Can I be like her please

I know its not right to want to be someone else... To look at her and say man I wish I was her! I want what she has, I want to do the things she does, I want to dress like her, act like her, cook like her etc... But the woman described in Proverbs 31 is truly a testament of what kind of wife and mother I truly long to be. 

Hymn to a Good Wife

^{Prov 10-31(MSG)}  A good woman is hard to find,
    and worth far more than diamonds.
Her husband trusts her without reserve,
    and never has reason to regret it.
Never spiteful, she treats him generously
    all her life long.
She shops around for the best yarns and cottons,
    and enjoys knitting and sewing.
She’s like a trading ship that sails to faraway places
    and brings back exotic surprises.
She’s up before dawn, preparing breakfast
    for her family and organizing her day.
She looks over a field and buys it,
    then, with money she’s put aside, plants a garden.
First thing in the morning, she dresses for work,
    rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started.
She senses the worth of her work,
    is in no hurry to call it quits for the day.
She’s skilled in the crafts of home and hearth,
    diligent in homemaking.
She’s quick to assist anyone in need,
    reaches out to help the poor.
She doesn’t worry about her family when it snows;
    their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear.
She makes her own clothing,
    and dresses in colorful linens and silks.
Her husband is greatly respected
    when he deliberates with the city fathers.
She designs gowns and sells them,
    brings the sweaters she knits to the dress shops.
Her clothes are well-made and elegant,
    and she always faces tomorrow with a smile.
When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say,
    and she always says it kindly.
She keeps an eye on everyone in her household,
    and keeps them all busy and productive.
Her children respect and bless her;
    her husband joins in with words of praise:
“Many women have done wonderful things,
    but you’ve outclassed them all!”
Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades.
    The woman to be admired and praised
    is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God.
Give her everything she deserves!
    Festoon her life with praises!

I read an amazing post the other day by Heather of Cook Family Chronicles called The Ministry of House Work http://www.cookfamilychronicles.com/2012/09/ministry-of-housework/  

Amazing post!  And totally amazing blog totally worth checking out!

Her post was beyond beautiful and so easy for us to forget that our family is our ministry, the things we do for our family is our ministry.  

In 2008 I went to Uganda Africa and fell in love with those beautiful children and that country.  Its easy to see doing things in Africa as ministry but ministry opportunities are all around us not just in foreign countries.  I spent 3 years on staff at a church and I loved working in the 'ministry'  Its always something I thought I would do and I never thought of the things I do every day as ministry.  

Its so easy for me to get frustrated and say whats the point.  Most days are a little crazy around here and lately our days have been starting earlier and earlier.  Jax still wakes up several times each night which makes early mornings even more annoying. Our laundry is beyond overflowing.  I feel like an epic failure when my hubs goes to get ready for work and says I don’t have any clean pants?! Or where are all the clean towels?  I just can’t seem to get ahead!  Most days cleaning seems pointless, I do it many times and it’s a mess 10 mins later  My sweet lil monkeys mess it up faster than I can clean it up. We watch way to much TV and most days seem to be a free for all run amuck kind of days with no progress really made, maybe a load of laundry done etc.  

This is seriously the story of my life!

When I was growing up my mom was ALWAYS on the go.. She rarely sat down and vedged, as a matter of fact I don't know that she knew how to. That's because she was and is a great wife and mother. She could have worked a 13 hour day and still found energy to keep care of her husband and house. I used to think dang mom take some time for yourself why are you doing this for your husband can't he do it himself etc. But she had embraced what God had called her to do and was and still is very much like the woman described in the verses above.

When my hubs came home from deployment we went on a mini 3 day vaca and my mom stayed here and took care of my 3 kids.  When we got home the house was clean, rearranged, all the laundry done, all the dishes done etc.  My hubs said maybe someday I would learn to be like her.  I was a little ticked off but at the same time well its true.  Of course she only had to do it for 3 days which is totally different then living it every day but still..

Steven Curtis Chapman - Do Everything (Official Music Video) from steven-curtis-chapman on GodTube.

Before you stop the song playing listen to beginning.. it is totally perfect for mommies!  LOVE the words!  

The post Heather wrote about housework being a ministry seriously stuck out to me.  It was one of those posts I just happened to stumble upon and then couldn’t get it out of my mind.  This verse seriously sums it up…

Colossians 3:23

Amplified Bible (AMP)

²³ Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men,

It really is time to find joy in laundry not bc laundry is fun but you are doing it for your family and ultimately doing it for Jesus, take joy in cooking dinner and doing dishes, running around  simply bc thats what a good wife and mama do! Time to quit being soo lazy and embrace the wondrous job I have been given as a woman and rise up and take care of my Husband, Babies and our house!

So this begins a new journey, a time to put down self and flesh and laziness and rise up and be the crowning joy of my family and aspire to be just like the Proverbs 31 woman.

PS Mommy to Mommy Q&A Thursdays will return next week!

This Post Sponsored by:

Mommy To Mommy QA Eating with Kiddos

Today I am so excited for Mommy To Mommy Q&A because we are talking about Eating with Kiddos!  Lots of great advice from some awesome mommies!  Hope you find something that helps you! I know I did! Feel free to leave your advice in the comments as well!  

Lets meet our this weeks mommies!

Cindy from Vegetarian Mamma

Cindy: I am a stay at home blogging mamma and loving every minute with my two energetic boys! My oldest little man is 5 and my youngest is 2.  My husband is an engineer in the food industry.  Our family is vegetarian and our youngest son was diagnosed with a life threatening peanut and tree nut allergies as well a a dairy allergy and gluten intolerance.  We blog about recipes that are adaptable for all eating styles!

Twitter:  @vegetarianmamma

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vegetarian-Mamma/126775957379585

Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/CindyDG

Sarah Eleanor from Spoon Fed Baby

Hi, I'm Sarah Eleanor from Spoon Fed Baby.  I blog about homemade baby food, play time ideas, products I love and well, um, staying sane as a stay at home mom!  My son is 13 months old and thankfully not walking yet (knock on wood). My husband is awesome and sometimes reads my blog (Ha!). 

Facebook

Twitter

Taara from Dual Voltage

Coffee drinker, candy addict and self professed introvert, Taara blogs at Dual Voltage on the joys and challenges of living as a missionary abroad and raising her two kids, Lucas (3.5) and Elena (2) in a multi-cultural context. At her blog you'll find everything from craft tutorials to party ideas, cultural observations to parenting epiphanies, and all sorts of random tidbits along the way. 

Q-  How do you get your kids to try new things?  My younger 2 will try anything, my oldest absolutely will not!  

Cindy: Getting to try new food items can be so tricky!  Often times its how its presented to the kiddos that gets them hooked!  Don't be afraid to "play" with your food!  A fellow blogger told me...you cooked that food with love, so put it on your plate with love. That is very true.  Take some time and present a new veggie nicely on the plate, instead of slopping it down (I am so guilty of doing this in the past!) Try mixing a new food with a food that your child likes.  Getting them used to the taste a little bit at a time helps!

Sarah Eleanor: My son has been an awesome eater so far.  He chows down anything you set in front of him.  Now that he is over 1 and is becoming more aware and more toddler-ish, I find that I have to be ok with letting him eat the stuff he likes best (bread and fruit) first and then work in the new food after he is satisfied with the favorites.  Mixing them onto his fork together helps also because he is getting his old standby plus the new flavor. 

Taara: We try to eat a lot of different foods, and get the kids to at least try a little bit of everything that is served. We also have a little song we sing about how if you "try it, try it, you just might like it"  and "it's good to try something new". If a recipe really goes over bad I'll wait a few weeks before trying it again, and if it's still a no-go then we probably won't try it again. Also depends on how mommy feels about it. If I really like it I'll give it another go.  

Q - Do you have creative ways to get veggies in your kidos?  Again my youngest 2 no prob but the only veggies I can get my oldest to eat is Campbells Veggie Vegetarian soup haha 

Cindy: One of my favorite tricks that even my 5 year old still likes is putting their food into a 6 hole muffin tin! My kids will practically eat anything from a muffin tin.  Again, its how the food is arranged.  Try to vary the color, texture, etc of the veggies.  I had a friend that made a HUGE selection of veggies for her 3 kids.  She had them sample all the veggies.  They had to pick 3 veggies that they promised to eat.  She serves at least one at dinner everyday.  Her kids have stuck to the plan because they have ownership in making the choice of those veggies!  Let kids take ownership in the store by picking out veggies and also let them take ownership in the kitchen!

Sarah Eleanor: My son just starting to not care for the veggies as much.  He will eventually eat them but just not with as much gusto as before.  Putting veggies into mini meatballs or muffins is a great way to get them in, because they are in something he loves to chow down on. 

Taara: My kids are somewhat picky on the veggie front so I make a lot of one-dish meals that you can put tons of veggies in without them really noticing. When I make spaghetti sauce I put in spinach and grated carrots and even I can't notice a difference in the taste. We do try to have salad once in a while and get them to eat raw veggies, like carrots, tomatoes and cucumbers (with dip if it helps!). Soups are also a great way of getting their veggies, I especially like a homemade beef barley soup. Soups are good too because you can make a huge batch and freeze part of it. Then serve it with yummy bread and only give them the bread once they've eaten part of their soup. No joke, we bribe our kids to eat their veggies, with bread. :) 

Q - Where do you go to find new recipes or ideas for foods for your kids?

Cindy:  I love visiting websites and surfing the web for recipes. I find many recipes at my Gluten Free Fridays recipe party on my site!  Its fun to have others come and link up their favorite GF foods!

Sarah Eleanor: I use Weelicious, Pinterest (duh!) and Wholesome Baby Food.  I relied on the last one tons as I was beginning to introduce solids.  Each food is broken down with nutrition information, when to intoduce it, and lots of tips! 

Taara: I signed up with allrecipes.com and get a new recipe every day - some are really good. I keep a lot of my recipes there. Other than that I also make up stuff a lot of the time and have a few really good stand-by recipes that I can make when all else fails. 

Q-  Can you share a fun kid approved recipe?

Cindy:  This is our favorite kid approved snack! Frozen Chocolate Banana Bites! http://vegetarianmamma.com/chocolate-bloghop-frozen-chocolate-banana-bites-chocolatelove/

Sarah Eleanor: One of my son's favorite meals for breakfast is muffins.  I found a recipe for whole wheat muffins at food.com that include carrots, zucchini and apples.  He chows them down for breakfast and I feel good that he is getting some veggies in! 

Taara: Here is a post I wrote a while ago about getting your kids to eat Spinach, with a super easy recipe (http://dualvoltage.blogspot.com.br/2012/04/how-to-get-your-kids-to-eat-spinach.html)

It's basically a pasta alfredo sauce made with bacon, garlic, cream, spinach and parmesan cheese. My kids love almost all things pasta. (except Kraft mac n cheese!)

Q - Do you let your kids cook with you?  What age did you start letting them help? 

Cindy: As soon as they could hold a spoon I let them "help"  Maybe it takes a litlte more prep work, but they kids love it!  Have them help by pouring or dumping items into a bigger bowl.  They can stir.  Its interesting that my 2 year old will try anything that I am prepping to cook.  He may be apprehensive at the table to try something new but if he's helped cook it....he'll try it.

Sarah Eleanor: Well, baby boy is only 13 months right now, so we haven't started cooking together yet.  He is interested though when I stir something so I will often give him a bowl and whisk and let him stir up his blocks on the kitchen floor.  I hope that soon he can help me by dumping some of the ingredients into my pot or mixing bowl. 

Taara: Most of the time I cook by myself, but every once in a while my son, Lucas, wants to help. He likes to stir the pot, and usually he is pretty careful. I would like to do more baking things with my kids, but they are still kind of young for that - unless it's a really simple recipe

Q - Whats your best advice for making sure picky eaters get enough of the right kind of nutrition? 

Cindy: Never to be forceful.  We need to provide a variety of nutrution on their plate.  Its their job to learn to eat it.  However, as they are learning, we can certainly coach them.  I have found the more you force the worse of a battle you will get.  And most likely you won't win. 

Sarah Eleanor: I have not had to deal with the "picky eater" stage yet, but I have read to not sweat it.  Kids will go through phases where they love a food, only to hate it the next week.  Take a break from that food and revisit it later. As long as you are giving them a variety of foods on their plate they are most likely getting the right nutrition.  You can always be sneaky and add things in to favorite foods to ease your mind.  For example, wheat germ can be added in to most anything to give the meal a fiber boost. 

Taara: Try a variety and be consistent. I remember reading about how you shouldn't force kids with eating when you are starting to feed solid foods - but as they get old enough to have an opinion, sometimes you have to just make them eat a small amount. Also find fruits and veggies that they like and stock up. I'm also considering starting them on a chewable multi-vitamin. 

Q - Does your entire family eat the same thing for dinner or do you make different things for the kids?  

Cindy: Typcially we all eat the same thing, unless I make something really wacky!  its pretty much been known as a rule at our house, your dinner is on the table.  "I am sorry if you don't like it, but that is what's for dinner."  They will eat it if they are hungry enough.  Most of the time my older more picky son ends up eating it and says "oh wait, I guess I do like this...."  :)

Sarah Eleanor: Now that baby boy is 13 months we are often eating the same thing.  I will sometimes have to alter what we are eating just a bit to make it suitable for baby boy.  For example tonight we had chili for dinner.  I took out a serving of meat and cooked it with the tomatoes, beans, and spices separately so that I could make it less spicy and lower sodium than ours.  Easy! 

Taara: Yes! There is no way I'm going to start cooking individual meals. Sometimes the hubby and I wait until later to eat if we want to have take-out or something, but generally speaking I just cook one meal and the kids have to eat it. Of course sometimes if it's a new recipe and they really don't like it, we substitute some bread/PB etc (after they've tried the food of course!) Did I mention my kids love bread? :) 

Some more fun advice from Taara: My biggest piece of advice would be to make an easy, flexible menu with lots of variety. I make a menu every week and usually swap a few meals here and there, but at least I know I have all the ingredients for those meals. We eat Chinese, Indian, Mexican, Brazilian and all kinds of foods. Have fruits for snacks and focus on veggies during meals. When you cook, make double and freeze the extra. It's super handy for a busy day when you just have no time or energy to think about the next meal. 

I am working on Octobers Mommy to Mommy Thursdays Questions/Topics etc.  I need your help!

What topics are you interested in reading about?  What questions would you love to hear advice from other mommies on?

Next Thursday is Juggling kids and house hold and Our first Thursday in October we are talking about Babys 1st year and I still need 3 ladies to participate!

You can comment below or email me at monkeysandtutus@gmail.com

I am also looking for mommies to participate and answer the questions!  My goal is to have all the topics and questions ready to send out before October starts! 

This Post Sponsored by:

Mommy Input Needed!

Hello beautiful ladies!  I am working on Octobers Mommy to Mommy Thursdays Questions/Topics etc.  I need your help!

What topics are you interested in reading about?  What questions would you love to hear advice from other mommies on?

This Thursday we are talking about Eating with Kiddos and next Thursday is Juggling kids and house hold

Our first Thursday in October we are talking about Babys 1st year and I still need 3 ladies to participate!

You can comment below or email me at monkeysandtutus@gmail.com

I am also looking for mommies to participate and answer the questions!  My goal is to have all the topics and questions ready to send out before October starts! 

You can click on the Mommy to Mommy button in the sidebar and see the past topics and how they've gone so far.  i am open to any suggestions!  Thanks loves!  Looking forward to hearing from you!!!!


Today I also got the awesome opportunity to guest post on Second Chance to Dream! Talking about Rest for Tired Mommies! Check it out!!!

This Post Sponsored by:

Mommy to Mommy QA Playing with Kiddos

Welcome to Week 3 of Mommy To Mommy Thursdays Q&A!  This week we are discussing Playing with Kiddos! 

Here are the lovely ladies answering questions this week!

SaraFrom Confessions of a Redheaded Mama

Sara started blogging because she just needed an outlet for her thoughts.  She mainly blogs about her every day life and include some of her favorite recipes and random thoughts on reality tv etc. 

Twitter.com/RedheadedMama12

Brittany from TheDenny Buzz

Hi!  I'm Brittany!  I am married to my amazing husband Shawn & am a working mommy of one!  God blessed our family with our beautiful & amazing daughter, Leightyn, in September 2011!  I am blessed with an amazing job as a Speech-Language Pathologist in our local school district.  The Denny Buzz details the life of our family, our loves, crafts, recipes & more!  

https://twitter.com/thedennybuzz

Renee from My SoCalled Mommy Life

Renee is a coffee drinking, Iphone addicted mama of a 1 year-old girl who just returned to work after a years maternity leave. She blogs about everything to do with baby from labour and delivery to favourite books and art projects. 

Q- In our house it seems to be a free for all play all day kind of thing - though we have somewhat of a routine we don’t have any kind of schedule.  What does play time look like at your house? 

Sara: We don’t have a very structured schedule.   We just play with whatever is fun.  Sometimes it’s going outside and blowing bubbles or running through the sprinkler and then sometimes it’s playing with blocks. 

Brittany:  During the summer when I am off, play time starts in the morning after she eats breakfast.  I have a large basket of toys in our living room and she loves to sit by it and pull out various toys to play with.  I like to give her some alone play time first & at various times throughout the day.  I've always done this and it really encouraged her to learn to entertain herself at times which allows me a break but she's still having fun!  She loves to look at books, talk to her babies, push her walking toy around, etc.  Then we will play together either on the floor or in the kitchen on the floor with tupperware.   

Renee: Pretty much when Princess Peach isn't sleeping or eating it is playtime in our house. I do try to include different types of play within her playtime such art or gym type play but often it's a free-for-all.

Q- Play at our house usually results in a massive mess!  What about you gals?  I have tried the only getting one toy type out at a time kind of thing but it always ends that we have a million and one toys all over the house!  How do you keep playtime from being a destructive time?

Sara: Yes  my house usually looks like a tornado hit it.  I try the whole we need to put a toy back before we take one out and it hasn’t really worked.  I’m a softie.  Since Little Bear has started his toddling classes at the YMCA I have noticed a huge improvement in him being more willing to clean up.  If he is done playing inside we need to clean that up before going out or vice versa.

Brittany: I honestly do not mind play time resulting in a mess!  It's natural for kiddos to move from toy-to-toy & a mess to me means a happy baby!  I actually rarely notice the chaos on the floor because that's what my job entails during the school year!  During nap time or when she goes to bed is a great time to gather everything up and place it back in the basket for the next play time!  

Renee: It's a mess in our house too but so far it's contained to one room. So if she makes a mess in the morning before daycare we can always shut the door and deal with it at the end of the day.

Q- I have been trying to do different activities with my kids lately and have found tons of ideas and websites through pinterest!  Where do you go for new ideas and inspirations?

Sara: Inspiration from other mommy blogs and of course Pinterest.  Seriously,I saw Misty let her kids draw on her and do finger painting with pudding and one day I will get brave enough to try those.

I love the site Hands on as We Grow.   http://handsonaswegrow.com/2012/01/30-kids-activities-materials-for-promoting-fine-motor-skills/     I think they have some great ideas and one of my favorites was promoting fine motor skills. 

Another site I like is I Can Teach My Child  http://www.icanteachmychild.com/.  They have educational printables and good craft ideas.

Brittany: Pinterest and simple google searches are a great place to start!  Being a SLP I have a lot of ideas in my mind of fun things to do because my job requires constant activities to make learning fun!  To brainstorm some of your own, think of a subject or theme, think of basic materials you have around to make it, and then test it out!  Lots of times I'll start to make something & realize it's not going to work or it will turn into something even better.  It's all about trial & error!   

Renee: I love pinterest! I've gotten some amazing ideas from people's boards. I am compiling some great ideas because Princess Peach is almost 13 months old which is too young for many of these activties/ideas.

Here's is the link to my arts and crafts board on pinterest: http://pinterest.com/mscmommylife/arts-crafts/

Q - Do you have any good organization tips?

Sara: I do strive to be organized I really really do, but with playing I am relaxed.  As long as all the toys make it back to the toy box I am happy.

Brittany: My best organization tip is a huge basket!  It's a great "catch-all"!  Find a cute one that coordinates with your room decor and it will be a great accent piece to your room!  I found an oversized picnic basket that's the perfect shade of yellow to match our living room.  As she gets older and toys get bigger and more prevalent, I am thinking of getting a cabinet and sprucing it up to match our living room décor

Renee: In our playroom we have an entire closet devoted to all of baby's toys. I purchased two huge buckets that were orignially meant for drinks from the seasonal section. They are soft rubber and hold tons of toys. It's easy for clean up and having a door to hide the toys at other times is great.

As I'm starting to introduce puzzles keep puzzle pieces when not in use in a plastic ziploc style bag velcroed to the back. This way all of the pieces won't get lost when you aren't using them.

Q - I want to do family game nights but my kids are so young! Do you guys have them? What do you guys like to play? Any suggestions for toddlers?

Sara: We don’t have game night, but we do play games  together.  Little Bear  is getting better at understanding Candyland and we have a Toy Story memory game that he is quite good at.  Next on my list of games to purchase is Hungry Hungry Hippos.  I think that is a fun game for young kids.

Brittany: A fun game for toddlers is a magnetic fishing set from Lakeshore learning (http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/ca%7CsearchResults~~p%7C2534374302326440~~.jsp).  They also have letters and numbers you can "fish" for when they get older!  

Renee: Not game nights for us yet. Baby is too young! I can't wat to play fun boardgames with her!

Q - what is the 1 toddler toy that you say every kid should have?

Sara: A Fisher Price Little People’s set.  My son loves to play with the zoo and I like to watch him make the animals “talk”.  It really does help spark their imaginative play.

Brittany: I think every toddler should have dot painters (http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/ca%7CproductSubCat~~p%7CEV212~~f%7C/Assortments/Lakeshore/ShopByCategory/artscrafts/viewall.jsp)!  They are so much fun!!  Not only is it a fun art project it's a great fine-motor activity!  

Renee: Sounds silly but balls. My daughter absolutely loves them and she could stay busy playing with a ball for a very long time! There are some many fun things you can do with a ball like kicking, throwing, catching, hiding it, rolling it. It is also a portable toy and can go anywhere with you.

Q - Do you have any creative play ideas you would like to share?

Sara: Umm, this isn’t very creative , but we love to have dance parties.  I blast (not enough to hurt his ears) some fun music and we jump around the room and dance.  It gets his wild energy out and this mama gets some exercise.  Ashamed to admit I get out of breath.  The best part is we just act silly and giggle a whole lot.  No fancy, expensive toy needed!

Brittany: Two fun activities you can do at home are (1) get a cookie sheet and any fun magnets you have!  I had some ABC magnets and put those on the sheet and she really enjoys it!  (2)  another fun idea is to take a flashlight into a dark room and turn it on.  The first time I did this, Leightyn was just mesmorized by it!  She was able to discover things when the light would shine on them & it was a great time for vocabulary exposure.  Take glow in the dark items into the room and have fun!  I saw glow in the dark balloons at Walmart the other day...how much fun!!   Another fun activity I ran across on a blog is this Toddler Activity Table!  Such an awesome idea!  (please link the highlighted words to this:  http://www.madebymunchiesmama.com/2012/04/what-mama-made-monday-diy-toddler.html)

Renee: I have done two really fun art projects with baby! Here are the links to my blog so you can try them at home too!

Edible finger paint http://wp.me/p2vyNf-5u

No Mess Art http://wp.me/p2vyNf-6s

Thank you so much girls for your asnwers!  They helped me tons! Especially to know that I am not alone! My house isnt the only one that gets chaotic from time to time! Here are 2 of my pinterest boards that are filled with tons of toddler crafts, activities, blogs etc! Love me some Pinterest! Ha http://pinterest.com/monkeysandtutus/toddler-activities/ http://pinterest.com/monkeysandtutus/things-for-my-lil-people/ I hope you enjoyed todays Mommy to Mommy and come back next week for some fun with Eating with Kids! I am looking for October Topics, Question Ideas and Participants! Email me at monkeysandtutus@gmail.com if you have any ideas or want to participate!

Mommy to Mommy Q&A Mommy Me Time

So excited to bring you week two of Mommy to Mommy Q&A!

This weeks topic is Mommy Me Time!

Here is a little about the sweet mommies taking part this week!

Jodie from Wilsons Irish Twins

Jodie: ‘I am the lucky mother of two adorable babies - Calan, a 2-year-old bundle of energy, and Maisie, a 1-year-old full of fuss and fun. Having 2 children 13 months apart, might seem crazy to some, but for us, its just right. I share all my joys, fears, worries, concerns, excitement, plans, and whatever else comes to mind while raising these bundles of joy.’

wilsonirishtwins.blogspot.com

Renee from My So Called Mommy Life

Renee is a coffee drinking, Iphone addicted mama of a 1 year-old girl who just returned to work after a years maternity leave. She blogs about everything to do with baby from labour and delivery to favourite books and art projects. You can follow her journey at http://mysocalledmommylife.com

Leslie from Violet Imperfection

My name is Leslie and my blog is Violet Imperfection.  My blog is a bit of everything, crafts, DIY, recipes, books and of course being a stay at home Mama to my almost six month old daughter Violet.  I started this blog to remind me that not everything has to be perfect.  I have lived with the pressure of trying to be perfect my whole life and above all I want to teach Violet that life is beautiful, imperfections and all.

 http://violetimperfection.blogspot.com/

https://mobile.twitter.com/#!/VioletImperfect

https://www.facebook.com/VioletImperfection?ref=hl

Q - Having 3 under 3 I am not totally sure I even know what Mommy Me Time is!  How do you find time for yourself and what do like to do?

Jodie:  Utilize your husband. I know that for many moms that is not an option, but it is for me and I use him (in a good way). When I was pregnant with my first, I remember having one of those big hormonal just-listen-and-nod-dear-husband moments. I looked at him in pure panic and said with tears that I need him to be a hands-on dad (which I knew he would be, but I was hormonal). I didn't want to be a stay-at-home mom who was afraid to leave her children with their father. I didn't want to be overly controlling, which I totally knew I would be if he did not help me. 

He is great about letting me get away and being home if I need to do something. I do try to plan things that are after bedtimes or at least after dinner so he just has to put them to bed. I like to go out and catch up with friends. Most of my friends are moms too and we do get together for play dates, but there is just something so different about mom-only time. 

When I really need some time to myself, I go get a pedicure. Pretty toes just some how makes everything so much better. There is little in my life that a pedicure can't fix. It makes me feel human again and not just a jungle gym, play toy, Kleenex, maid, etc. that my children think that I am. 

Renee: I try to find some time to myself daily (if I can). These days I've learned that "Me" time looks different than it use to. Drinking my coffee alone, taking a shower with the door closed, or grocery shopping alone have become my new "me" time and I'm ok with that! I also am fortunate to be a part of a workout group which meets weekly. I also try to meet up with friends with or without kids to catch up. For my "Me" time I love seeing my friends, catching up on some reading (books and blogs), shopping (which is rarely) and taking a nap! 

Leslie: My daughter is only six months old but for now I have found a system that works. If I am having one of those pull my hair out days I will call my husband at work and let him know that I need some Mama time.  When he gets home I am usually waiting with keys in hand and "tag out" as my husband and I call it.  I usually just go to craft stores and wander around/ shop. I also love going to a used bookstore and browse.  With a little more planning I will go get a pedicure

Q - When days are going crazy around our house my destresser is loading up all the kids and going for a drive and getting myself some Starbucks or a Diet Dr Pepper! How do you de-stress when you cant get time to yourself?

Jodie: I go out as well. Some how my kids are way less whiny when they aren't at our house. We go for a walk or go to the library or the zoo or whatever we can that day. 

But sometimes, it is just about getting to bedtime. I live for bedtime. My kids go to bed at 7:30 basically every night. Even if they aren't sleeping, they are in their beds at 7:30. I shutdown the second the kids are in bed if it has been a bad day. I plop on the couch and watch horrible reality shows that somehow make me feel better about my life.

Renee: Put baby in her stroller and go for a walk! Ever since she was born in Aug 2011 we have been walking, even in the winter. We both love being outside and happen to stumble across some great places on our adventures. Starbucks is also a favourite hangout for a quick coffee for me and baby's "coffee" which is whole milk in a tall coffee cup! 

Leslie: My husband and I share a car, I so wish I could hop in the car on those crazy days.  Usually I will just let go of anything on my to do list, not worry about housework and focus on Violet.  Sometimes what we need to get back on track is some playtime.  Worst case, Mama Baby nap time.

Q - I know every mommy deals with not being able to go to the bathroom alone but at what point, especially when kids start being curious and noticing body parts do you start teaching them that bathroom time isnt social time or do you?  Especially as women and monthly visitors, Id really prefer to handle business alone with out an audience asking questions!

Jodie: Luckily, I only have one walker so far, so only one person to possibly disturb me. While my son is sometimes around when I have to go to the bathroom, for the most part, he leaves me alone. I usually do it while he is busy with something else and just tell him where I am going and that I want him to stay here till I get back. This usually does the trick. I don't think that it is a bad thing to set up boundaries for kids and the bathroom is a great place for that. The kids just aren't allowed in if we are going to the bathroom. They can wait outside the door till we are done, but "feet" must stay out. 

I am also a big user of "safe spaces." If I need to be in the bathroom for a longer period of time and need the kids to be somewhere that I know they won't get in trouble, into their cribs or bedroom they go till I am done. I give them toys they need to entertain them and I get time to myself to do what is needed. 

Renee: My daughter is still too young to understand what is going on. I've gotten use to her being my buddy everywhere including the bathroom. I will have to tackle the privacy issue one day but it won't be anytime close. 

Leslie: I haven't reached this milestone yet....looking forward to the answers.

Q - I know I am not the only one that struggles to find time for a quick shower some days yet alone a bath! How do you work in showers or even relaxing baths?

Jodie: I am not a mom that can wake up before her kiddos to shower and start her day. My kids wake me up around 7 and I usually can roll out of bed around 7:15. We usually have a slow starting morning with breakfast around 8. After breakfast, my kids get to go play by themselves. My son goes in their room to play and my daughter goes in her pack-and-play in our room to play. I then brew my coffee and hop in the shower with the door open in case I need to hear something going on. I usually get 40 minutes to get ready during that time. For me that is enough time to shower and do my hair and makeup. I usually pick out my clothes the night before, so that I am not wasting my 40 minutes picking out an outfit. After their play time, I get the kids dressed for the day and my 1-year-old goes down for a small morning nap and my 2-year-old gets to watch a little TV, so I can drink my cup of coffee. It is usually 9:30 around then and I am refreshed, feeling like a human, and ready for the day.

Renee: Baths are non-existant in my life right now. I do love a relaxing bath although I have no time whatsoever for one these days. Showers have to be fast. Usually once baby goes down for her morning nap I am able to have a shower alone and then get dressed and ready for the day before she wakes up. 

Leslie: Being that I only have one baby, I usually shower when she naps.  Or in the mornings after Violet's first bottle she is content to babble in her crib.  I am lucky that I can still contain her easily.  Though I have taken a fair amount of showers listening to her cry.

Q - If you have multiple kids, do you do one on one time with each?  At what age did you start? Share some fun ideas or a story.

Jodie: I am lucky that my daughter still naps in the morning and that gives me some one-on-one time with my son, but I will be honest, I don't get a lot of one-on-one time with my daughter. Though on the weekends, if my husband has some errands to do, he takes our son and I hang back with our daughter and play at home. I don't think they are exactly at the age where it completely matters. I am hoping as the years go on that I will have mom dates with my children. That is the plan, anyway.  

Renee: If you have multiple kids, do you do one on one time with each?  At what age did you start? Share some fun ideas or a story.

Only one child here so far! So she gets 100% of my attention! 

Leslie: Just one kid so far but I do try to interact one on one with Violet in more structured play.  I get down on the floor and play with her toys, she thinks it is so funny right now.

Q -What about Mommy & Daddy Time?  When we had 2 we never had trouble going on dates or getting 'personal' time together but our 3rd is totally needy and its much harder to find sitters for 3 to go on dates and even harder with a cosleeping needy baby to find 'personal' time for you and the hubs!

Jodie: We are pretty hit or miss on a date night. Our goal is to go out on a "date" once a month. For the most part, we do that. We have family close by that come over and watch the kiddos. We usually do not go out though till the kids' bedtime to make it easier on whomever is watching them. 

As for other "personal" time, let's just say nap time is utilized to its fullest. 

Renee: In baby's first year we did not have as much mommy and daddy time as we probably would have liked to. Felt like everytime we discussed a fun night out we were too tired and would just prefer staying home and/or going to sleep early. We hope to go out more now that baby is older than we did in her first year!

Leslie: We have not really felt the need for date nights quite yet.  Violet is an agreeable girl so we can take her to dinners and such.

Hope you liked this weeks Mommy to Mommy!  Please feel free to leave your own answers in the comments!  Also if you have ideas for other topics please let me know!   Come back next Thursday! Our topic will be Playing with Kids!
PS Dont forget to enter my huge sponsor giveaway!  13 prizes! 13 winners! http://monkeysandtutus.blogspot.com/2012/09/huge-giveaway.html