New Mama Mondays: The Gift of Spa World

One of my favorite places in the NOVA/DC area is Spa World. It's 50,000 square feet of blissfulness located in Centreville, VA. For less than thirty dollars you can spend 24 hours frolicking in their lovely jet pools, saunas and steam rooms. If your Valentine is a New Mama, be a Sweetheart and send her to Spa World for the day. Even if you aren't a New Mama, show yourself to some Self Love and high tail it over to Spa World. I know a visit is in my near future!

Here is my post on the Top Ten Reasons Why I Love Spa World.

New Mama Mondays: Molly Murphy - One Gutsy Lady

I spent much of my first few months of motherhood reading while nursing. I stumbled upon Rhys Bowen at the library and became a fan of her Molly Murphy series and her Royal Spyness series. Here is a review I wrote of the most recent Royal Spyness book I enjoyed. I think Molly Murphy is the stronger of the two series and I am completely enamored with this feisty heroine created by Rhys Bowen.

So, I am beginning this week of my Month of Courage on a light-hearted note by adding the fictional character, Molly Murphy, to my list of gusty people.

Molly Murphy is an Irish immigrant who arrives in New York City during the exciting first days of the 20th century. After fleeing from police, she takes on another's identity and discovers she has a knack for uncovering mysteries. The books crackle with wit. I love how there is minimum gore and maximum history in each book. The author does a terrific job of including at least one historic figure or event in every novel.

Who can resist a spunky heroine? I certainly can't and Molly has become one of my favorite. Mouthy and curious, she takes you through trans-Atlantic crossings, bleak tenements, sweatshops and makes you kiss the floor in gratitude for your life today.

Gift Idea: Music Basket

^{Who would like this gift? A child between the ages of 4 months up to a preschooler.}

^{What are you giving? A basket with musical instruments. Decide if you will include plastic or if you want everything to be made of natural materials.}

^{When? I would leave a few days or so for collecting everything. If you do it online, you will have to pay extra for shipping (but if you are a procrastinator like me you are probably used to that reality).}

^{Where? Use your imagination. At the bottom of the post, I will list where I found some of my instruments. Get your basket at a thrift store or yard sale (or you may even have one hanging around your house).  The Ten Thousand Villages in Old Town is an amazing place to find instruments especially interesting rattles.}

^{Why is it a great gift? I’ve become a big music-and-baby advocate since we started our Music Together class. It’s phenomenal watching a small baby respond to music.}

^{My experience?  I created a basket for my daughter using her baby rattles and a few other objects I found. I put the music basket out on her shelf (Montessori-style) and frequently change out the instruments. If it's not a good time for "music," the basket goes out of sight.}

<sup>Lina loves to tote her music basket around the house when she hears music being played. Most of her Christmas presents are going to be music related. I ordered some new ones and can't wait to check them out when they arrive.

Here are some ideas...</sup>

Wooden Egg Shaker

Wooden Claves

Plastic Egg Shaker

Animal Shaker Set

Bell Wristlet

Wooden Maracas

Wooden Butterfly Castanets

Block Mallet

Sevi Guiro Toy

New Mama Mondays: Meal Train

Lina at 4 Days Old

My husband and I were lucky (in a way) and didn't have to worry about cooking during the first few weeks of our baby's life (she was in the NICU for 16 days and we stayed at a Ronald MacDonald House where lovely volunteers fed us). But, if she hadn't had a bumpy beginning and we weren't doing the whole traditional-Indian-thing-of-living-with-your-parents, I would have loved Meal Train. I just read about the site in a parenting magazine and had to share.

Meal Train is a quick and simple way to organize meals for friends who have just had a new baby.  It's a portal where folks can see all the info needed to make dinner for the New Mama (food preferences, allergies, who is bringing what goodies on what day, etc...). The site sends you an email reminding you to get cooking! Best of all it's free. If you know someone about to have a new baby or maybe even someone who is dealing with an illness, let them pass on the info about this site.

Soup Series: Three Cheese Broccoli Soup

I found this recipe at A Year of Slowing Cooking and it gets two-thumbs up from all three members of our family (including the 8 month-old). It took less than 10 minutes to make. Blending the soup after it has cooled is definitely the way to go! This soup is perfect for a family with a new baby and no time to cook!

--1 qt chicken broth (or vegetable)

--2 cups milk (I used 2% cow's)

--2 10 oz bags of frozen broccoli florets

--1/2 diced white onion

--1/2 t black pepper

--1/2 t kosher salt

--1/2 t ground nutmeg

--1 cup each of three different cheeses, I used jarlsberg, gruyere, and cheddar.

The Directions.

Mince the onion into really small pieces. I used my pampered chef chopper thingy. The onions are going to soften in the milk and the broth, and need to be quite small so you don't crunch on onion pieces when the soup is complete.

Add the onion to your crockpot, and top with the milk, broth, and spices. Stir in the two frozen bags of broccoli.

Cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 4-6. The broth is done when the onion is cooked nicely.

20 minutes or so before serving, shred all the cheese you are going to use, and stir it in. The cheese will be stringy and will stick to the broccoli florets---that's okay!

Serve with your favorite rolls or drop biscuits.

New Mama Mondays: The Gift of Experiences

Who would like this gift? For a baby or child that has plenty of clothes and toys.

What are you giving? A class. For example: a music class, a dance class, infant massage class, swimming lessons, etc...

When? This is a good last-minute gift.

Where?  Here are a few options in NOVA....

Music Together in Northern VA
Small Talkers in Centreville offer a variety of classes.
Lil Omm has yoga for all ages!
The folks at the Breastfeeding Center for Greater Washington offer infant massage classes.

And, hopefully, in February I will be teaching some Mommy and Baby dance classes!!!

Why is it a great gift? It is not about more stuff. Either you or a parent takes the baby or child to these classes and gets to soak up their joy when they are having so much fun.

My experience? My father-in-law gifted my daughter with Music Together classes and it was one of the most presents EVER. Each week, my in-laws get to hear about her class (it's like the gift that keeps on giving). Plus, I am so very grateful because it gets us out of the house and is something to look forward to each week. Highly, highly recommend.

New Mama Mondays: Clothes After the Baby

Pardon the superficial post but it's Cyper Monday....

Going shopping after having a baby was pure torture for me. Unfortunately for me, I have had to find something to wear for 5 different weddings since giving birth. Three of them were weddings in the same group of friends and Papa Bear didn't want me wearing the same dress over and over again (there were also rehearsal dinners). I hope never to have to spend the same amount of time in front of dressing room mirrors that I have spent over the last few months.

But I feel like I have gotten over the hump. There is one wedding to attend next year (thankfully an Indian wedding, which is way easier to dress for in my opinion) and I am finally exhaling.

I spent a few hours yesterday finally packing away my maternity clothes and putting away non-maternity clothes that I wore when I was pregnant. Everything that I wore too frequently is getting a much need break or is being given away to a thrift store. If something only looks "so-so" on me, out it went. I feel so much better, so much lighter.

It also helps that I went shopping on Black Friday for the first time ever. It may have been at 7 pm Friday night but the deals were still there. I bought several thin, brightly colored sweaters that can be worn with all three of my new pair of pants. Just grab and go.

These corduroy pants make me feel like I have a tiny inkling of fashion and these black pants are the "perfect-I-can-wear-them-EVERYWHERE-pants." I liked them so much, I bought them in gray too.

I had to laugh when I bought the 2nd pair and was asked if my mother got "Chico's" catalogue. I hadn't really noticed how much younger I was than all the other women there.

Before this weekend,  I felt like a 12 year-old again....too old for certain clothes and too young for others. Now, I've hunted down some pieces that I like and feel just the right age.

If You Liked the King’s Speech…

And enjoy light whodunits, you'll enjoy Rhys Bowen's latest series of books. Royal Blood is the fourth installment of this series which follows Lady Georgiana Rannoch as she stumbles through life during the 1930's.

Georgie is a direct descendant of Queen Victoria and is grateful for the fact that there are thirty-three people between her and becoming Queen. She is often a visitor at the Palace, much to her non-royal sister-in-law's fury. Each book follows Georgie as she is sent on errands from the current Queen (during one adventure she is even commanded to keep an eye on Wallace Simpson and we all know how that turns out).

Who can resist a feisty heroine? I certainly can't. These books are light on gore, heavy on wit. It's a fun concept reading about an upper-class woman who was bred for a life of luxury but due to her father's gambling habits and the stock-market crash has to learn how to support herself. 

I have not jumped on the vampire band-wagon but Royal Blood  gives a nod to that genre. Georgie is asked by the Queen to represent the Royal Family at  a wedding between the Romanian Royal Family and the Bulgarian Royal Family.

The setting is a terribly Gothic castle in the middle of Transylvania, where Georgie ends up being framed for murder. Throw in an overbearing chaperon, an incompetent maid, a possible vampire and a persistent and unwanted suitor (nicknamed "Fishface") and Georgie is one busy Lady. Some tasty candy for your Inner Anglophile!

New Mama Mondays: Reading while Breastfeeding

Books have always been my favorite escape. So, during the first few months of my daughter's life, I read every chance I got. Breastfeeding was the perfect opportunity to get in some reading time.

New Mamas out there (if you are nursing), don't forget that you don't have to spend all your time gazing at your child; indulge yourself during those long nursing sessions. (Now my daughter gets so distracted by everything, the sound of me turning pages in a book is just too fascinating. I have to get my reading fix other ways).

Several times I month, I'm going to review books that I've enjoyed during those early nursing marathons.

New Mama Mondays: Staying Hydrated

It took me long enough but I finally found the drink dispenser that I had saved from our wedding. I have now put it to good use. It sits in our kitchen and when I walk past it, I remember to drink some water! It can be hard to stay hydrated when you are looking after a small person, especially if you are breastfeeding. I swear I have never been so thirsty in my entire life!

There are lots of pretty drink dispensers out there. I believe I bought mine here.

New Mama Mondays: Making Life Easier by Taking a Bath with Your Babe

One of my few luxuries during the first few months of becoming a Mother was soaking in our bath-tub. I'd take a book, shut the door and have a baby-free hour. When I was satisfied and looked like a prune, I'd call in my husband and he'd bring in the baby. He would put her in the bath-tub with me and we would soap her up. It was easy breezy. No bending over a big tub, no having to empty or store a baby bath-tub, no having to do the dishes in order to clean the baby! Some of my sweetest memories from her first months are from our bath time. I highly recommend it!

The photo is one I took of my mother's bathroom. I adore claw-foot bath tubs, aren't they amazing?