This year's charity has been chosen!!

This year's chosen children's charity for December 2008 is Project Night Night. Every year for my kids Bdy party, we sent out the invites, asking our guests to kindly NOT bring birthday presents but to donate items to the chosen children's charity of that year. Last year we donated party supplies to our FAVORITE children's charity Birthday Wishes (see side panel, for charity details & website). The year before that, we asked our guests to bring used books/toys to be donated to the charity Cradles to Crayons. This year, I have already chosen (I know, its only June but I think ahead!) we have chosen the charity Project Night Night- Helping homeless children have sweeter dreams.

"Project Night Night is dedicated to improving the lives of homeless children, one sweet dream at a time. To this end, Project Night Night donates individual tote bags each filled with a security blanket, an age-appropriate book, and a stuffed animal to children (ages 0-10) in homeless shelters. By providing objects of reliable comfort, Project Night Night seeks to advance the emotional and cognitive well-being of each child we help. Every child who receives one of our Night Night Packages leaves the shelter owning a book which encourages reading and family bonding, a security blanket which can be cuddled, and a stuffed animal which can become a cherished friend. We have one objective – to deliver our Night Night Packages to every homeless child in the country who needs one."

I am so excited to start putting this together. If you'd like to help donate, please email me, or clink on the link to donate directly to the charity. ~Thank you!!!

"I'm just here to pick up my mail"

So over the week, I was at the beach (AKA - Island Grove in Abington) and I was sitting w/2 of my girlfriends (fellow mama's) and we were talking about some crazy mom stories that we all seem to have. A friend of mine says "you have to tell the story about the mail". .... so here we go...

Reflecting back when I was 6 mnths pregnant w/Rosie (winter 2008). It had been snowing for days and my husband had been plowing for - I don't know - like 75 hrs straight or something ridiculous like that. I am super exhausted being pregnant, and taking after 2 toddlers for 3 dys alone w/out any relief (also being house bound by the 3 feet of snow that has piled up in my driveway). Finally he came home on a Friday morning (thank goodness, because I had an OB apt. that I couldn't miss). I also needed to go by the post office and pick up our mail (that hasn't been delivered because there was NO way in Hell I was going to get my prego ars outside to shovel). So after my apt. I drove to the post office, (we have 2 in our town) of course I drive to the wrong one... UGHHHH.... then I get back in my car to drive to the other one across town. I get out, go in -STAND IN LINE , 5 people deep..... waiting to get up to the desk. I finally get up to the teller and hand her the little card from the mail man that says that I have days worth of mail to pick up. SO I kindly hand her the card and say "I am just here to pick up my mail". She looks at me crossed and walks away. ..... I wait,... and wait...... and I can see her talking to the other tellers. Hmmmm???? ... I then look around, at the people in line w/their deposit slips, I see the ATM, and then I see all the signs that say ABINGTON SAVINGS BANK! ... OMG, I am in a freakin BANK! .... I had to stand there, and wait for this teller to come back and hand me my slip, and she goes " Uhmmm" and I knew -- I just knew how foolish I must have looked. I responded to her Uhmmm with " I know.. I am in a bank!, can you tell me where the post office is?" .....

That's one of those prego moments that I will NEVER forget!

So Cool Mom

http://www.socoolmom.com/ $32.00 a shirt (long sleeve)

Check out these fun shirts! Their mantra is - "Live Happy, Love Well". I ordered and rec. mine last week. I love it, but I have to worn you all -it runs a bit small / fitted. (not sure how many of you are tiny up top,? but I have never been considered tiny! -- so when I purchased a large, I expected it to be a LG, but it was almost a large in the "young girls" section of a department store, instead of a true large.) But who cares! Its cute!

If you notice on TLC's Jon & Kate plus 8, Kate wears items from this company all the time. She is definitely a very cool mom, I would say!

"Mom needs to put on her oxygen mask first"

Okay, so I just decided to add a quote of the day. I was just finishing the book "I was a really good mom, before I had kids" *(see above info to view their website, and purchase the book) last night, and came across a eye opening paragraph with a quote that I just HAD to post today!!

"Mom needs to put on her oxygen mask first."

"Or to put it more broadly: Mom needs to take care of herself to take care of the rest of the family. Taking care of mom can feel strange and counterintuitive, because mom came into being for other people, these little people that we love. But for everybody's health and sanity, mom needs to stop thinking of herself as needless, tireless dispenser of food & care. Yes, of course mom is a caretaker, and she shouldn't keep a balance sheet about who's giving more to whom. But mom needs to reconceive of herself as a human being. She needs to tend to her well-being -mental, emotional, and physical. " ~ taken from the book.

Show me the money $$

With all the stress of the day, and the toll it takes on a mom to have toddlers / babies in the house, we are usually exhausted by 7pm . The day to day routine of keeping the household looking clean (somewhat) and feeding the kids, making sure they enjoy their day w/some sort of fun activity, bathing the kids, making sure they are well rested (please Lord, go down for a nap today!), also trying to fix breakfast, lunch and dinner for the entire house, while keeping a smile on your face is a difficult job to do!!!!

What would be the monetary value of a housewife? ? ? Check out this article I found online -http://www.coeinc.org/Articles/HousewifeWorth.pdf states we would make an average of $120k!!! ...so I must say --- "SHOW ME THE MONEY$$$ please!"

All I know, is by the end of the day, when I am totally drained, emotionally and physically, and I am tucking them into their beds at night, my kids look up to me and say their little voices, "I love you so much, mama - give me big hugs!".... "and a kiss"... "and a HI-5" .....
MY HEART MELTS. Its all worth it!!!! xooxoxox (even with out the actual cash!)

The Crazy Cake Lady - MIA?

The Crazy Cake Lady, oh how I do miss her!...

Last year was surprising success for my small little business of baking cakes out of my kitchen. I would average 4-5 cakes a weekend, and my kitchen and myself was constantly covered in frosting. But the timing wasn't right - I was devoted to creating a family of 5, and decided to become pregnant with my 3rd baby, (who I just recently gave birth to in April). I am thrilled beyond expectations of how wonderful it is to have such a healthy and beautiful family. Although, I miss my "caking" days (those in the baking world, who simply create cakes, call ourselves cakers instead of bakers). But if you asked my husband he would say he does NOT miss the constant talk about cakes, frosting, and designs, nor does he miss our messy kitchen which had cake pans, and spatula's all over the counter tops.

Now I am trying to muster up the energy to start volunteer work again baking cakes for a local shelter. (below ~ Birthday Wishes Charity) I enjoyed being part of such a amazing charity.

Above is a picture of a cake I created last year ~ ENJOY!

A little bit of ME left inside??

Some days I wonder if there is a little bit of ME left inside? My days of waking up late, grabbing a coffee, and going shopping for a new outfit to wear that night out w/the girls, are long gone.
Over the past few years I have evolved into a wife, and mother of 3 wonderful children. I love my life, and love my husband & children dearly. I wouldn't change it for anything. Although, I have to admit some days I miss ME. ??? If that's even possible?? .... The old ME I guess I should say. The ME that used to never leave the house w/out makeup on, my hair done, and cute shoes! Now, I don't mind walking into a super market with sweatpants on (and probably the same sweats I wore to bed that night before!)
Every once in a while, I do get a chance to leave my cherubs (AKA Gremlins) and either have a date w/my husband, or some much needed free time with my girlfriends. But its the day to day activities that seem to shade my real inner self. The spit up on the shoulder from the babe after she just guzzled down a bottle, or the sticky patch on my pants from my son rubbing his hands on my leg after he ate breakfast. Where did I GO? ... I am I still IN there? under the spit up and the spilled juice box I sat in? .... are you out there self???