Another senseless tragedy brings to mind the words of Mr. Rogers…thankfully there are always people who are helping.
You are always safe with this explanation when talking to your children…at least I think so!
Have I ever told you how much I wish I had the internet when I was raising my own family!
I was living in Florida when my kids were infants and I can’t say how much I missed NYC where I had lived in and near for most of my life.
Florida was like being in exile for this native New Yorker and there was nothing like “More Than Milk” available in 1980.
So I am inspired by moms like the ones, who are inspiring and helping other moms by giving them an “avenue for personal growth”.
More than Milk helps moms to get involved with organizations and other moms while bringing along their babies and kids…what an opportunity! I
f you are a mom and are looking for a unique opportunity to interact with other moms head on over to More Than Milk!
Welcome to More Than Milk.
Mission
To provide Moms with an avenue for personal growth, inspiration, and social giving as Moms generate “more than milk” to talk about with friends and family through kid-friendly volunteer experiences. By connecting Moms with deserving charities, we provide organizations with heightened awareness in the community, financial support, and energetic and talented volunteers.
Our Goals
- To build a connection between Moms and inspirational organizations
- To make charitable giving and philanthropy a way of life for Moms and their families
- To create “Mom-friendly” (bring your babies & kids) volunteer activities
- To spread the missions of charitable organizations to Moms, friends and the next generation
Homemade with Love
Yesterday, I went to a really delightful luncheon here in Chicago. It was an impromptu event invitation that I am so grateful to have had the time to attend.
In the last few weeks, I have had the fortune of discovering a new blog, In Jennie’s Kitchen and a new cookbook, Homemade with Love on Instagram.
Blogging and cooking are both loves of mine! Cooking has been a longtime passion of mine…blogging and reading blogs is a new passion.
Now, I have had the good fortune of meeting the creator of Homemade with Love, Jennifer Perillo.
I now realize that it was also fortunate for me that I missed her Chicago book signing, this past Sunday and that I am not afraid of twitter. To make a long story short, Jennifer extended an invitation to me to attend a very special small luncheon that she was preparing in her hotel here in Chicago.
To say, I was thrilled is definitely an understatement.
Among the invitees were some other bloggers, who are all much more recognizable than I…most were food bloggers, some were also writers, who represent various media and social media here in Chicago. A very nice mix of women and fun for me to meet, as my background is just so different, coming from nursing and social work.
What better way to relax everyone and encourage conversation with each other than to casually serve a delicious made from scratch lunch.
Jennifer did just that!
In the tiniest of working kitchen space Jennie created recipes from her new book Homemade with Love.
Firstly, we had some wine, sparkling water, or still water served with a strawberry compote to add a little bit of sweetness to our drinks…very refreshing.
Next we were treated to ….
Creamy Homemade Ricotta
Slow Roasted Tomatoes with Fresh Mozzarella Panzanella Salad
Chickpea, Parmesan and Fennel Salad
Orecchiette with Bolognese Sauce
Simple Roasted Chicken
Deep Chocolate Cupcakes with Deep Chocolate Glaze
It was a lovely marriage of flavors and Jennifer’s ease with preparing and serving made it obvious to me that I could make her recipes at home, as you will be able to do too after you buy her wonderful cookbook.
Jennifer also graciously signed copies of her cookbook for all of us.
I am impressed with her book, its’ layout, beautiful photos and helpful tips. There are icons on every page to tell you about each recipe. I love her Chapter on “Setting Up a Homemade Kitchen” which is surprisingly easy!
It helps that Jennifer is a warm and engaging mother of two, who understands what it is like to be thrown into single parenthood by the untimely death of her husband, Mikey. You can see her love for her kids and Mikey overflows into her passion for cooking.
She has truly written a delightfully beautiful cookbook that you can use in your kitchen to make your own family meals Homemade With Love.
Thank you Jennifer!
Jennifer Perillo and me…
Thank you also to Kitchen Aid and the makers of Glad, two companies who helped to make it possible for Jennifer to share her recipes and cookbook with us.
Disclosure:
This post was not sponsored. I did receive a copy of Homemade with Love from Jennifer. All opinions are my own.
If you understand your child’s brain it just may help you deal with your child’s tantrums.
Dr. Siegel is a renowned physician, who has done much research on the brain. In this video he shares what is going on in a child’s brain when he is having a tantrum. By understanding the brain and tantrums it just might help a parent or grandparent deal with their own reaction to a temper tantrum.
How you react to the child who is having a tantrum may actually lengthen or shorten the duration of the “meltdown”
Now what parent would not want to shorten a tantrum?
Watch this video to learn how!
http://www.kidsinthehouse.com/video/how-stop-tantrums-understanding-brain
via How to stop tantrums by understanding the brain | KidsInTheHouse.com.
In your Easter Bonnet...Dress!
Easter really crept up fast at our house and we had not really thought about our little one’s outfit.
Borrow Baby Couture came to our rescue…
I shopped online on Wednesday.
Friday…the box arrived at my door.
Inside was one of the most beautiful dresses I have ever laid eyes on…
Versace knows design, color and fabric for little girls
and
Borrow Baby Couture offers these gorgeous fashions at a fraction of the cost if you were to actually purchase the same dress.
It was lovely from the back
and
Simply elegant from the front.
Our little one felt sweet and special in her Borrow Baby Couture.
She even knows that it is a one time wear and then it goes back to the wonderful “lady” at BBC…who will send her another dress for Mother’s Day….our next Holiday.
Hopefully, I will plan ahead as it is just a little over a month away but if not, I know that Borrow Baby Couture will be there to help.
Disclaimer:
This was a sponsored post.Thank you Borrow Baby Couture!
What legacy are you leaving your daughters and granddaughters when it comes to fashion and skin care?
Perhaps, this is not even an important legacy in your eyes but I find it fun to observe mothers and daughters and even grandmothers and their affects on each other when it comes to fashion and beauty.
My own mother was very devoted to good skin care and she was fortunate to have beautiful skin and coloring.
She was born in 1911, so for most of her life there was no such thing as “sunscreen” or SPF but she knew to stay away from too much sunbathing since she had very fair skin which did not tan…it just burned. Also, she grew up in NYC, so getting to the beach meant a trip to Rockaway or Jones Beach, which was not that easy for her.
As a young girl, I watched my mother carefully as she got ready for work every morning. She washed with soap and water using a wash cloth…she then applied a liquid makeup foundation and dusted her face with loose powder. She then applied some pink lipstick, blotted it and she was done. She used no eye make-up. In her purse, she carried a compact of loose powder and a lipstick. It was a very simple routine!
Every once in awhile I would visit our neighbor, who also worked everyday. I was intrigued by her make-up routine. It was very different from my mom’s morning ritual.
Alline would wash her face and begin with foundation…it was heavier than my mother’s, she then spent quite a bit of time on her eyes, using wax on her eyebrows, eyeliner and mascara. Her eyes were blue and gorgeous.
Alline was black haired with blue eyes…to me, she looked like Elizabeth Taylor, very glamourous. While my own mother was beautiful…I did not think of her as glamourous. As I grew older I wished to see my mother explore her beauty with a touch of glamour.
So, I took her for a make-up session to New York’s Fifth Avenue, Best & Co. A wonderful make-up artist transformed my beautiful mom into a glamourous one. Mind you, she did not have to do very much. She added a touch of eye make-up, some mascara and some color to her eyebrows and then brought out her blue eyes with the lightest of blue eyeshadow. And just like that my dear mother went from beautiful to glamourous.
My mother was pleased and I was over the moon.
That very day,
I realized something…
a little make-up goes a long way.
My mother had a saying….
“never gild a lily”….
I finally understood what she meant.
Make-up was just that…gilt….
and
My mother was the Lily!
My post was inspired by the following:
My Nana was frugal but her face was her luxury item and her spending inelastic on all items of skin care. A veteran traveller, she had her routines. “Unpacking her face” was ritualistic. She would lay out the hotel washcloth upon which she would arrange her creams, brushes, liners, mascara and tweezers.
via Felice Shapiro: High Fashion: A Good Face And A Black Turtleneck.
via “Nessas Family Kitchen” blog
Life is short. Eat dessert first.-Jacques Torres
This is going to be our Easter Dessert. It is from one of my favorite Irish Blogs- Nessas Family Kitchen.
So head on over to her blog and see her beautiful photos and recipes. The photo above is her Easter cake.
I always find that cake is well suited to every occasion. This lemon frosted cake makes a perfect Easter treat, as yellow themed goods seem to fit nicely with an Easter theme. It’s basically a madeira cake which is smothered with a creamy lemon topping and filled with lemon curd; perfect to enjoy with a cup of tea anytime.
http://nessasfamilykitchen.blogspot.com
After dessert, here are my picks for the rest of Easter.
Easy is my motto for all holidays. Easy does not imply not made with love and delicious…it simply means that I can enjoy the holiday with my family.
Cool Mom Picks
Some great suggestions from Cool Mom Picks for Easter Brunch!
Quick Brunch Recipes ….and by that I mean 30 minute ones, are always good even if you are not having anyone over for Easter…here are a few from Cool Mom.
Allrecipes
Allrecipes is my go to website for quick, easy and delicious favorites. Easter is a sweet spring holiday and these Jelly Doughnut Cupcakes are right up my alley if you know what I mean.
Although I love breakfast sometimes I prefer the European approach which is to indulge in something sweet with a really good cup of coffee!
Children’s carseats are safety essentials and suffice to say parents have many choices. Installation of babyseats is usually a challenge even for those mechanically gifted.
Here is a video from the Carseat Lady. I think it will appeal to most parents.
Is there an upside to postpartum depression?
I am not so sure, but perhaps it was the case for Susan Benjamin Feingold, a psychologist who, herself, experienced postpartum depression over 20 years ago.
For those experiencing this sometimes devastating disorder it could be an opportunity for a “new beginning” if the mom gets the appropriate help.
Twenty years ago, as we know, this disorder was not taken very seriously and was mostly known as the “baby blues” and was mostly left untreated. It was felt that “baby blues” was hormonal and self limiting. So when the postpartum period was over in about six weeks after delivery the baby blues would go away with it.
We now know, postpartum depression is more complicated and serious than the “baby blues”.
Personally, I like Ms. Feingold’s approach. As a clinical psychologist, “she encourages women to view postpartum depression as they would any other difficult time in life that would provide an opportunity for personal growth and transformation.”
Stigma is still attached to mental conditions and postpartum depression is not immune to this stigmatizing. After all, what is wrong with a mom who cannot find joy and happiness in her newborn?
Hopelessness can follow the delivery of a baby for various reasons and whether or not it is stimulated by a change in hormones does not diminish the seriousness of postpartum depression.
With the proper professional help moms suffering from this disorder can actually have a very good outcome. They can make changes and perhaps as they put the pieces of their life back together they will have learned that they are stronger and better for the experience.
The medical journal JAMA Psychiatry reports that, 1 in 7 women suffers from PPD.
The largest study to date shows that as many as 1 in every 7 women suffers postpartum depression. And the study, published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, finds that among women followed for a year after delivery, some 22 percent had been depressed.
The study also recommends that all pregnant women and new mothers be screened for depression.
via Postpartum Depression Affects 1 In 7 Mothers : Shots – Health News : NPR.
According to Feingold, PPD symptoms fall into four areas or clusters.
Feingold also mentions in her new book that women who successfully work through their postpartum depression sometimes then begin to work on other pre-existing symptoms and improve the overall quality of their lives as women and mothers.
It sounds like Feingold’s approach to postpartum depression and its treatment could be just the answer for many of the moms who suffer from this disorder. It could be the “new beginning” leading to the “happy ending”.
Feingold has written a new book, “Happy Endings, New Beginnings: Navigating Postpartum Disorders,” that offers advice, including when to seek medical help. But it also encourages women to view postpartum depression as they would any other difficult times in their lives that would give them an opportunity for personal growth and transformation.
via Book looks at upside of postpartum depression – chicagotribune.com.
Did you feed your baby solid food way too early?
True confession ….I did.
When my first child was born, my aunt, ( who knew everything), insisted that I feed my infant some rice cereal so that she would sleep through the night. She insisted my baby was hungry all the time. While that may have been true, I knew better. But never the less I succumbed to the stupor of being a new mom and tried feeding my newborn a few spoonfuls of cereal to encourage a longer night’s sleep. Aren’t all new moms sleep deprived?
Even though I was formula feeding, my husband did not do the middle of the night feedings since he had to get up for work the next morning so I was desperate when it came to some long stretches of sleep and I thought perhaps my aunt was right.
Well, needless to say my dear aunt was not correct and my efforts to feed a “newborn” were frustrating, time consuming and fruitless when it came to lengthening my baby’s sleep time. Mind you, she was a good sleeper by all measurements, I simply wanted to rush her to sleep through the night. After a few days of attempting solids, I gave up and went back to nothing but formula for the next 6 months. She slept through the night when she was ready at 8 weeks of age.
So now, when I read that moms are still trying to feed solids, mostly cereal, to their infants at a very early age…
I do not judge.
From the statistics, this practice is done by moms that are still influenced by their moms and grand moms. It is an erroneous practice handed down from generation to generation and it probably will not soon end because simply, moms and grand moms are more influential in some cultures than baby’s pediatrician.
After all would your mom steer you wrong?
While many pediatricians are sympathetic to the difficulties parents face feeding their child nothing but breast milk or formula for six months, they say little good can come from feeding solid food to a child before he or she is physically ready.
“When a baby is ready to start eating food, he will put his hands in his mouth, and you will see him actually making chewing motions,” said Dr. T J Gold, a pediatrician with Tribeca Pediatrics in Brooklyn. “At 2, 3 months, they can’t even hold their heads up well, and they can’t sit,” making it difficult, if not dangerous, to put solid food in their mouths.
They also have yet to develop the proper gut bacteria that allow them to process solid food safely, potentially leading to gastroenteritis and diarrhea, Dr. Gold said. The early introduction of solid foods has also been linked to increased risk of obesity, diabetes, eczema and celiac disease.
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