It has been way too long. I am going to try to have some fun girl time tonight at "Ann's Virtual Girls Night Out".
The question of the day is "What was your favorite John Hughes film"? Mine has always been "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". I had ot grow into this one since it came out when I was only 5, but it is such a classic and when I was old enough to understand it, it was one of my favorite's.
If you are visiting from "Ann Again and Again" please look around, enter some giveaways and leave a comment. I will make sure I visit you as well. It is nice to be back.
Mama Snow
Twitter: Mama_Snow
Friday, August 7, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
What they don't tell you about Motherhood.... (Guest Post)
Guest Post Today is by Jen from "A Busy Mom"
Now, with pregnancy and parenting, advice is almost sure to follow, both wanted and unwanted. But what I have to wonder is why doesn't anyone tell new moms and moms to be the real stuff? You can only hear "sleep when your baby sleeps" so many times without wanting to ring the advisers neck! (And by the way, that only works with the first child)
Now that I am half way through my second pregnancy, I find myself thinking of the real stuff. All the stressful, tearful moments that I had with my first child. Though I'm happy that I am better prepared this time, cause I've been through it once, I still feel that more First Time Parents should be forewarned.
So, Here is my advice for New Parents: (Wanted or Unwanted)
1. Breastfeeding is NOT easy, but well worth the struggle. Your nipples will hurt, split, bleed and who knows what else. If you can, plug through it! It is worth it and much easier on the pocket book.
2. You will have days when you sit on the floor and cry...you may even cry harder than the baby in the other room. It is OK! It happens to the best of us.
3. As much as your hubby/boyfriend/significant other says they will help, chances are you will put all the pressure on yourself, and you will feel the stress from it! Mom is a hard name to live up to, but you can do it. Remember to accept help that is offered graciously. Any break that you may get it worth it. Just because they don't do it the same as you, doesn't mean it isn't right.
4. Don't expect to sleep through the night for the next 5-10 years, depending on your child. Many moms go into motherhood thinking that their child will start to sleep through the night after the first few months. To some very lucky moms this happens. To the rest of us, we get woken at least once per night with a wet bed, nightmare or just a lonely child who needs some late night cuddles.
5. The food you feed your child DOES affect their temper. Watch what your kids eat, and their energy levels and attitude. Sometimes cutting out that afternoon snack will make them much happier in the evening.
6. And Last, Children Are Sponges! Yes, I know you've heard this before, but don't let this one go as just another piece of advice. You may not know their watching or listening, but the are. They could be in another room playing away, they hear every word you say and they WILL mimic it. Maybe not to you, and maybe not right away. But they will remember and they will use it. Be careful not to put people down or belittle them in front of your children, or they will learn to do the same. And folks, It only takes once.
So these are many of the things that no one told me, or I didn't take heed to, so if you can guess, I have a 4.5 year old little boy who doesn't sleep through the night, reacts like a mad man when he drinks anything red, has the attitude of a teenager and he has a very tired mommy. But...I wouldn't trade him in for anything. My beautiful boy terrorizes my daily. Despite all my frustration, all my tears, headaches, spills and messes I love Him more than anything in the world. All he needs to do is smile, and all my stress is gone. When he screams "Mom...Maaawwwmm!" and I rush in with a "What!!!" and all he wants to say is "I Love You" It makes it all worth it.
It's funny how those four little words can make everything else melt away..."I Love You Mom"
Jen is the owner/editor of "A busy Mom" blog. I would like to thank her for the wonderful post full of advice on parenting. Hear more from Jen at www.abusymommy.com.
Now, with pregnancy and parenting, advice is almost sure to follow, both wanted and unwanted. But what I have to wonder is why doesn't anyone tell new moms and moms to be the real stuff? You can only hear "sleep when your baby sleeps" so many times without wanting to ring the advisers neck! (And by the way, that only works with the first child)
Now that I am half way through my second pregnancy, I find myself thinking of the real stuff. All the stressful, tearful moments that I had with my first child. Though I'm happy that I am better prepared this time, cause I've been through it once, I still feel that more First Time Parents should be forewarned.
So, Here is my advice for New Parents: (Wanted or Unwanted)
1. Breastfeeding is NOT easy, but well worth the struggle. Your nipples will hurt, split, bleed and who knows what else. If you can, plug through it! It is worth it and much easier on the pocket book.
2. You will have days when you sit on the floor and cry...you may even cry harder than the baby in the other room. It is OK! It happens to the best of us.
3. As much as your hubby/boyfriend/significant other says they will help, chances are you will put all the pressure on yourself, and you will feel the stress from it! Mom is a hard name to live up to, but you can do it. Remember to accept help that is offered graciously. Any break that you may get it worth it. Just because they don't do it the same as you, doesn't mean it isn't right.
4. Don't expect to sleep through the night for the next 5-10 years, depending on your child. Many moms go into motherhood thinking that their child will start to sleep through the night after the first few months. To some very lucky moms this happens. To the rest of us, we get woken at least once per night with a wet bed, nightmare or just a lonely child who needs some late night cuddles.
5. The food you feed your child DOES affect their temper. Watch what your kids eat, and their energy levels and attitude. Sometimes cutting out that afternoon snack will make them much happier in the evening.
6. And Last, Children Are Sponges! Yes, I know you've heard this before, but don't let this one go as just another piece of advice. You may not know their watching or listening, but the are. They could be in another room playing away, they hear every word you say and they WILL mimic it. Maybe not to you, and maybe not right away. But they will remember and they will use it. Be careful not to put people down or belittle them in front of your children, or they will learn to do the same. And folks, It only takes once.
So these are many of the things that no one told me, or I didn't take heed to, so if you can guess, I have a 4.5 year old little boy who doesn't sleep through the night, reacts like a mad man when he drinks anything red, has the attitude of a teenager and he has a very tired mommy. But...I wouldn't trade him in for anything. My beautiful boy terrorizes my daily. Despite all my frustration, all my tears, headaches, spills and messes I love Him more than anything in the world. All he needs to do is smile, and all my stress is gone. When he screams "Mom...Maaawwwmm!" and I rush in with a "What!!!" and all he wants to say is "I Love You" It makes it all worth it.
It's funny how those four little words can make everything else melt away..."I Love You Mom"
Jen is the owner/editor of "A busy Mom" blog. I would like to thank her for the wonderful post full of advice on parenting. Hear more from Jen at www.abusymommy.com.
Lucky Friday!
Post those Giveaways!!! Current giveaways going on at "Catch the Drift with Mama Snow" are...
Hain Celestial Group Giveaway where you can win $25 worth of organic food. (Ends 8/11)
Educator.com Giveaway 3 winners will win unlimited tutoring for 3 months on 9 subjects (Ends 8/18)
SnackTAXI Giveaway. Win a set of SnackTAXI reusable bags (Ends 8/20)
Hain Celestial Group Giveaway where you can win $25 worth of organic food. (Ends 8/11)
Educator.com Giveaway 3 winners will win unlimited tutoring for 3 months on 9 subjects (Ends 8/18)
SnackTAXI Giveaway. Win a set of SnackTAXI reusable bags (Ends 8/20)
I am cheating on Mr. Linky....
So I have been seeing a lot of MckLinky lately. Now he is starting a giveaway blog hop I can't miss out on. So here you all go. I know you are dying to be involved as well. Hop to it!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
SnackTAXI review and giveaway!!! (CLOSED)
With school being just around the corner, I am excited to introduce to you "SnackTAXI reusable bags". Although my oldest is only in pre-school, we go through hundreds of sandwich/Ziploc bags a year. Whether its for a long wait at the doctors office, snacks for soccer/t-ball games or even for a short/long car ride, I am always having to pack snacks. I cannot leave the house without a bag of snacks. Being a mom also means I will have plenty to carry around with me so I need to pack as light as possible, which is where the plastic bags come in.
Erin Kelly-Dill, owner of SnackTAXI, started noticing how many Ziploc bags were being used in her own home each year. She estimated that she made over 500 lunches a year for her 3 children. This is what motivated her to find something less wasteful and just as convenient. In 2003 SnackTAXI reusable bags were created.
Review:
I LOVE my SnackTAXI bags. It feels good to not go through so many plastic bags and saves me money. These reusable bags are very easy to use and best of all, you can throw them into the wash when they need to be cleaned. Each bag is made from 100% cotton and is lined with a waterproof material that consists of nylon with a polyurethane coating. All of the fabrics used at SnackTAXI have been tested and are free of heavy metals and phthalates. Using SnackTAXI's products helps me feel I am really contributing to our planets health. My children especially love the fun designs on their bags.
The Giveaway:
One winner will win their very own set of SnackTAXI reusable bags!
To Enter:
Visit "SnackTAXI" and look around. Come back and tell me your favorite design!
*Extra Entries*
-Tell me where you plan on using your SnackTaxi
-Tell me how you are contributing to the planets health
-Grab my button
-Subscribe to "Catch the Drift..."
-Follow me on Twitter
-Blog about this post or Tweet it! (Be sure to leave the link)
Rules:
Be sure to leave a comment telling me what the entry is for. Leave a separate comment for each entry. Also be sure to leave an email address for me to contact you. A winner will be selected randomly using Random.org. They will have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be chosen. US and Canada!
Giveaway Ends: Aug 20, 2009
Hain Celestial Group Giveaway! (CLOSED)
The Hain Celestial Group is offering a giveaway filled with healthy snacks and free coupons to help spread the word about the “Take a Healthy Bite out of Reading” back to school promotion. Hain Celestial has teamed up with Barnes & Noble to help inspire reading through healthy eating. The “Take a Healthy Bite” promotion is a receipt redemption program, where you can send your receipts for any products from Garden of Eatin’, MaraNatha, West Soy, Earth’s Best and Health Valley in exchange for gift cards from Barnes & Noble - $5.00 card for $15 worth of product and $10 for $25 worth of product. There is also a sweepstakes element and one lucky parent will win $500 worth of free books from Barnes & Noble for their local school library.
Visit www.takeahealthybite.com for healthy snack tips and kid friendly recipes from Keri Glassman, R.D. and sign up for the “Healthy Way of Life” newsletter to receive valuable coupons.
If you would like to be entered to win the $500 book sweepstakes sponsored at takeahealthybite.com you can be entered automatically through coupon redemption or through their sweepstakes entry page at http://www.takeahealthybite.com/sweepstakes/index.html/entry/enter (Please tell your readers about this link, too)
Giveaway:
All "Catch the Drift with Mama Snow" readers have a chance to win an assortment of natural and organic products from Hain Celestial Group, including Garden of Eatin’ blue corn chips, Health Valley granola bars, Earth’s Best Tots juice boxes and coupons for free jar of MaraNatha nut butter, free 32 ounce West Soymilk and free Earth’s Best Sesame Street frozen pizza. (Total Value $25)
To Enter:
Tell me one way you encourage reading in your home
Extra Entries:
-What is your family's favorite healthy snacks
-Grab my button
-Subscribe to "Catch the Drift..."
-Follow me on Twitter
-Blog about this post or Tweet it! (Be sure to leave the link)
Rules:
Be sure to leave a comment telling me what the entry is for. Leave a separate comment for each entry. Also be sure to leave an email address for me to contact you. A winner will be selected randomly using Random.org. They will have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be chosen. US only
Giveaway Ends: Tuesday Aug. 11, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Perspicacity abounds, y’all (Guest Post)
I love a good sounding word. A rolling off your tongue, filled with meaning but difficult to say at first word. Like perspicacity. Stumbling on an odd sounding, meaning filled word excites me as much as stalking the Amish. And I love the Amish. Really, I do. My nick-name should be Mama Amish Obsession instead of Mama Grits. But that’s a whole other story.
I want to thank Mama Snow for letting me share my thoughts and whatnot on her piece of the blogosphere. I’m what you might call a “Grits” kind of a girl. That’s a “girl raised in the south”, y’all. We really do say y’all and eat cheese grits here in the South. I even ate fried alligator the other day. Of course, that was in Florida while on vacation (after a margarita, with salt) and I am not for certain but don’t think reptile is considered a southern delicacy.
But there is more to this southern raised girl than cheese grits and acronyms. My input here will be full of southern speak, insight born from heartache and sarcasm laced with wit. This post is to give you a little bit of background on me, Mama Grits. I am not always funny, not always serious, nor fully awake. But always, I speak truth.
Enter perspicacity. No, ya’ll I didn’t say I need a new deodorant due to perspiration. Perspicacity put simply means, keenness of insight. Insight follows me. Haunts me. Can’t get that darn perspicacity thing off my grits eating back.
I have survived the unthinkable; the death of a child. Yet, in my core there remains joy, laughter, and faith. People tell me my thoughts are inspiring. This is interesting to me. I don't feel inspiring. I feel I have experienced great heartache, boundless joy and this creates a unique perspective. Does a unique perspective equate to inspiring? Does inspiring follow the path of insight?
The definition of inspiring is this; a: divine influence or action on a person believed to qualify him or her to receive and communicate sacred revelation b: the action or power of moving the intellect or emotions c: the act of influencing or suggesting opinions
Most definitely my views are not “a divine influence qualified to communicate a sacred revelation.” Now, that is entirely too much pressure. Let’s move on to the next definition, the action or power of moving the intellect or emotions. I will attempt to inspire as according to definition “b.”
Six years ago my husband and I heard the words “cockayne syndrome” and that elusive, odd sounding; unfathomable reality of a genetic disease sank its grip into our family. One autumn afternoon upon hearing the diagnosis, the fate of our little girl, Emma lay in the hands of mutated DNA gone awry. Upon first hearing the diagnosis we became trapped in a quiet, immobile moment as we internally careened out of control. On that day, Eli and I unknowingly catapulted into a season of life where calendars didn’t exist yet time whirled like an out of control missile and its target was Emma’s earthly existence.
“Is she going to die?” my husband asked me after I hung up the phone with Emma’s neurologist.
I replied, “Yes, but not today, not tomorrow, and not next week.”
“What are we going to do?” he asked. I wanted to console him, cushion him from the crashing fall I knew he was taking.
“We are going to live life, have fun, laugh, and make each day we have left with her a memory” I said.
And we lived under those terms for nearly two more years. She left us when she was three, just before her fourth birthday. Our Emma. She was born with fiery red hair which over the years slowly turned a haunting shade of blonde. We called her Little Bit because she was always a tiny, tiny little girl. She left as swiftly as a breath of air takes away the flame from a candle. In an instant she was gone. And we were left here on earth. I became a mother with a phantom child, attempting to muddle through the debris left behind in the wake of her leaving. After she left I learned to tread waters I had never been before, and have made discoveries about myself I had never known.
The depth of my character is now found in the lines across my forehead, deep truth forever shadowed in my eyes. Peering at my aging countenance I am aware how pain can live, breathe, and over time transform itself into strength. Strength which has borne in me a level of awareness that is now the foundation for the rest of my life.
I am thankful for both joy and pain. For each have forced me to look inward and realize what is truly important in life. It’s not money, accomplishments, awards, prestige, or materialistic belongings. But simply, love. Embracing my remaining children and husband, absorbing their laughter, sharing tears and joy with them; these are the things which are most important in life. Continuing to laugh and find happiness in the midst of sorrow is possible. We are a living, breathing example of how it is possible to find peace after the death of a child. We laugh, cry, love and share memories of Emma together. Linking hands we continue on knowing someday our family of five will be reunited.
I am living, breathing, and enjoying life, God and my family. Grateful for all things, good and bad. Despite the pain I feel blessed beyond comprehension.
Most of all, I’m proud to be a y’all resounding perspicacity filled mom, wife, and grits kind of a gal sharing life, laughter and sarcasm aplenty.
Blessings, y’all!
Mama Grits
Mama Grits, a mother of three, wife to one very patient man who puts up with my slight obsession with the Amish. Filled with an awareness that it is okay to be imperfect and say so. Advocate for creating awareness of childhood life threatening conditions, co-founder of Circle of Hope, a non-profit organization to support families and children. Writer of truth; filled with southern drawl, insight and sarcasm aplenty while blogging at Thirtysomethingland, where we childproofed the house, but they still get in…
Read more of life according to Mama Grits at http://thirtysomethingland.net
I want to thank Mama Snow for letting me share my thoughts and whatnot on her piece of the blogosphere. I’m what you might call a “Grits” kind of a girl. That’s a “girl raised in the south”, y’all. We really do say y’all and eat cheese grits here in the South. I even ate fried alligator the other day. Of course, that was in Florida while on vacation (after a margarita, with salt) and I am not for certain but don’t think reptile is considered a southern delicacy.
But there is more to this southern raised girl than cheese grits and acronyms. My input here will be full of southern speak, insight born from heartache and sarcasm laced with wit. This post is to give you a little bit of background on me, Mama Grits. I am not always funny, not always serious, nor fully awake. But always, I speak truth.
Enter perspicacity. No, ya’ll I didn’t say I need a new deodorant due to perspiration. Perspicacity put simply means, keenness of insight. Insight follows me. Haunts me. Can’t get that darn perspicacity thing off my grits eating back.
I have survived the unthinkable; the death of a child. Yet, in my core there remains joy, laughter, and faith. People tell me my thoughts are inspiring. This is interesting to me. I don't feel inspiring. I feel I have experienced great heartache, boundless joy and this creates a unique perspective. Does a unique perspective equate to inspiring? Does inspiring follow the path of insight?
The definition of inspiring is this; a: divine influence or action on a person believed to qualify him or her to receive and communicate sacred revelation b: the action or power of moving the intellect or emotions c: the act of influencing or suggesting opinions
Most definitely my views are not “a divine influence qualified to communicate a sacred revelation.” Now, that is entirely too much pressure. Let’s move on to the next definition, the action or power of moving the intellect or emotions. I will attempt to inspire as according to definition “b.”
Six years ago my husband and I heard the words “cockayne syndrome” and that elusive, odd sounding; unfathomable reality of a genetic disease sank its grip into our family. One autumn afternoon upon hearing the diagnosis, the fate of our little girl, Emma lay in the hands of mutated DNA gone awry. Upon first hearing the diagnosis we became trapped in a quiet, immobile moment as we internally careened out of control. On that day, Eli and I unknowingly catapulted into a season of life where calendars didn’t exist yet time whirled like an out of control missile and its target was Emma’s earthly existence.
“Is she going to die?” my husband asked me after I hung up the phone with Emma’s neurologist.
I replied, “Yes, but not today, not tomorrow, and not next week.”
“What are we going to do?” he asked. I wanted to console him, cushion him from the crashing fall I knew he was taking.
“We are going to live life, have fun, laugh, and make each day we have left with her a memory” I said.
And we lived under those terms for nearly two more years. She left us when she was three, just before her fourth birthday. Our Emma. She was born with fiery red hair which over the years slowly turned a haunting shade of blonde. We called her Little Bit because she was always a tiny, tiny little girl. She left as swiftly as a breath of air takes away the flame from a candle. In an instant she was gone. And we were left here on earth. I became a mother with a phantom child, attempting to muddle through the debris left behind in the wake of her leaving. After she left I learned to tread waters I had never been before, and have made discoveries about myself I had never known.
The depth of my character is now found in the lines across my forehead, deep truth forever shadowed in my eyes. Peering at my aging countenance I am aware how pain can live, breathe, and over time transform itself into strength. Strength which has borne in me a level of awareness that is now the foundation for the rest of my life.
I am thankful for both joy and pain. For each have forced me to look inward and realize what is truly important in life. It’s not money, accomplishments, awards, prestige, or materialistic belongings. But simply, love. Embracing my remaining children and husband, absorbing their laughter, sharing tears and joy with them; these are the things which are most important in life. Continuing to laugh and find happiness in the midst of sorrow is possible. We are a living, breathing example of how it is possible to find peace after the death of a child. We laugh, cry, love and share memories of Emma together. Linking hands we continue on knowing someday our family of five will be reunited.
I am living, breathing, and enjoying life, God and my family. Grateful for all things, good and bad. Despite the pain I feel blessed beyond comprehension.
Most of all, I’m proud to be a y’all resounding perspicacity filled mom, wife, and grits kind of a gal sharing life, laughter and sarcasm aplenty.
Blessings, y’all!
Mama Grits
Mama Grits, a mother of three, wife to one very patient man who puts up with my slight obsession with the Amish. Filled with an awareness that it is okay to be imperfect and say so. Advocate for creating awareness of childhood life threatening conditions, co-founder of Circle of Hope, a non-profit organization to support families and children. Writer of truth; filled with southern drawl, insight and sarcasm aplenty while blogging at Thirtysomethingland, where we childproofed the house, but they still get in… Read more of life according to Mama Grits at http://thirtysomethingland.net
Bare Escentuals up to 6 FREE Samples only $1!
Choose which colors from the 6 shades available in the MATTE SPF 15 Foundation sample collection. Yes, you can choose all 6! Also included is a mini brush for application. These are 10 day samples and you will only be charged for shipping and handling, which is $1. Take advantage of this offer HERE!!!
Zoya Nail Polish wants to Thank You...
Zoya Nail Polish has reached 5,000 twitter followers and wants to thank you for your support! To do so, Zoya is offering you 3 FREE bottles of nail polish, your choice. They only ask that you pay for the shipping and handling. Sounds good to me ;0)
You can go HERE for more details. This offer only goes through Aug. 5 so hurry on over!!!
Use code: TW500
Monday, August 3, 2009
Educator.com Giveaway!!!
With school starting soon stress may be on the rise. For me, my stress level would go up as soon as I collected all my books for each class. They need to start making larger backpacks for all the books they throw on you. Besides all the books I had to carry, I had an even bigger challenge. I tend to only use my right side of the brain. Sometimes I even wonder if I have another half. I am all about the arts and easily fly through these courses no problem. That is why I chose Computer Animation as my major in college. No matter what the degree though, I still had my general courses which included Math and Science. I was always having to turn for help on these courses. Sometimes finding someone who had the ability to teach me and not just understand the information for themselves was nearly impossible. This is why I am excited to share with you a new option.
Educator.com has brought together the best teachers in the country and their lectures to help you succeed in your schooling. All of Educator.com educators are current college professors with great ratings. Both high school and university topics in mathematics, science and computer programming are available. To save you time from watching a whole lecture when you are only looking for a specific part, you can simply search for the topic and jump straight to the part in the video which contains the information you are needing. To help those who are more visual like myself, Educator.com also shows you graphical explanations and provides detailed notes that highlight important points you must know. With several moms and dads going back to school these days, this can be a wonderful resource to help get you through. If you aren't going back to school anytime soon, but have a student who is approaching the subjects that you know nothing about, Educator.com could be the help your looking for.
Now for the best news, Educator.com is only $20 a month for unlimited access to 9 subjects. Try finding a tutor that cheap and one who also contains top knowledge on so many subjects.
The Giveaway:
Three of you will win 3 month subscriptions!
To Enter:
Visit Educator.com then come back and tell me how Educator.com can benefit you or your child.
*Extra Entries*
-Tell me your worse subject in school (whether past or present) that you wish/wished you had a tutor or Educator.com for.
-Grab my button
-Subscribe to "Catch the Drift..."
-Follow me on Twitter
-Blog about this post or Tweet it! (Be sure to leave the link)
Rules:
Be sure to leave a comment telling me what the entry is for. Leave a separate comment for each entry. Also be sure to leave an email address for me to contact you. A winner will be selected randomly using Random.org. They will have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be chosen.
Giveaway Ends: Aug 18, 2009
Sunday, August 2, 2009
New Tips for the New School Year!
Well it's that time of year, parents are beginning to prepare children for the school year. Along with a new teacher comes new rules and new friends, Another thing that comes along with going to school is the exhaustion that comes at the end of the day that can lead to misbehavior. ProActive Parenting wants to support parents as the family adjusts to all the changes the new school year brings. We are running a BOGO Back to School Special for the month of August. This is your chance to purchase a seminar and get another one for free. A chance to find words, tips and methods that will support you as your change behavior and adjust to the new school year. Interested? Go to www.proactiveparenting.net and get all the information you need to support you and your family as a new school year begins.
Sharon Silver
ProActive Parenting
Dedicated to Helping Parents Raise Children, Not Just Correct Behavior
www.proactiveparenting.net
Sharon Silver
ProActive Parenting
Dedicated to Helping Parents Raise Children, Not Just Correct Behavior
www.proactiveparenting.net
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