splish splash

To put it simply, my girls looooooove bath time. I only have to utter the word "bath," and Vivian will shoot out of the room, attempting to get naked as fast as she can (this is funny to witness, believe me). A few bubbles, a couple duckies and some warm water, and the girls are good to go.

While Viv is now old enough to share the bathtub real estate with her big sister, I used to swear by the Flexibath. As soon as both girls were old enough to sit up on their own, I popped them into this sturdy miniature tub. The best thing about it, however, was the fact that it collapses for easy storage. Living in a small apartment in NYC, well, anything that takes up a significant amount of space slowly starts to grate on your nerves. Not the foldable-storable-lovable Flexibath! I'll be passing it along to another neighborhood friend now that we no longer need it anymore.

Since having children, I've become an avid label-reader... especially when it comes to what we put on their skin. I'm a big fan of the Burt's Bees product line, especially their fragrance-free shampoo and wash for baby. Made with aloe and oat flour, this product is gentle enough to use every day, and most importantly, it's sulfate, phthalate, petrochemical and paraben-free.

After Vivian's bath, I like to wipe down her nooks and crannies one extra time with Huggies Triple Clean Layers wipes. Anyone who's changed a diaper at least once in their life knows how important it is for a wipe to be durable, and Huggies doesn't disappoint. With 3 layers of extra thickness, you will not be haphazardly pulling out wipes in an effort to get that little bum clean. As a family who uses wipes for many things, from taking off eye makeup to cleaning out the inside of the diaper bag, I like the fact that with one wipe I can take care of what I need to do. And so does my wallet.

My little gals love to make a mess, but fortunately, they love to get cleaned up, too! Thank goodness. 

The ultimate test for Huggies® diapers & wipes is in real life – from messy first birthday parties to playground play dates. Put the new and improved products, including Huggies® Snug & Dry Diapers with NEW SureFit Design and Huggies Natural Care® Wipes with Triple Clean Layers, to the test in and out of the nursery. Become an Official Huggies® Tester at Huggies.com/Tester.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Huggies® via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Huggies®.”

spring baby shower inspiration

I helped host a baby shower for a good friend this past weekend, and I wanted to share a few photos with you, along with some of my resources for making the party happen without a hitch. While my official event planning days may be behind me, I do enjoy planning events from time to time, especially for something as special as a new baby on the way.

A paper invitation is a must, and I absolutely love the new Vera Bradley line available at Tiny Prints. Here's the one I chose for our spring/afternoon tea-themed shower. So pretty!

We held the shower in the community room of my building, and sufficed to say, the space needed a little jazzing up. Decorating with pom poms are so much fun, and I love the ones I found on Etsy:

About halfway through the planning process, I started to worry that I was going a bit overboard with "blush and bashful," to quote Shelby from Steel Magnolias. However, can there really be too much pink when a little gal is about to enter the world? I don't think so. I just love this gorgeous pink scroll runner from Hen House Linens:

Thanks to Pinterest, I'd seen the onesie laundry line decorating idea already, and thought it was super cute. I think ours turned out pretty nice as well!

Now, is it possible to set one foot in a Michael's and not envision yourself as the next Martha Stewart? I have to admit I'm not much of a DIY-er (though maybe if I had more free time on my hands??), but I am kind of proud of the sign I made to brighten up one of the walls:

We sent guests home with adorable onesie cookies from Mama's Custom Cookies. I just love how these turned out, and it was so nice to send guests home with a little favor from the afternoon. Mama's ships priority mail and they arrived in cellophane bags ready to be handed out.

We left a journal out so that guests could leave a special note for the Mama-to-be, whether it was advice, words of encouragement or helpful tips as she begins this new adventure known as motherhood.

The menu consisted of 2 types of sandwiches (cucumber and chicken salad), banana bread, red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and lemon meringue pie. We had tea, coffee and punch (rasberry sherbert & 7 Up... easy!) on hand, too, and not surprisingly, we didn't come back with many leftovers!

The best part of the afternoon, however, was seeing the smiling face of the Mama-to-Be. Congratulations, Audrey!

april 28: the mets host "moms & families day" at citi field

Take us out to the ball game

Little known fact (unless you actually know me): I'm not really a sports fan. In fact, it is the ultimate irony that I married someone who LOVES all things professional sports and can quote statistics with the same ease of reciting his social security number. I would like to point out that though he is from Wisconsin, and therefore bleeds green and gold, he does not wear cheese on his head during football games. THANK GOD.

Now, though I have pledged no allegiance to any kind of team, ever, I will say there is something about baseball. Maybe it's Field of Dreams, maybe it's the all-American, peanuts and Cracker Jacks-of it all, maybe it's the cotton candy, but I do not mind watching this particular sport. Needless to say, I was pretty excited when New York's own Mets team invited us to watch a match game a few weeks ago. Husband was VERY excited about taking his girls to their first national league game, and I was excited about taking it all in, and, er, sampling the food options.

Ladies and gents, the Mets did not disappoint -- I love the old-fashioned look of their stadium in Queens (easily accessible by subway), FanFest (which offers batting cages, base running, a live dj, etc), the food (when at a sporting event, just go for the chili cheese dog, you know you want to...) and the family atmosphere. I must also give a shout out to the staff... literally everyone we met, from the guy at the stroller checking to the security officers who gave us directions, were unbelievably kind. It was a perfect family afternoon, despite the chillier weather, which drove us inside about midway through the game. Oh, and they pulled out a win late in the last quarter inning!

Jackie Robinson's famous #

Happy Daddy, despite one sourpuss daughter 

Hanging out in the VIP dining area

This Sunday, April 28th, the Mets are having a special "Moms and Families Day" as they play the Phillies in a home game in Queens at 1:10pm. With a package price of $29, you can score the following:

Private meet & greet with Mr. Met from Noon-12:30pm in the Mets Cafe (including an exclusive photo opportunity)
1 field level ticket
1 hot dog, 1 soft drink, popcorn and peanuts
Mets lanyard with ticket holder

Enter the Mets Cafe btwn Section 104-105 beginning at 11:45am. Purchase tickets here: www.mets.com/bloggerpicnic

Play ball!



Disclaimer: The Mets provided us with complimentary tickets to a game earlier this month. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

dinner and diapers

Last week, I joined Tend by Glam and a small group of mom bloggers and guests at Philippe Chow in midtown for a dinner sponsored by Huggies. Over Chinese and cocktails, we dished on everything from diaper explosion stories (only a group of moms could have this conversation and still get through a meal), our birthing experiences (ditto) and the joys and frustrations that come with motherhood.

I'll be the first to admit that I don't go out as much as I used to, so when the occasion pops up to throw on a dress and add an extra swipe of mascara, I'm all for it. While that might seem kind of lame (okay, it definitely does), here's my positive spin: I used to go out all the time pre-children, and you know what? I enjoy myself more now because I know just how important "me time" is, and I appreciate it immensely. Soooo much more than when I was a swingin' single gal or "smug married," to quote Bridget Jones. I value every minute that I get to spend with friends, and that's something you can't put a price tag on. It's nice to have a reminder of who you are when you've stepped away from the title of Mama for a few hours.

My guest for the evening was a friend who's a soon-to-be mama herself. We had a great time catching up on all things baby, from sharing photos of her nursery (so cute!) to discussing daycares vs. nannies. It was also fun bringing a friend into my "blogging world," which are usually two separate entities. So with that said, a special thanks to Tend and Huggies for allowing us to bring guests!

With my friend (& guest) Audrey Galang & Ghada from Mama Goes BAM

Red velvet cake for dessert. Ummm.... yes, please!

We went home with an amazing goody bag filled to the brim with fun gifts for the new mama:

Sophie teething ring
Aden + Anais security blanket set
Baby Bjorn bib
Skip Hop diaper messenger bag
Huggies diaper changing pads

What a treat! I had such a great evening, from hanging out with an old friend, to making new ones.

The ultimate test for Huggies® diapers & wipes is in real life – from messy first birthday parties to playground playdates. Put the new and improved products, including Huggies® Snug & Dry Diapers with NEW SureFit Design and Huggies Natural Care® Wipes with Triple Clean Layers, to the test in and out of the nursery. Become an Official Huggies® Tester at Huggies.com/Tester.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Huggies® via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Huggies®.”

35: how did THAT happen?

35 makes it all official. I'm in my mid-30s. GULP. It also means I've moved to the next age bracket in surveys, which may be the hardest part of the deal. Age 25-34 box, I really, truly loved you. 35-48 bracket, you are far, FAR less appealing.

Instead of a pity party, however, I celebrated with a fun "me" day. Because nothing says celebrate your declining age by eating your way through your birthday! I started off at brunch with a dear friend at Via Quadronno. Do you know it? Steps away from the Met, the small cafe has a very authentic, rich Italian atmosphere, and I loved nearly fighting my way through the crowd huddled around the bar sipping on cappucinos. Down a narrow hallway, the space opens up to a quaint room filled with small cafe tables. We lunched on paninis and coffee (I recommend the asparagus open-faced panini- delicious). Perfect way to start out the day!

Next, my friend and I stopped for macarons a few blocks away at Laduree. While some say macarons are the new cupcakes, I prefer not to discriminate. What Laduree embodies, however, is pure elegance. The shop is practically perfect in every way, and you might think you'd wandered into Coco Chanel's dressing room -- pastel colors everywhere, gilded fixtures, wait staff in appropriately-dressed black ties and crisp white shirts. Except for the long line (macarons have become the "it" dessert), it was a simply lovely experience, and the macarons themselves were light, fluffy and delicious.

Continuing the "me-ness" of the day (only a mother would feel guilty about this, but I managed to forge on...), I stopped off for a hair cut with Mark on Madison. I'm in the process of growing my hair out, but there's no question I needed a trim to shape things up. Mark, who began his career with an apprenticeship at The John Barrett Salon at Bergdorf Goodman, gave me some great tips on styling my hair on the go (namely to concentrate on the front part of your hair -- blow dry your bangs and the front pieces on each side of your face -- let the back air dry naturally!) and I love the way the cut turned out. With a few snips I was back in ship shape again, and Mark was a doll. Keep him in mind the next time you need a professional to whip your tresses back into shape -- he's worked with such celebrities as Christina Applegate and Angelica Houston, and fab bloggers like Ellen Schmidt (HA!).

Here's where I made a wrong turn-- for some ungodly reason I decided it might be fun to try on some new clothes at Bloomingdales (note to self: unless you're a size 4, do NOT enter a dressing room on your birthday). Needless to say, I made a hasty exit.

Luckily, I redeemed myself later over a cocktail (or three?) with friends at the restaurant bar within The Nomad Hotel. Sufficed to say, Mama doesn't get out much, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It should also be noted that I have amazing friends, which is just one of the reasons I'm a pretty lucky girl. Can 35 year olds still call themselves girls? 

YES.

Bring it, 35!

Disclaimer: My Mark on Madison haircut was complimentary. All opinions expressed herein are my own.