starting our day with milk & ending it with "annie" on broadway

This post was sponsored by the Milk Mustache Campaign.

When you have a child in New York City, there are certain "firsts" that you look forward to, because frankly, that's part of the reason you live here. Their first time at the Central Park Zoo or The Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Their first time atop the Empire State Building. Their first Broadway show.

I got to experience the latter with Millie last week at a showing of "Annie," and I'm not even sure I can accurately describe what a great time we had, and how meaningful the experience was for me as her Broadway-loving mama.

Thanks to the Milk Mustache Campaign, my family started our day with a full breakfast and milk from Elmhurst Dairy (which, incidentally, is located in Queens and their cows are brought in from upstate. I love that I can "shop local" with milk, too).

I'm pretty vigilant about making sure the girls eat breakfast every day, and that always includes a big ol' glass of milk. I love that it's an easy source of protein and is filled with essential nutrients for getting my gals raring to go... and that's important now more than ever since Millie just started Pre-K. Milk truly does a body good.

Healthy fact: Each 8 ounce glass of milk contains 8 grams of protein (even more than an egg)!

With that delicious start to the day (mmm... warm pancakes... fresh fruit... local milk!), you might be wondering about the link between a glass of nutrient-packed milk and a certain redheaded orphan on Broadway. "Annie" is the new star of The Breakfast Project's Milk Mustache Campaign, and she's doing an amazing job thus far, as evidenced by these photos on the official "Annie" Facebook page.

Millie has attended a handful of live performances, but what can I say people, there's nothing like Broadway. Best part? I've been catching her singing "Tomorrow, Tomorrow" (the only words she remembers from the song) every now and again since we saw the show last week. Love!

Disclosure: Breakfast, transportation and show tickets were provided to me for the purposes of this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

finding our rhythm with mrs. meyer's

There are quite a few changes happening at my house these days. Millie began Pre-K on Monday, which I still find shocking. It's so cliche to say your kids grow up fast... but they really do! She was so excited the first morning, and thankfully, the excitement hasn't subsided yet. I love hearing about her day and the explosion of new experiences she's encountering. It prevents me from getting too sad about the fact that she's getting bigger before my eyes (sniffle).

Husband is off for a couple weeks pursuing a passion of his and making a life-long dream a reality. I'll refrain from sharing too many details yet, but it's an exciting time for him, and I'm happy he's able to go on this journey (on that note, a hearty shout out to all the single parents out there... I miss the extra pair of hands around here!)

That leaves the little miss and I. Now that I'm working from home, we were forced to let go of our nanny, who was a beloved fixture in all of our lives. I am slowly adjusting to this new schedule, from trying to write when I can find the time (like now, at 11pm) to making sure we get out the door in time for school each day. I am blessed that this new arrangement gives me more time with the girls, though, and am busy trying to figure out the best way to get our schedule ironed out and make sure things are running smoothly around the house. I'll be the first to admit that I did not give stay-at-home moms enough credit when I was working full-time... and that was horribly wrong. This motherhood balancing act is not for the faint of heart, let me tell you.

Now, not to get all 1950s on you, but in the midst of all of this scheduling and coordination, I'm trying not to let the ball drop around the house. Anyone with small children knows that you can have a spotless home, yet within moments of a child entering through the door, it will be a total mess. And while I'm never going to enjoy cleaning the house (who does?), I am thrilled when there are products that come along that make the job easier and less grueling.

Enter Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day. This collection of household products is made with essential oils from flowers and herbs that smell lovely, but really fight against dirt and grime. All are earth-friendly, cruelty-free and not tested on animals. Plus, I just love the Mrs. Meyers vintage-y "look." I've been using the Geranium-scented dish soap and all purpose cleaner around the house, and I love that it smells nice without being overpowering. Lastly, I'm often spraying down the girls' art table, bookshelves and play kitchen with the all-purpose spray, and it is reassuring to know I don't have to worry about harsh chemicals.

Is it okay if I end this post with a "wish me luck?" I'm hoping that we will find our rhythm very soon and I'll be able to figure out how to get all the chauffeuring, playing, writing and cleaning done without feeling like I've been run over by a ton of bricks at the end of the day. I have found, though, that finding the lovely in every day really helps -- even if it's something small, like sweet-smelling dish soap.


Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day® believes in a better way to get a good clean.  Chock full of plant-derived ingredients and essential oils, our household cleaning products are powerful against dirt and grime.  Our garden fresh scents uplift your mood while adding a little spring to you step.  


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

An Open Letter to My Daughters on September 11th

I submitted the following to BabyZone this morning, but I wanted to make sure it was in this space as well. xoxo New York.

To My Sweethearts,

When you read about September 11th one day, about everything that happened and the related aftermath, it will feel so distant and be so crippling to understand as it is for me, still. And yet you will be oddly connected to this event because you are New Yorkers.

You will likely ask where I was on that fated day, and I will tell you I was walking into work (late, as usual) when the first plane hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center. I learned of it almost immediately as I was at CBS News at the time, and there were televisions around everywhere. We stood in front of screens in disbelief as to what must have been a horrible accident, only to realize when the second plane hit the South Tower that it was no mistake.

You will want to know if I knew anyone who died that day, and I did, my loves. I will try to explain what losing a friend is like in the most light-soaked way, but it will be difficult. I will not tell you about what that realization is like when the phone keeps ringing and you understand, finally, that the person who’d left you a message just a few days before will not be picking up.

You will need to know about the aftermath; about how life has changed. Those answers are, without a doubt, endless. Life goes back to normal yet is forever different at the same time. I wish I could explain it better, but sadly, it is almost inevitable that you will experience something similar in your lifetime. Then, you will “get it”, and it will break my heart. If ONLY I could shield horrible things from your line of vision and consciousness… if only.

But know this, my beautiful daughters: there will always be good in this world; there will always be people that run TOWARDS danger to help others, to give of themselves what they can. Do not dwell on violence and hate but instead focus on all the good in the world, of which there is plenty.

Do that and a crippling day will become a little easier to bear.  

***

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”

- Fred Rogers

back to school with ruum

Millie's first day of pre-k is next week, and I am COMPLETELY caught up in back to school mania. You've likely seen the posts and pins and tips on everything from lunch and snack recipes to clothing and school supplies... it's a back to school bonanza of information that is flooding my inbox and on every page I pull up on the Internet.

And that's okay, because it really IS kind of a big deal. Luckily I'm not so old that I don't remember what those first days of school were like every year... scary and exciting all wrapped into one. I won't even go into what I'm feeling as my own child -- MY BABY! -- enters school for the first time (that's at least half a dozen posts right there) but I can talk to you about back to school in terms of clothes and contests.

A few weeks ago, I headed to RUUM on a back to school shopping spree courtesy of the brand and the video review site for kids, KidzVuz (which is totally awesome, by the way). My fellow bloggers and I had such a fun time chatting and shopping for our kids, and by the time I made it to the checkout counter, my arms were full. SO many cute outfits, shoes and accessories that are on trend yet affordable.

Here are a few of my favorites that I selected for my back to school babe: 

So here's the exciting part. RUUM and KidzVuz have partnered together to host a $250 RUUM gift card giveaway for all your back to school shopping needs! All you have to do is register at KidzVuz. Once you've gotten that out of the way, make a short video about the cool things you've bought at RUUM in the past OR your favorite items on RUUM.com OR your pick for the best back to school fashion trend. Click here for additional contest rules and to submit your video. Contest ends on September 16th. 

Good luck, and happy "back to school!"

Disclosure: I was provided with transportation, lunch and a RUUM gift card for the purposes of this review. All opinions expressed, as always, are my own.