Tuesday, January 24, 2012

WELCOME WEDNESDAY BLOG HOP

Happy Hump Day! I am in serious need of some new bloggy friends and a little inspiration so I hope you join in on the hop! What better way to get over the midweek hump then to kick off your heels and check out some new blogs!



Haute Mom









Our guest hostess today is Jessica from Healthy Mommy Healthy Baby. With so many great posts, it's hard to stay away! Be sure to stop on by and say hello.

Blog Hop Rules: This is a low key hop. After all...it is Welcome Wednesday, here to get the inspirational juices flowing and find other blogs we can stalk! Put those feet up, relax, and join the bloggy fun.

There are a few rules though:
1. Follow the hostess, Haute Mom and the guest hostesses. Be sure to leave a comment so that I can follow you back.

2. Follow the guest hostess.

3. Link up your blog for all of us to love.

4. Make an attempt to check out at least two new blogs. Don't know where to start? How about the two blogs above you? If you love the blog, become a follower and leave them a comment letting them know.

So link up! You don't have to post about the hop...but you know how we ladies work, the more the merrier. We would love it if you would help us spread the word and help Welcome Wednesday grow! One of you could be next week's spotlight guest hostess!


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A Little Lesson From Stella

I am always talking about the little things that Stella teaches me. As a mom, I am constantly learning, with every new stage, new word, and new behavior. I am learning how to balance work and family and still keep smiling the entire time. The semester started this week at the university that I teach part-time at, so as of yesterday, I am now a working mom with two jobs. Say "hello" to working three nights a week.

Although I had a thousand things to do this past week, I wanted to really be sure to spend some time with Stella. I chose to push many things aside, and give her my full undivided attention Saturday and Sunday, letting her pull me here, sit me over there, and play this or that with her. During these times of "Stella says", I learned another lesson. Well, maybe just reminded of a lesson learned but lost.

Being present is crucial. My husband commented on how great a mood Stella was in all weekend, and I can't help but think that it was due to the fact that she had the full attention of her mommy whenever she looked for it. No screaming, no hitting, no temper tantrums. She politely obliged to the directions that were given to her, including finishing her meals and going down for her nap with little objection. Stella was in a wonderful mood from morning 'til night. Of course, this made the time that I was spending with her that much more enjoyable.

It is so easy for us moms to get caught up in "other things." Exercising, working, returning phone calls and emails, doing the housework (although you will never see me putting that as a priority), and all those other mom things we do can sometimes take over our lives. It is always our intention to put our children and our families first, but I will be the first to admit the more often than not, it is our families who get put on hold because of those other things that have to get done. The truth is, those things don't need to get done. Our children need and deserve our time more than those emails, the people we work for, and certainly more than the treadmill or the dust bunnies in the corner.

As always, my little girl has shown her wisdom and reminded mommy about the important things in life. With things about to get extremely hectic (thank goodness my half marathon is this weekend), I needed to be reminded that stopping and smelling the roses with my little one is the best way that my time can be spent.

Smell the roses (even if they're not real)

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Tuesday, January 17, 2012

WELCOME WEDNESDAY BLOG HOP

Happy Hump Day! The household is slowly recovering. Ick to the winter flus and viruses! I am in serious need of some new bloggy friends and a little inspiration so I hope you join in on the hop! What better way to get over the midweek hump then to kick off your heels and check out some new blogs!



Haute Mom









Blog Hop Rules: This is a low key hop. After all...it is Welcome Wednesday, here to get the inspirational juices flowing and find other blogs we can stalk! Put those feet up, relax, and join the bloggy fun.

There are a few rules though:
1. Follow the hostess, Haute Mom and the guest hostesses. Be sure to leave a comment so that I can follow you back.
2. Follow the guest hostess.
3. Link up your blog for all of us to love.
4. Make an attempt to check out at least two new blogs. Don't know where to start? How about the two blogs above you? If you love the blog, become a follower and leave them a comment letting them know.
So link up! You don't have to post about the hop...but you know how we ladies work, the more the merrier. We would love it if you would help us spread the word and help Welcome Wednesday grow! One of you could be next week's spotlight guest hostess!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4

Monday, January 16, 2012

Temper Tantrums Terror

When it rains it pours. Stella was sick all last week. Apparently she had another mysterious virus that did nothing but cause her to have a high fever all week. Keeping her home allowed her to be better by yesterday, but another damage had been done.

I don't know how many of you have your child in a day care, school, etc., but I have noticed the longer she stays home with mommy and daddy, the more unruly she gets.

A few weeks ago, unruly simply meant that she took longer to follow directions, turned her selective on a little more often, gave me a little more sass than normal. Whether it be for vacation or illness, the time spent at home seemed to make Stella slightly off.

Stella being off now is a whole other story. Somehow the "terrible twos" has crept up on us like a tornado. The last two days has been spent with screaming, shouting, kicking, and hitting. I am well aware that Stella still doesn't feel completely back to normal but I want to know where my little angel went.

As if being home with a sick child wasn't hard enough, the hubby and I both now have the flu. Our patience is a little thin and these temper tantrums have really put us to the test.

Aside from putting Stella in a "time out" spot, I can't figure out what else to do. This morning she woke up throwing a nice little fit that lasted 45 min. I read that when I child is sick, teaching them behavior best be put on hold, but I just can't take it. It is ridiculous. And apparently normal.

What are the tricks? Am I doing the right thing my making her sit until she calms down? Is this simply from being away from her normal routine or is this the start of a long few months?

I need help and fast. I about to go bald from pulling my hair out.

Where, oh where, has my little angel gone?


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Wednesday, January 11, 2012

WELCOME WEDNESDAY BLOG HOP

Happy Hump Day! I have been off of work to take care of a certain little patient that I have had around the house. Ick to the winter flus and viruses! I am in serious need of some new bloggy friends and a little inspiration so I hope you join in on the hop! What better way to get over the midweek hump then to kick off your heels, enjoy the first week of 2012, and check out some new blogs!

Haute Mom




Blog Hop Rules: This is a low key hop. After all...it is Welcome Wednesday, here to get the inspirational juices flowing and find other blogs we can stalk! Put those feet up, relax, and join the bloggy fun.

There are a few rules though:

1. Follow the hostess, Haute Mom and the guest hostesses. Be sure to leave a comment so that I can follow you back.

2. Follow the guest hostess.

3. Link up your blog for all of us to love.

4. Make an attempt to check out at least two new blogs. Don't know where to start? How about the two blogs above you? If you love the blog, become a follower and leave them a comment letting them know.

So link up! You don't have to post about the hop...but you know how we ladies work, the more the merrier. We would love it if you would help us spread the word and help Welcome Wednesday grow! One of you could be next week's spotlight guest hostess!

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Another Great Haute Resource

There is a wonderful new resource out there for not only haute moms, but women in general.  The site Women.com was just re-launched after some time off.  The new CEO, Ben Padnos is all about getting this site to a place where us ladies can use it, learn from it, and love it!

I wanted to share a story I wrote about my always present struggle with being a working mom.  Check out the story and the rest of the site!  You won't be disappointed!

Pondering the Career/Mom Balance

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

WELCOME WEDNESDAY BLOG HOP

Happy Hump Day! What a great way to start of the new year! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! I am in serious need of some new bloggy friends and a little inspiration so I hope you join in on the hop! What better way to get over the midweek hump then to kick off your heels, enjoy the first week of 2012, and check out some new blogs!


Haute Mom






This week our guest hostess is Tessa from The Diary of a Working Mother. Be sure to check out her adventures with her hubby, beautiful daughter, and that thing called motherhood!

Blog Hop Rules: This is a low key hop. After all...it is Welcome Wednesday, here to get the inspirational juices flowing and find other blogs we can stalk! Put those feet up, relax, and join the bloggy fun.

There are a few rules though:

1. Follow the hostess, Haute Mom and the guest hostesses. Be sure to leave a comment so that I can follow you back.

2. Follow the guest hostess.

3. Link up your blog for all of us to love.

4. Make an attempt to check out at least two new blogs. Don't know where to start? How about the two blogs above you? If you love the blog, become a follower and leave them a comment letting them know.

So link up! You don't have to post about the hop...but you know how we ladies work, the more the merrier. We would love it if you would help us spread the word and help Welcome Wednesday grow! One of you could be next week's spotlight guest hostess!

Happy New Year!

With 2012 off to a great start, I am happy to still have the week off of work.  Granted, I muttered about having to work all the way up to Christmas Eve but having this first week off is fantastic.  The Tinker Bell Half Marathon, my event with Team in Training and The Lymphoma and Leukemia Society is a little over three weeks away so I plan on concentrating on my training runs this week.  I ran 12 miles last saturday after two weeks of being utterly and completely exhausted and sick.  This Saturday will take me to about 14 miles, my furthest distance until the half marathon.  Nerves are starting to kick in!

With the training, traveling, and cleaning up from the hoidays, hubby and I spent New Year's Eve in our pajamas, watching the countdown on TV with a giant piece of carrot cake between us.  We did make it out to dinner, but chose to come home to ring in the New Year.  That seems to be more our speed lately, and I have no complaints.

I hope all of you haute moms had a wonderful New Year and celebrated in your own haute way.  Who says pajams aren't haute?  I am excited for all that is to come this year and have started on my first resolution of the year, losing that five pounds I packed on!  I know, typical...

Happy New Year!