I know I lag but I have the winner for the ShrinxHips giveaway! Lucky #23, Jessica is the winner of this great product! The best thing is that she is going to share it with her sister, who just had a baby girl. Looks like we will have two new haute moms strolling around in their pre-pregnancy jeans! Congratulations Jessica! Thanks to all of you who entered. I have a FABULOUS giveaway starting soon so keep watching!
Happy Sunday everyone. I have another super easy recipe for your laxy Sunday and this is courtesy of Giada at the Food Network (can you tell I LOVE her?). This is a perfect recipe to add your own touch to. I think adding whole wheat pasta and some ground turkey would make a perfect meal. I was even thinking about adding some veggies to it to get our daily servings in. And I didn't see cheese in the recipe but you can bet I will be adding that as well!
Pasta all Formiana
Ingredients
Butter, for greasing dish
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 pound (8 ounces) mezze penne or other small pasta
1/3 cup olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1/4 cup dried oregano
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 to 5 very ripe, extra-large or beefsteak tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
Directions
1. Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Butter an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish. Set aside. 2. In a food processor, blend together the crushed tomatoes and garlic. Pour into a medium bowl and add the uncooked pasta, 1/3 cup olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Toss until all the ingredients are coated. (Honestly, you can skip to food processor and just add your favorite jar of tomato sauce if you like.)
3. Line the bottom and sides of the baking dish with tomato slices. Pour the pasta mixture into the pan and spread evenly. Arrange the remaining tomato slices in an overlapping layer on top of the pasta mixture, making sure the mixture is completely covered. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake until the tomatoes are slightly crispy and the pasta is cooked, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Watch Giada as she makes the recipe. She looks so much better than I do! :)
Today I have another classic piece to share with you from Carilyn Vaile. I don’t know about you but I am always searching for the perfect tank top to wear under a blazer, cardigan or sweater. I often just buy inexpensive layering tanks from Target or something and wear those. The problem that I have noticed is that they don’t last very long and that they look inexpensive. Don’t get me wrong, they are great for the weekends but I often feel that when I wear them under my work clothes, you can tell that the quality is not up to par. I also have had issues with wearing them under open jackets or cardigans because they are so thin. When you work in a school district, thin has “inappropriate” all over it. Add my oh-so shapely nursing boobs to the equation and I am the poster woman for scandal.
Carilyn Vaile makes the perfect white tank (and other colors too). Even more perfect because it is in her no dry cleaning, wrinkle resistant fabric. She calls it “The Lady’s Tank” (CVC 5) and I can assure you, this is the best, basic white tank your wardrobe could have. It is comfortable and form-fitting with just the right amount of fabric to hide any of those haute mom rolls you may have hanging on for dear life. The neckline is flattering and just low enough to wear a cute necklace or accessory. Even better, it has a built-in shelf bra for added support. As we get older, I know we tend to spend more on quality items of clothing, especially for work, or other more formal events. This is a piece that will last the haute mom a long time!
Check out the versatility of the tank top at http://www.carilynvaile.com/collections/fall-1-2010 - Carilyn shows it as a tank and how it can double for a vest. Two for the price of one!
I have found the newest, hautest baby nursery company around! Carousel Designs is a company that was established in 1988 and nursery goods is their game! For 22 years they have manufactured baby, toddler, and regular size bedding. The haute part is that they are the only baby bedding company that allows parents to design their own crib bedding, see it online, and choose other elements of the nursery to preview the room before making a purchase. And they have just launched a new imroved "Version 3.0"!
With the Carousel Designs Nursery Designer®, customers can mix and match fabrics and component styles, change the color of the nursery walls, choose a crib finish and pick flooring to design a virtual nursery. How amazing is that?!
Highlights of Nursery Designer® and Carousel Designs Custom Baby Bedding Collection include:
A new feature that allows customers to visualize nursery wall and trim colors online using actual Benjamin Moore® paint colors.
No more guesswork in matching and coordinating baby bedding. Nursery Designer® offers a blissfully simple way for anyone to begin designing their own baby bedding. If a customer has fallen in love with one particular fabric, they can start there. Pre-selected coordinating fabrics will be automatically loaded into Nursery Designer® to make the design process simple, easy and fun.
Through the company’s baby registry, friends and family can view a loved one’s bedding designs to share input or to purchase items as gifts.
Carousel Designs offers a selection of more than 300+ high quality fabrics.
The company offers quick turnaround times with orders fulfilled in days, not weeks.
Incredible pricing starting as low as $79 for the bumper, skirt, and comforter; and as low as $19 for a custom sheet.
Fabric swatches can be ordered for 50 cents each, with the cost fully refunded when the order is placed.
To celebrate the Nursery Designer 3.0 launch, Carousel Designs will be announcing a Design-Your-Own-Baby Bedding (DYOBB) contest! Haute moms get your creative caps on! Contest entrants will have the opportunity to use the new Nursery Designer tool, choose from the company’s 300+ fabrics and design their “dream” crib bedding set. The designer with the most votes will win their “dream” baby bedding.
I have had the hardest time finding shoes for Stella. If you have followed this blog, you have seen my previous posts about the matter. Shoes always look uncomfortable on her and they never seem to fit right. She doesn't seem to care for them too much either. The other night we had Stella out at dinner and she was fussy so my hubby took her outside for a little stroll. He got yelled at because she only had socks on. Let's just say I think it's time to get some shoes for the little baby girl.
I have heard some wonderful things abou the brand pediped. Pediped footwear was founded in 2004 by a couple who, like me, were on a quest to find the perfect soft-soled shoe for their daughter. They are now the owners of an award winning company as well as the fastest-growing children's footwear brand in the country. There are three lines in the company, Originals®, Grip ‘n’ Go™ and Flex®. Originals® are soft-soled shoes for newborns to age 2, Grip ‘n’ Go™ are thin rubber-soled shoes for children ages 9 months to 3 years and Flex® offers rubber-soled shoes for children 1 to 6 years.
Don't get too excited yet haute moms. This isn't the best part. The best part is that in addition to making fabulous shoes, pediped® has been committed to bettering the lives of children and has donated nearly $700,000 in monetary and product donations to children's charities. These donations include over $445,000 to the Make-A-Wish foundation, which has helped to grant 60 wishes for children and 2,000 pairs of shoes to the children of Haiti. The recent establishment of the pediped foundation™ will help foster even more ways for pediped® to enhance the lives of children.
So, pediped® footwear is hosting a fundraiser through February 6 to benefit the pediped foundation™. During the Purchases with Purpose fundraiser, select styles on pediped.com will be marked down as much as 50 % and half of the sales from the promotion will be donated to the pediped foundation™. The funds will be used to provide monetary support to organizations including Make-A-Wish Foundation and other worthy children’s charities.
What does this mean for us? This means we can shop for a good cause!! What better way to justify some new shoes for your little ones! We can shop and assist this wonderful foundation with bettering the lives of other, less fortunate children by buying shoes...ON SALE!
Be sure to spread the word and polish up the credit cards because there are tons of cute styles. I am buying the Carolines for Stella...and the Mollys...and...
This recipe is from one of my very good friends and fellow haute moms. She promises me that this is an easy one and she knows how I am in the kitchen so it's gotta be a good one! There are also a lot of healthier substitutions that can be made, for example, chicken sausage instead of the andouille sausage. My girlfriend says she subs shrimp for the turkey but I am actually considering getting a cooked chicken from the market and peeling it to use for this recipe and then finding turkey sausage to sub in as well. So many possibilities...
I am going to serve it up tomorrow night - it looks so easy! Watch how it's done!
Turkey Jambalaya
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups shredded cooked turkey
6 ounces andouille sausage, chopped
2 tablespoons sliced green onions
Preparation
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 6 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in bell peppers and next 5 ingredients (bell peppers through black pepper); sauté 1 minute. Add rice; sauté 1 minute. Stir in broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Add turkey and sausage; cover and cook 5 minutes. Sprinkle with green onions.
So I haven't posted a Fashion Friday in a couple of weeks but I have been sick and let's face it, nobody looks good when they are sick. I was lucky if my socks matched when I got to work.
This is perfect timing though for a little Carilyn Vaile update since she is launching some AMAZING dresses for Los Angeles' Fashion Week. As always, her dresses are versatile, low maintenance, and designed to fit us haute moms. The folds, drapes, and dips are all in the right place!
Check out some pictures from the 2011 Runway show for LA's Fashion Week...just a little sneak peek. :)
American Baby Magazine is the new magazine for the Haute Mom! You will find it every month right alongside of Us Weekly and People Magazine. There are articles about being a parent, of course, but there are always features about exercise and beauty too. That way when you are reading, you have some articles to remind you of “me “ time. You can get a free subscription for a year today by clicking here!
30% off GAP
GAP’s Spring line is out and it is perfect for the Haute Mom! To me, GAP is always a great place to shop because the clothes are comfy, versatile, and stylish. Check out the line today and don’t forget to look at their Spring line for your little babes. Use the code to get 30% off on your entire order! Just enter “GAPSPRING” when you checkout and receive free shipping if you order offer $50. Have fun!
Click here to get a printable coupon for those of you Haute Moms who want to shop in store!
When I started writing this blog and talking about dilemmas, my good mommy friend Alyssa suggested I write about being sick and having to take care of a baby. I knew it would be quite the thing to write about but haven't written about it because I haven't experienced it...until now. I started feeling sick on Friday but thought I could tough it out and then Stella had a fever by Saturday. Fastforward to today and we are both home sick, with a sick nanny home too. Nothing like sharing germs. I hope hubby doesn't get sick on top of it. I don't have enough time or space to list all the reasons why that would be a bad thing.
So getting the rest and relaxation you need when you are down for the count is almost impossible when you are taking care of your children at the same time. Add sick to that part of the list and you now have a fussy baby who isn't sleeping well either. I am sure when Stella gets older, staying in bed and watching movies will be a great remedy but for now, I just have a needy, cranky baby on my hands. But, how sweet are they even when they aren't feeling well? Bless her heart, and cough, and runny nose.
Today there is a severe need for an easy, lazy Sunday dinner recipe. The hubby and I went to a wine tasting dinner party last night and aside from being a little, uh, dehydrated today, Stella and I are sick. Stella has the worst of it with a runny nose and fever, that is hopefully due to teething but only a visit to the doc on Tuesday will tell for sure. Of course, my hubby was already wondering what we were going to do for dinner before lunch was even put on the table.
I am always a big fan of casseroles and crock pot recipes because I like being able to prep dinner when I have time and then just leave it and let it simmer, bake, or stew for the afternoon. I found this yummy recipe for Beefy Mac and Cheese from The Food Network that fits perfectly into the easy, winter casserole category. And it's from Paula Dean's sons, Jamie and Bobby so you know it is going to be good! Since I have lost the baby weight, I am not going to ruin it with a fattening meal so I am going to substitute ground turkey for the beef and use low fat cheese. I like that fact that you can put your own touch into this dish as well. Check it out!
We have a new addition to the Haute Mom's Club! This mom blogger is definitely a HAUTE MOM. Her blog alone proves it!
Kristie from The Decorologist is the newest member and she blogs about decorating! The coolest thing about her is she changed professions when she was 36. That is such a haute mom manuever! We are always looking for Haute Mom bloggers to feature so let me know if you have someone in mind or better yet, if you are a Haute Mom yourself!
There are a couple of great things to share today on Thrifty Thursday!
Udder Covers is yet again giving a free nursing cover away. The only thing that you have to pay is shipping! I have two nursing covers (one in my car and one at home) and I am going to order one so to use when I pump at work! You can never have too many especially when they are FREE! Simply use the code “2011”. The code can be used more than once so order away…and spread the word!
Plum District today also has a voucher for 50% off of Lori Liz clothing for kids. She has shirts, pants, and dresses with modern appliqués in bold, fun patterns. There are sharks and geckos for boys and butterflies and hearts for girls! Lori Liz is also the spot for special baby shower gifts and birthdays so every haute mom can find something to buy! The voucher is $20 and it can be used for $40 of clothing on the website. Who can resist a 50% off sale?! Not this mom…
Ah…the biological clock. I always was one of those women that claimed to have never felt the biological clock tick. And, to be honest, I really didn’t. There may have been a small faint ticking sound towards the end there but it was never a full alarm that went off in my head like so many others experience. I knew that as I got older the potential risks of pregnancy increased but knew I had a few good years in me until I hit that “risky” old age of 35.
One of the things I said to my husband while I was pregnant was that we were going to have to have another baby. It is funny to think that one pregnancy automatically equals two children in the future but being one of three children, I wouldn’t want it any other way. I turned 34 three short months after Stella was born and as you all know, “When’s baby number two coming?” has been the new topic of interest. I originally thought I wanted my children close together because I felt like I needed to take this age thing into consideration. And now my clock is ticking. It is not a full alarm but it is an annoying hum that is slowly getting louder. It reminds me of Tick-Tock the Croc in Peter Pan, you know, it gets louder as it gets closer. That’s what my clock is doing to me. However, now that I have a VERY ACTIVE eight month old running around, I wonder how women have children within a year or two of one another!
So here is my dilemma…when is it a good time? I have heard from mommy friends who have children less than two years apart and they say it’s the best. I have others who have children three or four years apart and they say it’s the best. I loved being pregnant with Stella and I want my next pregnancy to go just as smoothly. Although, now that my favorite pairs of jeans are all welcoming me back with open arms, I selfishly am not quite ready to give them up again. What to do, what to do...I wonder if it will ever be a good time. Stella and the dog are already a handful. Maybe I should take that as a hint.
The struggle of a mom to stay haute always somehow involves weight, doesn’t it? I know one of my biggest fears when I found out I was pregnant had to do with the amount of weight that I would gain (and not be able to lose) during those nine months. If you have read this blog before, you are familiar with my early issues with getting back into my favorite pairs of jeans.
One thing that pregnant women are never told (well, one of the many things) is that part of squeezing back into those pre-preggy jeans may have to do with something more than just weight gain. A pregnant woman’s body begins to release a hormone called Relaxin which actually causes our joints and ligaments to loosen in preparation for childbirth. What does this mean? This means that in addition to the joy of childbirth, the stars are working against the haute mom to fit into all those hip clothes that were worn in the good ol’ days. For most, no matter how much you calorie count, exercise, or breastfeed, your post baby hips may have widened for good.
There is a solution. Upspring Baby, a company of fellow moms, developed a belt called Shrinx Hips to counteract this force of nature that works against us. The belt works with the hormone to actually narrow your hips back down to their pre-pregnancy. Because Relaxin stays in our system for eight weeks before the joints and ligaments harden in place, Shrinkx Hips provides constant pressure to gently guide your hips back to where they belong. It must be worn during the first eight weeks after delivery, is comfortable, and fits either over or under your regular clothing. It has an exclusive design so that you can control the amount of pressure on your hips to work towards the best possible result for you.
I received my Shrinx Hips on The Ellen DeGeneres Show back in May when I was in the audience for her Mother’s Day special (just five days before my due date). Dennis Quaid was a guest (how handsome is he?!) who shared this product with all of us pregnant ladies in the audience because his wife is the haute mom behind Upspring Baby! In addition to modeling the belt (that was a sight), each one of us got to take one home! Click here for a clip from the show! I must say, now that I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight, all of my jeans fit snug as a glove just like they did before. My only stubborn area has been my tummy thanks to all that skin stretching, but my hips were never an issue.
See how it works…
So for all of you haute moms out there who just gave birth, are about to give birth, or are planning to give birth again some day, I have a treat for you to ring in the New Year! Yep, I am giving away a Shrinkx Hips thanks to Upspring Baby! It normally retails for $54.99 so we are getting lucky here. Heck, if you know someone who could use this, be sure to enter. What do you have to lose? We can use all the help we can get after having our precious little ones so give it a shot! I did, and I am happily in all of my pre-baby clothes! My Shrinkx Hips is in a safe place awaiting baby #2!
To enter this giveaway you must follow Haute Mom publicly and tell me who you are entering this giveaway for. Are you pregnant, is it for your best friend, or maybe a thing for the future? Leave one comment telling me this and please include your email. You must do this before you complete any of the extra entries!
Extra entries – leave a comment telling me you have done each of these
Visit Upspring Baby and tell me what other product you would like to try
Tweet about this giveaway (leave the link in your comment)
Post this giveaway on your blog (leave the link to your post
This giveaway is a good one and we are so lucky that Upspring Baby has been gracious enough to sponsor Haute Mom! The contest will end on Friday, January 21st at 9 p.m. PST. Remember, even if you don’t need one, all you haute moms know someone who does so enter!
Oh my gosh....ugh. It happened. Yep, it finally happened. That moment in time with your little one that you pray will never happen but you know it will someday. Stella hit her head. BAD. Not one of those "Oh, you're ok!" bumps but an all out "Are you going to have a concussion, brace yourself mom" bump. I feel TERRIBLE. Especially because it happened on my watch, and I was really watching her too, not half watching her, half watching Housewives of Beverly Hills. Speaking of that...
Stella is learning to crawl and has totally mastered the backwards crawl but hasn't quite mastered the forward crawl. When Stella sees something she wants in front of her, she kinda just leaps and flattens her body forward instead of crawling. She was playing near her crib and decided she wanted a block next to the crib. I watched her slowly bend towards it and thought nothing of it. Then she pulled a move on me and did one of her leap and flatten moves right into the CORNER of the crib leg. OH MY GOD! I thought I was going to die. The poor baby sucked in her breath before letting out the biggest scream. I started crying. A large lump was not far behind. I can't post a picture because I feel too bad.
Darn that crib. I feel so sad for Stella who has a big old knot on her head. The pit in my stomach caused by guilt is even bigger. I am replaying it over in my mind, wondering if I could have prevented it. Thank goodness my husband didn't make me feel worse but just shrugged it off and explained that these things will happen. I am giving myself an F for the day and am grounding myself for the night too.
Let’s start off with a happy New Year to all of you! I hope this post finds everyone slowly recuperating from a fun and safe holiday season.
My last dilemma about teething was titled “Lions, and Tigers, and Teeth Oh My!” and I couldn’t have been closer to the truth. You all may be sick and tired of hearing about the teething issues but this one is an original…I can assure you that! Stella now has her two bottom teeth and we seemed to have hit a steady period in teething. Although she tends to get bothered by the little suckers at night, I am seeing instant relief when I put on the Orajel, and she has returned safely to her crib for fitful sleep. Well, more fitful than the week of sleep-in-bed-with-mommy anyway. Hubby and I were confident that the worst may be over for awhile until we discovered the most horrific thing EVER.
The crib is one of the “safe” places that we put Stella when we need to use the restroom, shower, or take a break while we are home alone. Now that she is rolling, scooting, kind of crawling, eating and grabbing, the floor is no longer available. We have noticed that she is VERY CLOSE to pulling herself up and standing in her crib and are well aware of the urgent need to lower the mattress but I must admit, we haven’t yet done it. Getting home from Northern California the other night, we placed Stella with a couple of toys in her crib while we decide to tag team the car and unload all the goodies together. During one of my trips back into the house I hear my husband calling me with a strange sense of urgency in his voice. He says to me, “You will never believe what Stella has been doing.” At this point I roll my eyes and think to myself that I have seen it all but my thoughts were quickly quieted. On the back side of her crib bars, I find SCRAPE marks in the wood. Scrapes so deep that there are grooves in the wood and the wood finish has completely disappeared. I can only compare this to the inside of a cage where an animal tried to scratch or bite its way out. Apparently our little monkey (or shall we refer to her as beaver now) has been gnawing away at her crib bars during this teething time. I guess mommy could have saved some pennies on teethers, huh?
Is this normal?! I am debating writing a little letter to the crib company to discuss whether or not easily removing finish with my baby’s teeth might be a concern for them or if it should be a concern for me. I have been looking for little wood chips in her teeth since then. Ugh. Guess I need to find a safer “safe” place while I am at it too.
I know I lag but I have the winner for the ShrinxHips giveaway! Lucky #23, Jessica is the winner of this great product! The best thing is that she is going to share it with her sister, who just had a baby girl. Looks like we will have two new haute moms strolling around in their pre-pregnancy jeans! Congratulations Jessica! Thanks to all of you who entered. I have a FABULOUS giveaway starting soon so keep watching!
I have found the newest, hautest baby nursery company around! Carousel Designs is a company that was established in 1988 and nursery goods is their game! For 22 years they have manufactured baby, toddler, and regular size bedding. The haute part is that they are the only baby bedding company that allows parents to design their own crib bedding, see it online, and choose other elements of the nursery to preview the room before making a purchase. And they have just launched a new imroved "Version 3.0"!
1 tablespoon olive oil
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