08
Mental Monday: In The End
everything will be okay in the end.
if it’s not okay, it’s not the end.
— unknown origin
05
Foodie Friday: Reservations For Two…Plus A High Chair
My little Monkey is now nearly 29 months old and we don’t go out to very nice restaurants with him at this point. If we do eat out as a family, we’re usually relegated to restaurants that primarily serve pancakes or chicken fingers. Or that have parrots hanging from the ceiling. Or that not only dole out the crayons, but have crushed crayon on the floors and scribbles on the table. Those are the places that make me feel comfortable and safe when I venture out with the little dude.
It wasn’t always this way.
Within weeks after the Monkey was born, we started to venture out to our favorite places to eat in San Francisco. From about 2 weeks to 6 months, the Dude and I would roll our Monkey along in his carseat to some of our favorite places, including upscale restaurants. Think we’re crazy? I beg to differ. We knew his nap routine perfectly and he always slept like a dream in his carseat. I say to all new-parent friends – go out with your newborn. Take advantage of their nap schedule AND their ability to sleep through anything. Don’t be nervous. There is a very good chance that your newborn will be better behaved than most other patrons.
Around 6 months, his sleep routine changed and so did his activity level. We started to hire babysitters more often.
When we do take the Monkey out, there are a few tips that have helped me along the way. Now, my child is no angel and I would never pretend otherwise. He is a very normal and active toddler who can scream and flail like a banshee when his freedom to do as he pleases is restricted. That said, I have still managed to garner a few compliments from other patrons about his behavior at restaurants. Why? Because I put myself in the shoes of other patrons. I do not like dining around unruly children. I do not want my child to be THAT child. Yet it is inevitable, though. Your child will throw a temper tantrum at some point in public and it is very likely that it will be at a restaurant.
How To Avoid Tantrums (and how to deal with them when they occur): (continues…)
03
Review & Give-Away! Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion
Skin MD Natural
A few weeks ago, I was approached by Skin MD Natural to test out their Face, Hand & Body Shielding Lotion. I have face creams for day and night, body lotions for day and night, and creams just for my hands and feet. To me, there is no one-lotion-fits-all when it comes to moisturizing. So when I learned that Skin MD Natural is for ALL of your body parts, including your face, I thought it might be worth a shot to check it out.
I tried the lotion for exactly 2 weeks straight. The only problem was that I could only use the product at night. The lotion I received to test did not include SPF, which I believe is absolutely essential to wear everyday, rain or shine. Please note that they do carry the lotion with SPF, but I was only able to sample a small packet of it which was not enough to give a valid review.
I found the lotion to be somewhat sticky and tacky. It doesn’t absorb right away, which I suppose is why it’s called a “shielding” lotion. One thing I did like was that had a cooling effect on my skin, which might be nice during hot weather. There is also a slight scent of aloe and floral upon application, but I found it very subtle and pleasant. Once the lotion was absorbed, I didn’t smell anything at all.
Although I wasn’t too keen on the texture of the lotion, I did notice a difference with my skin in only two weeks. After my evening shower, I would apply the lotion everywhere, including my face. In the mornings, the dry and patchy areas of my skin felt much more smooth. I was even more impressed with how the lotion worked on my face. I have combination oily and dry skin and am prone to breakouts, so I was very concerned about using the product on my face. Surprisingly, my skin seemed less oily and my breakouts have decreased in the past week. I’m going to keep using the product to confirm whether or not that was some hormonal coincidence or the lotion actually works really well for me as night-time face moisturizer.
A few things that I really appreciated about Skin MD Natural is that it is paraben-free, hypoallergenic, dermatology tested, fragrance and colorant free, made in the U.S., vegan, gluten-free, 90% natural, and is not tested on animals.
Want to check out Skin MD Natural for yourself? Enter my give-away and Skin MD Natural will send you a full-size bottle! Just leave a comment below for one entry. For additional entries, you can tweet or blog about this review. I will use www.random.org number generator to select a winner on March 17, 2010.
Good luck!
Disclaimer: I was not monetarily compensated for this review. I was given one free full-size bottle of Skin MD Natural Shielding lotion to test and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
01
Mental Monday: Dating Other Couples
No, not THIS kind of couples-dating!
In a perfect world, all of our friends partner up with people that we adore. In a perfect world, we meet other couples that we both really like. In a perfect world, we get together with our couple-friends and we enjoy spending time with both of them. Equally.
We all know this ain’t a perfect world.
One potentially challenging aspect about becoming a couple is finding other couples that you both enjoy. From both personal experience and from talking to many other couples, it’s really-really-really difficult to find other couples to date. It’s usually the same story – either we like the wife and not the husband, we like the husband but not the wife, or we like one partner but not the other. In some cases, we don’t care for either one. And, admittedly, sometimes they don’t like one of us. Or both of us. Hard to believe, right? Right?!?
Finding other couples to hang out with be just as nerve-wracking and emotional as actual dating. When you’ve got four different personalities to contend with, the dynamic either meshes or it doesn’t. We’re lucky that we have a few couples to hang out with and that we enjoy getting together with every once in a while. It’s good to have other couples in your life, especially when they are in healthy and positive relationships. Nothing bums out a couple more than hanging around other couples that don’t get along very well. And nothing can help boost the energy within a relationship more than hanging out with positive couples that show love and respect for one another.
There are now *dating* sites that cater to couples looking for platonic friendships with other couples. The Dude and I have not used these sites so I can’t vouch for any of them. But, if you and your partner are having trouble finding other couples, maybe it’s worth a shot to check one of them out! Millions of people find compatible dates through the Internet, so I can’t see why couples can’t find compatible couples to date, too.
Do you and your partner have great couple-friends to hang out with or have you had problems finding compatible couples? I would love to hear from you.
26
This Ain’t Yo Mama’s Fitness Website: Tight Bod With A Pod!
www.tightbodwithapod.com
I’ve quickly become a fan of a brand new website for women, by women:
Tight Bod with a Pod (TBwaP) is a free daily newsletter about healthy tips for pre/post-natal moms, including fitness and exercise regimens, healthy recipes, and other healthy lifestyle topics. It’s like having your own personal trainer and chef at home. OK, not quite…but it’s as close to it as most of us are going to get!
I think most mamas can relate when I say it’s hard to find the time (and energy!) to lead a very active and fit lifestyle. I’m lucky to squeeze in a few runs or workout DVD’s every week. However, I’m always looking for good exercise tips that I can do at home and healthy recipes that can satisfy my cravings without costing me too many calories (think flour-less chocolate cake and a hot white-chocolate drink!). They had me at *chocolate.*
I signed up for TBwaP only a few weeks ago and I’ve already learned some great tips for both of my fitness-challenged issues. It’s not just about exercises and recipes though. I’ve also learned about some great products for babies and mamas as well as adorable and fun craft projects.
Sign up for their newsletter and check it out for yourself!