Did Ya Miss Me?

I know, I know, it's been forever since I've blogged. Life has been a little more than hectic these past couple of weeks and I just didn't have the time or energy to try to put together a coherent, witty post suitable to share with y'all. But, after a fortnight of chaos...I'm baaaack! And thanks to those who noticed and commented or sent me an email to check in with me to see how I was doing. You guys rock.

And since I didn't know where to start, and have so much to fill you in on, I've made a list to put on our sidebar of all of the things I need to write about so that I won't forget.

But right now I need to go and find a place that sells Barney party items. Have you any idea how hard it is to find Barney-themed stuff? And as much as I've tried to convince Chatterbox that a Spongebob party would be AWESOME, she's not having it. It's the purple guy or bust. And I've only got 3 days to make it happen.

Oh the pressure.

I've joined.......

I FINALLY did it....I joined Weight Watchers yesterday. Fergie inspired me so much that I finally got my act together and signed up for the online program. My goal is to lose 15 pounds.!

That will take me back to my second year in law-school weight. You ask....why not first year???? Everyone gets the sophomore 10!!!!! Well, I was quite tiny and very fit and tres sexy in my first year of law school (especially first semester - thus snaging (sp?) me a husband by the end of first year - I digress). Anyway, my weight in the first year was abnormally low - in fact it was the smallest I had ever weighed in my entire adult life. Although I explain to DH all the time that those super tight size 4 blue jeans was a weight/size aberration, and although I really felt extremely confident during my first year, I would be striving for an "unhealthy" weight if I strive for that weight/size. So, I'm being real with myself and shooting for the second year weight/size. That is a little more realistic body weight and will provide a more realistic goal.

Anyway, I've been on WW for less than 24 hours and I now understand why I've gained 10 pounds in the last 6-7 months. I always thought that I wasn't eating that much and couldn't figure out why I was still picking up so much weight. Well, a chocolate milkshake twice a week would do it - wouldn't it?!?!? Or a salad from Corner Bakery, with loads of dressing?!?!?! So, I will do my best because my body image is absolutely terrible right now, my energy level is low, I'm irritable and grumpy all the time - there is no way that this could be good for me, my daughter or my marriage. I'll keep you updated on my progress.

P.S. I have no idea how to do all the great little icons that J. Fergie used:)

Fisher Price Toy Recall

Just in case you haven't heard, there is a major toy recall for many Fisher Price toys for kids (esp. toddler toys). See the release below:

Fisher-Price Recalls Licensed Character Toys Due To Lead Poisoning
Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in
cooperation with the firms named below, today announced a voluntary
recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using
recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
Name of Product: Sesame Street, Dora the Explorer, and other children's
toys
Units: About 967,000
Importer: Fisher-Price Inc., of East Aurora, N.Y.
Hazard: Surface paints on the toys could contain excessive levels of
lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse
health effects.
Incidents/Injuries: None reported.
Description: The recalled involves various figures and toys that were
manufactured between April 19, 2007 and July 6, 2007 and were sold alone
or as part of sets. The model names and product numbers for the recalled
toys, which are all marked with "Fisher-Price," are listed below. The
toys may have a date code between 109-7LF and 187-7LF marked on the
product or packaging.
Sold at: Retail stores nationwide from May 2007 through August 2007 for
between $5 and $40.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should immediately take the recalled toys away from
children and contact Fisher-Price. Consumers will need to return the
product and will receive a voucher for a replacement toy of the
consumer's choice (up to the value of the returned product).
Consumer Contact: For additional information contact Fisher-Price at
(800) 916-4498 anytime or visit the firm's Web site at
www.service.mattel.com

To see this recall on CPSC's web site, including pictures of the
recalled products, please go to:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07257.html

LOVE IT! Thursdays

Good Morning Folks....I'm a little late with my post today, but it's still Thursday:)

Today's LIT theme for the week is: "I absolutely love my _______ Stroller that I wouldn't trade it for the world!"

This theme is in honor of a couple mamas-to-be from school who are presently shopping for strollers. This is/will be one of the biggest one-time costs that you will have for the first two years or so - either because you decide to go all out and buy the super-duper stroller and spend a whole lot of money, or because you will end up buying several strollers because you can't find the right fit.

DD is 20 months and we've had 2 strollers.

First, I bought the Graco SnugRider stroller set/system. It's a full car seat (of your choice) and a frame for the seat to snap into. It was fairly light and not cumbersome at all. There was a great ex-large storage basket below and there were 2 cup holders on top. It was also modestly priced. It folded up fairly flat and it was great for travelling.

However, after using it for a few months and getting out of the house with DD a lot, I realized that the handles were a bit bothersome. In fact, my hands would hurt after pushing her for a few minutes. The handles are not ergonomically designed so with continued use and with increasing weight in the stroller, it became a problem. Also, what I had not considered/did not know when purchasing the system was that DD would basically outgrow it within her first year - both in weight and in her need to see the world (the car seat snaps in backwards, so baby only sees you). So, onto the next.

Our second (and current) stroller was purchased on the recommendation of guru mama, J. Jones. Our Combi stroller is fantastic. This stroller weighs all of 8lbs. I can lift, push and fold it all with one hand. It folds up tight and small and fits into almost any space at all. It's extremely maneuverable as well. It's low to the ground, but not as low as some others on the market - a concern of mine because I didn't want DD sitting almost at foot level. The only down-side to this stroller is that the storage basket at the bottom is so small that it's a tease....about the only thing that can fit into the basket is a small purse. I, however, don't really care too much because the other features far outweigh "my" need for storage below.

I absolutely love my Combi stroller that I wouldn't trade it in for the world!

My verdict:

4 gavels: Liked it. I would definitely recommend it!

Love It! Thursdays

Hi everyone.....it's my turn to try LIT! I am quite exhausted and I think my brain is absolutely shot because I can't seem to think straight. So, I'll give it a shot........

The theme for this week is: “I love _______ so much that I use it every time I clean my baby!"

I absolutely swear by A&D Original diaper rash ointment. I believe my mom used it on me some thirty-something years ago and on my brother and then my brother (well, really my mom) used it on my niece and I ALWAYS used it on DD. During the first 15 months of her life, I used A&D religously. Even when I changed her on my lap in the restaurant's ladies' room, I used A&D - a fanatic or what!!!!

DD never really had any diaper rashes and I credit constant use of this ointment. I remember forgetting it on a week long trip to California and I figured that I would simply use another brand - I thought, hey......why not?!?!?! Just as long as I had something she/we would be fine!!! But, oh no....she got her first "diaper rash" at 11 months old, and boy was it awful. I believe it was so bad that she got miny blisters. Anyway, I used another wonder product (Triple Paste) to clear it up. This is an expensive ointment (about $10 for a very small tube), but it sure is great. Use it for a night on a normal rash and the rash is gone by the morning. Amazing!!!!!!!

So, my verdict for both A&D and Triple Paste:

5 gavels: Loved it! Can't live without it!

And just in case you're wondering about my verdict on the other product (which, by the way is Balmex):

1 gavel: I want my money back! I'll even go a little further - take it off the shelves!!!!

I Stole This Post. You should too.

Have you ever heard of Inflammatory Breast Cancer? I haven't. But now I know. Tell everyone you know. Why Mommy was just diagnosed six weeks ago. SAHM of two boys. A two year old and a seven month old.

And then the rage came.
It swirled around me this morning, full of fear and fire and fury, and it made me mad. Angry. But more than angry. Resentful and red that such a thing would happen. That such a disease could exist. That beast cancer could act so fast and so thoroughly and so … wrongly.
I locked myself in my room and searched for answers. Thumbed the books. Searched the sites. Talked and wrote. But no answers came. There are none, you see. There are no reasons for such nastiness and disease to exist in the world, and even if there were, there is no rational reason why any individual should have to suffer its effects.
And so, this afternoon, I lay quietly on the hammock with my baby, and let the world wash over me and around me. The leaves rustled with the slightest breeze. The bees and butterflies set about pollinating the overgrown mint borders and the dying tomatoes in the garden. The hammock swung gently as I pushed us ever so softly through the air.
I was cradled by nature.
And I was reminded that the same world that holds disease and fear and rage also holds the comfort of nature and God.


And this.

Weigh In: Week "I've Lost Track"

I've been so busy checking out all the great giveaways that I almost forgot to weigh-in. According to this morning's weigh-in - I've lost 21lbs since I started on my weight-loss plan in January! I do feel significantly smaller. Of course, hubby is convinced that the scale is broken but I'm perfectly happy with what it says and I'm going with that!

I do need to be more disciplined with exercising though. And I was do so well for a time.

My birthday is Saturday and surely I won't have lost 9lbs by then (unless I stop eating today) so I won't quite have met my goal but I'm closer than I ever thought I would be. So, yay me!

Bloggy Bathtime Bliss

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Congratulations to our winner of the Doggy Days of Summer Giveaway:
Amy of In Pursuit of Proverbs 31!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**UPDATED: I'll be out of town until Friday night so if I don't announce my winner then, I'll definitely do it on Saturday. Good luck!**

By now you've heard all about the Dog Days of Summer Bloggy Giveaway over at Shannon's. Tons and tons of people are giving away fantastic FREE STUFF! All you have to do to have a chance at winning some of that great loot is to visit and leave comments on the participating blogs. It's just that easy. Just check out the Mr. Linky on Shannon's blog to see who's participating. And on Friday, each blogger will draw names of the prize winners...and one of the might be you!


Now, we were encouraged to give away something that may tell our blog readers a little bit about ourselves. So, I've decided to give away a Mama Relaxation Set because, well, I would love to be able to relax every so often in a hot bubble bath, surrounded by candles and PEACE AND QUIET. But alas, I never do. Our master bath only has a shower and no tub. It's a crime, I know. And I wish for a huge Roman tub with Whirlpool jets on a daily basis. Of course I could take a bath in the kids' bathtub but it's just not the same. You know, taking a bath with your knees poking out. So, if you have the privilege of having a nice bathtub (or short legs) and can manage to sneak away from your chaotic lives for a few moments, then leave me a comment!


The Mama Relaxation Set includes: Mixed Berry Scented Body Wash and Body Cream, Bath Salts, Bath Confetti and 2 Berry Scented Votives in Glass Holders.






Sound lovely? Go on and enter the drawing.


Do it for me.

Gosh I Have Good Taste

So I'm watching Episode 5 of my beloved Top Chef - Miami last night and imagine my surprise when Padma announces that the guest judge for the contestants' pastry challenge is Maria Frumkin - the very woman who made my wedding cake! So I elbow hubby and exclaim, "hey! remember Maria? She did our cake!" And of course he has absolutely no recollection of the woman. Even though we drove an hour and a half to her cafe in Miami, had lunch with her, and did an entire cake tasting. At which he adamantly chose the banana filling. A choice to which I conceded because, after all, marriage is all about compromise, right? So why not get a head start? But I digress.

But really, he even completely drove by Chatterbox's school this morning when dropping off her school forms and had to call me to remind him where the building was, so why on earth would he recall meeting an Argentinian pastry chef 5 years ago. It wouldn't be natural.

And since we're talking about food and chefs and whatnot, I forgot to tell y'all that I saw Govind Armstrong while we were in New Orleans. And if you have no idea who Govind Armstrong is, you betta' ask somebody.

I dragged hubby into Sucre on Magazine Street because I'm a sucker for anything pastry-sweet-boutique related and even from outside, the place looked fabulous. As soon as I stepped foot in the door, there he was. In all of his beautiful skin and hair glory. I froze. It was pathetic! I totally was starstruck by a chef. A chef for pete's sake. And it's not even like it was Rachael Ray (I know I know, she's not a "chef") or Emeril who are clearly big celebs. Of course, I didn't say hi or anything but instead tried to act very nonchalant and very cosmopolitan and pretended to inspect the confections for the proper consistency of the marzipan and the like, because HELLO! that's what real chefs do.

And then we left. Hubby kept trying to convince me to take a picture of Chef Armstrong with my camera phone but I refused. After all, I am not some crazy-fan-chef-stalker-chick. Right? Right??

Though he kinda makes it hard not to be.

It's the End of the World As We Know It

Sheesh. What is the world coming to if Easy-Bake Ovens aren't safe anymore?

New Easy-Bake Oven Recall Following Partial Finger Amputation; Consumers
Urged to Return Toy Ovens

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Easy-Bake Ovens

Units: About 1 million

Manufacturer: Easy-Bake, a division of Hasbro, Inc., of Pawtucket, R.I

Hazard: Young children can insert their hands into the oven's front
opening, and get their hands or fingers caught, posing entrapment and
burn hazards.

Incidents/Injuries: Since the repair program announced in February,
Easy-Bake has received 249 reports of children getting their hands or
fingers caught in the oven's opening, including 77 reports of burns, 16
of which were reported as second and third-degree burns. Easy-Bake also
received one report of a serious burn that required a partial finger
amputation to a 5-year-old girl.

Description: The Easy-Bake Oven is a purple and pink plastic oven that
resembles a kitchen range with four burners on top and a front-loading
oven. "Easy Bake" is printed on the front of the oven. Model number
65805 and "Hasbro" are stamped into the plastic on the back of the oven.
This recall includes all units with the retrofit kit. The Easy-Bake Oven
is an electric toy and is not recommended for children under eight years
of age. Ovens sold before May 2006 are not included in this recall.

Sold at: Toys "R" Us, Wal-Mart, Target, KB Toys and other retailers
nationwide from May 2006 through July 2007 for about $25.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Caregivers should immediately take the recalled Easy-Bake Oven
away from children, and call Easy-Bake for instructions on how to return
the toy oven for a voucher towards the purchase of another Hasbro
product.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Easy-Bake at (800)
601-8418 anytime, or visit the firm's Web site at www.easybake.com

Love It! Thursdays

Drum roll pleasssssseeeeeeeeee....... Okay, the very first LOVE IT! Thursday.

The theme for our opening week is: “I love _______ so much that I always used it when my baby would not sleep.

My favorite item that helped make my babies sleep was a plain and simple swaddle blanket. Don't be fooled by some of those other blankets with the snaps, Velcros, or ties. I'm talking about a plain old square blanket that comes in a pack of three and commonly referred to as the receiving blanket. Better yet, the blanket you got at the hospital with the pink and blue stripe around the edge with the name of your hospital on it. Those are the absolute BEST swaddling blankets.

Unfortunately, I didn't know how to swaddle correctly for Oldest but I understood the concept and was able to manipulate a blanket in some kind of way where it was snug and tight and he could barely move. He loved it. Not only did it help him sleep better as a newborn, but it also kept him happy during his awake times. So when Daughter was born, I was the pro. I had her NICU nurses show me how to swaddle and I perfected it before we left the hospital. It's really not that hard. It worked great for Little B too.

The history is actually pretty interesting. In ancient times, it was thought that swaddling was essential for proper posture. Today, we swaddle babies to calm them and also help them sleep better. The reason why it works is because it simulates the warmth and security of the womb. So, if you are having trouble getting your new born to calm down or sleep long enough for you to take a quick shower, try swaddling your baby in the blanket the hospital gave you. And a word of caution, don't use the big thick fluffy one with satin on one side and velvet on the other with your baby's initials monogramed along the edge that you recieved at your shower. You may make baby too warm and that could increase your chance of SIDS. Use a thin receiving blanket.

So Mamas, the verdict is in and I give the swaddle blanket...

5 gavels: "Loved it! Can't live without it!"

What's your favorite sleep item for baby?

Introducing...LOVE IT! Thursdays

The Justices of MamaLaw are excited to introduce…LOVE IT! Thursdays

We Mamas certainly do love to share our Mama know-how with each other, don’t we? What better way to spread the word about the products we love or hate, new products we’d love to try, products that make our lives easier, and products that have passed (or failed) The Mama Test, than by blogging about it! It'll be like our own Mama Consumer Review.

So, share your trade secret so that we can all be “in the know.”

The Rules:
Every Thursday, you’ll write a post for your blog. In it, you’ll describe your product, your experience with it, and why you love it (or even hate it) so much. Then it’s time to render your verdict by giving your product a “MamaLaw Gavel Rating”:

5 gavels: "Loved it! Can't live without it!"

4 gavels: "Liked it. I would definitely recommend it."

3 gavels: "It was ok. Maybe if it was on sale..."

2 gavels: "What was I thinking?"

1 gavel: "I want my moneyback!"

You can lift the Gavel Rating images from this post. And don’t forget to link back to us! Once you’re done posting, make sure to come back to our blog to sign the Mr. Linky so that everyone can visit your LOVE IT! Thursday review.

From time to time, we’ll have a “Theme of the Week” so make sure to check in before you post.

* Most importantly – PLEASE do not blog about something that you are being paid to review. We want to keep LOVE IT! Thursdays as genuine and fun as possible.

Feel free to use our button on your blog! Here is the code to add the button:

<a target="'_blank'" href="<a" href="">http://www.mamalaw.blogspot.com"><img</a> src="<a href="http://www.themommyapron.com/images/LITButton.jpg">http://www.themommyapron.com/images/LITButton.jpg</a>" alt="LOVE IT! Thursdays" width="160" height="151" border="0" /></a>

And we’ll see ya…on Thursday!!

This Week's Theme:
The theme for this week’s LOVE IT! Thursdays is: “I love _______ so much that I always used it when my baby would not sleep.