Mother’s Day Pinterest Public Service Announcement

First off, Happy Mother’s Day to all my moms out there! Second, I have been pondering over a certain topic for a few weeks now and decided Mother’s Day would be a great time to clear the air.

While I love, love Pinterest and all it offers me, I am 100 percent sure Pinterest has created a new breed of craft obsessed moms. As if we don’t already have enough pressure, we are now sort of expected to produce that over the top valentine with a quirky message tag or the ultimate handmade whimsical teacher’s gift.

In all honesty, I am being a bit sarcastic in this post as I do love Pinterest. I’m an organizational freak so Pinterest is my paradise. It also allows me to be crafty, which by default I am not. But, I really do think Pinterest has created a new kind of standard for us moms. Who knows if the fad will pass or we will continue to keep doing things bigger and better until we drop.

I have seen the transformation in myself over the past year from Mia’s Movie Night. (See exhibit A in previous post) To the Valentines the girls sent out this year to classmates. ie. Rock candy with cute message “You Rock Valentine!”

No real answer here… Just a Mamma Mia Public Service Announcement for your Mother’s Day brain.

Happy Mother’s Day! And, take the day off from pinning. Oh, and when you get back on Pinterest tomorrow, follow me.

Posted on May 12, 2013 by Amanda in Parenting Leave a comment

Mia’s Birthday Night At The Movies

Thinking of doing a movie night birthday? I have a few simple ideas to help you along the way. I Googled “movie night” up and down and around when planning for Mia’s party. Shave some time off your planning and check out the tips below! We have an outdoor movie screen and projector which is great for movie nights. If you are in the market for the big screen, check out Amazon.com for the most competitive prices. And now… lights, camera, action!

Snagged popcorn bags and glow bracelets at the Dollar Store. Table cloth from Party City.

Cake courtesy of fabulous Aunt Christy. Find popcorn cake ideas for all skill levels on Pinterest. Click image to link!

Popcorn bins from Dollar Store. Table cloth from Party City. Candy and confetti from Target.

Shoebox wrapped with red wrapping paper and printed Lights, Camera Action tags and Rice Krispie stars for a takeaway favor.

Lots of fun was had a Mia's Movie Night!

Lots of fun was had at Mia’s Movie Night!

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Amanda in Home, Parenting, What's Cool Leave a comment

Ear Infections & Dairy: My Story

Babies and toddlers today seem to be plagued by ear infections. What gives? Well, I’m no doctor, that’s for sure, but I do know that I have some info to share based on my own experience.

My littlest bean had eight ear infections in eight months. Not wanting to pump her with another round of antibiotics, our pediatrician sent us off to the ENT. Before our visit I started researching. (ie. Googling any reference to ear infections in toddlers.) I found sites saying all kinds of things, but the one that stood out indicated that consumption of dairy could be a factor in reoccurring ear infections. I even had tips from friends on Facebook that said dairy could be the culprit.

The Ever Interesting Ear

So here’s what I found…. According to the Center for Food Allergies, A milk allergy is by far the most common cause of ear infections. Removing dairy from the diet will often times result in complete resolution of this problem. For some reason, many pediatricians overlook the possibility of food allergies, especially milk allergies to chronic ear infections.

We did still pay a visit to the ENT, who immediately recommended tubes. I asked we hold off for three months while I try removing the daily two sippy cups of milk and yogurt from her diet.

Last April, we switched over to Almond milk, did yogurt once a week and limited cheese to the special occasion pizza. It’s been nine months and not a single ear infection. Why was I never privy to this info and why did I have to search for it?

I love dairy and I love a big glass of milk every now and then. I am in no way the Dairy Debbie Downer. However, it is amazing to realize the power of the foods we put into our body and how we react individually. As busy parents, we look to our pediatricians to offer us this information, but that doesn’t always happen.

I am happy to have helped even just one parent with my post. Feel free to leave me a comment. Again, I am not medically certified in any way, but I am a mom with a very credible story to share.

Here’s another reference article: HealthyChild.com

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Amanda in Parenting 1 Comment

The Kiddie Journal

It’s extremely therapeutic to get your thoughts down on paper or in a journal. It helps to look at things from a different perspective and often times helps identify the root of what seems like a big issue. My big girl has been super emotional lately. I’m not sure if it’s the pressures of first grade or what it could be, but I decided to try some kiddie journal therapy.

Kiddie Journal

My plan started with talking about things that make her happy and things that make her sad/anxious and the best ways to react to these situations. I purchased a large drawing sketch pad and encouraged her to draw pictures of things that make her feel a certain way. While the journal started out as a platform to deal with emotions, it morphed into a daily journal of what she did each day.

Her emotions seem to be back in check (as much as they can be for a six-year-old) and she loves her new daily journal. We sit together and look at all the fun things we do, no matter how simple they might be.

Posted on November 6, 2012 by Amanda in Parenting 1 Comment

Back to School

There are pros and cons to this infamous time of year. The biggest pro for me is being back on a schedule. There’s a certain sense of calm knowing exactly where your kids will be each day and for exactly how long. No camp coordination till next year! Woo hoo!

Off to conquer 1st Grade and 2-Yr-Old Class

Now the cons – being back on a schedule. Yes, it’s a con too. This means the snooze button is not an option. This means there are lunches to be packed and bed times to be had. This also means a new year of math homework for my 1st grader. This means another year closer to the year when I can’t help anymore because my math skills are on a third grade level. (Hell to me is the equivalent of life as an accountant) But, shhhhh… I’m good at pretending math is sheer awesomeness.

Regardless of pros and cons, back to school can be fun. Mia doesn’t wear a uniform and I’ve always been pretty stringent on what she wears. When I told her she could pick her own outfits this year as long as they met school dress code she nearly passed out.

Twinkle Toes

She has spent the past three nights selecting outfits for the following day. I even gave into the three year request for Twinkle Toes. (See photo on right for reference) Oh, and the toes light up!! I’m more of a Sperry girl myself so these are kind of out of my element. Mia’s whimsical self needs creative outlets. I’m stepping out of the way.

A friend of mine has an awesome blog over at Parenting.com. She too has seen the light and is letting her little one lead the fashion way this year. Her post How Cynthia Rowley Changed My Daughter’s Life is a must read for any fashion focused parents.

May the force be with you parents!

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Amanda in Fashion, Parenting Leave a comment

Soar With Reading This Summer

Reading has been a huge focus in my house this summer. After a school year of hard work, I couldn’t risk back tracking on my kindergartners fast track to reading stardom.

Soar With Reading!

Luckily there are several great summer reading programs out there. One in particular is the national initiative from JetBlue and PBS KIDS, taking place again this summer, designed to help place books in the hands of kids in need and keep kids reading all summer long.

Hurry now and go to the Soar With Reading site (or click straight through on the image to the right) and share your favorite childhood book. With every share, JetBlue will donate a book to a child in need in grant cities. (Orlando is included in this group!) On the site parents can also find tips and downloadable activities to keep kids inspired to read all summer long.

Click here to learn more about the program

We missed out on the fun event held at our local library in Orlando because we were on vacation last week. But there are two more summer events taking place in L.A. and New York. Find out more details!

Win! Win!Leave a comment below letting me know what you are doing to keep reading alive this summer for a chance to win a JetBlue travel backpack filled with summer reading materials.

I’ll select a winner on Friday, August 3 so get commenting. You can get an extra entry by tweeting about the giveaway and letting me know in a separate comment below.

Happy Reading!

Disclaimer: JetBlue provided me with reading materials for my daughter and a reading inspired backpack to giveaway to a lucky reader. Mamma Mia fully supports the Soar With Reading initiative.

Posted on July 23, 2012 by Amanda in Giveaways, Parenting 36 Comments

The Dying Thank You Note

I’ve been thinking about writing this post for awhile. I don’t claim to be a perfect parent, but there are a few things that remain priority on my list of lessons to pass along to my kids. I remember my mom sitting us down after a holiday or birthday to write thank you notes.

We didn’t necessarily have to write notes to people we were able to thank in person, but we did write notes to those who weren’t there to thank.

Teaching Gratitude to Kids

Nowadays, it’s rare to even get a thank you note from an adult let alone a child. It takes time to sit down with a child to write out thank you notes…. Time we don’t all have, but time we should make.

Gratitude is a trait that’s so important for our society and it’s slowly fading away. Here are a few tips to help your kids to be thankful.

Let them pick out their own thank you notes at the store. It will give them more ownership of the project. Check out this website that let’s you easily design and print your own thank you cards.

After an event, have your kids make a list of the gifts they received and match it with the gift giver. This makes a fun matching game and it will stick in their brains.

If they aren’t sending a note, remind them to verbally thank their gift givers and remind them of the gift they received.

Identify gifts (if you can remember) when they use them throughout the year ie. “That Leapfrog map Nana bought for you is really cool.”

Just a little bit of time is worth the result – a member of society who is appreciative of other’s efforts. A dying breed for sure!

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Amanda in Parenting Leave a comment

Birthday Beads & Bows

Bracelet Making

For the past five years, I’ve subjected myself to huge hooplas to celebrate Mia’s birthday. I pretty much created a party monster from the beginning. Oh, the invitations, the themes, the decorations, the goodie bags… Why would this child expect anything less?

This year, I took a different approach to the birthday celebration and I’m so glad I did.

Rae-Berry Beads & More

Mia and four of her friends met at Rae-Berry beads & more in Dr. Philips to celebrate on a Saturday afternoon. This place is heaven for little girls! Two tables along each wall at Rae-Berry are filled with thousands of different beads.

First, Ramee, the owner of Rae-Berry, showed the girls how to create their very own beautiful bracelet out of the beads of their choice.

Next came the creation of the “hair pretties.”The girls were able to create funky hair clips layering bright colored flowers with a gem in the center.

Showing Off Their Hair Pretties

Mia and her friends made a bracelet and hair pretty, but there are different choices for parties including bottle cap necklaces and a jewelry board . You can customize your activities based on age and size of your group.

There’s a pizza shop nearby so I ordered a large pie and then we enjoyed cupcakes brought from home. It was the perfect afternoon and the girls had a great time. Plus, they took home a cool bracelet and hair pretty that they created. (The perfect alternative to the goodie bag filled with things that are going to be thrown away!)

I left Rae-Berry wondering when I could come back with my own adult friends for an afternoon of jewelry making. This place is definitely not just for kids!

Supporting local business is a passion of mine, but supporting a local mom-owned business is even better! For more information on Rae-Berry Beads visit their website.

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Amanda in Local Love, Parenting Leave a comment

What I Did Wrong…

With that title this post could go in so many different directions! This one is parenting related. We’ll save the others for another post.

I know it’s hard for perfect parents like myself to admit that perhaps not so great parenting choice were made. Believe it or not, it’s okay to not be perfect. Hard concept to accept (I know), but embrace it and living life will be much, much easier. I gathered a few funny quotes from local parents for the spring issue of PLAYGROUND magazine. These brave parents were willing to clear the air and fess up to “what they did wrong.” Now, your turn!

What I Did Wrong

Posted on March 26, 2012 by Amanda in Parenting, PLAYGROUND Leave a comment

The Family Yard Sale

Growing up, we had a huge community yard sale every summer. I counted down the days to the big sale every year.

Raising money for her Disney Cruise

My family and I would set aside items months ahead of time deeming them yard sale material. We’d all be up early the day of to get our business running. We were serious about making money. Taking turns, we’d watch the sale while the others would go out and search for treasures (or a slushie of some sort.) We ran the operation at my grandma’s house (she was pretty central in the neighborhood) so she kept us in check along with some supervision from our mom. Otherwise, our parents pretty much let us run the show. Each year, we’d end the sale buying pizza for the family and splitting the remaining funds three ways between my brother, sister and I.

This past weekend our neighborhood had a community yard sale. When I originally saw the flier I thought I was going to pass, but Mia reminded me that we do need some extra money for our Disney cruise. (about $2,000, but who is counting) The opportunity also made me think about my childhood yard sales and the fun I had with my family.

Mia's best customer – Charli

Mia and I began digging through clothes, shoes and toys. She and I priced the items – discussing in depth if Big Bird was worth 25 or 50 cents. When Saturday morning rolled around, we were up early setting up. Daddy and I took turns supervising the sale, Mia ran her lemonade/cookie stand and Charli amused customers and played with the toys we were trying to sell.

What a great way to spend our Saturday morning… outside for five hours on a beautiful Saturday, talking with neighbors and bonding over sales strategies. Mia took charge a few times, informing me that “You scared off those customers because you were yelling at me” and “I already know before someone walks over if they are buyers or just looking around.” Please note, by yelling she of course meant me telling her that no one wanted to buy cookies if she was touching them.

Daddy & Mia Bonding

I’m going to have my mom search for some old school yard sale photos for me to post, but in the meantime, I hope you enjoy these from our family sale. At the end of the day, we only made about $55. The memory of it, come to find out, is worth way more… I can vouch for it.

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Amanda in Parenting Leave a comment

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