Mama Moments: Be Good...to Yourself

A new series...who knows how often, but I'm shooting for the second Monday of the month. A monthly series...Mama Moments

A chance for you to get to know me as a mom.

I recently went out for my monthly MNO (Mama's Night Out) with two girlfriends who have 6 month olds.

First and foremost, if you don't do an MNO but have mom friends...do it! it's such a refreshing little break, if only for a drink, dessert or {who am I kidding} a full meal that I can eat from start to finish...with it still being hot!

Anywho...I went out for our MNO, and we talked about some nitty-gritty stuff. Post-Partum Depression was a theme, as was me-time, diaper changes, solid feeding, transition to bottles and pretty much every other topic three first time mom's can chat about in 3 hours.

I was thinking about this post the entire way home and wanted to get up on the roof and scream

GET OUT OF THE HOUSE, MAMA!

We sacrifice so much of ourselves as mom's, that really...what is left for us at the end of the day? Who is there to take care of us? When do we ever give ourselves a break?

WAHM's - tap a nap, and don't feel guilty about it

SAHM's - flick on a movie and snuggle up on the couch with your little one

Downtime is so incredibly important and I'm finding that more and more mom's don't take it. I know I'm totally guilty on not taking it until I'm at my breaking point and in tears, needing a break.

But, what good are we unless we are good to ourselves first, and others second? Who are we able to love, unless we love ourselves? How can we give others compassion and our attention unless we first give it to ourselves?

I've been thinking long and hard since April 5th about this new mantra, and it has completely resonated with me.

Be Good...to Yourself.

So you go on with your bad self! Have an ice cream date with a group of mama friends and talk tirelessly about sleep deprivation, being WAHM's, having kiddos in daycare, solid feeding, being a SAHM, being a working-mom.

Go bowling, to the movies, to the spa {ahhhh....}.

Be you.

And be good to you!

Mompreneur Monday: Luxe by Lisa Vogel

I am so excited about this mompeneur today!!

I met Lisa on our monday evening #mombizmondays chat on Twitter a few weeks ago, and after taking a look at her shop, all I can say is that you're all about to fall in love with an incredible woman and swimwear designer.

Lisa is lovely, sweet, genuine and real. Purely amazing!


What do you do?

Creative Director LUXE by Lisa Vogel swimwear, Co-President of RAJ Manufacturing (USA's largest domestic swimwear manufacturer), blogger, philanthropist, mom.

How do you maximize your time as a busy mom running a business?

A strong support system and organization are the two key ingredients. If I didn't have an amazing supportive husband, I don't know how I would do what I do. He is very involved with the children and always patient when I have to work late or travel! I also send him all of the children's appointments, sports schedules, and school related activities on his blackberry so we can be on the same page.

What do you see as your greatest challenge being a MOMpreneur?

Balancing family with work. The truth is that balance does not exist. I just try to do the best I can.

What advice do you have for other moms looking to start a business?

Find something that you love and follow your passion. If you are motivated by passion, as opposed to making money, you will succeed.

Is there anything additional you'd like to share?

Please visit www.swimspot.com and enter the code "stella" for a 15% discount for your readers. This code expires 5/1/12.

Wow!! Thank you Lisa!!

Enjoy your 15% off coupon, everyone!

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SWH4T$: Gifts To Grow

Welcome back to She Works Hard For The Money!

A few rules then away we go...

Come and link up with us, share your stories about how you make or save money for your family.

Rules of the Hop:

1.) Follow your hostesses at Baby Shmizz and Sweet Stella's via GFC

2.) Link up a specific post that relates to money, your job, your business, couponing, anything that shows how you "work hard for your money".

3.) Post our button on your post

Have fun linking and finding new blogs to read!

~~

Have you been working hard, saving those pennies, maybe gearing up for the holidays? I know that I have been because man, oh man, are kids ever expensive!

In addition to the daily supply of diapers, wipes and food...there's books, toys, movies, strollers, car seats, booster seats, clothing...the list just goes on and on.

But...when we can catch a break, we take it!

I recently had a brilliant idea to look at my Pampers Gifts to Grow total to see where we were at, and what rewards we might qualify for, and how we might be able to incorporate that into the most expensive time of year: Christmas.


When I looked, we had 1930 points. What does that get you? Well...



or


or



but most definitely...



I'm pretty excited about it. Mr. Potato head is on his way to our house right now, and I didn't have to pay a cent for the product or the shipping. Pretty amazing.

I think he is really going to love it. He's getting into things that he can take apart and put together, like puzzles and blocks that he can stack. This will be perfect, and knowing that we had enough points through Gifts To Grow made it all the better.

So what are you doing to try and save this Christmas? Link up with us this week!!

Mama Blogger Monday: Baby Shmizz

Wow! My 200th blog post, and i can't think of a better Mama Blogger to share it with!!

You've already gotten to know this blogger from my point of view, but today, Shannon from Baby Shmizz shares with you why she blogs, what keeps her going and some exciting things that are on the horizon over at Baby Shmizz!


Hello Sweet Stella's Fans!

My name is Shannon, and I am the genius behind Baby Shmizz, a blog all about my awesome little family.

I started this blog back in May 2009 as a way to vent my frustrations about our TTC journey, and then later it morphed into a pregnancy journal. My first pregnancy ended in miscarriage, and my blog was my therapy. I poured my heart out onto the computer screen, and I didn't hold anything back. I'm so glad I did that, because it really helped me to heal.

After my miscarriage we were extremely fortunate to get pregnant again rather quickly, and that brought us our amazing son, Jack David. Jack is the center of my world, my everything. He swooped into our lives a month early, born at 36w2d, and was a dream baby. Now, he is a rambunctious and stubborn 14 month old :) He is happy, playful and loving, and I am so completely proud of him.

My husband Mike and I also have a dog, Tessie, she is our crazy energetic rescue dog. We all live in a tiny overpriced house outside of Boston. Mizzle and I like to go out to gourmet dinners (he is a Pastry Chef. Be jealous, its OK) and take Jack to new exciting places.

At Baby Shmizz, I like to write about the our lives: what we like, what we hate, what drives us crazy. I still use the blog to document Jack's life and milestones and such, so my blog does feature a lot of pictures. Every week I do a Wordless Wednesday post which usually features a picture of Jack and his ridiculous cuteness. I also do frequent Our Favorite Things posts, which highlights some products that we absolutely can't live without.

I also do several giveaways, featuring books, handmade items, pretty much anything baby and family related. If you happen to be a fabulous crafter like my girl Shan, check out my blog and let me know if you'd like to do a giveaway!

Mama Blogger Monday: The Stauffer Shenanigans

Happy Monday everyone! The sun is shining brightly and warmly here, summer definitely isn't over for us yet, and I have a way to make today even better!

I'd like to introduce you to a wonderful mama that I've met recently, Ashley. She's the blogger over at The Stauffer Shenanigans, and aside from her adorable babes, she is like me: party.planning.nut! We hit it off immediately when talking about her daughter's Puppy themed party, and maybe went a little overboard on the pooch-themed food...

Anyhow! She's guesting here today and tells her story of why she blogs!

Hey everyone! My name is Ashley, but for the past 3 years I've mainly gone by Momma. I don't mind the Jessie Spano reference because it sounds so darn cute when these girls say it. That's Emmy on my left & Brooklyn on my right---excuse our tea party attire.

I blog over at The Stauffer Shenanigans & would love for you to visit. What are you in for when you stop by? Well, here's the jist. I mainly brag talk about the girls & what kind of hijinks they're up to. You'll also find posts about my weight loss, thanks to Weight Watchers. And weekly fashion posts, or perhaps lack there of. Although I like to consider myself a Maxxinista. Throw in some rambles, grumbles, pictures galore, and perhaps an overshare {Hey, I'm a mom. All dignity was lost in the delivery room} and you have our Shenanigans.

Intruiged? Thank you...you should be :) I started blogging as a means to document what my oldest way doing day to day. And now? Well now it's the only way I remember what we did last week.

I'm really looking forward to seeing where my blog will take me. Hopefully to New York City in August 2012, we'll see! Sponsors? Bueller?

Thanks for reading my little ditty here. And thank you to Shannon for having us. Hope you stop by & visit us really soon! I serve a mean cup of air.

Be sure to check out Ashley and her awesome family on Facebook, Twitter and of course her crazy cute blog!

Simple Things Thursday: All You Need Is Love

These days, I am feeling so incredibly blessed and this is why...



Pure. Simple. Love.

Don't forget to link up your Simple Things on Simple As That!

Mama Blogger Monday: My Attempt At Motherhood

Good morning dear readers! Today I have a new Mama to introduce you to, and her super-ridiculously-beautiful-adorable daughter, Quinny!

Meet Andrea from My Attempt At Motherhood! Here's why she blogs and what keeps her fingers on the keys...

Why I Blog and What Inspires Me...

I started blogging to chronicle my first year of motherhood. The first few months I could barely remember my own name, much less my daughter's first month stats, so I figured if I put it all down on paper (keyboard?) I would easily have a way of looking back at all the important milestones that would surely just breeze by us. This was the best decision I have ever made.

My blog gives me a space to brag, vent, complain and most importantly interact with other mamas. I am inspired by every mother who makes it through the day in one piece. Seriously, no one ever warns you how hard it will be to go through one day with a newborn, that includes a shower, food, brushing your teeth and remembering that you have a husband that you should be nice to. I LOVE reading "Mama Blogs". It makes me feel normal, not crazy, and that I am not alone in my everyday struggles. Logging onto Blogger is seriously the best part of my work day (just don't tell my boss that). My now one year old is the star of our lives with a personality that amazes us every single day.

I am so happy to have the opportunity to write about her all I want and that people actually read it. (ok, ok, I have 20 followers, but still. I love every one of them).

Correction...she has 28 followers! But seriously, how ridiculously adorable are she and her daughter?? You can check out their journey and all of Quinn's cutiepie moments over at My Attempt At Motherhood.

Blogging Break

Hello hello!

I'm sure some of you have noticed my absence over the past few days...

well...my son, Owen, is turning 1...in about 48minutes.

I'm going to take a Mommy day with him tomorrow, so won't be blogging, and then we're full on in party-prep mode as we're hosting 60 of our nearest and dearest friends and family on Saturday for a big bash.

I certainly will take pictures, and certainly will be back to posting mode on Monday!

Canada Post, on the other hand, certainly won't be. They're on lockout right now, so your patience is greatly appreciated in shipping delays! Local orders can expect a 3day turnaround, while other orders (if needed by a specific date) will be subject to higher shipping rates as I will have to ship via Purolator/UPS/FedEx.

Thanks again, for your patience with both the blogging break and the shipping issues, and I will chat with you all on Monday!

Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday is something that I started way back when my husband and I were trying to get pregnant with our (now) Monster. It was a chance to reflect, once a week, on the amazing and positive things in our lives in a community of women who were otherwise frustrated with time, genetics, anatomy and life in general.

I thought it woudl be a great thing to carry over to Sweet Stella's, and would like to present you with our first ever Thankful Thursday.

There are the obvious things to be thankful for; our health, the roof over our head, the refridgerator that is somewhat stocked, our beautiful family. However, there are also the untraditional things to be thankful for.

I am thankful that my husband signed me up this week for a fave-5 plan so that my best girlfriend and I can talk about wedding planning (she's getting married this coming September) until our heart's content.

I am thankful that our Monster took some pretty decent naps today, which allowed me to get two christmas gifts, his board book and another exciting new product completed. I am thankful that one of those naps he chose to take was snuggled up on me.

I am thankful that it has finally stopped snowing in our dear city. Over the past two weeks, we have been hit by 140cm (about 56") of snow and ice.

The part of the city where we live is a new development, so the roads are the last to be plowed, and then get torn apart by the construction vehicles. I am thankful that the city finally sent out a company to even out the roads so that we aren't offroading any longer.

Lastly, I am thankful that it is before midnight and I actually have the opportunity to get some sleep. I, thankfully, am getting together with my cousins tomorrow for a little Christmas lunch and it will be their first time meeting my son. I am so very, incredibly, wonderfully thankful that they are in our lives.

What are you thankful for?