Lazy Sunday

This recipe is from my dear friend Michele who is a haute mom, three times over! Thank you Michele for your inspirational recipe that truly is the definition of Lazy Sunday.

Cheap Chicken

1. Slap 2 pieces of chicken with skin on a plate.

2. When your husband asks if you are having anything with it, like sides, tell him to peel it and then he will have a side of skin.

Let me know how this works for all of you.

Haute Mom Dilemma #9 ~ All Parents Are Not Created Equal

I am a mom. I am not a pro and this is the first time I have been a mom. The only knowledge that I have is what has been passed on to me by others and research I have done on my own. I would consider myself a somewhat intelligent woman, but I'm no Dr. Spock. I do what I can for my baby girl and sometimes that may mean pushing mey bladder to the limit or skipping a meal...or two. So here is my question: Why can't dads do the same? What is up with the expectations and things that we do for our children yet their own fathers cannot? My mom explains it as a mother's instinct but I do not buy it. Before I go on here, let me just say that I do believe that my husband does more than many other fathers. At least I know he does more than my own father did around our house. He takes care of most dinners (we eat out all the time). chips in with the household cleaning, and I even got him to fold laundery last night at midnight. That being said, I still have some things to drop off for the complaint window. What's the deal with the selfishness?
Here are some examples:
Example #1
Me: Honey, can you take Stella for me while I use the restroom please?
Hubby: Sure, but I need to go to the bathroom so let me go first.
Example#2
Me: I am glad you are home. I have some work to do before I go to my meeting. Can you take Stella for a bit so I can get it done?
Hubby: Well I am really tired. Stella kept me up last night while you were feeding her. I need a nap.
Example #3
Me: Can you change the baby's diaper while I get her bag ready?
Hubby: Really? I already did you a favor by watching her this afternoon.
(Yes, haute moms, that is no joke)
Example #4
Me: Honey, you need to take the baby now so you can give her a bottle. She is hungry.
Hubby: I don't need to do anything. I will take her but I don't have to if I don't want to.

This may not seem like a big deal but let me tell you. This type of behavior on a weekly basis is frankly getting irritating. I may have given birth to my child but she is not just my child. I stay home with her all day long and don't always get to do whatever I feel like doing because I have someone more important now. Why is it that the hubby feels as though his needs are more important than our daughter's? I told him this morning that he was going to have to repeat Dad Duty 101 because he is in danger of failing. I am not a maid, a housekeeper, or a babysitter. I am not the only one in this house that can or should be taking care of our baby. Sometimes moms need a break too! And news flash hubby...a babysitter or grandparent is not the only person who should be able to do that! I am tired! I am tired of holding the baby while I eat just to watch you finish your meal in peace. Sure, go ahead and scratch your belly and watch TV while I try to cut my meat with my spoon because I don't have enough hands to pick up other utensils. I am tired of nursing our child to sleep while you snooze and snore on the bed next to me! You are soooooo lucky that my hands are busy otherwise I may just smother you with a pillow. If I hear "Well if I could breastfeed her i would..." one more time then I might just have to put that lovely breastmilk in your coffee one morning when you aren't paying attention. Let's face it, if you could, you would still make me do it. Parents are 50/50 and not 80/20 just because I happen to have given birth or have other body parts that happen to come in useful as a parent. Give me a break! Haute moms...let's hear it! Tell me I am not alone here!

Haute Mom Dilemma #8 ~ Financing Baby

Money always seems to ba a sore issue among couples. In fact, it is one of the main things that couples fight about. I know at my house, money always seems to be an issue. I love the lifestyle that I have with dining out 6-7 nights a week, going to concerts, and shopping but becoming a mom has not been so haute on my Gucci wallet. There are so many endless things to buy and I am not just talking about the daily items like diapers. Stella is three months old and I spent over $200 at Babies R Us yesterday purchasing clothes that she will grow out of in a month along with other things. It seems every time she hits a growth spurt or monthly birthday there is something else that I think she needs! Not having time to cook means the dining out bill is really growing and now I am starting to go back to work and have nanny costs to save for. Unlike many of my friends, I do not have family close by that I can leave Stella with so except for a few close friends, when Sean and I want a night on the town, we will have to pay sitter fees as well. I know there are many great discount sites out there from which us moms can purchase fun items for baby at a discount. There are also many things that can be done to lower costs, such as making your own baby food instead of buying jar. What else is there? I know you saavy moms out there have learned lots of great things so please share the sites. the tricks of the trades, etc. with me! I have a daughter so I already need to start saving for her wedding!

On a brighter note. I mentioned POSHmommy in one of my last blogs and they have generously given all of you followers a 10% off code so that you can purchase your own POSHmommy jewelry or gifts for other haute moms! Let me know what you buy!
1. Sign on to POSHmommy http://www.poshmommyjewelry.com/
2. Select your jewelry
3. Enter code "mizkel10" at checkout!
The code expires Oct. 23, 2010 so have fun!

Lazy Sunday

I was so lazy last Sunday that I didn't post my Lazy Sunday recipe! Go figure...I love this recipe that is good for anyday and it involves one of my favorite things, the CROCK POT!

CROCK POT ROBUSTO CHICKEN

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 bottle Italian dressing (Seven Seas Robusto or Newman's Own works well)
1 lb bag of egg noodles (I sometimes switch this up with whole wheat penne)
4 oz. sour cream
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Put chicken breasts in the crock pot and pour bottle of Italian dressing over the chicken.
2. Cook on low for 7 hours or high for 3 1/2.
3. Remove chicken breasts and leave crock pot turned on, stirring in 1/2 the sour cream until dissolved.
4. Cook the noodles and drain. Add the remaining sour cream and cheese to the noodles and mix until dissolved.
5. Serve the chicken over the noodles. Pour the warm Italian dressing over the top. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.

Let me know your thoughts on this haute moms!

Haute Mom Thrifty Thursday

One thing that I love as a haute mom is jewelry. A blue box from Tiffany's is always welcome in my house! I was lucky enough to receive a special piece of jewelry from The Ellen Show when I went on her Mother's Day segment. The designer is called POSH Mommy and they make personalized jewlery for moms, dads, and even kids! Some of their best pieces allow you to engrave your baby's name on it and even add their birthstone! I have the Loop necklace with Stella's name, birthdate, and birthstone. I wear it everyday and it goes with everything - casual or dressy! The prices are reasonable for a quality piece of jewelry that is made of sterling silver or 14 karat gold. You can add pieces to your necklace or bracelet with each child. They even have pieces for the baby boys and dads! I think this would be an amazing gift for another mom or something wonderful to hint to your hubby about! I am definitely looking for my next POSH Mommy item at http://www.poshmommy.com/!

I have talked to someone about giving the Haute Mom followers a discount or even possibly a jewelry piece for a giveaway so be sure to be a follower of Haute Mom and a Facebook supporter of POSH Mommy! Stay tuned for more details...

Here is a picture of me on my birthday with my Loop necklace! Please do not try to count the candles...



Check out their Facebook page on which they featured a picture of me and the family! Thanks POSH Mommy!
http://www.facebook.com/poshmommy

Haute Mom Dilemma #7 ~ Finding My Way

Three months ago today my life changed forever. All of the advice and research I have done could not have prepared me for the adventure I was about to embark on. Long gone are the days of being a 30-something married person without children. Here are the days of diapers, coupons, and "who is gonna watch the baby?" Although I love my daughter more than anything in the world, I cannot say this has been easy. I am now questionning all those new moms who are bright-eyed in their skinny jeans who claim being a new mom is all roses. No it isn't - they cheated and hired a nanny. The past months have been like flipping through a deck of cards and never knowing what was going to come up. Along with being a new mom I have dealt with a thyroid cancer scare and the death of a brother-in-law. The worst part of this is that so many of my so called "friends" don't even know because I have lost them as part of the casualties of motherhood. Some of them don't bother to call because they assume I can't go out, they are too wrapped up in their own lives, or they simply don't like my little new party of Kelley plus 1/2. I have some friends that haven't even bothered to ask about Stella in weeks. On the brighter side, I have found out who my true friends are, some I never would have guessed. I have two amazing friends who "don't like kids" that have been with me every step of the way and embraced my baby girl as if she were their own - thank you Heather and Sheila. I have a wonderful new group of fellow mom friends who have been amazing and supportive, more so than I could have dreamed of - thank you Emily, Joanna, and Alyssa. I have the usual support group who just check in on me regularly to see how things are going - thank you Robin, Rikayah, and Hollie. I recently had one friend from college offer her nanny to me so that I can get a break to deal with this problem I have been having lately called the baby blues-thank you Masy. I was blown away! Lastly, Stella has brought me closer to my family and my husband who do their best to make sure I have some "old me" time. My husband just sent my girlfriend and I to a Styx concert! Oh yeah! I am finally starting to feel like this new road is somewhat familiar although there are always bump that happen along the way. The true amazing thing is that this perfect little being has so much power inside of her to help an adult like me see true friends, bring family together and realize what things really matter in life.

Happy three month birthday Stella! I love you!

My bff (a.k.a Love Bug) and I at Styx - thanks to my husband

Haute Mom Thrifty Thursday

I have noticed one significant shift since becoming a mommy and that is my shopping habit. I used to search stores and the internet for Gucci bags, Christian Laboutins, and Hudson jeans. Now my pocketbook itches when I see a Babies R Us coupon or a sale at Carter's. My husband just reminded me how I wished for a boy but seem to have fully recovered through retail therapy and dressing my baby girl. I assured him the clothes shopping thing would have happened regardless. One of my favorite things to buy for Stella are Sassy toys. They are fun and bright and are made for age and development. Each toy is geared towards working on an aspect of development for your baby such as touch, exploration, vision, and so on. I have recently found a great website to buy these toys on at a discounted price which brings me to Thrifty Thursday. The website is Kids Surplus and has clothing, shoes, toys, books, you name it! The Sassy toys I like can be found anywhere from 30-60% and so can many other things! Enjoy Haute Moms!

http://www.kidsurplus.com/