this dates to my early, agonized relationship with said leafy greens. Dealing with picky eating is particularly frustrating given my sense of responsibility to help my daughter learn how to eat well, and the irksome knowledge that if I cave, she will contentedly eat potato chips until there's nothing left but the greasy, salty bag. What's a parent to do?Today, Kate shares a recommendation to help cope with picky eating:
Like many parents, I periodically wind up locked in conflict with my 5-year-old about whether or not she will eat the food I put in front of her. I know this is a poor parenting strategy, but also know that there were few things I hated more as a child than being made to sit at the table until I swallowed down whatever despised leafy green my parents insisted upon. To this day I have a limited vegetable repertoire, and wonder how much of this dates to my early, agonized relationship with said leafy greens. Dealing with picky eating is particularly frustrating given my sense of responsibility to help my daughter learn how to eat well, and the irksome knowledge that if I cave, she will contentedly eat potato chips until there's nothing left but the greasy, salty bag. What's a parent to do?
Truly, one of the best postpartum gifts imaginable is the gift of food. And on Thursday, when it was cold and rainy out, my friend Jen kindly brought over a Harrows chicken pie (+ rolls) that totally hit the spot. Impressively loaded with white meat, carrots, and potatoes (no mystery fillers of the frozen pot pies of my youth here...), all I needed to do was pop the pie in the oven (I recommend placing the pie on a rimmed baking sheet to catch drips) and within an hour the house smelled fantastic and Jon, Laurel, and I were happily indulging in a wonderfully warm and comforting dinner.
I first met Alicia Ybarbo at Blissdom last year and she is such a lovely, smart, and dynamic woman -- every time I've seen Alicia since Blissdom, I just feel happy. Alicia is a producer at NBC's TODAY Show and is co-author of Today's Moms: Essentials for Surviving Baby's First Year. So for today's four favorites guest post, I asked Alicia to share her top four myth-busters about baby's first year. (I figured I could use the reminders, given that it's been six years since I've done the newborn thing!)
My friend Amy Turn Sharp is a talented writer, a mamapreneur -- she and her husband craft lovely little wood toys for wee ones via their indie, eco business Little Alouette -- and she also has a baby in the house. So for today's four favorites guest post, I asked Amy to recommend four favorite (indie and eco-friendly) baby things that she and her son Scout are digging right now.
During a recent play date at a friend's house, Laurel fell in love with playing marble solitaire. I had never seen this game before but I loved the simplicity, compactness, and natural look (it's simply a wood base + marbles). And admittedly, I wanted to have a crack at the game myself. I ordered the game to include in Laurel's big sister gift bag from Violet and we've since had a great time playing, whether together or in solitary form. The concept is simple -- set up the marbles with an empty space in the center and every time you jump a marble (as in checkers), place the jumped marble in the circular holder rim. The object is to clear the board. The best I've gotten to so far is five marbles remaining; I hope to improve on that soon!
Asha Dornfest of Parent Hacks is one of my favorite people on the planet, both online and in real life. Via Parent Hacks, Asha has built a wonderful community around the sharing of all things practical, yet she also is a deep thinker who ruminates continually on the complex well beyond the nuts and bolts hacks of life. So for today's four favorites guest post, I asked Asha to share four ways to help older children adjust to a new family member.
One thing is for sure: in this fast paced, instant gratification world of social media, being an online person who disappears for a few days apparently results in some digital hand wringing. When I finally turned my Blackberry back on following 58 hours of labor, I was touched and surprised to see so much concern about my whereabouts on Twitter and Facebook. There have been some frequently asked questions, and I thought I'd share the responses here since some of the information may be handy to other expecting parents.
The thing about my friend Jenny (aka The Bloggess) is that online she is this absurdly funny, irreverent writer (who writes about everything from parenting to sex to clowns to zombies -- all with a healthy dose of the f-bomb), yet she is -- while still being very, very funny -- an utterly sweet snuggle bunny in person. Jenny's blog never fails to make me laugh (her responses to PR pitches are particularly hysterical), so for today's four favorites guest post, I asked Jenny to share what she finds funny -- to recommend four websites that will make you laugh so hard you'll be crying alongside your baby.
I can't believe it's been one week since Violet was born. She is such a love and Laurel is a wonderful big sister; we feel so grateful every day. And one thing is for sure; it's very easy for the days to slip away -- I feel fantastic and full of energy (compared to how depleted I felt after Laurel's C-section...I even made lasagna yesterday!) and I love snuggling with Violet during the day, and reconnecting as a family after Jon and Laurel get home from work/school. Anyway, a lot of people have been asking about photos. Here are two from when we were in the hospital. I know I'm biased, but isn't Violet the cuteness? She's plumping up nicely; I laughed out loud when I found out yesterday at the pediatrician that she gained 6 ounces in two days. Clearly, milk supply (and demand) is not a problem.
Words cannot sufficiently express how much I adore Liz Gumbinner and Kristen Chase. These ladies are smart, funny, and have fantastic taste -- and they share all of their favorite picks via Cool Mom Picks and their newer site, Cool Mom Tech. For today's four favorites guest post, I asked Liz and Kristen to share their four favorite apps for moms. As a Blackberry user, I'm completely clueless in the apps department, but one of these days I'm hoping to join the app world. Meanwhile, all of you app savvy users can benefit from their research.
Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Katie via the Boston Mamas Facebook page:
Dear Boston Mamas, I am looking for ideas on how to incorporate a nursery/baby area into our guestroom/study. We don't have a lot of room, and this is my first baby -- what do I need and what don't I need? Where should I get things?
Hello everyone! As you may have gathered from my absence here the last few days, the baby has arrived! It was not a fast journey -- I wish I was kidding in reporting that I endured 58 hours of labor (including excruciating lower back pain during contractions due to the baby's positioning), but I'm thrilled that my desire for a natural birth panned out and that the baby latched right on after delivery. Jon and I were so grateful to the wonderful midwife, doula, and hospital staff that helped us through the process and Laurel is thrilled to be a big sister...she said she doesn't want to leave her little sister's side for her whole life.
I was truly honored when Momversation invited me to become part of this amazing group of panelists, and one of the projects I'm working with them on involves fostering dialogue around family and food, a subject about which I'm super passionate. I'll be participating in a series of these food chats through the remainder of this year; the project is sponsored by Ragú® (who I was thrilled to learn makes organic products, btw), and my first video with the lovely Whitney Moss and Mindy Roberts focuses on tips around involving kids at mealtimes. I've embedded the video below (it's just under three and a half minutes) for your viewing pleasure -- enjoy!
Today, Carole Arsenault of Boston Baby Nurses shares tips for traveling with baby:
Whether your baby is newly born, a few months old, or nearing a year, the better prepared you are for any trip you're taking, the happier everyone will be. So rule #1 is to plan ahead. You really want to keep your baby's needs in mind as you decide where to go, where to stay, and how you're going to get there. After that's decided, you'll want to plan additional details, such as what to pack, ideally no later than two weeks before your trip. Make lists and check things off as you go. Here are a few areas you'll want to focus on:
Laurel definitely has the design bug, and when she recently became obsessed with and started sketching wedding dresses, part of me couldn't believe she'll be one of those girls who will be able to say, "I dreamed about my wedding dress since I was six years old!" and part of me was stunned by the creativity, color, and detail she includes in her designs. Even so, Laurel knows that white is the norm, and given that she has has asked me if it's OK that her dresses are super colorful, I was thrilled to find this Brides from Around the World Paper Dolls book while shopping around for a few "from baby sister" gifts.
I know I've been lucky to have such a wonderfully smooth pregnancy, carrying on per usual with everything in life. However, some typically onerous chores have take on even more onerous dimensions -- such as house cleaning. I'm good at cleaning when I get to it, but it's just not among my favorite things to do, particularly when super pregnant. Subsequently, a few weeks ago I called some eco-friendly cleaners to book a one-time pre-baby cleaning, but I either received no response or was told that there was no immediate availability or that one-time cleanings were not possible. So last week, when a Boston Sparkling Clean deal rolled through my e-mail via Buy With Me, I immediately bought a voucher (well, after doing due diligence by looking at their website and finding some positive Yelp reviews online).
Last week while I was in hibernation, my latest Stonyfield Farm column went live and I wanted to share it with you all. Particularly given that I'm not a milk drinker (and whether by example or preference, neither is Laurel), I'm always looking for ways to infuse calcium into my family's diet. So, hop on over and check out my tips and tricks for getting more calcium into your diet. Both sweet and savory recipe recommendations are included. Enjoy!
A couple of months ago, after (probably too) many weeks of winging it with my regular clothes, I finally came to terms with the fact that I needed maternity tops. It also quickly became painfully (literally) clear that I needed new bras too. Read on for my thoughts on three of Bravado's maternity/nursing bra offerings, as well as to learn how to win a Bravado nursing bra or tank!