i'm featured!!

go check out my feature with my newest irl friend here!  i'm practically famous!  more on how we are now irl friends later!!

guest post: keeping your kids active!

i am excited today to be featuring a guest post by kathleen thomas from primose schools.  today's post is about keeping the kids (of all ages) active- something that can be difficult when you just want to stay inside away from the heat!  kathleen provides some insightful tips on ways to keep kids (and yourself) active.  thank you kathleen!

 

Keeping the Kids Active
By: Kathleen Thomas

Summertime is upon us and the sultry days stretch into balmy nights. Released from school the children either complain of boredom or spend hours hunched in front of television or computer screens. The long days of summer don’t have to be lazy. Try some of these ideas to keep your kids active in the summer.

Get Moving
The easiest way to promote a healthy lifestyle for your children is to lead by example. Break out the bikes and set off on a family ride. Trek down to the park and kick a ball around. Team up with other families for a friendly softball tournament. Shoot hoops. Spin a jump rope and take your turn ducking in. Organize an informal neighborhood field day with relay races, an obstacle course and a water balloon toss. Award the winners with small prizes or ribbons. Or try planting a summer garden. Children love watching things grow. Keep busy digging and weeding, and then eat the healthy results.

Consider Camping
If it is within your budget, sending the kids off to camp for a week or two or three (or more) is a long-standing summer tradition. Overnight camping is an experience children treasure a lifetime. Most stay-away camps are Internet-free and limit the use of video games. Many cities also offer day camping at municipal parks, complete with tons of fun daily activities and weekly field trips. If you have a budding Beckham on your hands, a sports-intensive camp may be just the ticket.

Get Wet
Kids and water go together like peanut butter and jelly. Take an excursion to the seaside or lake. For older children, a free or low-cost public pool is an inexpensive way to spend an active afternoon – or several afternoons a week. For younger children, it might be time to take that first swimming class. And for preschool children, nothing beats a wading pool or a sprinkler shimmering in the summer heat. Or break out some old pots and pans and make mud pies. Don’t be afraid to get dirty – the muddier, the merrier.

Take Advantage of Cooler Mornings and Evenings
While preteens or teenagers probably won’t thrill to the morning whistle, young children will find it an adventure – if you make it one. Invest in a few inexpensive supplies such as floppy hats, cheap binoculars or magnifying glasses and metal canteens or water bottles with straps. Don’t forget the sunscreen. Set off on an early morning hike around the neighborhood, or even just around the block. Small things often delight small explorers. Keep a scrapbook and collect a flower, a feather or a leaf on your travels. Older children can often be lured out-of-doors after night has fallen. Take a twilight after-dinner walk with your ‘tween and discover how different your neighborhood looks by night. Talk and bond while getting some exercise.

Kids are more likely to exercise when it’s disguised as fun. With a little creativity, it’s easy to keep kids active in the summer.

water, baby!

want to make a woman depressed?  take her swimsuit shopping.

want to make a woman really depressed?  take her swimsuit shopping 6 months postpartum.

ugh.  what a week.  i spent 2 days and several hours shopping for a swimsuit this week for a company picnic on saturday.  it. sucked. 

first-  why don't places have more handicap-accessible dressing rooms?  old navy and land's end- shame on you.  i spent my time trying to wriggle my fat butt into a swimsuit while being pinned between the door and my son's ginormous stroller- no fun.

second-  i may or may not have started crying while looking at myself in the mirror after i'd tried on the 25th swimsuit (that is not an exaggeration, in fact, it may be lower than the actual number).

third-  it's only august, yet some stores i went into were already completely sold out of swimsuits... ::ahem:: old navy.  of course, this had its advantages because of clearance prices!!!

fourth-  if i was interested in a strapless swimsuit- i'd buy a two piece.  i can't tell you how many one pieces i got into the fitting room, only to pull them on and find they had no straps.  and while we're on one pieces- there's no need for them to have a v-neck down to my belly button.

after all this though, i found not one, but two swimsuits- bought them both.  i wanted to bring them home, try them on somewhere with mirrors and lighting that i could trust- but i wasn't crazy about either.  of course, i tried them on at home, loved them both, and then somehow managed to talk husband into letting me keep both.  love you, dear.


and here you have them...

suit #1

i feel like this woman looks ridiculous in these shorts- yet, i don't feel like i look ridiculous in them, i think i look cute in them.  i certainly hope that people didn't see me in them and think i look dumb.  i got my entire suit in the "south sea blue" color.  the suit fits really really well, and when i was wearing it, i didn't feel like i was falling out (this is the one that actually went to the party with me).  the only thing i may have a problem with- the sizing.  the size of my top is 6 sizes larger than the size of my bottoms (they are sized 2, 4, etc).  also, the bottoms in ssb are $19.99 online- i got hosed.  

suit #2

this is the suit i've had in mind all along- i love it!  it's got a very retro look to it, which, i love.  that also means it's modest, and sexy at the same time!  i unfortunately don't look like the model when i wear it, but it has tummy control and can be worn either as a maillot or a swim dress.  adore!

so my postpartum swimsuit tips:

1.  one pieces and tankinis are your friend.  tankinis are especially great if you're used to wearing a two piece.  it give you the feel without all the skin- or that postpartum belly jiggle showing.

2.  skirted or shorted bottoms are also your friend.  hello, they hide stretch marks.  

3.  make sure there's easy access for nursing- if it applies to you.  also, if you're like me and nursing, bear in mind that the v-neck may not be your friend.  

4.  wear what makes you feel comfortable and confident, and above all, sexy. 

maybe next summer i'll be back in my two pieces, but for now, i'm loving my new suits.  did you get a new suit for the summer?  one or two piece? what style?  any other tips for new moms or anyone who might be shopping for a suit?

pretty much a perfect evening

wednesday night is my favorite night.  i work monday & thursday nights, and we spend tuesday night having dinner w\ my mother in law & watching dave play softball- so wednesday, it's just us.  

husband came home, we walked the dogs.  put ian down for a "nap" then i made dinner.  it turned out deliciously.

hello saffron couscous w\ mediterranean chicken (okay, so it's not saffron couscous because apparently saffron is $12 for 2 teaspoons.  i still wonder what difference it would've made)

then we had dessert.  and a delicious summer dessert at that!

strawberries & cream.  i didn't make the cream myself (but i thought about it) and i probably have way too much, but they were so good.  later, when ian went to bed, mommy had more strawberries that had been soaked in amaretto... mmm.

we didn't think it was fair for mommy & daddy to have all the fun, so ian had his first taste of people food.  he seemed to enjoy strawberries too!

yummy!!  we'll probably start solids soon, but not just yet.  this was just a taste!

after dinner, we headed out to the pool.  our first experience with ian & the pool didn't go very well, but we had different results this time. he probably stayed in the pool around 30 minutes - long enough to turn pruney - and he kicked and splashed & giggled the entire time!!

excuse mommy mcboobs.  ugh. 

after pool fun was over, it was time for a bath, bottle and bed.  a truly wonderful evening.