Guest Post: How to Take Better Baby Pictures!

Two posts in 1 day? I know. I know.  But this second post is a good one :)

I was fortunate enough to receive a guest post from my blog friend Vanessa over at her WONDERFUL photography blog that you can find here at VanessaSchrotenboer.com. Take a peek at her tips for taking better baby pictures.

Until your child can sit up and run around you may feel like all your images of your wee one look the same. Plopping them on the couch here and there is great but when they are constantly falling over it may be hard to capture the image you desire to grab. Below I am sharing 5 tips that have helped me when taking pictures of our little boy!

And p.s. you can use these tips to photograph your children at any age.

1. Find the light!! To me it's the MOST important part of your image- beside the sweet baby! So find: Big windows, glass doors, open your blinds do what you can to let the light shine in your home. We have awesome light that streams in through our back glass door. I love taking pictures in that area because I know it will provide us with some yummy light.

This doesn't mean every image you take needs to be posed in this spot that would get old! Instead, put their toys, blanket etc in the spot that has great light and then when you're ready to take a picture, they are in the location you want them to be without moving them out of their element. I don't set baby G facing the light directly. I like to turn him at about a 45 degree angle otherwise I find the light too harsh!

2. Get on their level! Lay on the ground and see the world from their view! This helps you have a variety of images from different angles. Down low, above, etc! But my favorite is to lay on the ground and talk and laugh with my baby!

 

3. Don't forget the details! Do you not just stare at your baby's face all day? Their cute nose, tiny hands, squishy belly! I could go on... I love to take pictures of these parts to remind me of his sweetness! Of course I love his face but I try to capture all aspects of him. Will he not stay this little forever? Please tell me yes...

4.  Rule of thirds! In order to make your images more dynamic and interesting don't always place your baby in the center of your image.  Mix it up and take a picture with your child on either the right or left side of the frame! Rule of thirds helps show off the environment, show movement and change it up from the typical center face shot!

 5. Capture parts of your day! Posed pictured are great as well but don't forget those moments that remind you of YOUR life with your babe- catch them sleeping in their crib, munching on their breakfast, practicing tummy time, cuddles with Dad, out for walk, getting a diaper change, playing with a pet or their favorite toys! Those are the moments that make my heart swell!

Lastly, keep your camera close by, keep shooting and happy picture taking!

About Vanessa:

Vanessa Schrotenboer is a blogger who shares many aspects of her life from her journey into motherhood, portrait and wedding photography as well as

beauty and lifestyle tips! She enjoys blogging, photography and a warm cup of hot chocolate. To connect with Vanessa check out her blog or her twitter, @vschrotenboer.

Christmas with the Moore's

It's hard for me to believe the last time I sat down to blog was nearly a month ago.  Where does the time go?!  I'll tell you- wrapping, trees, get-togethers, baking, more wrapping, gifts and more baking.  That just about sums up what the Moore family has been up to.

With the troublesome news that hit very close to home, I've wanted to sit down and blog about the Sandy Hook tragedy.  Watching the news reports and the vigils on television had me sobbing at one point.  Whenever I tried to sit down and put my feeling into words, I struggled.  I think as a mom it hit me harder than it would have prior to having Lily.  As a parent I could barely watch as other parents mourned for their children.  With everything that has been said, I suppose I will leave it at that.  No need to talk about the issues now surrounding it, just remember the young lives that are now watching over us and if you are at all religious, please say a little prayer.

Back to the Moore family Christmas...

This was Lily's second Christmas, but last year she was only three months old.  This Christmas was definitely more exciting- watching her unwrap gifts and stare at the tree.  My DH and I kept saying "NEXT year, she will really get it."  And maybe by next year, she will have a little brother or sister to keep her company while she opens gifts. :) :)

Here are a few pictures from our holiday this year.  I hope to have more up shortly for all of my bloggy friends.

My mother-in-law's Christmas tablescape, Banana Oatmeal bread (1 of 5 loaves!),  New earrings from my lovely husband (sorry for the blur) and one of our beautiful ornaments (which has our wedding invitation curled inside!)

A Royal Baby...

http://www.notmassproduced.com/

I was so excited to hear the great news yesterday!  Just as we all watched Prince William marry Kate Middleton, I was equally as excited to see that she is expecting her first baby.  I give her so much credit.  She manages to remain true to herself and carries out her duties in such a class-act fashion.  I can't wait to follow along her pregnancy journey!

Top Christmas Onesies!

Lily is almost 15 months and I'll be honest, I miss the days of her wearing the tiniest onesies around the house.  She still wears them, but they're not NEARLY as tiny as they used to be (I guess that's obvious.)

I've come across quite a few on Pinterest, Etsy and my other regularly visited websites and I wanted to share my Top 5 Christmas Onesies with all of you!  

Number 5

I have a special place in my heart for dachshunds because my grandmother had one when I was a child.  Her name was Stella and she was wonderful entertainment for hours.  So naturally I fell in love with this onesie as soon as I saw it!

via etsy

Number 4

Gap

Little owls are so big this season.  I thought this was adorable when I saw it and actually ordered one for Lily.  It's available at Gap.com.

Number 3

This next onesie is so feminine and adorable!  A very elegant look...

Ralph Lauren

Number 2

Who wants a little candy cane? I do! I do!

Giggle

Number 1

Brea's

Obviously for a little girl, but who can resist a tutu?  Not me!  I love it!

Thanksgiving Tips

Hi Everyone.  I'm in charge of making pies for A LOT of people this Thanksgiving so I was anxious to ask my friend Olivia to guest post for me.  She's a sweetheart and Lily adores her.  Take a peek at some of her helpful Thanksgiving Day tips! 

Hey Y’all!!

Katie here has inspired me in so many ways. I envy her passion and dedication to blogging. I thought I would give-it-a-go and write a post for Katie to share about the holiday season. Maybe someday I will start my own blog! Enjoy!

Have you ever felt so uncomfortable that you fear the button on your jeans will pop off if you don’t unbutton them first? Me too! I think this is something we can probably all relate to at one point or another in our lives (am I right, or am I right?). Thanksgiving and the holiday season is just another one of those occasions in many American households.

More than ever we find ourselves concentrating on ‘living healthy.’ But, what is healthy!? Not eating carbs or dairy? Maybe. Not eating processed foods? Maybe. Eating only 2x a day and no more than 1200 calories per day? Well maybe, but who really does that anyway? My point you see is there are many ways to be “healthy.” The various factors driving the ultimate goal of living a healthy lifestyle differ from person to person. My personal belief, especially during the holiday season, (aka the season of dessert temptation), is moderation. That one little word is my gift that keeps on giving all through the holidays.

Why? I’m so glad you asked! It is because it allows me to enjoy every flavor of the holidays. Whether it’s the sweet treats of Thanksgiving dessert or the calorie loaded cheesy potatoes my mother-in-law insists on making every year, I can happily taste each flavor of the season. Here are some quick tips of my own that might help you keep your healthy mentality throughout the holidays without skipping a beat, or a Christmas cookie!

Eat before you eat. How many times have you starved yourself all morning before that late-lunch almost dinner time meal? Or was that just me….? Either way, be sure to eat a plentiful breakfast, nourishing you for the day. Then, when the appetizers are put out, you aren’t diving into the table stuffing your mouth with everything in sight. You can enjoy nibbling on one or two of each of the appetizers, holding you over until the mealtime.

Fill your plate. Yes, I said FILL YOUR PLATE. First, take a little bit more veggies and fruit than you might otherwise, cover at least half of your plate, making sure you leave room for the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy though! This will ensure you don’t take too much of those guilt inducing, ‘leave you feeling groggy the rest of the day’ foods.

This looks great!  Just add more veggies!

-Want Dessert? Have Dessert. Depriving yourself of something is only going to lead to over-indulging later on. The longer you say “no thank you” to the pumpkin pie, or “I’ll pass” to the decadently frosted cookies, the more you will want them. Instead of giving them up all together, just eat dessert in small amounts. Ask for a smaller piece of pie, share a cookie with your little one. No matter how you do it, cherishing a sweet treat now will pay off in the long run.

Take it outside. It may be chilly, but the fresh, brisk air will do the body good. Bundle up after a meal and hit the pavement. Going for a short walk will burn some calories yes, but it will also keep you awake instead of that ‘groggy’ feeling I mentioned earlier.

Dress to Impress. It’s much easier to wear a big cozy sweater with loose fitting jeans, but if you take a little bit longer to get ready for your holiday gathering and wear something not so baggy, you will be more conscious of what you eat. The devil’s on your shoulder saying, “who cares, you’re wearing a baggy sweater no one will notice- just eat it,” won’t be as loud. Trust me, this actually does work. (And you can’t secretly unbutton your pants when your stomach expands if your top isn’t big enough to keep it hidden!) 

via pinterest

These tips may seem obvious, or they may be new to you. Either way, I hope hearing them helps. Like I said before, moderation is the key. Enjoying what the holidays have to offer is the most important thing this time of year, even if it means a few more calories. It’s better to be happy, friendly and enjoyable to be around than grumpy, stressed and constantly worried about what you are eating. Let’s be honest, no one wants to be around the ‘girl-who-only-talks-about-what-she-can’t-eat.’

Thanks again to Katie for letting me share my tips. Let me know if you have any holiday health tips to share! Wishing you all great health, and lots of happiness this holiday season!

Olivia

Cake Pops

I typically don't blog two days in a row, but I'm very excited to share my cake pops with all of you! My friend Emily has a daughter with a 7th birthday this week and had asked me to make a cake. The more we talked about it, the more we thought cake pops would be a better idea.  To celebrate they are having a "tea party" and what better way to celebrate than with cake pops!

yum!

 I have to give credit where it's due, so I did take the recipe from the lovely little blog Little Miss Momma and decorated them my own way.  Lily watched as I frosted them and I eventually gave her one off of the stick (she's too small to give the entire pop to...I worry about her choking on the stick.)

I ended up making extras and sent them with my husband to work.  He wasn't THRILLED about bringing them, but I can only eat so many cake pops without feeling like I'm going to pop myself!  The party is on Friday and I'm sure they will last until then in the fridge.  Can't wait to hear how the little ones like them.

more yum :)

But I Just Turned 21?!

I guess I will warn all of you that this post is a selfish one. Many of you will laugh but I am having a VERY hard time with my birthday, which is less than a month away. This isn’t a regular birthday either. I, Katie Moore, am going to be 30.

At this point in my life, I am staying home with Lily and enjoying it more than I ever imagined. BUT (there’s always a but) I guess when I was younger, I thought by 30 I would be running an empire of a company. Staying home with my daughter was never in the forefront of my mind and my career was always the priority.

Source: flickr Aih

I suppose I shouldn’t complain. I have the love and support of my wonderful husband who works so hard to provide for us, and never complains. He really is the rock of the family and I think especially since having Lily I appreciate him more and more everyday. He has already passed the big 3-0 with few nerves and a sense of confidence I don’t know if I could pull off.

I guess in the end, I am running an empire. The Moore Empire. Although we are small, I am in charge of the way our house operates. I can’t take sick days and I can’t ask for a substitute. Managing our house may not be what I had expected, but I have been blessed with this family that I love so very much.

Getting back to 30. I once read an article about the “30 Things Every Woman Should Know by 30.” There are some items on the list I can agree with but I wanted to put together my own list of what I THINK women approaching 30 should know. It’s not as long, and maybe not as good but nevertheless important to me.

5. It’s okay if not everyone likes you. That’s it. Appreciate the people in life who LOVE you.

4. Get your bra size re-checked every year. Trust me.

3. Learn to compromise and don’t feel defeated. It’s okay.

2. Red lipstick is always in style.

Source: flickr emma.buckley

1. Nothing beats a night in with a bowl of popcorn, an old movie and some quality family time.

I guess this post wasn’t as scary as I thought. Thanks for letting me vent blog friends!

Following Up...

I know I had posted earlier about what I would change during my second pregnancy and left it pretty open-ended. I think I’ve nailed it down to the top things I would do differently if I were to get pregnant again.

Take more pregnancy pictures
I’ve seen women who take a picture of their stomach progression every single day of their pregnancy. At first I thought “Too much work!” but after seeing a few clever photomontages, I think I’d want to try something similar. Maybe not everyday, but at least once a week! Take a peek at a few that I found here at My Life in Transition and Backwards In Heels.

Prepare with a better hospital bag
When Lily was born I brought my pajamas to the hospital. I didn’t even think to pack some of the essentials and my DH had to run out and buy stuff on the fly. He literally made 4 trips to Target and I’m sure wasn’t thrilled about it. I found the ultimate hospital bag checklist at Pregnant Chicken and she includes items I never would have imaged (trashy magazines…why not!)

Bank our babies’ umbilical cord blood
I mentioned this before and I did quite a bit of research surrounding umbilical cord blood banking. I talked to many moms (and dads!) about their decision to bank and store their child’s cord blood. I even called Viacord (my friend Meghan banked with them) to learn more and hear it “straight from the horses mouth.” A few things struck me that I thought were worth mentioning. For starters, they don’t just store the blood, they actually have to extract the stem cells from it, and if they aren’t able to obtain enough from the blood, some private banks will refund your money. One less worry! Also, when wondering what set them apart, I was encouraged to find banks like ViaCord partner with non-profits and universities to research how they can help children with diseases like cerebral palsy, diabetes, and leukemia. It’s nice to know they’re not just storage facilities.

Not eat so much
During my first pregnancy I ate 2 bagels every morning. When I think about it now, that it outrageous. I used my pregnancy as an excuse to eat double the dessert or dive into the snack bowl. I did a lot of research afterwards and found that organic foods, fruits and vegetables are much better options for pregnant women. I learned the hard way that pregnancy weight doesn’t just melt away like I had thought. Lesson learned!

With those thoughts in mind, my husband and I have talked more seriously about trying for another child and it may be sooner than we planned. I’ll make sure to keep you all posted!

...Goodbye Sandy....Hello Halloween!

I really hope the worst of Sandy is over and we can all work on repairing what she left. It’s crazy to think of such natural disaster can shake an entire coastline! We didn’t get hit nearly as badly as we had anticipated, but boy was I nervous!

If this storm had taken place before Lily was born, I probably wouldn’t have given it two thoughts. I am always skeptical about the weather and never really completely buy into what the weatherman says (sorry!)

But not this time! We stocked up on canned goods, water, candles, EVERYTHING! We have a generator that my parents gave us a while ago and I had lanterns all over the house. It’s funny how you really can’t keep the house baby-proofed in preparation for a hurricane.

Luckily, we weren’t hit with anything too major. We have a few branches down but we really faired well against Sandy. It’s heartbreaking for me to see the images coming out of New York and New Jersey. Throughout the storm, I followed Bethenny Frankel’s (from the Bravo network) tweets. She and her family were evacuated from their NYC apartment and I can’t even imagine. I would be a wreck!

I’ve been sending thoughts and prayers all week long to everyone that has been hit. I hope for a safe rebuild for everyone and you can enjoy your Halloween tonight.
Take a peek at our pumpkins:

We're going to wait to let Lily have a pumpkin of her own. She just enjoyed watching us carve. Enjoy your Halloween everyone- stay safe!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

There are many reasons why I love October. The leaves begin to change color, the air gets a tad bit cooler, the pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks comes out, and most of all everyone wears the color PINK. Not only do people wear pink, we basically live pink. Every where we look, theres pink.  The NFL (and other sports) all wear various pink items. Our local grocery store workers have all worn pink shirts this month. I have seen pink hair, pink lips, pink food even! This year, I chose to 'go all out'- well for me anyway- and honor those I know personally and all those I have never met who have been affected by breast cancer. I had a pink strand of hair put in!!! I know, crazy huh!? Breast cancer is something that has affected my life in many ways. Not to get into a lot of detail, but I know many women who have fought and survived breast cancer, and some who have lost their life to breast cancer. So I thought, why not get pink hair?! I took a photo so y'all could see (and got a little fancy with my instagram)!!! Let me know what you think- and think PINK!!

The Decision to Try Again…

Happy October!

I love my job. I wake up every morning and get to spend the day with my daughter. How much luckier can I be?

We won’t talk about the time she put my keys in the toilet, or how I don’t wear a whole lot of make-up anymore, and sometimes I miss the daily interactions with other adults ☺ I do miss all of those things (well except the keys), but this is a really special time in my life, and Lily’s!

After my husband got home last night we started talking about the idea of expanding our family. Getting pregnant with Lily was AMAZING, but it took some time and we really don’t want too large of an age gap between our children.

I have a lot of emotions about this and I’ll name a few: anxious, excited, nervous…I think these are normal and I look forward to bringing another little life into the world.

Before bringing this bit of news to the blog, I was talking about it with my mother, who always has her own piece of advice ☺ She started questioning what I will do differently this time around as a mom (in a nice way, I swear.)

One thing that I’ve become more aware of is cord blood banking. I really didn't know much about banking your umbilical cord blood when Lily was born and had NO idea how many uses it had. I like the idea that it would be there if we ever needed it. I still need to do more research, and I’ve spoken to a lot of mom’s including family friends who have banked their cord blood. I still need more information, but it is definitely something I am looking into.

Another thing that hit me is I need to learn not to sweat the small stuff. I still panic when Lily cries and assume she’s in real trouble. Half of the time she’s just hungry, or tired or just wants to cry! I’ve learned this lesson the hard way.

I wish I could leave this post open because these thoughts pop into my head and I never write them down. I suppose I’ll leave it open and forgive me if you see random “...what I will do differently...” thoughts in later posts. ☺

Liebster Blog Award

"A comment? On my blog? WHAT?!" Thats usually what I say when I open my mail and find out someone has left a comment on my blog. Its sort of like that christmas morning feeling when you are opening a present, 'what is it, what is it!?' 

To my surprise, Jovell, from "A Women's Story" left me the kindest comment I have probably ever received. I would first like to thank you, Jovell, for taking the time to look at my blog AND for nominating me for the Liebster Blog Award! I feel so honored. 

Wait so what is it I was nominated for?

Well, the Liebster Blog Award is an award that is passed around through the blogging community as one blogger nominates other for the award. To quote Jovell, 

"Liebster is a German word meaning "dearest" or "beloved." As Joan puts it, it may also mean favorite, sweetest, kindest, nicest, lovely, kinda, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing and welcome.  Blogs given these awards are those considered as one of the favorites of the nominator."

The award actually is pretty fun- I get to share some info about myself, create my own questions and nominate other blogs for the award!  Here are the rules: 

1. Each person must list 11 things about themselves.
2. Answer the 11 questions that the tagger has set for you PLUS you MUST create 11 questions of your own for the 11 people you will nominate with this award.
3. Choose up to 11 bloggers linking them to your post. (Though I've seen other blogs nominate less than 11)
4. Go to their page and inform them of the nomination.
5. Absolutely NO tags back. Remember to ONLY tag bloggers with less than 200 followers.

1. Dog or Cat? Why?

Dog! They play fetch :) And as cute as cats can be, I enjoyed running around and playing outside with my dog growing up!

2. What's the best lesson you've learned in school?

The golden rule of course! "Treat others the way you want to be treated!"

3.What quote do you hold dear to your heart?

"Live the life you have imagined." - you only live once!

4. Who's your favorite "hunk" actor?

So this is going to sound so cliche of me, but George Clooney. The hunkiest of hunks.

5. Fiction or non-fiction?

Hmm, this is a tough one, I really like them both! Fiction allows you to fantasize, leave reality for a bit, but a good non-fiction book always intrigues me though?

6. What do you deeply wish for in your life?

I wish good health for my family and I. So many people close to me have had tragedies in their life. There is nothing I want more than to live a long, healthy life with my family.

7. What is the most favorite dish of your family that you've cooked for them?

Buffalo Chicken wing dip. Every family event I bring this dish to pass... per request of, EVERYONE.

8. What is love?

What a deep question. Love. Love is the feeling I get looking at my daughter. Love is planting a big smooch on my husbands lips because I can. Love is calling my mom just to chat. Love is different for everyone, but to me- "love is felt, not heard."

9. What's your favorite cartoon?

I like to play Barney for my daughter!

10. What's the thing that you dread most?

Drowning. 

 I hope you enjoyed my answers! Here are the questions I pose for my nominees:

1. Would you rather be a bird or a fish?

2. Lake or Ocean?

3. If you could have one super power what would it be?

4. Why did you start blogging?

5. What do you do for fun?

6. What does "go green" mean to you?

7. Favorite food.

8. Secret obsession.

9. Favorite time of year.

10. What did you want to be when you grew up?

11. Name one thing on your bucket list.

(in my best announcing voice): AND THE NOMINEES AREEE...

1. Kat from Mom Kat's Notes

2. Jennifer from Diary of a Working Mom

3. The Diva from Diary of a Diva Mom

4. Nicole from Domesticated Momma

5. Claire from The Secret Notebook

6. Kristy from Vintage Romance- With a Heart for Christ 

I everyone takes a click on over to see the nominees, their answers and who they nominated! This is a great award, it sure brightened my day!

Thanks, Jovell!

Happy Birthday, Lily!

One year ago today, I gave birth to the most precious little girl in the whole world; she has changed my life in ways I didn't know possible. As cliche as that may sound, its how I really feel. To see her happiness, her joy and her youth I have been given another look at what life is all about. I cherish every moment her and I spend together. Although I have yet to unveil pictures of her adorable little self online, I dedicate this post to her. Here's to you, beautiful girl.

We celebrated Lily's birthday over the weekend with family and close friends. It turned out to be better than I ever could have expected. I baked. My mom baked. Friends brought a few dishes to pass. And everyone, I mean EVERYONE, brought presents. As if this little child doesn't have enough toys, clothes accessories and everything else in the world, right? (Guess I am going to have to do some closet cleaning this week!)

As much time as I spend looking at Pinterest, other blogs and magazines (and did I say Pinterest?) you would think Lily's birthday party would have been decked out to the nine's right? Something like this:

From: The Party Wagon

or maybe like this?

From: Ellen Bessett Event's

Due to the lack of time, money... and well let's face it, the lack of my creative abilities, Lily's birthday was much more casual than these beautiful parties. We had balloons, cake, cupcakes, PIZZA, and most importantly, guests! For me I would say thats a success right there; we threw a party and people actually came! HA! (Just kidding, of course they attended!) Anyway, here a few pictures I managed to scrounge up from family and friends since I always forget to take them!

Pizza delivery   

the cake my mom brought 

cupcakes made by: yours truly

Ok, ok... I did manage to put some decorations on a few tables, but nothing too fancy! Overall we had a wonderful time with the people we love. The adults shared stories and watched as the older kids ran around playing, and the younger kids as they crawled, drooled and made a mess with their cupcakes.  

After all was said and done, (but not all picked up), and Lily was in bed, my husband and I shared a favorite of ours to cap off the night- chocolate milkshakes!!! As if we didn't have enough sweets throughout the day, but hey, your daughter only turns one, once!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LILY! 

We look forward to celebrating many more, 

Love Mom & Dad

This quote is something I have always tried to live my life by. As my only daughter nears her first birthday, I have begun to reflect on my life. I think I can honestly say that I have lived my life to the fullest thus far. I am a daughter, a sister, a friend, a wife and a mother. I found my soul-mate and we have started to grow our family. Of course I have more dreams to fulfill, memories to make and a whole lotta living left in me! I love my daughter more than anything, and can't wait to celebrate her first birthday! Cheers to many more!!

Katie Meets Katie!

As always, I love finding new sites to follow and meeting new people to learn more about. Recently, I, Katie, met Katie. Katie is a mom of 2, happily married and blogging about her journey through life.  Katie describes herself as a "wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, and wanna be self taught chef." -my kind of lady! Check out "Babies Make Three and Four!"

The Day I Learned to Do My Own Hair

I read an article a couple of days ago, I actually tweeted about it as well, and ever since I can't stop thinking about my own dad. The article gone viral describes "Frank Somerville, a TV news anchor in Oakland, Calif.," who happened to tweet a picture of him tackling the task of unbraiding his daughters hair. I can remember my first day of Kindergarten, well not all of it, but I do remember the morning before I got on the bus for the first time- aka, the day I learned to do my own hair. 

How to do a Ponytail

My mom had left earlier that morning, giving my dad instructions of how to put a pony tail in my hair so it wouldn't bother me throughout the day. I got dressed, ate breakfast and was almost ready to go. I just had to have my dad do the pony tail. I remember him trying over and over to get all of my hair in the pony tail holder, but couldn't figure out how to tie it tight enough to stay put. We giggled and giggled together until finally he gave up and it was my turn to try. And what do you know... my half pint, five year old self figured that pony tail holder out no problem! 

From that day on I did my hair every day- boy was my dad thankful. We still share the memory, and he still can't put my hair into a pony tail, but, that day was a great day.


Love you, Dad.

This Mommy Needs Help

I am sure any new parent can relate to feeling overwhelmed and tired at times with their
new baby. But can you imagine that times 3?! The mommy from "This Mommy Needs Help"
not only has a 12 month old son, but newborn triplets on top of that! Wonder what its like? 
Check out her site as she chronicles the journey!

"My So Called Mommy Life"

I am so excited to introduce everyone to Renee, the mommy of "My So Called Mommy Life!"She has given me the opportunity to guest post for her and I am thrilled to share her site with ya'll! Follow along as she imparts her "journeys, trials, tribulations, laughs, cries, fears and smiles," through her 'so called Mommy life!

Dear Husband, Please DONT Do this.

Lets just say I hope my husband never gets any funny ideas like this in his head! I did laugh for quite some time after watching this tho!

Guest Post:

As my second guest post (ever!) I am so happy to introduce Meghan, a dear friend of mine. She doesn't actually blog, but wanted to write a post for me! I thought it was fitting seems how July is Cord Blood Awareness Month and she actually has experienced banking her son's cord blood. I didn't know much about it, but thanks to Meghan I am fully aware! Here, Meghan describes her journey into motherhood- enjoy!

For any new mother-to-be, pregnancy brings on so many feelings and emotions that sometimes it’s hard to separate which feeling is which. For me, pregnancy brought on happiness—happiness that I was finally starting a family with my loving husband, Ryan; fear—fear that I wouldn’t be a good mother; and wonderment—wonder at how amazing it was that I was creating this little person inside of my body and wondering what sort of person my baby would become. When my son David was born, my whole world changed and refocused—my life was now all about my family (mostly David, of course) and I couldn’t be happier to begin on the journey of motherhood.

Pregnancy involved many more preparations than I had originally thought—I pictured a cute round belly and afternoons spent looking fabulous in cute maternity clothes while perusing baby shops, picking out equally fabulous clothes for my son. But life is full of transitions and fine details. With my round belly came morning sickness and swollen ankles. Trying to maintain my ‘cute maternity look’ required pregnancy exercise classes and not indulging in my ice cream sundaes topped with mountains of hot fudge. Small sacrifices for the big picture—a healthy baby boy.

More important than worrying about how I was looking and faring the pregnancy changes, was worrying about my baby’s future health. My side of the family has a scary history of leukemia that has taken loved ones too soon. Ryan’s side also has suffered from cancers and diabetes. There is no cure-all insurance to save my little David from future sniffles and ailments, but I wanted to do what I could to help him and his future brother and sisters from whatever sickness I could protect them from—this thought was what fueled my decision to use umbilical cord blood banking. After much research and deliberation, we chose to go through ViaCord, a private cord blood banking company. They we so helpful every step of the way! While there are few guarantees in life, we know that if anything were to ever happen to our David, (or another child down the road!), we have done anything and everything we possible can to help. 

David is a healthy, happy baby—although he is growing too quickly before our eyes! I’ve already started scaring Ryan with talks of our next addition to the family—I can’t help but love being a mommy!

A WOMB FULL OF MUSIC

 My husband and daughter woke me up today because they had music playing in the kitchen (louder than most people would play their morning music, trust me).  I went downstairs and saw the two of them dancing. My husband had our daughter in his arms and was spinning around with her. It made me tear up a little bit (I tend to go OD on emotions when I think things are cute).

So reflecting back, the reason I shed a tear was because it reminded me of when I used to dance around the kitchen by myself playing relaxing music while my daughter was still in the womb. Sometimes I would play music while cooking or baking, or sometimes just for the two of us to hear, to relax to.

I wanted to share this idea of playing music to your unborn child because I know some of my friends never heard of it when I told them about my kitchen escapades. I found an article on playing music for your baby while they’re still in the womb that said, “Prenatal stimulation through music heard regularly while in the womb might provide some babies with a sense of confidence and relaxation after they're born.” Of course there are probably studies that show there is proven stimulation through playing music for a baby in the womb, but the fact for me was I enjoyed it!

I've always liked a variety of music, country, classic, jazz, some hip-hop so Lily was exposed to a variety of music. I am sure I looked silly in the kitchen dancing around, but I found it relaxing and it always put a smile on my face.  I like to think Lily liked the music then, as she still likes it now!

Little Tots, Big Ideas

I recently have had the pleasure of working with Tina McCafferty. Tina, like myself, is a SAHM, however she has 3 children and I have 1! I don't know how she does it! Her children, Puff, Buzz and Choo (as she refers to them on her blog) are 7, 6 and 3 respectively. Her blog, Little Tots Big Ideas is inspired by her own life, "the good, the bad and everything in between." Check out her blog, and my guest post!! You'll be hooked, trust me!

Guest Post: Natural Nutrion by Teddi Lee

Natural Nutrition has always been a passion of mine, for many reasons. Proper nutrition can not only increase your energy levels and make you feel better, but it will physiologically optimize your health by preventing certain diseases and assisting your body to rebuild and improve any current health conditions. I chose to focus specifically on the role of nutrition in chronic disease, including possible prevention or remediation by addressing nutritional deficiencies. I really want to get this point across as I don’t know if many people actually believe it: Most health conditions can be prevented or alleviated with a proper healthy diet! Period!

Unfortunately, our Pharmaceutical companies are making a pretty penny as they feed us pills that mask our symptoms and don`t even address the cause or cure of the problem. These synthesized medications can often cause more harm than good as they tax our kidneys and livers and create toxic build-up in our systems, creating further problems. I was pleased to research many amazing and naturally grown foods that can create the same positive effects of pharmaceutical drugs without the unhealthy side effects. As a disclaimer, it is important to note that in some instances, the use of pharmaceutical medications is necessary to support life, so consulting with your Physician is recommended.

After researching the true causes for many chronic diseases, it was evident that nutritional deficiencies played a major role in illness. Therefore, it can also be said that by rebuilding these deficiencies, many diseases can not only be alleviated but prevented. This would decrease the need for pharmaceutical medications and even eliminate it altogether.

This is great news! Unfortunately, the food quality today is not the same as it was back in the 1960`s. Due to National overproduction and nutrient-depleted soils, even our naturally grown or organic foods no longer contain the nutrients our bodies need to thrive. As our society becomes a more fast-paced culture, ``fast food`` and processed foods are alarmingly on the rise. All of these solutions to providing more convenience have created a drastic increase in Chronic Diseases and Cancers.

It is no longer an argument that supplementation is necessary to counter the above realities. When it comes to supplementation, proceed with caution; they are not all equal! Just like the medications we buy at the Pharmacy, many over-the-counter multivitamins contain man-made mineral blends that can be very detrimental and cause more harm than good. Some, if overdosed, can even be fatal. The absorption rates of pills vs. capsules and capsules vs. liquids vary dramatically. What`s the use in taking a solid multivitamin pill when studies have shown that only about 15-20% is being absorbed into your bloodstream? Did you know that a liquid supplement has a 98% absorption rate? It is important to be fully informed when choosing the most safe and effective supplements.

Natural supplementation is the only way that our Nation can ensure that we are safely consuming all of our needed vitamins and minerals necessary for the majority of our body functions. With proper supplementation, we can improve, cure and prevent illness and optimize health and well-being.

We would love to help you make a change for the better! For more information on what to look for in a supplement or on specific supplements recommended by the Nutrition Nurse, contact us at: contact@thenutritionnurse.ca

Teddi has been in health industry for 10 years. She received her Bachelor`s Degree in Nursing from the University of Athabasca in 2007. Over the years she has been involved in many aspects of Nursing from Neonatal intensive care to Psychiatry and more. In her career, she has always pursued the better health of her clients and patients. Recently, she embarked on the pursuit of helping as many lives as possible. She is currently a Registered Nurse in Private Practice and is the Founder and CEO of her company ``The Nutrition Nurse``. Teddi is a member of both The College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta and The Alberta Association of Registered Nurses in Private Practice. Having received approval from her governing body to act independently as a Nurse, she has been helping 100’s of people make dramatic health changes they never thought possible through her applied knowledge of proper nutrition and supplementation.

"Love, Peace, Happiness and Smiles..."

"Love, Peace, Happiness and Smiles..." what more can you ask for in life than that? Jen, the owner of Jen CYK Photography captures those very words in her photographs. I recently had the pleasure of writing an article for her, in which she included beautiful pictures she had previously taken. Let me just say, all of her work is breath taking!! Check out her blog, read her articles, learn more about her and remember to, love all, spread peace, spread happiness and always smile!