From the category archives:

Month 10-12

Now we’re cruising

Activity #44: Celebrate your way

December 26, 2011

For your 52nd weekly challenge, we invite you to pat yourself on the back — You have a ONE YEAR OLD! The celebration is for you. If you are inviting others to celebrate the big ONE with you, make some plans for it. Make it easy on yourself by delegating food and decorations to anyone [...]

Activity #376: Meet your friends out for errands

December 19, 2011

Go on, it’s semi-social, you can bring your baby or toddler, and you can GTD. (That’s “get things done” in Internet language. Seriously.) When our firstborns were too little to know the difference between Target and the Children’s Museum, Whitney and I would meet with the boys to do some shopping and wonder if it [...]

Now we’re cruising

Launch Camp Grandma

December 12, 2011

As your next weekly challenge, we’re sharing a favorite activity from our book, The Rookie Mom’s Handbook: In the long run, Grandma, baby and Mom and Dad will all look forward to this annual tradition. Since you’re still a rookie, however, do this to the degree you feel comfortable. How it works: You and your [...]

Run errands or walk errands

December 5, 2011

Since my New Year’s resolution every year since Julian was born has been to walk 10,000 steps a day, and so far I have failed miserably, I have a new piece of advice for myself. I should be doing as many errands as I can on foot. I did so much better when I was [...]

Now we’re cruising

Activity #177: Join a museum

November 21, 2011

Like they used to say on TV, membership has it’s privileges. Both of the Bay Area children’s museums that I have been to are part of a consortium of Children’s Museums that have reciprocal memberships. This means that if you get a one-year membership at Habitot in Berkeley, for example, you can go to the [...]

Activity #328: Host a clothing swap party

November 14, 2011

Nine months on, nine months off? Something like that. Your 46th weekly challenge is to obtain some new-to-you clothes that you’ll enjoy along with an afternoon of girlfriend hilarity all for the cost of some cucumber-scented spa water. The end of the year is a perfect time to plan a clothing swap. Whitney totally hates [...]

Now we’re cruising

Do what YOU want to do

November 7, 2011

When my husband had to be gone for six whole nights on business leaving me alone with baby Holden, I panicked and called in my smartest mom friends for advice. They had perfectly reasonable suggestions about lowering my expectations, keeping it simple, and making plans to keep from going stir crazy. This tip came from [...]

Activity #94: Wear something you normally wouldn’t

October 31, 2011

Today is the day to dig way into your closet and pull out something that doesn’t get enough love. Aren’t you pretty much guaranteed that others will be dressed in more eye-catching outfits than yours? My son will be dressed as Santa Claus, so I will be an elf. The hat is the key to [...]

Now we’re cruising

Take a pumpkin picture

October 17, 2011

Your 42nd weekly challenge is a seasonal photo assignment. You can’t take a bad picture in a pumpkin patch. Good assignment, right? Find a pumpkin patch. Go. Take pictures. Use hay as a background, too. If you do this, we would LOVE to see your photos on our rookiemoms facebook page. Is your baby [...]

Test drive some baby classes

October 10, 2011

Most classes for babies provide a free trial experience. Take advantage of these freebies before committing to a paid class. Try to talk your other mama friends into joining you so it’s the most fun for YOU. Your 41st weekly challenge is to contact a local music, dance, or exercise class for moms and babies, [...]

Now we’re cruising

First birthday party ideas

September 30, 2011

photo: The Macs Before we get all in a tizzy about first birthday parties and the cuteness you are about to behold, allow me to confess that I think the first birthday party is optional. Parents doing something momentous to celebrate their own first year of parenthood also seems like a fine idea (first overnight [...]

Slide on the playground

September 26, 2011

Are you ready to see some big smiles? Or looks of horror? Be prepared for either. Our babysitter taught us the following method for putting Julian on the slide when he was too young to slide sitting up: Put baby on tummy, feet down, mid way up the slide. Place his hands up near his [...]

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