From the category archives:

Month 8

Make it a potluck

March 12, 2010

I really love bossing people around organizing easy dinner parties. Gather some friends together for a BBQ or potluck. The easy thing is that by distributing the responsibilities, you’ll have less to worry about. And more fun all around. Simple rules to sharing the load with a potluck: Assign jobs and give yourself an easy [...]

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Travel light (when you fly with a baby)

November 22, 2009

Gone are the days when Alec and I could just go away for a few months with nothing but a pair of backpacks. Traveling with a baby requires more strategery, but this is one of my strengths, so allow me to share a tip: You do not need to bring it all with you! Flying [...]

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Activity #427: Evaluate, admire, photograph, and throw away your shoes

November 3, 2009

Yesterday while my baby slept, I went around the house and gathered up all my shoes. There were some in my bedroom, some in the hall closet and some under the desk and dining room table. I brought them all into one clear space and laid them out in a grid. My objective? Toss my [...]

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Reconnect in the kitchen

July 20, 2009

When I’m on schedule with the evening routine, I pick up the kids and hustle them in the door a few minutes before the crazy dinner rush starts. If I succeed, we might have a little playtime before the show starts at 5:30. Once the show begins, I have 25 minutes to prepare dinner with [...]

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Activity #54: Take 1-2-3 pictures

June 3, 2009

You know those picture frames with three spaces in them? They’re not just for people with three children. They’re for you. Take on the assignment of filling one up with photos that work well together, like these of baby Wallie. Capture your baby’s ability to clap or wave by taking photos in a series. Check [...]

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Use baby signs – it’s not too late.

April 7, 2009

Apparently, once your baby can wave “hello”, he can begin signing other things, too. If you’re convinced that your baby has something to say, but just doesn’t have the words, consider getting with the signing program. The experts on baby stuff, say that you should start signing a few things consistently around 8 months. I [...]

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Activity #187: Play with someone else’s toys

April 4, 2009

Seven months old and bored already? The nerve of some people. If it seems that everyone else’s toys are more fun, find another mom to trade with. Agree to a trade period like 2 weeks and then trade back. If you hang with a bigger posse, call it a toy swap. Everyone brings something that [...]

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Activity #152: Go camping

September 8, 2008

We’re getting ready for a camping trip this weekend, the first time with both the babes. Holden was camping for his first birthday (pictured) and again when I was pregnant (what was I thinking? of course I’m kidding, it was great). As long as we have our coffee, travel Scrabble, and a gang of other [...]

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Activity #166: Swap your baby food cubes

January 28, 2008

While you’re still making all that good fresh baby food, hold a food swap with some other mom friends to introduce your kid to new flavors and broaden his palate. Here’s how: Make a huge double batch of sweet potatoes or winter squash (steam, puree, put in a large tupperware in the fridge) Your pals, [...]

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Activity #322: Join a re-enactment and maybe ride a donkey!

December 20, 2007

I have a soft spot for this contest entry from Damselfly because I played Mary at the church Christmas pageant for several years (although always with a doll… and always as a distracted teenager) and I think it’s pretty darn fun to ride donkeys too (that’s a story for another day)! The holiday season is [...]

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Activity #202: Love every OTHER minute

September 28, 2007

Mother Shock: Loving Every (Other) Minute of It is a collection of essays about the first year of mothering, comparing the experience to the culture shock one experiences when travelling to a foreign country. I like the analogy a lot and I think Heather will like it even more since she and Alec were on [...]

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Activity #418: Document Examples of Bad Parenting

August 14, 2007

Last year, Lynnette from Rebellin.net gave us the idea to start a collection of photos using baby as a prop to demonstrate all the What Not To Dos. I remembered this suggestion this morning as I laughed at the fact that my second child is asleep in her Pack and Play, swaddled tightly, but surrounded [...]

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