Mamarazzi

Today's Look:

What Mom? You said my name!

Kiley's First Big Girl Bath

We retired the infant bath and started using the big girl bath!

Stay At Home Mommy(SAHM)

People often ask me all the time how much do I love being able to stay at home with Kiley. I love it, and I wouldn't trade it for the world, but A LOT of people think it's all fun, games and sitting on the couch all day. Well, those who think that are WRONG, totally wrong! Ask any SAHM and they will tell you the same thing! It's a full time job. It starts some days at 4 am for me and doesn't end till 9 pm. That's more hours in a day then a full time person works, in most cases! The next question I get is usually, I bet you get everything done you want too. Actually, nope I don't. After having Kiley, I thought I'd have a perfect clean house, dinner planned out and ready, showered, worked out, dog walk/feed and plenty of easy time to catch up on my DVR! Boy, was I wrong! I have more things in my DVR now then I did before Kiley was born! Our house was a disaster for the first 5 months of Kiley's life. Yes, it was tidy when some of you might have visited, but you didn't open up the closets =)

So what did I do? Well I made a schedule for cleaning, grocery shopping, wash, etc. I had to, because I wasn't getting anything done and was going out shopping and spending way to much money that wasn't in the budget! Because, yes, if someone chooses to stay home there is less income, so you have to make some sacrifices, like GAS, because it's crazy expensive and I drive a big SUV!

So our schedule is(Monday-Friday):

Monday-Stay home day, maybe go to the grocery store and Target that are 5 minutes away. Walk the dog. Do laundry, work out while Kiley naps. Clean first floor of house, including kitchen.

Tuesday-Tuesday are busy for us. Walk the dog first. Kiley has The Little Gym Class, then we go to our favorite store Wegmans for lunch and grocery shopping. We don't get home till about 3-4, so Kiley goes down for a nap and I work out.

Wednesday-Stay at home day, walk the dog, Kiley has swim class at night. Clean bottom level of our house, workout.

Thursday-Walk the dog, Then Kiley has little gym again, for awhile we'd go to Wegman's for lunch again, but it wasn't fitting in our budget, so we decided to come home for lunch. Kiley naps and I work out.

Friday-We travel a lot, so every other Friday that we are home, we stay home, hang out with Daddy, walk the dog and clean the third level of our house.

So, there are ways to make it easier to be at SAHM. And again, I wouldn't trade it for the world. I'm so glad when I'm asked what things new she is doing I can tell them what she's doing before the finish. I wouldn't want to miss any of these new exciting things she does!

Give Away

As most of my readers know, I love to cook and bake. I was super excited when the folks at Mizkan sent me two awesome packages of recipes book and coupons for items I use! So I thought I'd share one of them with a lucky blog reader! I love Mizkan's Holland House Cooking Wines. I use them in a lot of the Italian dishes I make. So what do you win with this give away? You get a 28 page recipe book from the Holland House line, also a 7 additional recipes with a $1.00 coupon, 9 recipes and 2- $1.00 coupon for their World Harbor line, and 7 recipes and $1.00 coupon off any natural or seasoned rice vinegar from their Nakano line.


So what do you need to do to enter? It's simple, leave a comment telling me you're favorite go to dish. Leave a comment on twitter and get two additional entries!

Good Luck! Contest ends Friday, January 28.

Products brought to you by Mizkan.

Mamarazzi

Our365 has a Mamarazzi section, and every week they tell you take a picture of your baby doing a certain thing and I've been wanting to do it, but always forget SO, I'm FINALLY going to get on the ball and do this!

So this week's assignment is to take different expressions of Kiley's Face! So stayed tuned for some of Kiley!

Today's is Sleepy Face:

Give Away!

Have you tried Kashi's Go Lean Crisp Cereal yet? If you have do you love it? Well here is your chance to win a sample box and a coupon!This cereal has 8 grams of fiber and 9 grams of protein. Go here and play a little game and see the match up between Kashi Go Lean Crisp and typical breakfast meals. So what do you have to do to enter? Simple, leave a comment telling me your favorite breakfast meal! One winner will win a $3.00 coupon and another winner will win 3-$1.00 coupons! Contest ends Friday, January 21, 2010 at 9 am!

Good Luck!

Product provided by Vocalpoint.com

CSN Stores!

Have you visited CSN Stores lately? Did you know that they have everything and anything in their stores for you to buy? I saw an awesome swingsets that would be great for Kiley when she is older! I love wooden swing sets. Did you know that they also have CSN rewards now? For every purchase you make you earn 3% back towards future purchases. That's pretty awesome!
Check out CSN Stores today as they have over 200 different stores!

Green Giant Veggies

With a new year comes a new you, and Green Giant® is here to cheer you on! Whether you´re already following a weight management plan or looking to start a new one, sometimes it´s the small changes that can make a huge difference.

Green Giant Boxed Vegetables can help you stay on track to achieve your weight management goals in 2011. Twenty-nine delicious varieties are now endorsed by Weight Watchers™, and most have only a 1 or 2 PointsPlus ™ value per serving! Packed with flavor and ready in minutes, Green Giant Boxed Vegetables are available in a wide variety of flavors, many featuring mouthwatering sauces and seasonings.



Adding Green Giant Boxed Vegetables to your meals can be a quick and delicious step to a healthier new you in 2011. Each Weight Watchers™ endorsed variety is:

• Nutritious. Picked at the peak of perfection, Green Giant Boxed Vegetables are frozen fast to lock in essential nutrients.
• Convenient. With ingredients that are cleaned, cut, and ready to go, it´s easier to meet the adult daily need of 2-4 cups of vegetables!
• Time-Saving. Getting more time to enjoy life, without sacrificing nutrition...now that´s a fresh idea!

Visit http://greengiant.com/ for some great recipe ideas and more information. And, don´t forget to check out Green Giant on Facebook and Green Giant on Twitter and "Like" or "Follow" the brand to keep up with their latest and greatest products!

Here´s to a happy new year and healthy new you!

Brought to you by Pssst...

Kiley is 5 months!

Kid, stop GROWING! You're going to be half a year in a month, where the HECK did that time go? This past month you've grown SO much. You can do so many things. You are sitting up all by your self! You grab at everything and anything. If Mommy is carrying you and something else, you always want to help carry it now. We can't put you in the bumbo anymore on the kitchen table while we eat dinner because you like to climb out of it now and get after everything on the table, like the napkin holder. You're going to be into everything as soon as you are mobile. Last night we went out to dinner and you picked up Mommy's water glass and dumped it everywhere, silly girl! You love your big girl food, sweet potatoes, bananas, and carrots are your favorites! You can roll over, but you don't like to do it very much. You are loving your exersaucer and jumpearoo!
You are starting to get your own little personality and it's fun to watch it grow. You laugh at your self in your mirror and it's quite funny, because as soon as you realize we are listening to you, you stop! You are getting a lot more vocal and learning different sounds to make!

You are a pretty content baby, you get a little cranky when you are hungry and tired, but who doesn't? When you do get tired you love to rub your little face into any one's chest that is holding you. You are finally back to sleeping through the night, we didn't care for that 4 month wakeful period too much! The amount you changed this month sweet baby girl, I can't wait to see what this next month holds!

101 List-Revisted

A few years ago, exactly two years ago, I made my 101 things to do in 1001 one days. I was doing ok with it, but sort of forgot to keep marking things off, so instead of new years resolutions here is my updated 101 list, only 271 days left to complete it! If I counted right, it looks like I have 44 things left to do!
Remember items with a strike-through are completed.

1. Have 15 date nights with hubby(15/15)
2. Play guitar hero/rock band to find out why everyone is addicted to it.
3. Splurge on dinner at Capital Grille and a movie.
4. Have 4 girls’ night outs.(4/4)
5. Call my friends at least every two weeks for 4 months.
6. Have friends over for a cocktail party.
7. Visit my grandmother at least 2 times a month for 6 months.
8. Create & send out birthday cards every month (0/12)
9. Go through old toys/dolls and donate unwanted ones to Children’s hospital or other charity.
10. Visit an animal shelter and help out .
11. Visit CHOP and read to children that are there.
12. Volunteer - anywhere.
13. Donate to a food shelter once a month for 6 months.
14. Collect items throughout year for Toys for Tots.
15. Complete a 5k ..
16. Complete a 10k.
17. Forgive someone.
18. Write a letter to a loved one at least once a month for six months.
19 Volunteer for Habitat for Humanity.
20. Give someone a sincere compliment at least once a week for a month..
21. Bake something for a bake good sale at least four times.
22. Complete the Ben Franklin Bridge Run.
23. No sweets for two weeks.
24. Make sure all products in shower are organic/natural.
25. Try a yoga/Pilate's class.
26. Go vegan for a week.
27. Take the pug for long walks over a mile at least twice a week for a month.(10/10)
28. Switch to all-natural cleaning products.
29. Splurge on 6 hour day at a spa.
30. Splurge on a 6 hour day at the spa with the hubby.
31. Have healthy children.
32. Take my pre-natal vitamins everyday for one month.
33. Make at least 4 unity candles/memorial candles a month for 4 months
34. Try 3 new recipes for 3 months.
35. Plant an herb garden.
36. Take a Wilton's Cake Class.
37. Take Pug to the dog park at least once a month for 6 months.(6/6)
38. Buy a house with the hubby.
39. Put 10 bucks away every two weeks for 6 months.
40. Close all credit cards.
41. Clean out our closet and get rid of things we no longer need or want.
42. Keep the refrigerator and spice cabinet stocked with staple food/seasonings
43. Cook a meal with all complete organic items.
44. Clean and organize the garage.
45. Stain back deck.
46. Plant new flowerbeds in backyard.
47. Complete spring clean the house from head to toe.
48. Only eat out once a month for six months.
49. Update my passport.
50. Travel to another country.
51. Visit Chicago.
52 Go back to Boston.
53. Visit the Napa Valley.
54. Take a weekend trip on the motorcycle with Chris.
55. Go on a day trip to somewhere we've never been.
56. Visit the Philly Art Museum with hubby.
57. Go to at least 3 Philadelphia Sport Team Games(1/3).
58. Visit the Baltimore Aquarium.
59. Go see a show on Broadway.
60. Go on a weekend trip to NYC.
61. Eat at the Rainbow Room.
62. Read at least one of the books from the Twilight Series
63. Finish "The Other Boleyn Girl"
64. Watch at least 25 movies in 8 months.(25/25)
65. Try 10 new restaurants(10/10).
66. See at least 5 shows at the Walnut Street Theatre
67. Have friends over at least once a month for six months(6/6).
68. Read, What to Expect When your Expecting, by the time kiddies are ready.
69. Read at least two books from Oprah's Book Club.
70. Be a guest on The View/Rachel Ray/Conan.
71. Go to a pumpkin patch/hayride/scary thing.
72. Re-learn Spanish.
73. Attend an event the hubby really wants to go to.
74. Attend a dance show.
75. Send a letter to hubby at his work.
76. Write a letter for no reason to 3 friends.
77. Start a mini-cookbook.
78. Give blood.
79. Right thank you cards for all things people do for us.
80. Participate in Big Sister club.
81. Take more photographs.
82. Bake a batch of cookies for a shelter for Christmas.
83. Complete this list.
84. Get up early to watch the sun rise over the lake at the cottage.
85. Catch a fish at the cottage this year while fishing!
86. Get a new cell phone that I really love and not just like.
87. (3/3)Have three totally different hairstyle's.
88. Get married.
89. Go to Peddler's Village with the girls.
90. Make Chris breakfast in bed at least once a month for 3 months.
91. Try to eat at least 4 hot wings.(4/4)
92. Donate books I have read to schools/charities.
93. Go camping.
94. Write a poem.
95. Stay in touch with my knot girls and see them at least once every 6 months.(3/6)
96. See all of the Best Picture nominees for the 2008 Oscars.
97. Complete the 100 push up challenge.
98. Cook a 5 course meal for friends/family.)
99. Donate 5 bucks to any charity for any incomplete items after 1001 days.
100. Go horseback riding.
101. Run at least 3 times a week for 3 months.(44/44)