To Think I Had To Carry a Paper Bag?

Times have certainly changed since I was the little man's age (eek some 28 years ago.) While many, many things have changed one of the things that has changed the most is that kids these days now have the coolest stuff.  I'm not even talking about all the gadgets, don't even get me started on that.  No, I'm just talking about the basics..food, clothes, and well gear. I remember wearing different colored androgynous corduroy pants every day of the week with a matching Osh Kosh polo that would come in  many different shades of brown, tan, and cream... and I was a girl. What do kids have now? Old Navy, Gap, Target or JCrew kids, etc... carry real people clothes. As in better/cooler clothes than most grown adults have. Way better than we ever had when we were kids and clothes are only the beginning.  

Let's take the lunchbox for example. If you were one of the lucky ones than you had a barbie, or wonder woman plastic lunch box. The rest of us? Yeah, well we had paper bags. Paper bags that were not only ugly, but were unbelievably environmentally unfriendly when coupled with the amount of ziplock bags that are needed to pack a well balanced mean. Kids these days? Well, they have the Goodbyn lunchbox, and now my little man does too (or will when they become available in the middle of August.) 

This thing is awesome and is just what I needed for when he starts school in September. It's BPA and Phthalate-free, made of environmentally friendly materials and is also completely recyclable itself. It comes with the cutest stickers so it can be totally personalized, and it is also dishwasher safe. I love how it has all the different compartments and the coolest thing is that it has a little spot where you can leave your little ones secret notes. How great is that? It's also small enough that the little guy can carry it in his little backpack and light enough that it won't weigh him down when it's filled with food. It's so cool that if I were still working I'd probably be carrying one too. Seriously. Behold the Goodbyn Lunchbox. 

And to think I had to carry that paper bag. Well at least I didn't have to walk 4 miles though the snow just to get a loaf of bread like my parents......

Hide and Seek.

The little man and I played our first game of hide and seek today. The problem? I didn't actually know that we were playing. Yes, I admit that for about 3 minutes today I had absolutely no idea where my child was. Yeah, today I get a D- in the parenting department. In my defense I knew that he couldn't have left the house and he had to be on the same floor that I was, but for the life of me I still couldn't find the little guy. Anywhere.

It began with my doing laundry. I locked both of us downstairs and began my business of sorting, pretreating, loading...etc. After a few minutes I realized that things were pretty quiet. There was no toddler running through my legs, no screaming to be heard, and there wasn't even any bed jumping coming from my bedroom. "This can't be good." I thought. I began searching the two bedrooms and bathrooms and even though it was only 500 square feet or so I still couldn't find him. I yelled out his name and still there was no response. I looked in his crib and noticed that his binky and bunny was gone, so I knew he hadn't vanished into thin air, but then where the hell was he?

It was right then that I head a  familiar little giggle coming from my closet. I had just been in there sorting the laundry so I couldn't figure out how I missed that he was in there. When I walked in I realized why. 

Before.

After.

As far as I'm concerned he's lucky he didn't end up in the washing machine....

Good Cop, Bad Cop.

I always knew that the Husband and I had very different discipline styles. He, being the more laid back one was clearly going to be the "good cop." Me, the more high strung one (to put it nicely) prefers things to be a bit more orderly, calm, scheduled, which in turn means I was destined to be the "bad cop" when it comes to parenting our son. Now that the little man is in the throws of his terrible twos these different styles have become much, much, much more apparent. Much more. If the Husband is the "good cop" than that means by default I have to be the "bad cop" and the truth is I don't always want to be the bad cop. In fact, I don't ever want to be the bad one, but sadly, I don't see anyway around it.

I have recently realized that since I am the one who is with the little guy all day long, then I alone have to be the enforcer of the rules the majority of the time. As in all the rules. Those of you with kids know that if you let one thing slip just once, or let one rule be bent/ broken, then there is an extremely high likelihood that it will bent/broken FOREVER. It really doesn't matter how many times you say "no," it's the one time you say "yes" that he is going to remember (don't you just hate that?) At least that's the way things go in our house. This means that all day long I am the one who has to administer time outs, scold, take away privileges, and generally be the bad guy. Oh, how I hate this role. The Husband on the other hand gets to be the one who swoops in at 6pm to save the little man from his evil (self inflicted title) mommy. They then get to play, run around, and the little man can tell him about all the "mean" things I did to him during the day. Of course there is no need for discipline to be involved because in that hour that they are playing the little guy is always on his best behavior. 

On the weekends things change slightly. By slightly I mean when the little guy starts acting up the Husband will inform me of this fact and then I am the one who again has to step up and be the hard ass. What really gets me is that when his Daddy does scold him or in some way punish him, the little man totally listens and does exactly what he is being told to do. Not fair I say.

 I've also noticed that my "boys" have begun to team up on me. I'll see out of the corner of my eye the little man doing something he is not supposed to (like hitting for example) and the Husband will begin some kind of serious coverup (assuming no one else is involved/injured) letting the little man get away with his crime scot-free. They then have like a secret smile and a handshake and bond over the fact that they pulled one over on Mom. Where's my handshake? Where is my "team." See this is why I need a daughter too.

I suppose in every relationship someone has to be the bad guy. The alternative would be the old, "wait until your father gets home," but the last thing I would want is for the little man to dread his dad coming home given that this is his favorite part of the day. Maybe the dynamic will change, and I can assure you if we do have a daughter it will likely be the Husband who is the bad guy, especially during those trying teenage years. So I guess for now I will have to except my role as judge, jury, jail keeper, and bail bondsman but one of these days I may just have to let the little guy out early for good behavior. Of course, this will only be when it was his daddy is the one who locked him up in the first place.

Do any of you have this same issue? Wouldn't it be nice to be the good guy all the time? 

Let Them Eat Cake.

What do I love more than anything else in the world? 

You may think it would be the little man, but you would be wrong, wrong, wrong. In truth, I, Yummy Mummy, would likely trade my first and only child for a giant cupcake. OK, I may have exaggerated a bit, I wouldn't necessarily trade the little guy, but I would definitely let them borrow him for a bit (or until my sugar coma wore off) for a killer cupcake. I am a self proclaimed cupcakeaholic and proud of it! 

My favorite cupcakes on the planet? Well they would have to be the uber-delicious ones that are only available at the famed Boston institution Party Favors. I can still remember the day, hour, minute when I first tasted what only could be described as cupcake heaven. This is why I couldn't be more excited about today's giveaway!

The wonderful folks over at BuyWithMe are offering one of you lucky readers a coupon for a giant Party Favors cupcake. Let me tell you, when they say giant, they aren't kidding. This thing is massive. It feeds 8-10 (or 4 if I am invited) and really is the perfect novelty to have at any party or to celebrate for no reason at all.

If you haven't heard of BuyWithMe you seriously should check them out. They have amazing deals (steals) that are updated daily and the places that they represent are places you would be going anyway. I am so excited to work with them to bring you some more awesome giveaways in the future so keep checking there and here for some awesome goodies! 

In honor of the little man's upcoming birthday (and subsequent party cancellation) let me know in the comments what your favorite birthday present was as a child. The winner will be chosen at random on Friday. 

RT on Twitter for multiple entries, just make sure to mention @diaryyummymummy.

As Marie Antoinette said, "let them eat cake," or cupcake as is the case here!

Good Luck!

The Sunburn Says It All.

This weekend it was finally hot, hot, hot here in New England (finally!) This meant a trip to the beach was definitely in order for the Yummy Mummy clan. Early Saturday morning we packed up the little man, a portable DVD player, and we headed up north chasing a swell that the husband was convinced was on it's way. When we arrive the husband went surfing (in the nonexistent swell) and the little man and I got in some quality time in the sun. By quality time, I mean we dug the biggest and baddest hole anyone had ever seen. 

Here we are about to get started.

The little man soon showed me how it was done. 

After about a half hour, every kid from near and far came to play in what will be deemed "the greatest hole ever" from here on out. Of course I put them all to work and soon we had an assembly line going. Luckily, each kid came with their own beach toys and after a while we had quite the party going. 

After all that digging the little man was in serious need of  some cooling off. He remembered his surfing lessons and hopped right on Daddy's board when he came in. 

He lost all the fear that he had when we last tried this in Costa Rica, and he happily stayed just like this for about 20 minutes. 

After a big thank you to Daddy for taking us to the beach we packed up the car and headed home for a much needed nap.

When we got home my sister, who went with us on our mini adventure, commented that she couldn't believe how sunburned her stomach got. I looked at myself in the mirror and realized all the sun was only on my back. Seemed odd, I thought.? Then I remembered how the morning was spent; she lying on her back, me digging a hole for three (yes three) hours. Yep, that's motherhood for you....I don't think this tummy will be seeing any sun anytime soon. 

Ah well, at least I know I can always have a back up career in ditch digging!

You Know, He Wouldn't Remember It Anyway.

I have made an executive decision. This year we will not be having a birthday party for the little man. Well, that's not entirely true. We will be having a party but it will be be a simple celebration at grandma's house with just a few family members. Birthday lite we will call it. Sounds perfect, right? I think so.

I came to this decision after I spent no less than 3 hours trying to find environmentally friendly fire truck plates, balloons, cups, etc. I finally found what I was looking for and was about to order the cupcakes from my favorite bakery when it hit me. Why exactly am I doing this? Certainly it's not for him. I then realized that we are flying down to Maryland on his actual birth date to visit my husband's family and I figured what could be a better place for a party? And by party I mean a few balloons, some cupcakes, and pizza; the three things that the little man likes most in the world. 

Last year we had a great party. It was more of a "housewarming/ birthday/ we had family in town/ yay, I'm pregnant" brunch, than it was a party specifically for the little man. We had out closets friends and family over over, and we ended up having a great time. The person who had the least amount of fun? Of course, it was the guest of honor himself, who really just wanted to be at the park. While I was making a list for invitations for this year's party I realized that 90% of our guests from last year won't be able to attend for various reasons, and that our two best friends and their kiddies are going to be at the Cape during this time. I could have moved the party, but then it hit me. He's two, he's not going to remember it anyway, why exactly are we doing this? In reality, we have the next 16+ years for parties and the last thing the little man needs is more stuff so why not just wait until next year? Yep, my thoughts exactly. 

So that's the plan. I may get the plates since I spent so much time looking for them and next year I will have the fire truck party of the little man's dreams. This year however it will be pizza, family we only see once or twice a year, and great-grandma's doggies. In the end it sounds like the perfect party to me! I find it hard not to want to go over the top for my first born, but in the end I really do think the "less is more approach" is always the way to go. 

Oh, I will be missing those cupcakes though.....

Whhhaaaaaat, They Don't Drink Wine?

On Saturday night the Husband and I are attending a dinner party at his Bosses', Bosses', Bosses' house. It is technically our first "big kids" dinner party and I am more than slightly nervous about attending. Why? Two reasons. One, not only are we are a solid 15 years younger than everyone else who will be in attendance, but, two, everyone else who will there are doctors. Not just doctors, but highly successful and well known doctors. Gulp. Given my two year hiatus from the "real world" and being immersed in all things in the "toddler world" I am thinking that we may not have all that much in common.

To make matters a little more stressful, the couple hosting doesn't drink. Not at all. As in NO alcohol. It is unclear if they will actually be serving alcohol at dinner, and while I can certainly last the evening sans wine (I think) I was left at a complete and total loss for what to bring as a hostess gift. Confession time. I only and always bring wine to a party. I know, I know that is such an easy out but really I just never know what else to bring. This has become sort of a joke between the husband and I, so much so that we attach these tags to the bottles we bring. It basically says, I realize we couldn't be less original, but here is a kick ass bottle of wine to drink while you laugh at us.

Well, I may not know much, but I do know that you don't bring a bottle of wine to a couple that doesn't drink. In fact the dinner invitation specifically says, we don't drink, don't bring wine, which makes me think that I should probably bring something else. I wanted to try to be thoughtful, but as someone who hates junk, any junk, I don't want to clutter up their home. I began thinking that we should bring something small, but nice. Something that I would want.

Enter the Jo Malone candle. I love these candles. I typically only get them for people as "thank yous" when someone does something really special for us, but I think that this will also double as a pretty nice hostess gift. The smell is not too overpowering and I think they are simple enough that they will go with any decor. The added bonus is that they wrap them up really, really, really, really, really nice so it takes the stress out of wrapping, and it makes for a simple and nice presentation.

Ok, hostess gift down. Now if I could only find a magic pill that will make me 10x funnier, 20x smarter, and would immediately instill in me Ms. Potter's rules of dinner etiquette than I will have nothing to worry about. On the other hand if I can just make it 3 hours without once putting my foot in my mouth, I'd be happy to take that too.

Maybe I should bring a bottle of wine too? Except this one will be for me...for the drive home.

Yeah, that's not a bad idea.

The Yummiest Mummy Of Them All?

A few months ago I wrote a post praising the style of Olivia Palermo (hate the girl, love the clothes.) Soon thereafter I got an email from the most stylish of all my friends a Mrs. A.D. who simply said that Meredith Melling Burke is where it's at. Meredith Melling who? I thought to myself. I then typed a query into google and found quite possibly the yummiest of all the mummies who may have ever existed. Ok, ok, I may be going to far, but this woman is beyond fierce.

Not only is she an impeccable dresser, a kick ass senior fashion editor at Vogue, and a style icon. But she is also a mum, just like the rest of us. Maybe not quite like the rest of us, but she really seems to be a woman who has it all; an amazing, exciting career and a family. Something that most, especially those in the fashion industry, have a heard time managing. Now I know that no one is perfect and you only can see what people want you to see, but from my viewpoint this mom seems pretty put together. 

Here are some pictures of her out and around town. It was unbelievable, I could have picked 50 pictures to put on here. This woman never seems to have a fashion blunder. Wish I could say the same for myself!

(click to enlarge)

Oh, what I wouldn't give for a day in this girl's closet. 

Yummy Quick Paella.

This may be my new favorite dinner. I'd like to say it's because it is so unbelievably yummy, which it is, but I think it is my favorite because it is just so damn easy to make. It's great for Summer given that there is not too much "actual" cooking involved, and the ingredients are pretty seasonal. Even if it is Winter where you live, the recipe calls for frozen and jarred veggies so you should not have any problem finding the necessary ingredients. 

We love it, and I hope you do too!

Quick Paella

Serves 4

10 minutes active time, 45 minutes total cook time

ingredients

3/4 pound cooked chorizo or any type of spicy sausage (I used chicken) cut into chunks.

4 tbs olive oil

1 1- pound bag saffron rice

1 9- ounce package frozen artichokes hearts, thawed and drained

1 8-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and sliced

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup white wine, or another cup of chicken broth

1 pound large shrimp, peeled

1 cup frozen peas, defrosted

2 cups water

recipe

1) In a large skillet with a lid, brown the sausage in the oil until crispy, about 5 minutes. 2) Add the rice, artichoke hearts, peppers, broth or wine, and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. 3) Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. 4) Stir in the shrimp and peas. Cover and continue cooking until the shrimp are opaque, 5 to 7 minutes. 

Only 5 Weeks? Perhaps I Should Get Started.

The little man is turning two in exactly 5 weeks. I know, I can hardly believe it myself. 

While I am over the moon excited for this milestone, I am also dreading it. Why? Surprisingly, it has nothing to do with him growing up. No, I am dreading it because in just 5 very short weeks I am going to be stripping my little man of not only his beloved babas (bottles) but also his first love, his binky. 

Well, maybe I'm going to take them away. The truth is I'm still very on the fence about the latter. Yep, I'm the wishy washy mom. I have just become that person.

Yes, I know he is two. It's time. The pediatrician and now his dentist are on my case about both. His teeth, his teeth, his teeth....I get it. OK, I get it!  The bottle I am OK with him giving up. Really. I am.  I have slowly been setting the stage that when we go to GiGi's (his great-grandmother's) house for his birthday we are coming home without any bottles. He seems to get it, and mentions it every time we talk about his birthday. However, I don't think he actually gets that when we get home there will be no more bottle in the morning. No more before nap, and (gasp) no more before bed. Nada, Zilch, Zero. Yeah, he really doesn't get it. 

The binky thing is what really throws me. I was a finger sucker until about 12/13 years old. Sometimes in public. That is the kind of humiliation that haunts a kid for a lifetime. This is why I pushed, pushed, pushed the binky in the first place. I have yet to see a 12 year old sucking on a passie. The problem is that he is now hooked on that too. We technically only allow him to have it in bed, but if I am being honest the thing shows up while we are home during various times of the day. It never leaves the house unless we are traveling overnight, and I really do try to be consistent about him keeping it out of his mug during the day. Try being the operative word. 

For the past few days we have instituted a new rule. Binky (and his bunny blanket) are ONLY allowed in bed. Only during nap, and only during nighttime. In 72 hours they have not left the room. This has worked pretty well for both of us. I guess my question is does he really have to give it up? Can't we just pretend like we did, and it could be our little secret?

What age did you all take away these treasured possessions? If you ever did I should say.

If you have any tips for this wimpy mom I would really appreciate it!

A Day At The Cape.

Even though the weather was not picture perfect, last week we still managed to have an amazing time down at the cape. There was plenty of wine, food, kids, and friends, and we were very sad to drive back to Boston on Friday leaving that picturesque town behind. 

While our visit was short we definitely packed in a week's worth of activities. We arrived Wednesday night just in time for dinner for the boys and some story time by this mum. (I'm guessing my future will looks something like this if we happen to have twins.) We then put the boys, and two little girls to bed and my good friend barbecued up a fantastic dinner while we all went through a few bottles of prosecco and some yummy cheesecakes that had made their way into my bag earlier in the day.

The little man was very excited about his new surroundings so of course he was up at the crack of dawn, and we headed down to the beach so not to wake the other babies who were giving their moms a much deserved lie in. Once the crew was awake we headed to the beach. My girlfriend belongs to an amazing beach club that is not only gorgeous, but is right down the street from her home. You simply pull up, unload the kiddes, and immediately you have chairs, towels, an umbrella and all the beach toys you could imagine.

We parked ourselves in the sand and the boys went to work. We seemed to be the only ones who braved out the wind and cooler temperatures, so the boys had the whole place to themselves for a while. I can tell you that they didn't seem to mind the weather one bit. 

Never to be one to shy away from a challenge, when an older boy arrived, the little man just had to try to follow him into the water. He was not as brave and ran back as soon as the cold water hit his little toes. 

We then had lunch at the club where we could again enjoy an amazing view of the beach. The little man tried his first bag of Cape Cod potato chips, and he is forever hooked. He has woken up every day the past few days demanding them for breakfast. I am usually able to hold him off until lunch, but nonetheless these have become a staple in our home. 

After lunch we headed home for nap time for the boys and play time for the moms. Sans kiddies we headed back to the beach club were a huge trunk show was being held. This place had everything, from bags, scarves, adorable preppy frocks, kids and adult decorations and even housewares.  While I didn't actually buy anything, it was a really fun event and it was so nice to be out with just the girls. We then headed home just in time for our little guys' wake up and plenty of play time was had by all.

We bathed, fed, and put to sleep 5 babies and again headed out the door. We had a great dinner at a local restaurant, the Five Bays Bistro, to celebrate our friend's birthday. The food was great, and for desert we had their speciality chocolate chip cookie which was to die for. Then it was home for some more girl talk and another early wake up by my little man. 

The next day after some pancakes we hit the road early to ensure that we made it home for the little man's and mom's much needed nap time. The drive was beautiful and we were sad that we had to leave on such a sunny day. Including an ice cream stop, we still made it home in under an hour and half which must be some sort or record?

After being around all those kids it is amazing how quiet just one sounds. For some reason the house just felt so empty. Guess that just means that we are ready to had some more voices to our chorus.

I can't thank my friend enough for hosting us, and I am hoping that we will soon be able to go back. Cape Cod really is one of the most beautiful places around, and even if it is only for the day we will definitely be heading down there again.

 Thanks Jaim for a great trip!

A New Kind Of Sorority.

What do you get when you combine 3 thirty something mummies, a 20 year old auntie, 3 two year old boys, and 2 four month old girls? Well, we are about to find out. Yep, we are going on a mini vacation. An adult sleepover of sorts. We are heading to the Cape!

One of my very best mummy friends invited us, and our other besties down to her cape house for the next few days. The sun is shining, the humidity is rising, and trust me, no one should have skin this white in the middle of July, so of course we happily accepted. Two days of sun and fun with the LM's and my best friends. What could be better?

I've been warned that there wouldn't be any Internet access, and therefore my trusty MacBook will stay in the concrete jungle, but I promise to bring you the highlights of our trip after we get back on Saturday. I just picked up some mini cheesecakes, and a few bottles of champagne so this trip is definitely starting off on the right foot! Once the little man wakes up we will be hitting the road and should be there just in time for sunset. 

In the old days they threw their bras up in the trees. Nowadays I think those bras would likely be nursing ones, and I have a feeling they will be staying inside the house. There will be no dancing on the tables (unless the little man finds his way up there) but I can guarantee you that us girls still know how to have fun!

Cape Cod or bust!

Turns out Jen Is A Poser Too.

A little while back I posted about how I seemed to have a certain "pose" when taking pictures, especially with the husband. Looks like I'm not the only one. Turns out Miss Jen Aniston is also a bit of a poser herself. Here she is in 2005 and again in 2009 holding tight to her "men."

If I had those two gorgeous men in my arms, I might not be able to let go either!

Sole Mates.

I know, I know the weather JUST warmed up, and the last thing you want to hear about is Fall trends, but tis the season for fall previews and I just had to share with you what is destined to be Fall's absolute hottest trend.  Is the suspense killing you? OK, I'll let you know but you have to promise to keep an open mind. 

This fall everyone (and by everyone I mean celebrities) everywhere (and by everywhere I mean on the red carpet) are going to be rocking over the knee boots. Over the knee boots? OK, remember you promised not to judge. 

I know what you are thinking. Over the knee boots? Yum, have you really lost your mind? When I heard this, I too first pictured Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman standing on the street corner wearing those awful pleather "hooker boots" (no offense to those working girls) but you know the boots I'm talking about. A guy's dream and a girl's nightmare. Case in point.

Love it or hate it, in just a few short months we are going to be seeing this trend everywhere. They've been all over the runways this season and all the major department stores are already featuring them on their homepages as a "must have" for fall. Luckily for us girls who are living in 2009, these boots would NEVER be seen on a street corner. I shudder at the thought.

The creme de la creme are these boots from Chloe'. Not only are they knee high, these babies would be thigh high on anyone who is shorter than 6 feet tall. Their price is just as sky high running about $1,300 dollars. Gorgeous? Yes. Practical? No. Fierce? Yes. Wearable? No.

I just couldn't justify the Chloe' boots, and believe me I tried, so instead I searched far and wide for my perfect match. After an hour of some serious internet shopping I found my perfect OTK boot. My sole mate I'll call it. These babies were almost a third of the price of the Chloe' boots and they are MUCH more practical. I can see wearing these with skinny jeans, leggings, dresses, and with knit tights. In short, with everything I own. I love them and cannot wait until the end of September when they will be arriving on my doorstep. These boots are probably the only thing I'm looking forward to in the Fall (oh, how I hate cold weather.)

 

Coachella OTK Boot

 

These babies and I are going to have a long and happy life together....and I'm pretty sure I won't be mistaken as a "woman of the night" in them which is a good thing considering I always have the little man in tow. Just in case I guess I should make sure the little guy has some bail money tucked away in his diaper....