Sunset over Manitowish Lake, Manitowish Waters, WI

It’s already the end of July.  This is right about the time during summer when I feel like we’re over the hump and heading quickly toward Fall.  I can sense it in the air.  I’ve been living it up for the majority of the summer and now that I’ve survived seven flights since May (four of those with kids) and 25+ hours in the car traveling to and from neighboring states, I’m ready to relax.  I’m ready to stop living out of suitcases for a while and get some cleaning and organization done in my house (and my head).

There really is so much to talk about; from how I managed to do all of this traveling with kids and stay sane to the awesome products I’ve come to know and love that were so helpful to me on my travels.  I feel like I’ve got some good experience under my belt now after spending some time in the Caribbean, Disney World and in the north woods with a one year old and a four year old.  Even though it was quite hectic at times, I was able to ensure we also had a very enjoyable time on our adventures.

In the coming weeks, I plan on showcasing more of the products that we got some good use out of and revisiting some of the products from companies I’ve already talked about, like SecuraTrac, Little Honey, and butt-ums up baby to name a few.  I’m also looking forward to sharing my ideas on summer travel with the family.

So, what have you done this summer?  Have you stayed close to home or adventured out into unknown lands?  I’d love to hear some of your do’s and don’ ts for traveling with kids.

Hope you’re all having a fabulous summer so far!

More »

I started doing my research (and still am) on traveling with an infant and child, focusing on traveling outside of the country.  The first thing on our list was to apply for passports.  Yes, even the tiny baby needs one.

To prepare, I first researched where to apply for a passport.  You can apply at your local post office and I believe you can also apply at your local township office and circuit court clerk’s office, too.  You have to apply in person.  It’s best to check first before driving all over creation to find a passport facility in your area (click the above link to search for a facility in your area).

Give yourself enough time for the passport process.  There is information that you need to gather beforehand and the processing time can take up to 4-6 weeks after you have applied.  Here is the information that we needed to have in order to apply for our passports:

*Note: we did not have any special circumstances, so our passport application process was pretty straight forward.

• Evidence of US citizenship.

We needed certified copies of our birth certificates.  We hadn’t ordered a certified copy for the baby yet, as she was born last year, so we had to place and order for that and wait for it to arrive (took about two weeks).

*A certified copy of a birth certificate has a raised seal and is issued by the city, county or state.  You can view this list of US states where you can write for Vital Records.

• Present identification.

A form of primary identification, which for us was our drivers license and Social Security Cards.  For our girls, who are (well) under age 16, we needed their Social Security Cards and their certified birth certificates with both of our names appearing on them.

In our case, Eric once had a passport but it had expired.  He applied for it when he was 15, so, it was no longer valid.  The girls and I have never had passports, so we all had to apply for brand new passport books.  Passport cards are also available but can only be used if crossing borders by land.

• Passport photo.

We decided to take our passport pictures at home with our digital camera and bring them along when applying in order to avoid an extra charge.  You have to submit two identical photos with your application.  The photos have to be current (within the last 6 months), just your head/shoulders, in color, and 2 x 2 inches.  Here are the guidelines for producing photos for your travel documents.  I also used a photo guideline that I found at ePassportPhoto.com.  You can basically Google the question “How to take your own passport photo” and you’ll come up with plenty of references.  If you’re not super short on time, I would recommend taking your own photo instead of paying someone to do it.

• Passport application.

You can fill out your passport application online (or print a blank one) and bring it with you to your passport facility.  Another recommendation, fill it out at home so you spend less time at the passport facility (especially when you have kids with you).  Don’t attach your photos and do not sign your application.  You will do that at the passport facility.

Make a copy of your photo IDs (front and back on an 8-1/2 x 11 sheet of white paper, on one side of the paper only)

Applying for your passport is not cheap.  The fee for adult passport books are $100 each and the fee for the kids passports were $85 each.  We had to get four of them.  *Sigh*

Another thing to keep in mind if you’re applying for passports for kids under 16, BOTH parents have to be there in person with the child when applying (there are instructions for kids that do not have both parents available).

When we were ready to submit our applications in person at our local post office, since we were prepared, the actual process took all of 15-20 minutes.  It’s a good thing because the baby wasn’t really interested in hanging out there.

They say it takes about 4-6 weeks for passport processing but you can also pay for expedited service, which currently takes 2-3 weeks.  We did not pay for expedited service and our passports arrived within four weeks.

Our passport process, including waiting for the baby’s certified birth certificate, took about a month.  We received our passports via US mail with plenty of time to spare before our trip.  It’s important to research the travel requirements for the country you are planning to visit, as some countries require you to have your passport for at least six months before entering the country.

I hope my “checklist” for preparing to apply for your passport is helpful.  At first, the whole process seemed a bit daunting but after I did my research and made sure I had the documents that were needed, it was really a piece of cake.  Again, when applying for passports for your family, just give yourself enough time before your trip (at least 2-1/2 to 3 months).

Next on the Traveling with kids list – researching the country/area you’re planning to visit!

More »

I was recently on a mission to find picture frame ornaments but not just any picture frame ornaments.  I wanted simple, small wooden frames that we could decorate.  I went to several stores and couldn’t find what I was looking for.  I told Eric about it and he came up with this ingenious idea – make them ourselves out of popsicle sticks.

Well, duh.

I just so happen to have had some small sticks leftover from a project we did a couple of years ago.  So, I had our four year old color some of the popsicle sticks.  We then glued them together, making a small square (about 2″ x 2″).  She decorated the colored sticks with some holiday stickers and I tied a string (actually, some holiday ribbon) around the frames to hang on the tree.  This is what our homemade frames look like:

Very cute.  Very four-year-old-looking.  I love them to pieces.

See the two furry things in the frames?  Those are our two fabulous kitties, Indie and Ollie.  We recently lost both of them (just over a month apart).  So, this was a very important project for me.  It’s going to be a different Christmas without them around.  I’m thrilled that we completed our project and our furbabies now have a place on our Christmas tree.

We encourage you to make some homemade ornaments this year.  When you pull them out of the Christmas bin next year, you’ll have a lovely memory to look back on.

More »

I took the four year old to Michaels the other day. We were on a mission to gather items for our homemade wreath. I thought it would be fun and a little less expensive to assemble our own this year.

I added it up and figured out that we spent around $10.00 for the entire project.  It was tempting to pick out a bunch of Decorative Essentials but we stuck with just a few and in my opinion, our wreath turned out quite nice.  Plus, the cool thing about it is that we can take off what we put on and change up our wreath for the different seasons.  Score!

While we were there, I also spotted another craft project for the preschooler to pass the time.  She’s so anxious for Christmas to get here, I think I’m going to have to come up with something for her to do each day for the next 25 days.

Check out this cute little Ready-to-Finish wood decoration set.  She jumped right on this when we got home.  It turned out pretty adorable:

It was inexpensive, as well, and could be given as a gift.

I could spend hours wandering around the craft store and conjuring up fun activities to do with my sweet girl.  I don’t know what has happened to me.  I’ve never been <–this–> into crafts before.  I think I’m turning over a new leaf.

We’re working on another craft project right now but it’s not finished yet.  I’ll post about it as soon as it’s finished.

More »

I recently found out about the Boogie Baby Shower. Of course, I’m all over this one since I’m expecting a brand new baby girl this July.   Hey, who wouldn’t want a baby shower (valued at $5,000) thrown for them?

Expectant moms can head over to BoogieWipes.com and (scroll down) to enter themselves in the Boogie Baby Shower contest.

The winner receives the following:

* 25 “mom invented” swag bags (including 19 mom-invented products)
* Cake, shower décor and flowers delivered to your home
* Boogie Wipes Diaper Cake and years supply of Boogie Wipes (4 per month)
* $1000 in gift certificates from: Babies R Us, Walmart, drugstore.com, diapers.com and Target

The moms who came up with this fantastic idea for expectant moms are also the inventors of Boogie Wipes.  We have used them before and recommend them.  They are saline wipes and are perfect to use on tiny stuffed up, boogery noses.  I’m sure we’ll be getting much more use out of them after baby number two gets here.

More »

This newsletter was sent to me from Protect.org

More »

You may recall back in October, I spent a few days in Chicago hanging out with HUGGIES and meeting moms, grandmas, aunts, etc.  All of that was for a very special reason.  To learn some things about the every day average woman and how she views motherhood and “me time” and the challenges that go along with being responsible for another person’s life.

I met and spoke with some wonderful women.  Some of these women took precious time out of their busy day to capture on video what makes them so special.  Thirty of these women from around the country were fortunate enough to be chosen to have their video appear in a national Generation HUGGIES ad campaign.

We would like to extend a huge congratulations to the thirty Generation HUGGIES winners!  Here are the winners and some of the things they spoke about in their videos, which you can watch over at the Generation HUGGIES site (click on Winners Gallery to watch the thirty videos)

Alicia L – “Being a role model. Having somebody looking up to me and copying everything I do. It makes me strive to be a better person”

Angelique B – “Lots of love, hard work, dedication. You have to raise a child, not just be a mom”

Britt W – “Motherhood has brought so much meaning to my life”

Carrie M – “Once a week, my husband and I have our date night. We spend as much time with her as we can, while still trying to make sure we are ourselves”

Elizabeth C – “The funnest part is hearing her laugh and seeing her smile”

Amanda L – “Sacrificing my career to stay home. That’s the way I think it’s meant to be”

Audrey C – “Constantly trying to keep up with what they’re doing. It’s tough when you have kids 4 and under!”

Carleen G – “I think my mom is an absolutely awesome mother”

Christina B – “I have had to develop my instincts. The most challenging and exciting part is that there are so many new things”

Esther D – “I rely mostly on my gut feeling, from my mom and what i think is right”

Heidi B – “My children are my life. I am in love with my children!”

Jennifer E – “Making sure you can handle what you have”

Kristin E – “I think there are more worries but a lot more opportunities”

LeQuyen M – “You’re expected to do a lot more than just be a mom”

Lynn M – “Complete joy to watch the kids grow, learn and change”

Jackie B – “The most rewarding part is hearing her laugh. It’s so cool for me to just watch her do regular things”

Kristen F – “Being incredibly selfless and putting yourself last. You’re responsible for this person’s life”

LaTriece L – “My me time is her time. Because it’s more fun to play with her”

Lisa L – “I try to make enough time for myself and spend as much time with my family. I’m still striving for that 100% balance”

Maite C – “I get to wake up to the most beautiful thing. It’s an amazing experience”

Melody B – “I work full-time out of the house and that’s a challenge in itself. You have to balance that”

Miriam G – “Most rewarding thing: the learning process. Teaching and loving her”

Patricia G – “It’s been a roller coaster. It’s just wonderful. I can’t even explain how happy I am”

Stacie B – “I’m not that different than my own mother and I’m proud of that”

Valerie C – “I have to step aside and allow a certain amount of time for myself so when my baby wakes up, I have all the time in the world for her”

Michelle P – “Me time comes at midnight when all the children are down. I need to learn how to take care of myself so I can take care of my family who I love so dearly”

Nellie G – “I dedicate my days to taking care of my kids and keeping them happy”

Rita W – “I never thought about me time when I was raising my children, I have to have my me time now (with the grandkids)”

Susan G – “You do what you think is right and trust that as a mom, you know what’s best for your kids”

Yasman S – “Our time is so much more precious because I don’t see her 24/7″

One of the winner’s came from Chicago!  Here is Rita’s winning video:

Being a part of this Generation HUGGIES project was so much fun for me. Maybe even a little “too much” fun, since now I’m 15 weeks pregnant! We just got the first one out of diapers, guess we’ll be giving HUGGIES some business again soon!

After watching and listening to these women share their stories about motherhood, I have come to the realization that we all know how to be mothers. We have this natural instinct about us that kicks in once we’ve laid eyes on those precious little lives that we’ve created. I, for one, am looking very forward to experiencing that feeling again with a newborn. It is a very hard thing to do, to put these feelings into words. Words really can’t do justice to these amazing feelings and emotions of motherhood. You just have to experience it to know.

*Also, a gigantic congrats goes out to Kristine B., who is HUGGIES $30,000 sweepstakes winner!  She just happened to be browsing the web one day and decided to enter the sweepstakes.  Kristine’s two daughters wore HUGGIES and now, their daughters do too!

If you want to read more from the other “celebrity bloggers” who were on location in different cities with the Generation HUGGIES mobile, check out their fine blogs here:

Mommy Needs Coffee
Design Mom
Musings of a Housewife
Suburban Diva

We’ve also all contributed our experiences over at The Motherhood. So be sure to check out our coverage there, too!

Circles:
Generation HUGGIES – NYC (Gabrielle)
Generation HUGGIES – Philly (Jo Lynne)
Generation HUGGIES – Orlando (Tracey)
Generation HUGGIES – Dallas (Jenn)
Generation HUGGIES – Chicago (Amy)

Our collaborative effort – Generation HUGGIES Mom Bloggers

More »

Right around Thanksgiving, I had a “feeling” that I might be pregnant.  If I was, it would not have been a complete surprise but at the same time, somewhat unexpected.  That’s how it goes when you’ve hoped and lost hope about getting pregnant so many times.

So the story goes, I took a pregnancy test and immediately received a very clear, positive result.  (I used a generic pregnancy test from CVS pharmacy, by the way.)  A mixed flow of emotions came over me; doubt, relief and excitement being the most prominent, of course.  From that point on, trying to live each day as if nothing had changed in our lives was nearly impossible.  I know first-hand how delicate and uncertain a pregnancy can be, so, I tried to take things a day at a time and focus on the present.

It didn’t take long after learning about the new life we had created for my body to start reacting to the changes.  Right about the six week mark, I started feeling nauseous and sore (you mamas know what I mean by “sore”).  Keeping our news to ourselves was extremely difficult.  You know that feeling like you’re going to burst if you don’t share your news with somebody?  That’s how I felt for the majority of the month of December, along with the incredible amount of exhaustion and nausea I was experiencing.  Not a great combination.  Yet, I tried for the sake of my three year old daughter, to maintain my excitement for the holidays and for the big changes to happen to our family.

At the nine week mark, I had my first doctor’s appointment to “confirm” the pregnancy.  Here is my video of the first ultrasound (posted at NewBaby.com):

It felt great to see and hear that little heartbeat.  It made things more “real”.

Fast forward to today, just about thirteen weeks along and still feeling a bit tired and nauseous.  I would be lying if I said that I have been feeling great.  I’m really just taking things a day at a time.  The below freezing temperatures and sunless days have been tough to get through but I’m looking forward to the light at the end of the tunnel.

So, all that being said, I’ve got my maternity radar on for anything that will make me comfortable during these (hopefully) nine months.  I say hopefully because I only made it eight months with Hailey.  If you’re in the same boat as me and are looking for some maternity and new baby recommendations, stick around.  As soon as I get my act together, I’m dedicating a day each week to maternity and baby stuff.

Until then, I have many review posts to catch up on and of course, we’ll keep the giveaways flowing like water.

Cheers,

Amy

More »

As a child, I recall waking up to the delectable smells of a turkey in the oven, stuffing in the crock pot and my mom’s homemade apple and pumpkin pies.  I still think that Thanksgiving Day at my house, where I grew up in PA was the best.  I miss waking up to those scrumptious smells and coming down the stairs to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade on t.v.  The sound of my brothers cheering on their favorite football teams and my nieces and nephews running around the house.  When the evening rolled around, some would be napping and some would be heading out to the kitchen for leftovers.

I have lived away from home for almost 12 years now and have experienced many other Thanksgiving celebrations.  Eric and I have hosted Thanksgiving at our house (I could never do as good a job as my mom preparing this feast).  We also dined out one particular Thanksgiving.  Not in “A Christmas Story” style – there were no “Fa ra ra ra ra’s” or anything like that.

No matter where I spend my Thanksgiving holiday, I will always remember why it’s such a special day.  It’s a day that families come together, near and far.  Doesn’t matter if I can make a mean turkey gravy like my mom can or not.  What matters is that I’m spending it with people that I care about and I am thankful for that.

Our goal, as parents, is to make sure that our kids are cared for and taught to be thankful for the little things.  We want them to grow up with a sense of family and with the importance of spending time together.

I can only hope that one day our kids will wake up on Thanksgiving morning, just like I did, to the same delicious smells coming from the kitchen.  I’m getting hungry right now just thinking about it.

More »