Archives for 2013

Planning a baby shower & Friday links

January 11, 2013

Thank you so much for your support on the blog and Twitter after Wednesday’s post about sending Levi to Montessori’s toddler program. Deep down I know that JB and I are making the right decision by choosing to enroll him in 5-day-a-week part-time program, and that he and I will both benefit from the time apart.

Still, as a parent, it’s so hard not to judge yourself and worry that you may be failing your child in one way or another. I never want Levi (or myself, for that matter) to think I pawned him off at such an early age because I wasn’t able to sufficiently meet the responsibilities of the job. But when I spend every waking minute of his day catering to his needs, there’s no time to tend to myself — or to my husband, house, or family. If I’m to follow my own passions and grow as a person, I need to carve out a little bit of me-time during our very busy days together.

Yesterday afternoon, however, I had plenty of quality Levi-time: He and I flew to New Jersey to spend the weekend celebrating my sister, who’s expecting her first baby in March!

The lucky mom-to-be is having two baby showers. Her in-laws are hosting the first on Saturday for family and close family friends. Then my mom and I are throwing a small soiree at my sister’s NYC apartment on Sunday for her city-dwelling friends. For the past two weeks, my mom has been texting me photo of her culinary creations — she’s been baking up a storm for this little gathering! I’m so excited for the event because I have some really great decorations and games planned that I’ll certainly be sharing with you next week.

And now, some links to take you into the weekend

An itty-bitty — but beautifully designed — nursery for baby Agatha in Brooklyn

The characters of Downton Abbey as cats and dogs (So, what did you think of the season premiere?)

Is getting organized on of your New Year’s resolutions? Tips to clear the clutter – online and in real life.

At what age did your children start doing chores? Here are two downloadable chore charts.

The holidays may have passed, but I still have many of these travel-friendly gifts on my wishlist.

I don’t know why I don’t blend up smoothies at home. This recipe looks so easy and delicious.

I’ve yet to commit to a 2013 planner, have you? (Here are 13 fun calendar options)

I also write for Lifetime Moms

Having an ultrasound party? Please don’t invite me!

Have a happy weekend, friends!

{my Instagram photos}

Why I want to send my toddler to Montessori

January 9, 2013

Levi turns 18 months old this weekend. It’s crazy to think that my baby will be a year and a half in just a few days. Now a full-fledged walking and talking toddler, Levi’s non-stop energy, curiosity and eagerness is what led JB and I to tour a local Montessori school yesterday As much as I love spending all day, every day with him, we think it’s time for Levi to take the next step in his development: nursery school.

Wait, I have a confession…

The truth is that I don’t love spending all day, every day with Levi. I love the idea of spending that time with him and I love that I’m able to be his primary caretaker during the day, but I don’t love every minute that we’re together. It’s exhausting. And challenging. Really, really challenging.

Sure, we attend weekly music and Gymboree classes when they’re available, and I try to schedule a playdate or two during the week, but I worry that I’m not providing Levi with enough stimulation. I’m not interested in just keeping him entertained; if that were my priority, I’d plop him in front of the TV to watch back-to-back episodes of “Sesame Street.”

And no, Levi is not lacking in toys. We have blocks and Legos and musical instruments and books and a tunnel and puppets and more. I play with him and I let him play independently. But I think Levi could benefit from more socialization with other children his age and from spending quality time with other adults. (Separation anxiety has been a challenge for us these past couple of months.) More importantly, though, I want Levi to continue gaining confidence and self-esteem as he explores his independence. I never want him to stop learning and growing, and I can only imagine that our basement/playroom is limiting in engaging experiences and mindful activities.

Reason #2

But there’s another reason why JB and I are interested in sending Levi to a part-time nursery school program. Being hands-on with Levi all day means that I only get a break when Levi naps — and I never know if he’s going to sleep for an hour and a half or three hours. If I were a SAHM, I could use Levi’s naptime to do some chores around the house, maybe prep dinner for that evening. However, as a WAHM, I’m at the computer doing my work for the day after I eat my own lunch. (Besides this blog, I’m a regular contributor for Lifetime Moms and guest post on various other blogs.)

So household chores get put off…and off…and off. I don’ t know how other women do it, but I haven’t found enough hours in the day to fulfill all my duties as a mom, a wife and a worker. Sending Levi to school for three hours a day, five days a week would open a window of opportunity for me to be more productive at home.

Why I like Montessori

Before I became a mom, I didn’t give much thought to what type of nursery or preschool my children would attend, and I knew very little about Montessori. But the more I learn about Montessori, the more strongly I feel about following their philosophy:

“It is a view of the child as one who is naturally eager for knowledge and capable of initiating learning in a supportive, thoughtfully prepared learning environment. It is an approach that values the human spirit and the development of the whole child—physical, social, emotional, cognitive.”

What I also like about Montessori is that it’s not simply a daycare. It’s not a large room filled with oversize plastic toys, monitored by adults who are essentially babysitters. Even at the toddler stage, Montessori is a school, with independence being the primary objective. This New York Times article acknowledges that Montessori preschool instruction “has been shown to lead to strong academic achievement” by incorporating “self-control into daily activities.” Besides developing his gross and fine motor skills, Levi would be learning practical life and self-help skills that would serve him outside of the classroom.

So why I am feeling so confused?

At the end of the day, I wonder if sending Levi to nursery school at 18 months old means I’ve failed as a mom (a WAHM, at that) or that I’m a good mom for wanting to expand his horizons. Am I selfish for wanting more time for myself or smart for recognizing I need more time in order to actually accomplish the tasks on my to-do list? Maybe JB and I will regret our decision and pull him out of Montessori. Maybe we’ll realize it’s the best decision we’ve ever made. But we won’t know until we try, right?

Being a parent is hard.

{images of Montessori-inspired spaces via My Home Ideas, How We Montessori, Sew Liberated}

Words of Wisdom

January 8, 2013

How do you feel about motivational quotes? Do you find them inspiring or meaningless? They don’t often speak to me, but when they do, the message is loud and clear. I even have a Pinterest board of my favorite inspirational quotes to refer to when I need some food for thought.

Here are some of my favorites:

I don’t have any words of wisdom hanging on my walls as art, but that may soon change. Sarah Tolzmann of the blog Note to Self just launched her first Society6 store, The Print Shop, with art prints, framed art prints, stretched canvases and more.

I’ve long been a fan of Sarah’s work — she has a simple yet sophisticated graphic design style and a personal aesthetic I admire — and her “Words of the Week” posts are a favorite blog feature of mine. She’s turning some quotes from her popular series into art prints to sell on The Print Shop, starting with this great one from Thomas Edison on opportunity.

To help inspire one another at the start of the new year, please share your favorite motivation quote or image in the comments below!

{image sources: Lisa Congdon, Inspired to Share, Urban Outfitters, Bee of Design, The Print Shop}

A Toddler Proof iPad

January 7, 2013

After a breakfast of homemade banana pancakes yesterday (Levi helped stir!), we all stayed in our pajamas and hung out in the basement. Part of our lazy Sunday morning included playing toddler-appropriate games we downloaded on the iPad last month to keep Levi entertained on our flights. Of the handful of apps we found for Levi, Feed the Animals and Animals for Toddlers were the biggest hits.

I’d imagine that Levi’s attention span is like that of most almost-18 month olds — practically non-existent. The toddler games on the iPad are intuitive enough that Levi can usually figure out where on the screen to touch (except for The Moogies; he has no idea what to do with that game). However, he seems to think it’s more fun to repeatedly press a game’s menu button or the iPad’s home button over and over and over again.

JB’s iPad is secured in an OtterBox, making it very difficult for Levi to push the home button. Mine, on the other hand, has a cover but not a hard case. Levi barely gets through 30 seconds of any game or video on my iPad before realizing that the home button is exposed and able to be pushed.

Several months ago, we bought a Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Apptivity Case to toddler proof my iPad because it’s designed to cover the home button completely. We ended up returning it because you have to unscrew the back and take out the iPad if you want to change between apps or adjust the volume. How is that practical? (Especially when your toddler has a short attention span!) Additionally, the case seemed large and cumbersome for airplane travel.

For now, my best recommendation for a toddler-proof iPad case would be this OtterBox. Yes, it’s heavy, but it’s not too heavy that Levi can’t pick it up — and drop it. So far, the case has done its job of protecting the iPad…and Levi’s dropped it plenty of times!

Do you let your toddler play with an iPad? If so, how do you keep it protected? And what are some of your child’s favorite apps? Please share in the comment section below!

What is a weekend?

January 6, 2013

Season 3 of Downton Abbey begins tonight on PBS — I’m so excited! Do you watch? After hearing people rave about it on Twitter, I finally caught up on season 1 last spring and then binge-watched season 2 in the fall. Let me tell you: It is addicting. I even got JB hooked!

Now, I need another tote bag like I need another hole in my head, but this What is a “Weekend”? tote I found on Fab made me laugh. The Dowager Countess asked that question, but I think new moms often wonder the same thing, don’t you?

Will you be tuning into the premiere of Downton Abbey tonight?

PS: Don’t laugh at me, but I when I watch Downton Abbey, I need to put on closed captioning. I’m simply terrible with accents — even British ones!