Turnitupmom

The following guest post is written by an expectant mother, my wonderful sister Mir.

I’m 38 weeks pregnant today. Full term. My head spins to think how quickly this pregnancy has gone by. My husband has said that he “can’t wait for Hudson’s arrival.”  I have trained him to say instead, “I am looking forward to Hudson’s arrival.”  Because he’s going to come when he’s good and ready and saying “I can’t wait” makes me feel like I’m ten years old again, sneaking into my parents room to unwrap and rewrap my Christmas presents (Yup, even got the little sister in on the action. Santa never found out!). Only this time, I don’t have that option. 

When we were researching childbirth preparation classes, my OB suggested HypnoBirthing.  She knew we wanted to go natural, and she has had a lot of success with her patients using this method.  We were between the Bradley Method and HypnoBirthing and she said that the women who ended up having to scrap their plan with the Bradley Method ended up feeling a lot more guilty. That sealed the deal for me. All a new mom needs is guilt. My doctor even recommends the class to moms who are definitely going to need a c-section, with the idea that it helps prepare your mind and body for the entire experience. 

Over the course of four three-hour classes, we learned breathing techniques that are completely the opposite of what you see in the movies (no whoo-whoo-heeee breathing here, folks). The entire focus is on relaxation, with the idea that fear leads to tension, which leads to pain. Think of it like how when you are in the stirrups for your annual pap smear and you tense up, you feel more discomfort. Letting that tension go is liberating.  

I LOVED HypnoBirthing. We had a number of new moms as well as seasoned veterans in our class (including a doula who was on baby #4 herself). I credit my relaxed attitude during this pregnancy to the class, and I noticed that my sleep was remarkably improved after I started practicing regularly. My hubby and I pop in the Rainbow Relaxation exercise before bed and I’m out by the end of the first three sentences.  

Alisha, our instructor, taught us to throw out our due date, replace it with a “guess date” and to get comfortable with the idea that March 11^th meant sometime in mid to late March. That sounded fine to me at 23 weeks. 

Fast-forward to today and I’m finding myself growing a seed of impatience. I’m happy to welcome this baby boy into the world when he is fully baked, but I am also telling him that I’m ready and eager for him to be an outside baby.  

Don’t get me wrong, I’m loving being pregnant. Sure, I have some lower back pain, I pee a trillion times per day and the only shoes that will accommodate my sausage-toed feet are flip flops. But, I have a great chiropractor, my dog, Pig, keeps me company on each bathroom trip and I live in sunny Southern California, where flip flops are a year-round option.  

It’s the anticipation of meeting him and holding him for the first time that is killing me. I need to retrain myself now to think that I can wait. I look forward to meeting Hudson. Can I hope that it’s sooner than later?

Lately, naps are getting shorter. And shorter. 

This means one thing: I had better come up with some pretty cool things to do. Or else. . . 

So I dusted off the black patent leather shoes that are sadly reserved for holidays, scotch-taped quarters to the bottom of each shoe, and voila!, instant tap shoes. (I’m not brilliant; Rookie Moms came to my rescue.)

I find that most toddlers love music. They love movement. They love newness- anything that deviates from the ordinary. Ahem, anything slightly chaotic. 

Our homemade tap shoes didn’t disappoint. Stomp. Flap. Giggle. Stomp. Pitter-patter. Hoo-ray. Stomp. 

Oh, yes, I stomped too. Who knew that simple driving mocs second as tappers? What started out as a sanity-saving time-filler turned out to be a whole lot of fun! At least 20 minutes of fun, not that I was watching the clock or anything.

P.S. Please stop by to enter a handmade doll giveaway from Blabla kids. You’ll be glad that you did!

**This post is part of the Moms’ 30-Minute Blog Challenge at Steady Mom**

I’m thrilled to kick off the new year with a giveaway from Blabla! Two moms and best friends (of 25 years) started a company that has now evolved into something far beyond their wildest dreams!

Florence Wetterwald, designer and co-owner, says this about these knitted creations: “I always think of Blabla products as contemporary objects which reflect the inner life of children in this modern world. I love kids. Their fragility moves me. I like to believe that my designs comfort them and make them smile.”

As a mom, here’s why I’m Ga-Ga over Blabla: 

• The owners of Blabla have created a company that searches for “beauty, authenticity, and laughter.” Who doesn’t aspire to live a life with these? 

• All of the products are made of natural, high-quality fibers that make them “irresistibly soft and cuddly” for children. Prior to our discovery of Blabla, my daughter couldn’t care less about dolls. Now, well, the picture says it all!

• These products make me happy; they are simple, vibrant, and fun! Just look at these finger puppets . . . I know you’re smiling What a great way to encourage open-ended, imaginative play in your home. 

• Blabla takes pride in fair trade ethics and a committment to the Peruvian artisans who knit these products. This global-minded company is based on mutual respect between designers and knitters. 

I could go on forever, but you’ll have to check out the rest! Blabla’s collection also includes rattles, blankets, mobiles, and clothing. They make wonderful baby and shower gifts!

And now . . .for the GIVEAWAY! Susan at Blabla has generously offered my readers the chance to win the adorable Celeste doll pictured above. Here’s how: 

1.  Visit Blabla, and then leave a comment on this post, telling us your TWO favorite knitted products. 

2.  If you’d like to earn extra entries, you can Facebook, twitter, or write about his giveaway on your blog (please use this post’s URL). Then come back and, in a separate comment, tell me how you’ve spread the word! 

On Friday, February 5th, 8 p.m. EST, one winner will be randomly selected by Random.org. You must be a U.S. resident (18+) to enter. I hope it’s your lucky day!

Congratulations, Tina! (And sorry for the delay) You’re going to LOVE this doll

Photo by me'nthedogs

When you begin to touch your heart or let your heart be touched, you begin to discover that it’s bottomless, that it doesn’t have any resolution, that this heart is huge, vast, and limitless. You begin to discover how much warmth and gentleness is there, as well as how much space. -Pema Chodron

As a high school math teacher, my husband frequently writes college recommendations. At the top of each letter, he types five bold-faced words that describe his best and brightest. These are the snapshots, the power words, the reasons why a university should say yes: intellectual, driven, intuitive, motivated, mature, compassionate, reflective. All admirable traits.

But I think there are a few missing. He’s never written kind or caring, perhaps because they sound too commonplace, too ordinary. He’s never written warm or gentle either. But it’s not because he’s never taught students who embody these qualities. He just doesn’t recognize them as powerful enough or believe them to be highly valued by a college admission’s office. Does warm qualify you as worthy college material? How is someone with gentleness a good investment in a university’s future? 

The irony of this is that many people have told me that my toddler is sweet. And naturally, I say thank you and smile, but inside I’m beaming. To have a child whose heart is full, whose manner is mild, whose very being exudes warmth and kindness. As a parent, I couldn’t wish for more. And I hope that this feeling is never overshadowed by a the pressure to define oneself by the power words. Let sweet be enough.  For me, gentleness has power- maybe not the power to move money, but the power to move human beings. 

Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength. -Saint Frances de Sales

**This post is part of the Moms’ 30-Minute Blog Challenge at Steady Mom**

Photo by Jamiesrabbits

By now, most of us have seen the pictures and listened to the news of unspeakable disaster in Haiti.

We can’t possibly imagine the loss and devastation. And we feel deep sorrow for these people, many of whom will never embrace their mother or father or child again. They are alone in a land of ruin. 

Photo by United Nations Development Programme

In a week this will be old news. For us. 

Our children are watching to see how we react in situations of this nature, even when we feel strapped financially. Do we sympathize but sit back? Do we let someone else take care of it? Do we make excuses? Do we wait for the news to pass? 

These are somebody’s children. Dead. Missing. 

Photo by United Nations Development Programme

I’ve written before about my family’s core values. One of them is Responsibility: We have a responsibility to ourselves, to our community, and to our world. 

If I value the fact that I have a responsibility to be a positive force in the world, then I shouldn’t think twice about donating money to Haiti relief. I don’t say this as someone who has extra cash to spare. I don’t. I say this as someone who feels that this is what I must do. 

Photo by United Nations Development Programme

It won’t be long before my daughter starts to hold me accountable. Do I act on my word? Or are my words empty? 

We must act. Our children are watching. 

Please join me in helping to rebuild Haiti: 

Our Chance International (My family is personally supporting this organization. Thanks to the donations, a medical team is responding at this very moment.)

Doctors Without Borders

World Vision

and many more!

This is part of the Moms’ 30-Minute Blog Challenge at Steady Mom. 

For the past few months, I have been flipping through my stash of old magazines, collecting words, phrases, quotes, and pictures that inspire and make me smile.

Looking back on the process, I learned a lot about myself from what I both chose to include and chose not to  include.

Here are some things I learned about myself: 

• I value creativity and discovery in myself and my family. 

• If you gave me $100, I’d probably spend it on organizational tools for my home, plants for my garden, or All-Clad pots (Umm . . . only $100? Maybe a ladle).

• If I could only do one thing today, I’d have family tickle time. It’s raw fun and laughter at its best.

• While I live in an area that’s fast-paced, I’d rather take the slow road. 

• I’m a work in progress. Someday I’ll be organized (See organizational tools above). 

• If I knew that I couldn’t fail, I would write a book or plant fields of lilacs.

• I daydream about having my own creative sanctuary (aka home office) with sunlight streaming through the windows. 

• I believe that we all have the power to make a positive impact on our world, no matter how great or small. 

• I’m attracted to “B” words like breathe, being, believe, bloom.  

Okay, enough analyzing.

If someone asked you to create a poster that shows who you are and what you want for your life, could you do it? What words, phrases, or quotes would you include? What pictures? 

In the past, I’ve dreaded winter. It’s long, dark, and cold, so for someone who loves gardening, sun, and the outdoors, winter is my arch nemesis. Each year, I approach it with disdain. I’m tired of waging war. I always lose. 

In the spirit of anticipation at Steady Mom, I’ve decided to create an Anticipation List, a list of things that I’m looking forward to this year (thus far). Here’s a start: 

• Seeing a Broadway show in NYC (date night coming soon!)
• Taking my daughter to her first live performance of Elmo at Madison Square Garden
• Finishing the book, The Art of Racing in the Rain
• Trying new recipes from American’s Test Kitchen Best of 2009
• Biking along new trails on Long Island
• Holding my nephew, Hudson, for the first time (due in March)
• Taking some organic gardening classes through the NYBG
• Building an 8 x 8 raised vegetable garden
• Receiving my heirloom vegetable seeds in the mail
• Discovering if my composting efforts really did work
• Seeing extended family at my cousin’s wedding in Bar Harbor, ME
• Picking up my daughter from her first day of preschool (Her teacher taught me!)
• Teaching the little one how to ride a tricycle

I have a lot to look forward to this year, and this list is just the beginning. I don’t need to put on my boxing gloves. Winter happens. But while I feel trapped inside, I can step back and daydream about all that is to come- new experiences, new growth, new life. Thank you, winter, for the gift of anticipation. I’m not going down easily this time.

What is on your Anticipation List for 2010?

This post is a part of the Moms’ 30-Minute Blog Challenge at Steady Mom. 

Photo by andrew.petro

Dear Jet Blue Friend in Seat 22B,

Mommy says that it’s proper etiquette to apologize when you make a mistake for which you are sorry.  And I am sorry. Very sorry. I’m sorry for peeing all over our seat, not once but twice, during our long airplane ride to California. I guess you don’t have to know that I did it twice, but I’m terribly honest at two years old. 

See, I’m not capable of sitting in one seat for six hours. I’m just a tot. A squirmy, curious, fidgety tot. And I guess that while wiggling from Mommy’s seat, to my seat, to Daddy’s seat, to my seat, to Mommy’s seat, my diaper shifted, just enough to . . . well, you know. Darn shifty diaper. Maybe Mommy and Daddy need to move me up to the next size, or maybe they should have put on a nite-nite diaper. Either way, I’m not quite at the age where I blame them for things.

To make matters worse, knowing my diaper’s saturation point is not my strong suit, although I must say that I felt a funny warm sensation between my thighs. It should have been a red flag, but I was engrossed in my ABC book at the time. To be honest, I think Mommy and Daddy were more startled and humiliated than I was. They both went into crisis mode. Mommy frantically dug into the diaper bag while Daddy lifted me from my warm puddle of pee. I’m not talking about a little trickle here. I was dangling from my armpits over Lake Erie. You probably didn’t have to know that either. 

There is good news. You’ll be happy to know that they used Wet Ones to clean up the mess. They are anti-bacterial, disinfecting wipes, so I’m confident that the seat is just like new. Maybe even better. Just to be safe, though, Mommy says that you ought to wash your clothes before wearing them again. I say do whatever makes you happy. 

Your Jet Blue Friend in Seat 22B

**This post is a part of the Moms’ 30-Minute Blog Challenge at Steady Mom**

Photo by Myki Roventine

Christmas is behind us, and I know many of you are breathing a sigh of relief. I am. We’ve built this holiday up to something way beyond its humble beginnings, and I, for one, can’t keep up with the unwritten rules and commercialism. Case in point: Our white lights never made it out of the attic to decorate the bushes. I’m finished berating myself; my toddler saw plenty of white lights.  

I often feel as though I will honor Christmas in my heart when . . .Um, when everything gets done. Have you ever said this to yourself? I’ll be happy when . . . I’ll relax when . . . I’ll have fun when . . . Well, when is never soon enough. It leaves us stranded right now and denies us the beauty of the present moment. And so we spend the month of December tired, impatient, and anxious. 

I felt this way on December 12, when we picked out our Christmas tree. Well, we didn’t pick it out; my husband did. I’m a wimp when it comes to the cold. So, my daughter and I sat in the car (for moral support), with the heat blaring, while Daddy got the job done. And it was just that- a job, a chore. It was something that I needed to check off of the list: Get the tree. 

My thought process was this: Let’s get the tree, so we can get it home, so we can decorate it and enjoy it before it sheds everywhere. (Oh, and we will enjoy it, dammit.) I felt rushed, un-festive, and somewhat of a Grinch. Would this feeling end? Yes, but not until I made the decision to turn up the music and celebrate. 

Christmas was different for me this year. Since I spent Christmas Day in southern California with my family, Santa visited NJ early, and we feasted with my in-laws and exchanged gifts on the 19th. Essentially, I celebrated two Christmases, each one different and special in its own right. One was spent in the midst of a snowstorm. The other, in the land of fake snow.

For me, Christmas has never been about the day; it’s a feeling, one that doesn’t negate to-do lists, but that allows us to find peace and joy no matter what the circumstances. 

Even if you’re not religious, indulge me for a moment. Over two thousand years ago, a baby was born in a barn. A barn. This tiny baby is arguably one of the most influential figures in history. How could an evening so simple, humble, and unsanitary be so extraordinary? Was Mary stressed out because the barn didn’t have white lights? I don’t think so. It was a celebration of life, love, and family, in that very moment. Rumor has it there were three gifts. Forgive me for oversimplifying matters, but I really do believe it was that simple. Do you hear me Bloomingdale’s? 

STOP what you’re doing and consider this: What if Christmas really is a feeling? What if it isn’t a day or an event? What if you woke up in the morning and wished your husband or children a “Merry Christmas,” because the most important things on your Christmas list can’t be bought? They are right there in front of you. Embrace your family. Honor the beauty of a new day. Give hugs and laugh a lot. And keep it simple. That was the intention. 

May you have a happy, healthy 2010 and many Merry Christmases!

**The following guest post is the last one in a series of four by Chef Dave Zino, Executive Chef with the National Cattleman’s Beef Association**

As you know, this time of year is busier than usual: Christmas, Hanukkah, holiday parties, family get-togethers, well, you know the drill. And on top of all the daily work and family obligations, many of us face the ultimate question of, “What’s for Dinner?”

Even though your favorite take-out place may be right around the corner, placing orders to-go and splurging on restaurant dinners isn’t really budget-friendly when you’re trying to save those extra dollars for gifts this holiday season. A nice way to decompress during all the hustle and bustle is to take a step back and pop into the grocery store, buy just a few items and cook a satisfying, feel-good meal; with beef as the centerpiece, of course.  

Dollar for dollar, beef works hard and delivers a powerful punch of protein and essential vitamins and minerals. Here are a couple of rules of thumb that I like to follow when I’m looking to stretch my dollar, especially during the holidays: 

Evaluate Cost per Serving v. Price per Pound

• When it comes to the dinner table, look for value in the cost per serving, not the price per pound. The amount of beef you need will vary with each cut. Review our helpful guidelines on how many servings each cut will yield, and plan your grocery list ahead of time to make wise shopping choices. Five minutes of planning can help you save and you’ll be less likely to drop items into your cart that you don’t need.

Less Tender Cuts are Diamonds in the Rough

• Less-tender cuts of beef are inexpensive and if cooked properly, produce delicious flavor, texture and unparalleled satisfaction. If you remember my last post, we discussed braising and slow cooking. Inexpensive cuts from the Chuck and Round are perfect for this cooking method.  Some of the best beef dinners I’ve ever had were a result of this cooking process. Flavor doesn’t have to equate to high prices.

Go Ahead, Buy in Bulk

• A great way to save money is to purchase whole roasts and then cut them into steaks. Another option is to take some of those steaks and cut them into cubes for kabobs, stew or strips for stir-fry. Your local butcher may be happy to slice them for you without added cost. Plan ahead and freeze cut beef for 6 to 12 months. Check out my video on You Tube that covers off on how to slice and save a tenderloin roast.

Looking Ahead to 2010…

And for those looking for a little insight into food trends for 2010, Mintel (a trends research group) reports that sweet potatoes are going to be next year’s “must have” veggie. They’re packed with vitamin A and pair beautifully with nutrient-rich beef. Below are some of our favorite dishes that marry the on-trend sweet potatoes with all around goodness from the land of protein. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.  

• Beef Ribeye & Root Vegetables
• Ancho Chili-Rubbed Beef Roast
• Autumn Beef & Cider Stew
• Cumin-Rubbed Steak & Roasted Root Vegetable Salad

 It’s been great sharing with you this season. For weekly updates, recipes and tips, sign up for our weekly Beef So Simple newsletter. Look forward to hearing from you on our Facebook fan page and feel free to stay in touch with me on Twitter.  

Happy Holidays!

Chef Dave

As Executive Chef for the leading food authority on beef and veal, Dave Zino is responsible for concept development, ideation and recipe development for the beef industry. Dave also works very closely with the checkoff-funded Beef Innovations Group in evaluating and developing new beef products.

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