Milkshakes and Margaritas

Don't lose a little piggy -- get your MacLaren fixed

The first I heard of the Maclaren stroller recall was in an e-mail from a mom who said, "Usually I don't get too flustered about recalls, but severed fingers, yikes!!" Yikes indeed!

Maclaren has recalled about one million strollers because "the elbow joint of the stroller's hinge mechanism poses a risk to the child when the consumer is unfolding/opening or closing the stroller," according to the Maclaren Website.

 
There have been 12 reports of finger amputations related to the dangerous hinge, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.The recall includes all Maclaren umbrella strollers.

Where the Wild Things Are: In My House

The New York Times had an article recently reporting that shouting is the new spanking. Parents who wouldn't think of spanking their children are instead yelling their heads off. And the experts think it might be just as harmful. Apparently my kid is going to be seriously screwed up because this week I did both. Talk about guilt.

I'll admit that we tried spanking a few times a couple years ago because no punishment seemed to work with Cash. But we never had the heart to hit him hard enough to really hurt him and he just mocked us. "I liked it, I liked it, spank me, spank me," he would say, shaking his booty at us. I quickly realized that it just wasn't the way to go and as we all know, it sent the wrong message. We were saying that he shouldn't ever hit anyone and yet we were hitting him.

 

But on Wednesday, I had to take both kids across the bridge to Ikea to buy new mattresses for Cash's bed. We ambled around exploring the different departments and had an early dinner. We were enjoying ourselves. But by the end, Cash was getting antsy and started rolling himself around on the flatbed cart. When we entered the warehouse and it turned out that the mattresses were out of stock (until the next morning), I was irritated. That meant that I'd have to make another trip out there. As Cash got wilder and wilder with the cart, I had a hard time controlling him. I was pushing the stroller with one hand and holding the cart with the other. I started yelling. I can only imagine that the young couple behind us with an infant thought I was insane and that the mom and dad looked at each other and thought, "We won't be like that." By the time we got to the car, I was losing it. We were parked in a narrow space and I was holding the door open for Cash so that he wouldn't push it wide open and dent the other car. Instead of telling me that he was having trouble getting onto the seat, he kept pushing against the door. At this point, we had been at Ikea for more than two hours and I just lost it. I pulled him roughly out of the door and swatted him on the butt while yelling at him. It certainly didn't hurt but I think it shocked him. He started crying and I told him to get in the car and to "use his words" the next time he was having a problem.

I felt terrible immediately. But so did he. As soon as we were seat-belted in, I turned to him and said, "I think we should both apologize." I told him that I was sorry that I had hit him, that it wasn't something I wanted to do but that I had been frustrated. I told him that love him. He did the same.

That night my husband and I went to see Where the Wild Things Are. When Max went wild because of his wildly fluctuating emotions, I started crying. I kept crying through the whole movie. The movie reminded me of the vulnerability of my 6-year-old boy. Inside, there are so many things going on. It is no wonder he has trouble controlling himself. All I wanted to do was to go home and hug him. Next time my emotions get out of control, I will try to remember what that movie taught me.

How to Get Rid of all that Halloween Candy

Once everyone is finished eating gross amounts of chocolate and Smarties, and you still have a big pile of candy that you don't know what to do with, send it overseas. You can mail Halloween Candy to the troops in Iraq through Operation Gratitude. You only pay to ship it to California, and an extra $11 donation covers the overseas postage. They also have YouTube video. You can also visit halloweenbuyback.com. There you can find a dentist near you that is buying back candy from the kids - $1 a pound and sending to troops.

A few other ideas friends have shared with me:

- Pumpkin fairy. Leave out the candy and a surprise is left in its place.

- Design with it. Use it for art projects. Smarties take the place of macaroni pictures. 

- My method... I let my kids pick 10 pieces each. about 5 of those disappear, somehow... and they eat the rest over the next 2 weeks. Then we're done. No arguments so far!

Operation Gratitude/California Army National Guard
17330 Victory Boulevard, Van Nuys, CA 91406

Holiday Dresses for Mom

Mommies have parties too! Check out these gorgeous new vintage inspired frocks and accessories from J.Crew.

 

 

 

Silk Taffeta Bow Dress, Leopard Watercolor Dress, Luxe Bracelet, Petit crystal drop earrings, all from J.Crew.com.

Holiday Dresses

Halloween is over so it's on to the next set of holidays. Time for holiday dresses! Here are a few adorable dresses for the little one.
 

 

 

 

Pop dress and Tippa Dress from Magpie Lovely. Glittered flats and cake dress from CrewCuts

Got Glass?

I've been obsessed with replacing all of our plastic food containers since I sat across from The Chronicle's environmental reporter during a meeting a few years ago and she held up a note reading, "STOP, put that down, don't drink!!" and pointed to my Nalgene water bottle. She told me that the hard plastic bottle was not  safe. A couple years later, the uproar over BPA erupted and that sealed it. I threw away virtually all of our plastic cups, plates and containers.

 
When Catcher was born last year, I vowed to use all glass bottles to feed him. That meant throwing away all the plastic Advent bottles I had saved from when Cash was a baby (that poor kid is clearly filled with toxins).

Initially I was obsessed with the WeeGo baby bottles because of the attractive silicone sleeve. They were designed with asthetics in mind and were even sold at the SF MOMA because they look so cool. I registered for them but didn't get any at my baby shower - probably because they are really expensive. And I realized that I could get cheaper regular glass bottles and buy a protective sleeve separately. They wouldn't be as attractive but I couldn't be THAT choosy. So I have been using the Born Free bottles to feed Catcher. Truth be told, I ended up staying home with him and he rarely had a bottle so it was a bit of a moot point anyway. But I digress.

The Lifefactory company, which produces the WeeGo glass bottles recently sent Milkshakes and Margaritas a sample of their 9 oz. bottle. It certainly looked good. In the name of testing the product's durability, I gave it to Catcher with water. He immediately started sucking on it even though his normal bottle has a much different nipple. And even though he threw it down repeatedly during the day, even onto pavement, it never shattered.

Even more importantly, I found that it fits on the breast pump attachments for the Madela Pump In Style. I have been using Evenflo and Medela glass bottles for pumping and I was pleased to see that the WeeGo glass bottle worked as well. What is the point of feeding your baby from glass bottles if the milk you are giving him is pumped into plastic and stored in plastic? I bought about 20 Evenflo glass bottles from another mom and use them to store and freeze my milk. While you would spend a fortune doing that with the WeeGo bottles, in blue, yellow, orange and pink, they are a great accessory to your baby.

Go glass!

Mini Pumpkin Muffins

 

I don't know how body healthy these are, but they are definitely healthy for the heart. I brought these to my son's first grade class on friday, and one of his friends told me that:

a — these were the best muffins he has ever had in his whole life. 
b.— he wanted to have a playdate, not just so he could play with my son, but so he could see me again.

So sweet, my heart melted.

Here's the recipe...

Throw Grandma on the Floor

My 11-month-old son, Catcher, loves to look at pictures. He is always pointing to framed photos we have around the house and I try to talk to him about the people in them. But my husband has four siblings in addition to several cousins who are considered just as dear, so we haven't come even close to representing everyone on our walls. So when I saw the "Wall of Fam" that my friend Kate put up on her wall for her baby, I thought it was brilliant.

Glug Collection Give Away

Last week we interviewed the ladies behind the Glug Collection. This week they are giving away a clothing item to 2 lucky M&M readers! To enter, just visit the glug website and tell us your favorite item in the comments below. You can enter a second time by becoming a fan on the Glug facebook page. Just don't forget to come back to M&M and let us know you became a fan.

Winners will be selected by random on November 15th. And don't forget to check out the interview with Kristen and Meredith.

Happy Halloween Everyone

A Gingerbread House for Every Season

In our house, we love gingerbread houses in any form. So when we found a kit for a haunted mansion gingerbread house at Cost Plus, Cash and I were ecstatic.

It comes complete with the pre-cut gingerbread pieces, frosting mix, and candy decorations. Cash drew a cool spider and web on the roof and made adorable skeletons with the candies.

With a little research, you can find a gingerbread house idea for any holiday, including Easter, Valentine's Day and even St. Patrick's Day. The I found a great selection of inspiration on about.com

For the Christmas season, check out the Wonka Gingerbread Kit, or if you are a real do-it-yourself-er, check out The Gingerbread Architect.

And the best thing about gingerbread houses, of course, is that you eat them at the end!

It's Almost Halloween

Witches are brewing and eyeballs are rotting. Time to get in the mood. One of my favorite ways is to have a movie night with The Nightmare Before Christmas with my boys.

 And don't forget all the great halloween stories out there. Check out our Halloween book round up up for ideas.

The Lovely Ladies of Glug

Kristen Pena and her husband Luis started the Glug Collection of clothing after their daughter Sadie was born, seeing it as an opportunity to channel their creative energy into something that would allow them to spend more time with her. The two, who both worked in advertising, started out selling their eclectic designs at a few boutiques around town and they are now sold around the world and have been pictured on celebrity babies in magazines. As the business (and her family) grew, Kristen invited her friend, Meredith Ashworth, to join the company. The women, who each have two young children, work side-by-side and help each other juggle the demands of work and parenting.

Read on to hear how they got started, what inspires them and where the name "Glug" came from.

Vegetables, Vegetables, Vegetables Everywhere

I always feel guilty whenever I turn to the freezer to feed my two sons but so often we are running to or from something that it is hard to make a fresh meal even though I usually have vegetables in the crisper. The biggest hurdle for me seems to be chopping. So this weekend, I diced a bunch of different vegetables and put them in glass containers in the fridge. If I don't use them all, I will move some to the freezer in baby food jars. That way I can thaw them out in one portion at a time.

This time, I included yellow, red and green peppers, zucchini, onions and butternut squash. But it could be anything, asparagus, beets, parsnips, whatever. I figure I can throw them quickly into a little olive oil and saute them to put into mini frittatas, fold into a crepe or quesadilla, or throw into a quick omelet. They will also go well with macaroni and cheese or even pasta. It seems like a quick and easy way to get a variety of vegetables into dishes all week and easily whip up a fresh meal.

Delicious and Spooky

If you are having a little halloween gathering this year. Try out this easy cake decorating tip from Country Living. Simply cut out the shape on the stencil, lay on top of your cake, and sprinkle colored sugar.

Art They'll Grow Into

If you are looking for some great prints for your child's (or your) room — check out the art of Wayne Pate. He has several charming prints for $35. They are all standard sizes so you can easily pick up a frame from ikea or aaron brothers... and voila! I love the sea gull, it'd be super cute in a nautical themed room.

Etsy Halloween Round Up

Clockwise from top left: Reversible Super Hero Capes, Ogre Toes (cookies), Skeleton Baby Leggings, Glow in the dark kids tie

Fast Food for Babies

My baby Catcher loves to eat. But in juggling his six-year-old brother's busy schedule, I don't always get time to sit him down in his high chair to eat every meal. And if I give him a container of food to hold in the stroller, he'll just dump it out. Yesterday I made the greatest discovery -- if I put food in the scoop of his Kiddopotamus "Bibbity" he can eat directly out of it! I tried it first with banana pieces and he reached right into the bib's pocket and gobbled them up. Brilliant!

 As I was running with the stroller to pick up a book at the library for my older son, I joked to Catcher that he had fast food. His mouth was too full to laugh.

I love the Kiddopotamus line of feeding accessories anyway. We made one trip to a local spaghetti restaurant without one and left nearly an entire plateful of dropped pasta (with sauce!) on the floor. But when we went back with the combo of the Kiddopotamus place mat and bib, Catcher barely lost any food.

Both items are made of BPA-free plastic, are easy to clean up and roll up compactly. In addition, they are harder for kids to pull off because they have a little knob that fits into a hole to fasten it.

hmmm...

No Room for My Boobs

I just got back last night from a work trip to Washington, DC, without the baby and my boobs were the size of Pamela Anderson's and as hard as a rock. I had been pumping all along during breaks in my meetings but I didn't get a chance to do a last pumping session before I headed to the airport with my bag full of milk bottles. Because San Francisco International Airport has a nursing room, I figured that I could at least find a family restroom where I could hook up. Nope. No such thing, at least in the United terminal of Dulles airport. And I was turned away when in desperation I went to the elite traveler's "Red Carpet Club" to ask if they had a private bathroom or area where I could pump. The woman at the front desk had no sympathy. "This is a club for paying members," she sneered at me. So my pumping options were to sit on the floor in the terminal and pump in front of everyone or to stand at a sink in the shared bathroom and pump. After walking through the entire terminal in an attempt to find just a corner of privacy, I had only a few minutes left before boarding. So I opted to go for the big boobs.

http://www.peta.org/crueltydoesntfly/default.asp

You can bet that the officials at United Airlines and Dulles International Airport are going to hear from me tomorrow!

Alternatives to Candy

We live on a "halloween safe street" in San Francisco. This means that the street is blocked off from cars, police are present and hundreds of kids come to trick or treat. It's fun, but can be a little overwhelming and expensive — if you're buying peanut butter cups and milky way bars. Plus, my kids end up with a lot of candy that is either eaten by me, or it get's thrown away. 

So in an effort to keep costs and waste down, I've been on the hunt for halloween goodies that are an alternative to candy. Here are a few favorites:

glow in the dark tattoos, scratch n sniff stickers, game books, pencils, bouncy balls, organic fruit snacks, mini bags of apple chips or twisted fruit.

When Mommy is Sick

It's so hard, when mommy is sick. It seems the whole house falls apart. Baths get skipped, lunches go unmade, clothes stay dirty. Or do they? Do we do it all anyway even though we need to rest. Partly because we have to. They need lunch, right! So I have an idea. Anyone want to take it on? How about a service for sick mommies. They come in, clean, make lunches, pick up the milk, whatever you need. And when you are all better, poof they are gone. Any takers?

End the Breakfast Battles

I am always starving when I wake up but my six-year-old son Cash doesn't seem to care about breakfast at all. Actually, he doesn't much care for lunch either. It seems like he is a bit of a food camel because he survives on literally almost nothing all day and then he usually will eat a hearty dinner. But that doesn't stop me from trying to cram something down his throat in the morning.

Because he often says he wants a certain thing and then rejects it when it is placed before him: "I didn't say I wanted THAT! You misunderstood," I decided to make up a menu. Now, every morning, I place the laminated menu before him and make him choose from the eight items. Most of them are things he sort of likes (he doesn't REALLY like any food), but I also put a few "trying" items on the list. I figure it can't hurt for him to at least see it on the menu. Of course, I'm not talking real adventurous stuff here. His trying list includes cereal and milk. He'll eat cereal dry and he loves milk but he literally runs from the room when you try to combine the two.

Anyway, my experiment seems to be working pretty well. He now eats at least part of one of his menu items most mornings.

Read on for Cash's Breakfast Menu

Admiring San Fran Artist Georgianne Fastia

I have been admiring Georgianne Fastia's work from afar for some time now. She holds a studio space where my husband used to paint, and I've always been drawn to her paintings. There is a sweet but eerie quality to each work that I find captivating. 

Read on to read what inspires her and how she got her start.

Halloween Book Round Up

My son has been counting down the days to October. Why? Because October brings halloween of course! Costume discussions began in August. Trick or Treat strategy a few weeks ago. And I'm sure a blow by blow of who's wearing what will be coming up next.

One thing I've found to help my kids curb the anticipation is enjoying a halloween book a couple of nights a week. Dem Bones, by Bob Barner is a cute lyrical book stringing together different parts of the body while singing things like "Leg bone connects to da, knee bone". This will be a great one to read together with my little skeleton this year. 

Here are a few more of my favorites for halloween.

Bats at the Library, Where is Baby's Pumpkin?, Corduroy's Best Halloween Ever, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich, Bone Soup, and By the Light of the Halloween Moon.