moms

Spring Weekends in the CLE Burbs

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 1 Comment

Spring is definitely here in CLE! We had a beautiful weekend in the ‘burbs, filled with good food and pretty good weather. Friday night, B made us pizza. It had been forever since we had homemade pizza, and I was looking forward to it all week. I got to pick my toppings for my slices, too — it was pepperoni, eggplant, peppers and mushrooms. I love pizza with tons of veggies and also pepperoni on it!

After the kids went to bed, B and I stayed up somewhat late and watched Always Be My Maybe. It was just what I was looking for in my Friday night – a cute, funny romcom. I recommend it, especially if you already love Ali Wong.

Saturday morning FW got up early – like 5 something in the morning – so it was a long day. After breakfast, B went to Home Depot to get some stuff (it’s his second home these days) and then we went to our first event – a playdate with some friends who also have kids. FW had a blast playing on his favorite playground with LM and of course Celia, Maura and Maddie.

After the playground we headed home for lunch. B and FW hit up Home Depot (yes, again – 2x in one day!) while LM napped.. When he got back, it was time for our next adventure – Ruby’s birthday party! It was a party at a local ice cream shop, so I’m sure FW and LM had a good time. (we did too 🙂 )

After ice cream, we were going to try to watch soccer, but all the bars and restaurants nearby were overflowing and LOUD (aka not as kid-friendly as usual), so we just went home.

FW skinned his knees on our jog to the car, so he needed some extra care and wanted a special seat on the couch before dinner. Toddlers are a ton of work but tons of fun sometimes!

After FW and LM had dinner, it was off to bed semi-early and B and I had to figure out what we wanted. We had planned on going out after ice cream, but since it was too crowded, ended up not sure what to do for food. B was craving buffalo wings, so we ended up doing some takeout. I got a kids’ meal, which meant it came with a side (salad!) AND a drink.

Sunday morning, I got in a nice run – 6.3 solo miles. I had planned on taking out the jogging stroller, but B andFW and LM had breakfast and I got out semi-early (at least for a weekend). It was nice to still be out a little later than usual.

The day was somewhat productive. We did some meal prep, some cleaning, some playing, and some walking. It ended up being a nice day outside so B also got some outdoor chores in.

We ended the day with a jog around the block. FW ran pretty much the whole way!

And that was it. HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!

Some questions for you:

  • Do you like pistachio ice cream?
  • Was the weather nice near you?

First Mother’s Day Weekend

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 5 Comments

I celebrated my first Mother’s Day with B and FW this weekend! Last year, I was 30+ weeks pregnant and felt funny every time people told me Happy Mother’s Day. But this year, with a 10-month-old boy, things are a little different 🙂

This year, B, FW and I celebrated with a weekend full of things that I enjoy doing.

For example, Friday night we got a beer at one of our favorite local pubs. Oh, and my phone died Friday so all of these photos are from B’s phone – and I was pretty much sans technology all weekend!

Saturday, I had to work in the morning, but was able to meet B and FW for a late lunch. We met up with a friend at Great Lakes Brewing Company before doing some shopping at the West Side Market.

Then, after a little shopping and errand-running, we went to the Indians game! It was FW’s first game. 

 

The weather was great – it was a little chilly but sunny and mild the entire game.

And then, for dinner, B made me pizza!

Sunday morning was GREAT. We started out with a run on the Towpath.

Followed by some donuts from a nearby donut shop. They have a CASSSATA CAKE donut just for Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day and omg it is amazing (not pictured).

And then, some brunch. We feasted on some Mexican Eggs Benedict and shared a pancake as well.

While FW napped, we were also semi-productive; B helped me meal prep for the week and I caught up on some more work. It’s been busy and I’m trying hard not to get behind!

That afternoon, we went over to B’s family’s house for Mother’s Day dinner. We had small plates, a bunch of food that people brought over as a potluck. Some of the goodness included crab cakes, salad, cheese and bread, fruit, shrimp, open-faced steak sandwiches, bruschetta and more!

All in all, it was a great way to spend my first Mother’s Day.

Questions for you:

  • When was the last time you were without a phone or any technology?
  • Do you like cassata cake?

I’m linking up with Katie and the weekly wraps.

Friday Five: Ask A Mom (Part Three)

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 2 Comments

Happy Friday!! I cannot WAIT until the weekend. We have some fun stuff planned for Labor Day with the baby, including seeing my family! So wish us good luck with our first LONG carride with FW!

Today’s the last part in my interview with Reanna from The Last Mommy Blog (friend IRL). Don’t forget to read parts one and two – each week we’ve shared 5 questions and her answers. My answers for this week are found here.

This week’s 5 questions focus on confessions and reflections on being a mom.

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1. Confess without shame: What’s one thing you’ve screwed up as a mom so far?

There are so many things I wish I were better at, but I think that’s just the ubiquitous cloud of mom-guilt that follows every mom home from the hospital. The one thing I really am trying to be better about is not staring at my phone all the time. It’s been a really bad habit, and I keep having to remind myself I don’t want my baby’s memories of me to be looking down at a screen instead of at him.

2. What was the best advice you’ve gotten about motherhood?

I don’t remember where I first read it, and it’s so simple and not profound, but “Give it two weeks.” Whatever phase or struggle you’re going through that seems insurmountable and makes you feel defeated will feel like ancient history in no time. You’ll be on to the next challenge, and stronger for it.

3. What is something your husband is really good at, dad-wise?

He has really hit his stride as The Baby has gotten mobile and more playful. He’s great at getting The Baby laughing. He’s always been up for the baby care stuff, but I think has felt like second fiddle since I’ve been the primary food source since day one.

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4. Has motherhood changed your perspective on the world in any way?

I feel so hard for all mothers and babies now. I have always thought our maternity leave policies (or lack thereof) in this country were unfair, but now I feel they’re downright cruel. I took The Baby to a restaurant when he was a few months old and our waitress told me she had a two-week old at home and I wanted to stuff piles of money in both her hands, scoop her up, drive her home and tuck her and her baby into bed. It is appalling to me that we are failing families in this way.

5. Have you read any parenting books? Any recommendations? Any discussion about how they make you feel like drinking because you’re clearly failing?

I am, by habit, drawn to parenting books because I like learning about child development research. However, having read through a couple, I  now measure each parenting book by how many glasses of wine I think I would need to get through them because they all make me feel like a massive, child-ruining failure. Use a bouncer? Your baby will never walk and will probably get scoliosis! Co-sleep? Your baby is guaranteed to die of SIDS. Let your baby cry it out? Enjoy your robot-sociopath! I think I’ve finally read enough to get beyond the point of feeling like I’m doing literally everything wrong and landed squarely at the point of feeling like no one knows my baby better than me, and I’ll work it out.

BONUS: For (potential) future kids, what would you do differently? With pregnancy, childbirth, motherhood, etc.

The second time around, I’ll definitely feel less smug about breastfeeding.

Even though we’re trying to transition away from it, if I have another baby who is extremely needy when it comes to sleeping near me, I’m not going to feel guilty about co-sleeping. I spent the first several months of co-sleeping feeling like A) I was failing/being weak, B) Everyone was judging me and C) I was putting my baby in danger. But the more I’ve read and learned and experienced, the more content I am with our decision. It’s what The Baby needed, I’ve gotten twice as much sleep as I would have without it, and nobody really cares what you’re doing (except Internet trolls, and they can shove off).

As far as childbirth goes, as you know I lucked out with mine. I hope my next one is just as quick (though preferably not on a major holiday). I probably would practice more with The Husband on relaxation and pain relief techniques that worked for me the first time in case a doula isn’t in our budget again.

And that’s it from Reanna. Don’t be sad – you can always read her blog and get more of her wisdom there (and while you’re there, learn about the importance of mom friends). Or become friends with us in real life and get an invite to Ladies Craft Beer Society (you don’t need to be a mom to be invited)!

some of the Ladies Craft Beer Society at my baby shower. It was an awesome taco-themed shower!

some of the Ladies Craft Beer Society at my baby shower. It was an awesome taco-themed shower!

Questions for you:

  • What other questions do you have for moms?
  • Are you part of any clubs – like a ladies craft beer society, book club, wine club, etc?

 

Unexpected New Mom Essentials

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 1 Comment

Since I’ve been a mom, I’ve realized there are some things that I can NOT live without. Yes, there are the obvious – like diapers, onesies, bottles, etc. But there were also a few things I did NOT expect to need.  These are:

Easy Food. Nourishment. Comida. 

I’ve learned that it is hard to eat sit down meals during the day. When B is at work, FW is a fussy baby. He constantly needs to be held, changed, fed, and repeat. Or maybe that’s every baby?

So some days I don’t get a solid, two-handed lunch. Or breakfast. I need to turn to snacks to keep me full in between the quick meals and these have to be easy, healthy snacks. And they have to be easy to eat one handed! Some of the snacks I’ve found helpful include:

  • Ready-to-eat fresh fruit and veggies. Clean it, chop it, etc. do what you need to do to prepare it ahead of time. I’m serious. As easy as it is to wash some grapes and green beans or chop up a watermelon or celery, when a baby is screaming and you’re starving, you’re not going to want to do this. I find it easier to do when B is home – or even better, B does this for me 🙂 AND it’s so easy to just drop some pre-chopped fruit into some yogurt and eat that with some granola (yes, it can be eaten one handed – I’ve done it).
  • Dried or freeze dried fruit. It’s already prepared and it’s easy to eat. Just be careful and not to get one with a ton of sugar in it. I love these freeze dried strawberries – the ingredients only list freeze dried strawberries (no added sugar) and the whole package is under 100 calories. Yes, the WHOLE package.
  • Something salty. Yes, even though I have a sweet tooth, I love salty foods on occasion. I love unsalted nuts, as well as these spicy seaweed snacks. They help satisfy my salt craving without going overboard on food like chips and pretzels (which yes, I do enjoy as well).
  • Nut butter. I love nut butter. Peanut, almond, sunflower- you name it, I love it. Right now I’m loving some local peanut butter from the West Side Market as well as Peanut Butter & Co crunchy peanut butter. A plus? It can be eaten with one hand, fills you up, and is an ingredient in a ton of great healthy recipes.

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[If you’re breastfeeding] Stuff for your boobies :

Ha, I don’t know if I ever thought I’d write “boobies” in a blog post … but here we go!

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There are a ton of random things that I’ve found useful as I’ve started my journey with breastfeeding. Besides the “obvious” (like nursing bras), here are things I’d recommend for new moms:

  • Nipple cream (not optional): Buy this. Use this. You’ll be happy you did. The kind I’m loving now is the organic nipple balm from Honest Company. It’s in an easy to use jar and it works!
  • Brewer’s yeast: Why do you need this? There are tons of great recipes for moms to help your milk come in that use Brewer’s yeast. So really, this is an excuse to make cookies, like these ones that my friend Reanna (from the Last Mommy Blog) made me.
  • Nursing Support tea: I love tea, year round, even in the summer. And this is tea I can drink and feel good about drinking while I nurse – it has chamomile, lavender and other great ingredients.
  • Booby tubes: Nursing isn’t easy. It isn’t pain free. Booby tubes (yes it’s a funny name) can be heated or cooled to provide comfort depending on what you’re needing. And they’re reusable.

Miscellaneous

  • Extension cords – especially an extra long phone charging/USB cord: You may be wondering what this has to do with being a new mom. Well, especially when nursing,  I’m stuck in one spot for a while. And I am often using my phone one handed, and it starts to die. Having a long charging cord allows me to keep charging my phone while holding FW, nursing, or doing many other tasks or I’m stuck in one place for a while.
  • Thank you cards: I’m so grateful that my friend Coughi bought me a bunch of thank you cards as part of a shower gift. If you’re lucky, you will have many friends and family bringing you meals and giving you gifts when your little one arrives. If you have thank you cards on hand, it could be a great way to show your appreciation.
  • A Netflix/Hulu/HBO Go/Amazon Prime subscription: You’ll be spending a lot of time one handedly holding your baby or feeding him or her. I haven’t quite gotten the hang of reading and nursing or reading and holding FW at the same time, but I  can be easily watching Netflix!

Moms and mom friends- what would you add? What have you found necessary?

    *Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post, but some of the products mentioned were provided to me by Swanson Health. My views and comments are solely my own and do not represent those of Swanson

     

     

    Beer Is Good For You

    / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 11 Comments

    It was another truly beautiful weekend in CLE. It was SO good to have B around – his first week back at work went smoothly for all of us, but it is so so much easier and more enjoyable for all of us with him around.

    So what did we do? Well, in no order … (seriously, no order. This is not a summary of Friday through Sunday- trying something new here)

    We took a walk and enjoyed great views like this one:

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    I wore FW around – I’m liking this baby wearing thing!

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    We hung out with this little guy. I’m sorry in advance to all of you who follow me on Snapchat or Insta (@koskim on both) – for the abundance of baby snaps, videos, etc. I can’t get enough of him.20160716_180553

    And this one. He is just too cute after his bath!

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    B and I enjoyed some delicious food and drink. It only took me 3 days to finish this iced decaf 🙂20160715_082908

    And I drank a whole half of this grapefruit beer. Baby steps. And speaking of babies – did you know beer is GOOD FOR YOU when you’re breastfeeding? Yes, it’s obviously in moderation (as in, I drank half of it …) but I read it on the internet. It’s GOOD FOR YOU. 20160716_203044

    We tried out a new pizza place Friday night – it was pretty good!20160715_195551

    I made French toast Sunday morning while B and FW hung out. Fact: Monk’s apple cinnamon bread makes amazing French toast.

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    Saturday night called for Buffalo chicken salads.20160716_210407

    Patio drinks are the best. Don’t they just taste better when they’re outside on a summer day? And it’s a lot easier to take a baby with you to a bar if you sit outside.

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    We got in cute photos with the little guy like this one.

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    And a family photo.20160716_193058

    We checked out what downtown looked like now that the RNC is in town. Check out the layer of barricades going down the street? The republicans AND media have invaded – you see CNN grill in the background? As of a few days ago that said “Hairy Buffalo.”

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    Twitter, Bloomberg, MSNBC and Washington Post have all taken over our former neighborhood.20160717_124257

    And as usual we enjoyed a great family meal Sunday night at B’s parents. No photos – but imagine a RARE steak (#postpartumeats) and peach cobbler. YUM!

    Well, here’s to a good week! Wish me good luck without B here during the days. I hope FW is getting used to life with just me during the days and will be a little less fussy this week.

    Some questions for you:

    • What’s something you’re looking forward to this week?
    • Meat eaters-  how do you like your meat? Rare? Well done?

    Per usual, I’m linking up today with Erin, Katie and the weekly wraps.

    An Announcement

    / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 15 Comments

    Okay, I guess it’s time that I finally break the news to the blogosphere and online.

    How do I say this?

    I wish I had a cute announcement planned. You know, like a cute video. Or image. But I’m not like that and I’m highly uncreative. So I’ll just go out and say it. I’m pregnant. B and I are expecting a baby this June!

    There's a bump in there!

    There’s a bump in there!

    There we go – the news is out. We’ve been keeping it somewhat under wraps for a little while, but now that we’re more than halfway there (yipes!), it’s time to finally let you in on our little secret.

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    Me and my bump! (And my cousin-in-law Stephanie who is due in March)

    And it feels good to have it off my chest and tell you all. Though somewhat strange to see it in writing …

    Another bump pic. In workout clothes!

    Another bump pic. In workout clothes! Yes, I’m wearing B’s shirt 🙂

    Now for some of the FAQs – answers to the common questions we’ve been getting (warning: if you DON’T care about or like babies or pregnancies, feel free to stop reading. I’m not sharing too many details here, but the rest may just plain bore you and I promise you can come back to my regularly scheduled recipes, running updates, etc. at a later date):

    • Will you guys be finding out if it’s a boy or a girl? Nope! We already had that dr appointment and we opted to close our eyes and not find out. So it will be a surprise.
    • Will you be buying a house/moving? Maybe? We love our apartment right now and since we have two bedrooms and two bathrooms, we don’t have any immediate need to move. I’d love to have a downtown baby 🙂
    •  How are you feeling? Great! Thanks for asking! B and I are both really excited and I luckily haven’t felt any sickness (no morning sickness here) and really have just been a little more tired than usual.
    •  Are you going to stop running? I don’t plan on it. I really really want to run throughout my pregnancy, or at least as long as possible. It’s gotten a LOT harder (I’ll write a post about that soon) and I have cut down my mileage, but I still plan on getting in runs a few days a week. So expect a few more bump-in-workout-clothes pics.
    • Have you been having any cravings or food aversions? Hmm. Maybe? I’ve been really enjoying sweets (but that’s nothing new) – and been loving fruit, especially citrus, pears, melon, anything juicy. The first month or so I found myself despising vegetables, which is SO not me and it was hard. You may have noticed a few WIAWs that were lacking vegetables and that’s why. All I could think of eating was carbs and sweets. Thank goodness I’m back on the vegetable train again!
    • Do you have any names picked out? We have a girl’s name but not a boy’s name yet. We can’t seem to agree on any boys’ names. Any ideas?

    And now, some questions for you:

    • Any more questions for me? Ask away. I’m a pretty open book.
    • Mom runners – did you run while pregnant? Any tips to keep it up? What’s the longest race you did?
    • Moms – did you have any weird cravings when pregnant?

     

    Mom Bloggers Participate in PR Blackout

    / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / Leave a comment

    Being in PR and often working with companies that target moms and families, I’ve done my fair share of work with mom bloggers. Whether it’s providing a product to review, a giveaway, or simply building a relationship, I’ve worked with Mom bloggers on quite a few occasions.

    Because we’re strategic with our blogger outreach, including researching, targeting and pitching them accordingly as you would with any media (PR 101 anyone?), I can’t recall an incident when I’ve gotten any negative reaction or feedback from the bloggers. I have noticed, however, that recently there have been more and more mom bloggers out there. Some bloggers are being paid. Some are not. More and more of them are providing product reviews and even posting “PR info” on their website to provide tips for PR pros on how to get in touch with them.

    So when I saw this posted last week in MomDot, one of the mom sites I’ve interacted with before, I can’t say wasn’t surprised:

    MomDot Encourages Mom Bloggers to Join PR Blackout Challenge: From August 10-16, the PR Blackout campaign will encourage mom bloggers to go back to basics.

    On Friday Night Live this week we dissected and discussed what we are affectionately calling “bloggy burnout.’ After a lengthy 90 minute conversation with bloggers around the web, we came to one conclusion:

    Mom Bloggers are simply doing too much.

    With the allure of giveaways, reviews, and blog trips, Mom Bloggers have turned from what they love the most, their family, into working directly as public relations for their captive audience. It boils down to knowing your worth and then standing up for it.

    While we adore many of our fabulous PR reps and treat them like bloggy friends, our site, and many others, are inundated with hundreds, if not thousands, of product requests each year resulting in massive obligations and deadline stress equivalent to what the General Motors CEO must feel every time he drives into work. We watch our blog friends strive for the next big review or the next big giveaway, but all the while practically losing

    MomDot is challenging bloggers to participate for one week in August in a PR BLACKOUT challenge where you do not blog ANY giveaways, ANY reviews, and Zero press releases. In fact, we dont want you to talk to PR at ALL that whole week.  We want to see your blog naked, raw, and back to basics. Talk about your kids, your marriage, your college, your hopes, your dreams, your house and whatever you can come up with for one week.

    We will host a linky during that week for you to link up every post you do. We will also provide some topic suggestions for each day of the week to get your blog blood flowing again.

    We feel this is an important challenge to show mom bloggers that what they are doing, the stress they feel, the deadlines, the time away from their family, it has to be worth it. So grab the picture, link to MomDot for PR BLACKOUT week and COMMIT to blogging for YOU and about you for one week this year.

    Let us know if you will be participating along side us. We have scheduled it far enough in advance for you to wrap up all your current obligations and look forward to meeting more of our audience, sharing more of our personal selves, and having the TIME to be much more involved with our own community.

    ~Trisha

    I’m not surprised about the burnout. After all, these bloggers ARE moms, which on its own is a full time job. I WAS surprised, however, about the call to avoid PR pros. Do we really contribute to the burnout? Or is blogging in itself becoming too laborsome a task for many? I’ve always felt that PR people and mom bloggers were in some sort of symbiotic relationship — more specifically, a mutually beneficial relationship. We provide a benefit (products to review, prizes for contests, new information for their readers) for them, and they in turn help us out (promoting our products and providing an honest and impartial mom’s review).

    What are your thoughts — Do you think many mom bloggers will participate? What implications does this have for the future of the relationship between mom bloggers and PR pros? What can PR people do to ensure the relationship remains a positive one and help prevent future burnout?