Sunday Snapshot

Lovebug got ahold of my phone and snapped this picture of herself…

Sunday Snapshot

Lovebug got ahold of my phone and snapped this picture of herself…

Another Word About Breast Feeding…

Because obviously I have to beat a dead horse. 


As I sat in my living room this morning having just nursed my ten month old, my blood boiled over IGNORANT comments I’d just read on an article about a Georgia woman being asked to leave church – yes church – for breast feeding her child; comments that compared breast feeding to things like urinating or having sex in public. 


I was surprised that there were no shortage of people feeling this way, or they were just the one’s speaking up.

So, I’m speaking up. I’m speaking up as a mother who breast feeds. I’m speaking up for babies that feed naturally at the breast. I’m speaking up to address the stigma that ignorance has created.


In recent months, this issue has popped up all over the internet as controversial, and I’ve addressed it before. I continue to be outraged, and flabbergasted, that it is such a hot-button issue. 


I’ll say it again, because apparently it is not stressed enough: Breast feeding is a natural way to FEED a child, period. 

I can attest that NO mother breast feeding her child does it for ANYTHING other than to feed her baby. I think a wake up call is in order, as there are other issues for panties to be getting bunched up over. There are bigger fish to fry in this world.

I also feel the need to say a word about being discreet as that seems to be a subset of the breast feeding controversy: Not all babies want to eat under a blanket, there isn’t always a private place, and babies don’t always pick convenient times to be hungry. I’d like to see the opponents of public breast feeding try eating under a sheet, or in a bathroom. DISGUSTING. 


Next time you see a woman breast feeding, think about how uncomfortable she may be, or may have been and had to struggle to become comfortable for her child’s sake. 


A new mom, in the beginning, I cringed at the thought of nursing in public. I was so nervous I hurried about my errands trying to make it back home in time for feeding. Let me tell you how difficult that is with a newborn with a voracious appetite. Often times, I sat in the car before heading into the market nursing a hungry baby. I pulled over on the side of the road to feed her. Guess what? Life waits for no one, and does go on, as it should, so I got over my discomfort – because I had shit to do and couldn’t hide forever – and started thinking about my child’s well-being. 


If you’ve been there, give another breast feeding mom a nod of approval. If you’re a Negative Nelly, walk on and mind your own business. 

Sunday Snapshot – A Week in Review

This week was a pretty special week with a holiday falling nearly in the middle. There was a lot of love made and celebrated.

Valentine’s roses from the hubby

“Happy Valentine’s Day!”

Blue with a festive Vday bow 😉

Looking at her Valentine’s card from great-nana and great-papa

“Reading” her card

When I told her the card was from g-nana and g-papa she gave it a kiss!

Hope everyone had a week filled with LOVE.

Sunday Snapshot – A Week in Review

This week was a pretty special week with a holiday falling nearly in the middle. There was a lot of love made and celebrated.

Valentine’s roses from the hubby

“Happy Valentine’s Day!”

Blue with a festive Vday bow 😉

Looking at her Valentine’s card from great-nana and great-papa

“Reading” her card

When I told her the card was from g-nana and g-papa she gave it a kiss!

Hope everyone had a week filled with LOVE.

Tofu Cookies

You cringe. Unless you are me and like tofu you might be saying “Tofu? Does anyone eat that stuff anyway? But cookies? I love cookies! Cookies made out of tofu? That doesn’t seem right.”


Actually, I call them tofu cookies and my daughter’s eyes light up, but they’re not quite cookies. Does that really matter? I mean if you can get your kids eating healthy without knowing they’re eating healthy, then I say call it a damn cookie.


You all are aware that cookie or not if it can be made at home, then I’m in! I’ve been making everything that passes Lovebug’s lips from day one. Breast milk was quite easy, but as soon as she started eating “solids” at six months it became a bit more challenging. 


While it was easy at home to chop and purée fresh fruits and vegetables till my fingers fell off, it was not so easy doing this on the road. None-the-less, I persevered and we quickly moved from purées to chunky delights, and eventually – at about eight months – steamed and soft finger foods, hallelujah. My point here is that if I can find an easy recipe, I’m all ears. And bonus points if it’s healthy and tastes good.

Because I’m always looking out for ways to spice up the same old steamed veggies, plain pasta noodles, and give fruits a little flavoring for snacks, I decided why not spice up tofu too? It’s a delicious, protein-packed, easy go-to food when I’ve been cooking or washing dishes and all I want to do is pull something out of the fridge.


Lovebug loves tofu possibly because of it’s soft, melt in your mouth texture, so I thought how ’bout livening it up to make a lunch treat or mid-afternoon snack?


Here’s what I did. It’s so simple!


What you need: 
soft tofu
snackimals natural oatmeal cookies
sandwich ziplock baggie
rolling pin

step 1- Depending on how much tofu you’ll use, take a few snackimal cookies and place in baggie.


step 2- Roll the cookies so that they make a fine-grain coating


step 3- Cut soft tofu into small cubes


step 4- Place cubed tofu into ziplock baggie with cookie grains and shake until tofu is covered. Remove and enjoy!


Your little one’s tummy will thank you! And you can enjoy as a healthy snack in between caring for your bundle and running around like a chicken with your head cut off.

Valentine’s Day – A Family Affair Cont’d.

I’d been preparing for Valentine’s for about a week. Usually the hubs secures the plans and I go along for the ride, but this year I took over, charging full steam ahead.


In my exhausting preparations, I had to take time out for my guilty pleasure: relaxing with a cup of tea during Lovebug’s morning nap. While wasting time, I decided to read a few posts on facebook. With February 14th looming over, there were several cursing the day, but one in particular caught my eye. 


The author said something a long the lines of it being just another day, and being glad for 365 days to show his spouse how much he loves her. What a sweetheart, and someone who obviously values his family. 


Okay so I’m aware that Valentine’s day is a Hallmark holiday – there is history behind the day if you’re interested – but I can’t resist the allure. The hubs understands this is important to me and is such the romantic that every year he comes up with something special. Because I, too, value my family and wanted to make it a family affair, this year I let him off the hook and took on the task.


We all know how romantic it is to go out to a nice restaurant with an infant, and how much other couples would appreciate an enthusiastic 10 month old, so wanting to have my family all to myself I decided on staying in. Finding time for romance is a challenge with a baby – often fit in when she’s asleep – so one must be creative. I chose to play chef and create a meal at home the hubs and I could share after Lovebug went to bed; a decision I will cherish. 

With the weight of pulling off a great Valentine’s on my shoulders that didn’t just include dinner, I headed to mull over ideas with my new best friend – Pinterest. Finding a great gift idea, I tweaked it a bit to make it a gift from Lovebug. 

See the tutorial here.

I toiled, and finally Valentine’s was upon us.


After a long couple of days driving, as well as tending to things in the office, my wonderful husband came home bearing the sweetest gifts for his two Valentines: a dozen roses for moi and the cutest dress for Lovebug.

Poor Lovebug was pooped and barely stayed awake for daddy to put her to bed with a Valentine’s kiss, so while he read a sleepy-eyed little girl a story, I donned my apron and cheffed it up. 


The menu? Japanese. 

We began the evening with a little edamame, hot tea, and conversation; something that is usually interrupted with coos and squeals. The next course consisted of miso soup and an asian-style salad. We lingered a little enjoying the quiet and each other. I served a main course of teriyaki chicken, a noodle dish, and a little steamed jasmine rice, and for dessert? Brownies. I was going to steal a great crepes recipe from a bloggy friend of mine, but since I was going all out on the meal, tending to a baby, and trying to somewhat surprise the hubs I stuck with one of his favorites. I did zest ’em up a bit with heart-shaped powdered sugar on top.


We dined in candlelight just the two of us with a peaceful, sleeping angel just down the hall. The evening couldn’t have been more perfect with the two greatest Valentine’s a girl could ask for.

Valentine’s Day – A Family Affair Cont’d.

I’d been preparing for Valentine’s for about a week. Usually the hubs secures the plans and I go along for the ride, but this year I took over, charging full steam ahead.


In my exhausting preparations, I had to take time out for my guilty pleasure: relaxing with a cup of tea during Lovebug’s morning nap. While wasting time, I decided to read a few posts on facebook. With February 14th looming over, there were several cursing the day, but one in particular caught my eye. 


The author said something a long the lines of it being just another day, and being glad for 365 days to show his spouse how much he loves her. What a sweetheart, and someone who obviously values his family. 


Okay so I’m aware that Valentine’s day is a Hallmark holiday – there is history behind the day if you’re interested – but I can’t resist the allure. The hubs understands this is important to me and is such the romantic that every year he comes up with something special. Because I, too, value my family and wanted to make it a family affair, this year I let him off the hook and took on the task.


We all know how romantic it is to go out to a nice restaurant with an infant, and how much other couples would appreciate an enthusiastic 10 month old, so wanting to have my family all to myself I decided on staying in. Finding time for romance is a challenge with a baby – often fit in when she’s asleep – so one must be creative. I chose to play chef and create a meal at home the hubs and I could share after Lovebug went to bed; a decision I will cherish. 

With the weight of pulling off a great Valentine’s on my shoulders that didn’t just include dinner, I headed to mull over ideas with my new best friend – Pinterest. Finding a great gift idea, I tweaked it a bit to make it a gift from Lovebug. 

See the tutorial here.

I toiled, and finally Valentine’s was upon us.


After a long couple of days driving, as well as tending to things in the office, my wonderful husband came home bearing the sweetest gifts for his two Valentines: a dozen roses for moi and the cutest dress for Lovebug.

Poor Lovebug was pooped and barely stayed awake for daddy to put her to bed with a Valentine’s kiss, so while he read a sleepy-eyed little girl a story, I donned my apron and cheffed it up. 


The menu? Japanese. 

We began the evening with a little edamame, hot tea, and conversation; something that is usually interrupted with coos and squeals. The next course consisted of miso soup and an asian-style salad. We lingered a little enjoying the quiet and each other. I served a main course of teriyaki chicken, a noodle dish, and a little steamed jasmine rice, and for dessert? Brownies. I was going to steal a great crepes recipe from a bloggy friend of mine, but since I was going all out on the meal, tending to a baby, and trying to somewhat surprise the hubs I stuck with one of his favorites. I did zest ’em up a bit with heart-shaped powdered sugar on top.


We dined in candlelight just the two of us with a peaceful, sleeping angel just down the hall. The evening couldn’t have been more perfect with the two greatest Valentine’s a girl could ask for.

A Valentine’s Gift – 52 Reasons I Love My Daddy

I’ve proclaimed Pinterest as my new obsession, but I don’t have to tell you how great it is if you’re over there. If you’re not, you must get over there quick and allow your mouse – and your creativity – to run amuck.

Here’s what I found for a creative gift idea:

And with a little tweaking it became the perfect gift for the hubs from our little Lovebug. Of course I had to do all the work, but the hubs was impressed and really liked it.

So, here’s what you need:
a complete deck of cards (minus the jokers)
two binder rings
a hole punch
a cutting tool
adhesive (I used Martha Stewart All Purpose Gel Adhesive)
a computer
a cutting surface


Here’s what I did:
step 1- I created a table on Word and typed all 52 sayings I thought my lil girl would say to her daddy.

step 2- Print the table out and cut into individual labels (you could avoid step 1 and 2 and make it easy on yourself by printing your sayings on actual address labels, but I didn’t have any laying around.)

step 3- Glue one label saying to one playing card until you’ve glued all 52.

step 4- Punch two holes where you’d like your binder rings to be placed to make into a booklet. Do this for all 52 cards.

step 5- Create a front and back cover (you can be as creative as you like, or not), punch the holes, and insert binder rings.

Now you have your finished booklet!

A Valentine’s Gift – 52 Reasons I Love My Daddy

I’ve proclaimed Pinterest as my new obsession, but I don’t have to tell you how great it is if you’re over there. If you’re not, you must get over there quick and allow your mouse – and your creativity – to run amuck.

Here’s what I found for a creative gift idea:

And with a little tweaking it became the perfect gift for the hubs from our little Lovebug. Of course I had to do all the work, but the hubs was impressed and really liked it.

So, here’s what you need:
a complete deck of cards (minus the jokers)
two binder rings
a hole punch
a cutting tool
adhesive (I used Martha Stewart All Purpose Gel Adhesive)
a computer
a cutting surface


Here’s what I did:
step 1- I created a table on Word and typed all 52 sayings I thought my lil girl would say to her daddy.

step 2- Print the table out and cut into individual labels (you could avoid step 1 and 2 and make it easy on yourself by printing your sayings on actual address labels, but I didn’t have any laying around.)

step 3- Glue one label saying to one playing card until you’ve glued all 52.

step 4- Punch two holes where you’d like your binder rings to be placed to make into a booklet. Do this for all 52 cards.

step 5- Create a front and back cover (you can be as creative as you like, or not), punch the holes, and insert binder rings.

Now you have your finished booklet!