Baby Girl Wish List

When I'm not working or trying to keep Milo from writing on the walls (I mostly fail at this) I find myself daydreaming about baby products... Mostly it's stuff I've discovered since he was born and wished I had, or stuff that I think will help with the transition to two.

When it comes to mom-products, I'm all about crowd-sourcing so if you have had experience with something on this list that you loved or hated, or if you know of something amazing that I've missed, prettiest-of-pleases tell me.

1) Solly Baby Wrap - A friend of a friend here in San Diego is the creator of these amazing things and they just look so soft and comfy! I love my Ergo for tromping around town and working and especially as baby gets older its nice to have something hardy that can handle the weight of a toddler. But for those first few newborn months of super soft squishy babyness, doesn't this look dreamy? Plus, it will keep baby girl out of reach of pokey little toddler fingesr while also keeping my hands free to remove sticky-ness from said toddler fingers. Coral or Grey Stripe? Although at a price tag of $65, this would be a personal splurge.

2) B.O.B. double stroller - Maybe its because I live near La Jolla, but these uber-expensive joggers are everywhere. Everyone I know seems to have them. At Stroller Strides last week, I kid you not: 90% B.O.B. duallies. I caught the bug, they are super cool, but at a heart stopping  retail price-tag of $709, we may have to go with something more pedestrian, like a Baby Trend. Unless Santa wants to give me a Craigslist miracle.

3) Bumbo - The ubiquitous plastic baby bumper seat. I didn't have one with Milo, and  wished that I did almost daily. Why didn't I just go get one? Because I thought its usefulness would be short lived. I think I under estimated to awesomeness of anything that helps keep your baby upright. Babies love to sit up and they burp better that way. It's the little things. Odds are high that I'll be able to snag one of these off someone who is done having kids and feels like making room in their storage space. Right? Maybe? Please? In aqua.

4) Carseat Canopy - I have a very blue, very masculine one already, but practical or not, I want a girly one for baby girl. Grey chevron? Lilac? I would take neon pink if they had any this season. But good-heavens no fuchsia. NEVER fuchsia.

What am I missing? Educate me. I'm listening.

Mom Advice

A totally rad friend of mine (currently pregnant with her 4th) recently posted a link to this HuffPost article.

Best line? "Kids are beautiful and majestic little human unicorns who are full of total bullshit and they need to be called out on that." AH HA HA HA HA HA HA.There were other greats, but that was my favorite.

I realize I've been doing this mom thing for like, a second, but today was the first day I really felt like I couldn't get a grip.This article made me feel a lot better. A LOT.

Mommy is here!!!

My mom's in town! My mom's in town! She is the bestest and endless fun is about to be had.

Gingerbread Men

One year around Christmas time -  I was living far away, missing my family and still several weeks away from going home for the holidays - My mom sent me her recipe for gingerbread men. I made them immediately and it felt like Christmas was just around the corner.

This year I made that same recipe for some friends and it was a big hit.

Here is the recipe exactly as my mother emailed it to me:

The Gingerbread Man and how he began

4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbs ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 c butter, softened
1/2 c packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 c molasses
red hots, raisins, frosting

1. In a medium-sized bowl, sift the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and baking soda. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar with a wooden spoon or electric mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time, and then the molasses. Slowly add the flour mixture to the molasses mixture, sutffin after each addition with the wooden spoon or mixer (the dough should be stiff).
3. Divide the dough in half, flatten into a think pancake, and cover with plastic wrap (or put it in ziploc bags). Refrigerate for 2 hours, or until firm enough to roll out. (If dough becomes too stiff, soften for 10 minutes at room temperature for easy rolling).
4. Preheat oven to 350. Dust the counter generously with flour, roll out the dough to a 1/4 in thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut out gingerbread men and a spatula to transfer to a greased cookie sheet, spacing them 1 inch apart. Press in red hots and raisins.
5. Bake 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Be careful as you remove the gingerbread men from the oven, this is the time they are most likely to run away, at which time a terrible chase scene ensues.

"Run, run, run, fast as you can! You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!"


Love my mom. Seriously.

Happy Baking!

Happy Birthday Mom!

 You make the world a better place. Especially for me. Love you! Happy Birthday.

Four Generations

My mother, my grandmother, my great-grandmother and me.

Classic Wonder Woman

In honor of my mom, who is exceptional in every way. She embodies classic femininity, modern strength and timeless love.

Thank you mom, for everything.