Trying Something New - The Special Delivery Baby Hammock

I’ve tried baby swings.  I’ve tried bouncy chairs.  I’ve even tried cribs and bassinets.   I’ve never really found a good solution for helping a baby sleep alone for very long.

Sleep issues with babies seem to be almost ubiquitous.  Everyone just expects the newborn phase to be full of sleep deprivation.  Everyone eagerly awaits the time until a baby can sleep through the night.   

Everyone expects the first few months to be hard, until the parents train the baby to sleep through the night in the crib. I've never felt comfortable with cry-it-out methods, so that's just not I something I do.  No judgement on those who do, but I'm personally not comfortable with that.  

Granted, I’ve heard of babies that are just naturally good sleepers.  I’ve heard of babies who are happy to sleep in a crib.  I’ve heard of babies who sleep 20 hours a day, straight from birth and are still sleeping 14 hours a day at 3 years of age.  None of those babies every came out of my uterus.

By the 5^th kid, I’ve given up hope of ever getting a naturally good sleeper that just loves the crib and will happily sleep in there alone for hours. 

Co-sleeping has saved my nighttime sanity.  Thanks to co-sleeping, I’ve never felt sleep-deprived or had to get up at night.  I’ve never really felt like I had nighttime sleep issues thanks to co-sleeping.   Usually by about 4 months of age or so, I’ll nurse my babies down to sleep in bed, and they will stay asleep in there for around 2 hours until I go to bed, and then they sleep next to me for the rest of the night.

That has always worked just fine for me, and I don’t anticipate changing anything.

Naps on the other hand are a totally different story.  I’ve always struggled with naps.  See, babies don’t like to sleep alone.  Babies don’t like to sleep on hard surfaces after being all nice and snuggly in the womb. Babies DO like to fall asleep nursing.  That means that basically every single nap involved my baby falling asleep nursing, and then me trying to lay them down to sleep someplace else, and it almost never working.  Not for very long anyway. Babies go through these sleep cycles, so baby would fall asleep nursing, I’d wait like 20 minutes until they were really in a DEEP sleep, lay them down, and they’d wake up 10 minutes later. 

Not fun.

With my first three, I was able to solve this problem by doing most of the home nursing while lying down in bed and then managing to sneak away.  It worked best with the first baby, not bad with the second and only so, so with the third.  By the fourth child, this didn’t work at all.  In fact Elsa was pretty much the WORST NAPPER EVER.  I mean, if they gave out awards for these things, she would definitely win.   

Different house set-ups make nursing in bed more complicated.  Having older kids that are homeschooling makes it WAY more complicated.  In our current house, it would be VERY difficult. 

The bedrooms are upstairs, we homeschool downstairs and I can’t retreat to the bedroom every time the baby wants to nurse. Not with homeschooling and working at home.  Not going to work.

The only way Elsa would get a good nap in, was if I sat there and held her for the entire time or put her in a baby carrier.  

Maybe that works for some people, but it didn’t work that well for me. I'm not a fan of being stuck on the couch for an hour or two at a time, and I while I love babywearing while shopping or walking or out in public, I'm never had great success doing cooking or laundry or cleaning while babywearing. 

Enter, the latest thing I’m super excited to try.  The Special Delivery Baby Hammock.

Actually, it’s not a new invention, it’s very old.  People have been sleeping babies in hammocks for a very long time.  You see ancient people seemed to know something that even the American Academy of Pediatrics can’t seem to grasp.  Babies don’t like to sleep alone, on hard, flat, immobile surfaces.  

For all their recommendations of babies sleeping alone, on their back, in a crib….they seem to forget that babies don’t like that.  Babies don’t sleep well that way.  Well maybe some do, but many don’t. Which is why so many parents end up "breaking" the rules....with tummy sleeping or co-sleeping or whatever.

I first heard about baby hammocks many years ago (probably at least 10) when someone, on some message board on the Internet, mentioned using the Amby bed.   I hadn’t really given it much thought as that time, co-sleeping and my nursing lying down method was still working with my 2^nd.

Then when I got pregnant with the 5^th, I started remembering how horrid naptime was with the 4^th.  

I started thinking of different solutions.  I remembered someone mentioning the Amby so many years ago and off my fingers flew, googling like crazy.  Well, as it turns out the Amby bed was recalled in the US, back in 2010 and is no longer sold here in the states.  Plus, it’s expensive.

In fact, as it turns out, there are very few baby hammocks available for sale here in the good ole' USA.

In all my research, I only came across a few that actually available and sold here in the United States.  There may be some foreign countries that will ship to the USA, but they are all expensive.  

Even the ones sold in the USA are expensive.  

As it also turns out, in general, baby hammocks get VERY good reviews.  Parents swear by how much their baby loves them and how well the baby sleeps in them.  All different brands seem to have overwhelmingly positive reviews in terms of babies actually liking and sleeping in them.  So, I figured there had to be something to this whole baby hammock thing.

One of the biggest benefits, is they seem to help a lot with reflux and colic.  Between the soothing motion and the fact that a baby is lying at an incline, baby hammocks are said to be great for babies with colic or reflux.  

I spend QUITE a bit of time researching brands and types.

I was looking for a few different things, before settling on the Special Delivery Baby Hammock.  I contacted the company and they were kind enough to send me one to try out.  So, in the interest of full disclosure, this is a sponsored post.  But, all opinions contained within are 100% my own.

They sent me this super cute fabric with owls!  I love it!  But the website has lots of choices to choose from.  All hammocks are hand-made by mothers who use them with their own babies.  That's pretty cool.

These are the features that especially drew me to the Special Delivery Baby Hammock.

Price: Many of the baby hammocks I found were upwards of $250-$500.  This one is only be about $125, with shipping.  I like that.  I would never recommend something on my blog that I wouldn’t be willing to buy myself.  And I would NOT be willing to spend that much on a baby hammock, but I would be willing to spend $125.

True Hammock:  There seems to be two different models/styles of baby hammocks sold.  Those that are true hammocks, and those which include a mattress, where it is more like a suspended baby bed.  The ones with the mattress are less safe in my opinion and many recommendations involve not using it after the baby is able to roll around.  Well….that would make it VERY short lived.  And I do not want something that is only going to work for a few months.  The mattress ones seem to pose more of a safety risk (as evidenced by the Amby bed recall) in that a baby *could* roll over and get wedged against the mattress.  Although I’ve also read that those hammocks were used incorrectly.   Who knows?  The Special Delivery Baby Hammock is a true hammock, and it would be VERY difficult for baby to actually roll over in one, since there is no hard flat surface.  It's difficult for an adult to actually roll over in a true hammock.

Also, because it is a true hammock, it eliminates any risk of plagiocephaly, or flat-head syndrome.  The baby is cradled in the fabric, no hard surfaces to cause a flat-head.  And, I do see quite a bit of babies with flat heads around.

Breathable Fabric: The Special Delivery Baby hammock is made entirely of breathable fabric.  No cords or canvas or mattress, so even if a baby did turn their head against the fabric, they would be able to breathe right through it.

Safety: Safety is a big concern of mine.  Honestly, the Special Delivery Baby Hammock seems VERY safe, UNLESS it is use incorrectly.   Putting the baby in it, upside down (so the head is lower than the feet) would be huge no-no.  Hanging it incorrectly could also cause issues.  But, the biggest danger I can see would come from toddlers or other children who may decide to swing it or run into it.  Since it is just hanging down, a person toddler could swing it really hard, and hurt a baby.  So, obviously if you have a child that is likely to do something like that, close supervision would be necessary.  Of course, if you have a child that is likely to hurt a baby, close supervision is necessary anyway.  I feel like all my kids are old enough to learn not to do something like that. 

Adjustable Chain:  I like that you can adjust the height of the hammock, to make it higher up or lower to the ground.  If you were using it with a toddler that could climb out themselves or that would try to climb out, it would probably be best to keep it lower to the ground. 

Longevity:  This hammock says it lasts until baby is between 18 months - two years.   And they even sell a toddler one, which would last until age 4 or 5.  I'm a big fan of longevity.  Any product that only lasts a few months is a no-no in my book.

Actually...I fit Elsa in it (with her legs folded) and she is almost 4.  The instructions say to test with weight in excess of the baby.  Well....an almost 4-year old fits that description.  So, we tested it with her.  She loved it and seemed quite safe and secure and comfortable in there, despite being too long for it.

Installation:  Some hammocks come with frames (which take up a lot of space) but the Special Delivery Baby Hammock comes with a screw to screw into the ceiling. However, the thought of screwing something into the ceiling strikes fear into my heart.  Handypeople we are not.  So, I ended up ordering a door clamp from New Zealand and it works wonderfully. We may still get around to screwing it into our ceiling, but this gave us another option.  You could probably also buy a frame to use with it (or even build one), if so inclined. 

I'm very excited to try it out!  Now, I just need a baby to put in it.

Thirty-five weeks today!! All my other babies were born sometime during the 38th week, so only a few weeks left I hope.   Since I wore this outfit on Sunday, I'm linking up with Rosie for My Sunday Best!

I'm at that point where only a few clothes fit and my wardrobe is somewhat limited.  I'm not one of those people who gets a super cute belly that is all out of in front, so I generally hate pregnancy pictures.   I have a long torso and tend to go all out the side, rather than in front, so I'm super jealous of everyone who gets the super cute ball look. 

I'll keep you posted on how the Special Delivary Baby Hammock works with our new baby! I'm really hoping it provides for some restful naps out of arms!  Maybe I'll even decide to use it at night at times!

WIWS - 19 Weeks and When It's *Probably* Your Last baby

Linking up with Rosie for What I Wore Sunday is so much fun!

 

Here I am at 19 weeks pregnant.  With a 3.5 year old Elsa photobombing the background.

None of these are actual, real, maternity clothes.  I'm wearing a a long, stretchy back shirt, a black-button down shirt, a skirt from Target and my trusty compression stockings. 

I know it's not very Catholic to say, but this is probably our last baby. That's not a proclamation of "I'm done" so much as a realistic assessment of what the future likely holds. 

I don't have any health problems really.....just this thing called Advanced Maternal Age.  I'm 38 now, When this baby is born I will be 38.75.  When I turn 40, this baby will be around 15 months.  I typically have long periods of breastfeeding infertility (like over 1.5 years), so unless something unexpected and sad happens (like the baby dies), it is unlikely I would get pregnant again before age 40.

And, it's really not that likely that I will get pregnant after age 40. 

Have you seen this chart?

Source

As you can see, around age 40, the fertility lines cross, so statistically more women are infertile than fertile.  Yes, lots of women do get pregnant in their 40s.  But lots more don't.  And, I was never that fertile to begin with....not even in my 20's.  I don't come from a line of super fertile women.  So, we're thinking this is the last one. Of course you never know, but I'm preparing myself for this being the last one.

It's sorta bittersweet.  In many ways, it's a relief.  I feel slightly ridiculous being pregnant and also having a teenager.  Dealing with diapers and high school at the same time. It's an odd place in life to be. 

But, I actually do like being pregnant (sometimes) and I love that first year with a baby.  I'm definitely a baby person.  Toddlers.....not so much.  But, I love having a baby and breastfeeding and all that baby stuff. 

When you're thinking it's your last baby, that pressure to "savor every moment" is really intense.  You know how fast time flies and you see a different stage of life up ahead.  A good stage in life, but a different one. 

I thought I would be sad when this time came, but I'm not.  While I am grateful to have this baby, I'm also fine with this being the last one.  I never said that before with any of the other ones.....I always hoped for more babies.  Now I feel very content with this being the last one.

 I've never actually taken baby bump pictures before.  I have very few pictures of pregnant me with the other ones, so it's nice to be able to document this time.  

All that to say.....hopefully I'll be linking up more for WIWS in the future. 

WIWS -17 weeks and my thoughts on Maternity Fashion.

Maternity fashions have changed a lot in the last 14 years since I had my first.  Thank God. 

Fourteen years ago, the options were hideous, tent-like hideous and overall-hideous.  I actually had a pair of maternity overalls....but these weren't denim overalls. Oh no....they were this velvet, dress-up, black overalls.  I actually used to wear them to work.  Gulp.   Let's just say, those did not get put into the "keep" pile.

Even besides the whole-tent like thing, back 14 and 11 years ago when I was pregnant with #1 and #2, most maternity shirts where of the empire waist style.  I hate that style.  It works on some body types...but not mine.  For one thing, it only looks good when you have a sizable belly...which for me is not until the very end.  I tend to not get that big while pregnant.  Not that I don't gain plenty of weight....I do.  However, I have a long torso and tend to carry my babies more around the side than out in front.  With all my other pregnancies, even at the very end, I could still touch my toes, shave my legs, pick stuff up off the floor and overall get around just fine, up until the day of birth. 

Thankfully when #3 came along, tighter fitting shirts with the ruching (I think that's the word) at the side came into style.  I LOVE those shirts.  I love that they work for ALL stages of pregnancy, not just the end.  They don't look dorky and dumb before the belly gets really big.  I love shirts that are tighter and show off the belly, rather than ones that try to hide it in loads on fabric. I don't look good under loads of fabric.

You want to know what else doesn't work on me, maternity wise.  Dresses.  Some moms can really pull them off.  Not me. I hate wearing dresses while pregnant.  You want to know why?.Of course you do, that is why you are still reading.   Because my kids are smart thanks to a certain anatomical part. (Or maybe it's just good genes).  I tend to think I look ridiculous with a big rear end AND a big belly sticking out of a dress. It's just not flattering. Only one side should stick out at a time...the front or the back. Not both.  So, I like the the break-up of wearing separate pieces rather than all one piece of fabric when I have both a big rear AND a big belly.

So, with all that talk of maternity fashion, here's what I wore today.  17 week baby bump. Only 3 more weeks until we get to find out.  I DEFINITELY want to know early.  For sure. Not even a question.  I do NOT get the whole surprise thing. 

Actually, none of these clothes are maternity clothes. The jacket is from ThredUp.  The skirt is from target.  The shirt is old and from a store that is now out of business. The boots are Zulily.  And the tights are super sexy, medical-grade compression stockings from Discount Surgical because when you get to be old like me, you have to deal with varicose veins. 

One of my favorite bloggers, Rosie, is hosting What I Wore Sunday.  Check her out.

House of Mirrors, Body Image and Weight Loss (and WIWS).

We moved into our home just under two months ago.

When we first moved, I was a bit shocked at how many mirrors are in this house.  You see....prior to this, we didn't own any full-length mirrors.  We just had over the sink bathroom mirrors and one dresser mirror, that was at most a half-length mirror. 

Nothing full-length at all. 

Then we moved here, and the prior owners must have really liked mirrors, because there are a ton.

Which was a bit of a shock.  There is nothing like being forced to stare at yourself constantly throughout the day, to make you really think about your body. 

There is the really large mirror in the living room. 

You know how some mirrors make you look bigger and some are more slenderizing.  This one is definitely a fat mirror (and a dirty, smudged mirror....oops).

Then there is the mirror you see when you come downstairs.

Nothing like a full-length view of yourself, when you walk downstairs in the morning.

There is the mirror on the vanity in the master bedroom.  

This one I like...because it is attached to the vanity and since is not at a perfect 90 degree angle, it is a skinny mirror.

And, we can't forget the mirrors behind the closets in the 2 bedrooms.  Those are what I use to get dressed in the morning.   They are also "fat mirrors".  I think all the mirrors in the house are fairly old, and as mirrors get old, they sag ever so slightly, which makes the person look just a bit shorter and wider.  Not flattering. 

Being faced with all these mirrors day in and day out has really made me think about my body.   It's the first time in my life that I've really lived like this.

I kinda like it.  You see before, I never had any full-length mirrors ,so I when I would see myself fin a dressing room or bathroom, it was a bit of shock.   And depressing. I didn't really know what I looked like.

It was the main reason I did what I wore Sunday photos  for so long.....it was the easiest way for me to actually see what I looked like.  I haven't been posting what I wore Sunday recently, because I haven't had to.  I don't need to take pictures of myself to force me to look at my own body and face myself.  I do it everyday now.   Except I am linking up today....because I took all those pictures today...and I'm wearing what I wore today..Sunday. 

It's actually been a good thing.  It's helped me pick out clothes that are more flattering.  It's helped me accept my body more.  And, it's helped me on my (very slow) weight loss goals.   And, I do mean, very slow.   I don't believe in drastic weight loss changes.  I don't believe in 21-day fixes or temporary low-carb diets.  Those things don't work for me.  What I've been focusing on is slowly changing my habits.  Eating more slowly and mindfully (putting my fork down between every bite is huge). It's amazing how much more satisfied I feel with less food, when I eat slowly.  AMAZING.  Eating more vegetables and being aware of caloric density.  Mixing more caloric-ly dense foods with foods which are very caloric-ly lean (like mixing pasta with shredded zucchini and topping the whole thing with tomato sauce and cheese).  That is my new favorite way to eat pasta (one of this Italian girl's favorite foods).  The zucchini tastes better and the pasta is a lot more satisfying.  

Living in a house of mirrors has improved my body image.  I'm forced to face myself...imperfections and all...every day.   That is a good thing.  I can't hide from reality, which is good.  It makes it so much easier to say no to chocolate or that second helping. 

What about you?  Do you have any full-length mirrors?  How have they affected your body image?  What about weight loss?

And..this is the LAST of my promised posts.   Don't worry...I'll still keep blogging. You can't get rid of me that easily. 

Out damn'd spot! Out I say!

No..not bloodstains.  Chocolate stains.

We seem to have a problem with chocolate stains.   It's the one stain I can never get out.

Many a children's clothes have been tossed due to ever persistent chocolate stains that refuse to leave.

This past week, I've been on a quest to remove the chocolate stains from a certain toddler's clothing.  Why?  I don't know. I've just had the urge to de-stain her clothing for some reason. 

I've soaked them in oxy-clean.  I've used dish detergent and milk and carpet cleaner... but still those spots persisted.  Those stubborn, set-in, gone through the dryer several times, spots remained.   

Finally I found something that worked.

Is it bad for our clothes.....no doubt.  Will it poison our skin.  Probably.  But hey..the damn'd spots are out.   And of course, don't use this yourself unless you test it on small, inconspicuous portion of clothing first.  I'm not responsible if you ruin your clothes.  But since our clothes were headed for the trash bin anyway, I wasn't worried about it. 

And since this post is about laundry, which is about clothes, it's the perfect segue to lead into what I wore Sunday. 

Which is this.

Apparently you are supposed to wear Red on Palm Sunday.  I never knew that, but all the other bloggers are doing it, so it must be true.

Pink is close enough, right?

So, not my best outfit.  I have a love-hate relationship with that skirt.  I love how comfortable it is, but I hate the way it looks on me....but I love how comfortable it is, but I hate the way it looks. And sadly, I can't really see how it looks until I take a picture, because I do not own a full-length mirror.   So, I think I may be donating that skirt.  I'm just not a fan of the way flared skirts look on me. 

Anyway...I won't tell you where I got everything, because I doubt you'd want to re-create this outfit, and even if you wanted to, you couldn't.  Because I don't even know where I got everything. So there. 

No go see FLAP for more WIWS. 

7 Quick Takes Friday -Updates

1. Heidi's back pain is completely gone and she had her (hopefully) last doctor appointment today.  She still has three more weeks of antibiotics, but everything looks good, her lab results are normal and the pain is gone.  So that's good news. 

2. We're still looking for a house and a job and a place to start a solo practice.  We keep changing locations and areas.  However, we *may* have finally settled on an area (or course we'll probably change our mind AGAIN) and yesterday we looked at a house I really like.  It's a foreclosure, so needs some work and we'd have to see how much and what it would cost and all that. But it's a definite possibility.  

3. To make things more complicated, Ben had in interview on Wednesday, so if he were to get that job, we'd move to a totally different area.  We are betwixt and between. 

4. We finally joined the modern age and got smartphones.  We used to have a landline and then cheap tracphone cellphones. Then we discovered Republic Wireless...and their plans are super cheap. You can get unlimited talk/text/data on 3G for 25/month, unlimited talk/text on 3G and data on wifi for 10/month and unlimited talk/text/data on wifi for 5/month.  So for 5/month you can essentially get the equivalent of a landline in a smartphone if you have wifi.  We were paying like 20/month for our landline before. This sounds like a commercial, but sadly I am getting no compenstaion for this post.  I am telling you though that I am now on instagram.  So you can follow me there and see all sorts of lovely pictures like this one.  Because I know you missed seeing What I Wore Sunday when I didn't blog it.

Or this one..which I randomly found on my phone.

5. I'm going to a Catholic Women's Blogging Conference in South Bend tomorrow and I'm ridiculously excited!  Not only do I get to meet some wonderful ladies that live inside my computer, but I get a WHOLE DAY without ANY kids.

  

6. I love Downton Abbey but I can never stay awake to watch an entire episode.  In fact, it pretty much takes me 3 nights to watch one episode because I'm good for about 20 minutes before I start snoring.  Still haven't finished the season finale yet.  

7.  Although I have read everyone else's blog recaps.  Because that's the kind of the person I am.  The type of person who sneaks a peak at the end of the murder mystery to find out who done it before it's done. And I also read episode recaps before I watch. Because I have zero patience. 

(See Kelly for more Quick Takes)

Why I'm Not A Fan of That Similac Ad About The "Mommy Wars" and WIWS

You've probably seen that Similac commercial making the rounds. You know..the sappy one about the mommy wars where everyone comes together to rescue the baby rolling down the hill. Everyone seems to love it.  Everyone but me that is.  I'm not a fan. 

Here's why. (And bonus..if you read through to the end, you'll get to see what I wore Sunday. Or just scroll to the end..I'll never know). 

It assumes there actually are mommy wars.   Really, there aren't. Or at least, not anywhere but in the dredges of the Internet.  In real face to face interactions, there is no war.  Yes, I know the ad was an exaggeration, but it's meant to imply that these parenting topics (breast vs. bottle, natural childbirth vs. not, and working moms vs. stay at home moms) are actually more divisive than they are.  They really aren't all that divisive. At least not in my experience.   And, I've been a mom for almost 13 years in 7 different states.  I've been part of La Leche League and Mom's Club. Homeschooling groups and our informal friendly neighborhood law school wives hang out outside in the afternoon club (man I miss those times and the 70 degree winters!).  Assorted playgroups and church groups with Catholics, Protestants, Atheists, and Unitarian Universalists. I've been friends with moms that breastfeed, formula feed, sleep train, baby-wear, co-sleep, vaccinate, don't vaccinate, home-birth, induced epidural, working moms, part-time working mom, stay at home moms, alternative medicine moms, Motrin-giving-moms, spanking moms, gentle discipline moms.

Really..these issues don't divide real people in real life. Implying that they do just feeds into the so-called war which in my mind, was basically just made up.    

It assumes judgement where most likely there is none.

If you bottle-feed your baby..no the breastfeeding moms aren't judging you.  They really aren't. If you breastfeed your 2-year old in public..no people aren't judging you. Natural child-birthers do NOT judge moms who have epidurals or c-sections.   

It implies that moms can't have convictions and that conviction is the same thing as judgement.

This is what really bothers me.  Making up "mommy-wars" is basically saying that moms can't have convictions about their parenting and if they do, they are judging.  If two moms parent differently, then they must be at war. That's ridiculous. I've written before about the moral relativism of parenting.  I can get along just great with people who parent all sorts of different ways than me.  It's not war..but that doesn't mean that I can't have my convictions and they can't have theirs...and we can't all just get along anyway.

It closes down parenting discussions and mother to mother support. 

The number one way moms learn about being a mom is from other moms  We get support from each other.  But, now because there are so-called "mommy wars", people can only share advice or stories with a million disclaimers about how "this is just what I do and everyone does things differently and blah, blah, blah" and everyone is so scared of being seen as judgemental that they can't actually share advice or experience and no one gets support.

It feeds into stereotypes.
That moms who follow certain practices behave a certain way. It's meant to end the wars, but ultimately it just fuels them. In my opinion, if people really want to end the "mommy wars", they should stop seeing war and division where there is none. 

It's Sappy. I don't like sappy commercials.  Just my own personal preference.  Not a fan of the sap.  

____________________________________________

Different note...I'm excited to link-up for What I Wore Sunday.  My favorite link-up.             

Yes, I braved the snow.  And everything I'm wearing is thrifted...the jacket is from ThredUp.  The rest is from an actual brick and mortar thrift store.  I really like this outfit..maybe because I'm wearing one of only two patterned shirts I own. And, I love those pants..I really need to wear them more often.                           

What I Wore Sunday - Figuring Out My Style

What I Wore Sunday is back and under new management! That is definitely my favorite link-up.  I love seeing everyone else's outfits and finding inspiration.

Here's what I wore. 

Jacket:  ThredUp (use my link and you get a free $10 if this is your first time shopping..and so do I)

Shirt: Don't even know..it's so old, but I think it's thrifted.

Skirt: Also thrifted

Leggings: My daughter's drawer.  No seriously..Target.  But, I really did borrow them from my oldest daughter.

Boots: Payless. 

I know, I know...brown boots with black leggings.  Probably not the best look.  But they are the only tall boots I own.

Anyway...let's talk about style. Looking at that outfit, it could probably use one more piece.  Either a necklace or a scarf.  But, I always feel awkward wearing a scarf or a necklace. I definitely tend to be more on the boring side when it comes to clothes. I love black. 

I've been working on finding my own style lately. I hate patterns, so I have almost no clothes that are patterned. I like denim and boots and red...especially red with denim.  I guess that makes me sorta country.  Except I hate plaid. I mean, I hate plaid now.  I was actually wearing a plaid shirt for my high school senior picture. Ugh! It was the mid-90's...cut me some slack here. I'd show you the picture, but it's just something that should not be immortalized on the Internet.  

What about you? Do you have a style?  What types of clothing do you like?

ONE simple trick to help toddlers and young kids behave at Mass (+ WIWS)

I've been reading a lot of blog posts floating around recently about helping toddlers and young kids behave at Mass. 

Unfortunately though NONE of them mentioned  my ONE simple trick that if we can pull if off, works for our toddlers and young kids almost 100% of the time to ensure good Mass behavior. 

That's right folks.  

With OUR kids, this trick works close to 100% of the time to ensure good Mass behavior. 

YOUR  results may vary.

Are you ready for the ONE simple trick that almost always works for us?

Just send me $19.95...and I'll send you my one simple trick!

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Kidding, kidding.  Because I'm so nice, I'm going to tell you it for free (but I'll take $19.95 if you want to send it to me anyway). 

Here's our trick!

BOX THEM IN WITH STRANGERS

Just be sure to sit with strangers in front of you, strangers behind you, strangers to the left of you and strangers to the right of you. 

They don't even have to be strange strangers.  Perfectly normal strangers work great too. 

That's right DON'T sit on the end, sit in the middle of the pew.  And sit the "problem child(ren)" next to the stranger. 

If your kids are anything like mine, they will be too shy to misbehave sitting in such close proximity to A STRANGER.  

I'm pretty sure this is my toddler's thoughts process when sitting right next to A STRANGER. 

I can't talk, I can't cry, I can't move, I can't do anything other than cling to mommy or daddy because that strange person there might notice me and if they do, they might kidnap me and sell me to the gypsies where I will never, ever get ice cream or nana again.  That would be terrible. 

And that's pretty much what my kids do, for the entire Mass...quietly sit on our lap because they are too shy to be loud or talk or try to climb past A STRANGER.

If your kids aren't shy like that...sorry...I've got nothing.  

But it works for us. 

If you want to read more of my posts about children at church, check out. 

My Thoughts on Cry Rooms. 

Dear Parents of Young Kids in Church. 

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And here's a picture of What I Wore today and our running toddler who did not run around at Mass today, because she hates strangers. 

The shirt is from Twice (which is an online thrift store).  I just tried them and love them.  If you buy something through that link, we each get $10.  So, you can go get a free shirt or something. And they offer free returns with store credit.  So, you're bound to find something you like. 

The skirt was passed on to me by a friend (my husband hates that skirt, but I love it). 

And, we won't talk about my shoes because you can't really see them in the picture anyway but rest assured I did wear shoes to Mass today. 

You can see more Sunday fashions at Fine Linen and Purple

Why I Don't (Usually) Wear Sunglasses and Other Dumb Stuff about Me (Plus What I Wore)

Linking up with Kendra for her last Answer Me This before she retires the whole thing for the time being.  So here are this week's questions and answers. 

1. What is your favorite picture book?

I really love this book. 

And this one. 

This is such a fun poem book.

There are both really fun books to read aloud and generally I'm not a fan of reading aloud, so I appreciate any book that makes it more fun.

2. Are you a boycotter?

No, not really.  I don't really have any strong feelings on boycotting one way or the other but we generally choose which businesses to patronize based on a few factors (cost, location, and what they carry) and I just don't bother with adding in another factor about what other companies they they might or might not support in a tangential way (plus it seems to keep changing and I read conflicting reports). So as long as I'm not directly giving my money to a place I don't support or don't agree with, I don't really worry about it. 

3. How do you feel about cheese?

I'm a big fan of cheese.  All types (except fake cheese..can't stand that stuff). I don't eat gluten for health reasons, but I'm so glad I can eat cheese, because giving up cheese would be way, way, way harder than giving up gluten. 

4. How many pairs of sunglasses do you own?

I think we may have 2 or 3 pairs lying around.  I very, very rarely wear sunglasses (only if I'm someplace where the sun is unusually bright..like the ocean during midday) and even then I frequently don't wear them.  There are a few reasons for this. 

1) I wear glasses...I sorta need them to see and I think sunglasses that are big enough to fit over my glasses look dorky on me.  And, I don't like the look of those sun-darkening prescription glasses.  I just think that people who wear them look a little...um...shady.  No offense to anyone who wears them...I just don't care for them. 

Plus, I'm crazy and believe everything I read on the Internet.  Just kidding.  But, I did read that sunglasses interfere with how your eyes (and consequently your brain) interpret the amount of light and this can have negative consequences on mood and burning.  Melanin production is triggered by sun on skin, but I wouldn't be surprised if the eyes and how much light they perceive play a role as well. Sunglasses interfere with the brain's perception of the amount of light there is (making your brain think you are in a darker environment) and consequently some of the mood-increasing benefits of sunlight may be lost. 

Makes sense to me anyway.

Plus, before I got regular glasses, I used to wear sunglasses all the time and my eyes got SO SENSITIVE to the sun.  I mean, I would have to wear sunglasses to drive even on cloudy days or rainy days.  It was crazy.  When I stopped wearing sunglasses every time I stepped out of the house, it was a big adjustment, but over time my eyes got less and less sensitive to the sun and now most of the time I don't even feel that I need them.

5. How long has it been since you went to the dentist?

It was about 8 months ago. And that visit inspired this rant. 

6. If you could visit any religious site in the world, where would you go? 

Seeing as how I've never been to any religious sites anywhere, I have no idea.  Probably the Vatican. 

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Now for What I Wore Today...(with a photobombing toddler). 

shirt: thrifted
skirt: Old Navy
shoes: payless

I had a hard time deciding what to wear today.  Ended up with a black/white theme.  Original.   We went to Mass at a friary for a special occasion and the friary has a "modesty policy" (ie. no sleeveless) and no air-conditioning...so I had to dress to be modest but also not overheat.  Of course, I'm just a big wimp when it comes to the heat, because while I was all worried about being too hot, my husband wore a shirt and tie, and the friars and sisters wear wool habits.  So yeah...I feel a little guilty that I even worry about getting too hot.  Anyway.

Go see FLAP for more Sunday outfits.