1. My Moby D. -very very important! This carrier actually allows me to get "things" done! Laundry, dishes, mopping the store, making sales, printing orders...heck, even window washing! I love this thing!
2. Aden & Anais swaddlers- 4 packs? we probably could use an 8pack the with our charming little spit-up machine. These are the best swaddle blankets and are not too shabby as nursing covers, burp rags, play mats... there is always one of these in my diaper bag and the rest are usually in the laundry.
3. BabyLegs- If you live in the NE US area these are very useful. Leg warmers are back in style! My son's wardrobe is onesies and leg warmers. Onesies with leg warmers in the cool mornings and evenings, and just onesies during the rest of the day when the temperature is nice and toasty.
4. Fuzzi Bunz- Sweet! Even more bang for the buck. These are the diapers I purchased and used for my first son and now his baby brother is getting good use out of them. These are awesome cloth diapers! Just as easy and absorbent as disposables, but so much cuter and better for our planet.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
who stole my baby?
No, not really, but then again where did my first baby boy disappear to?
Almost 3 months into our new 4 person family dynamic and I can't quite believe how big my 2&1/2 year old son seems...
I first noticed it when I came home from the hospital with our new son, Vincent. 8lbs 8oz, but tiny in comparison to this 30lb boy that I was still hoisting up on a changing table and washing diapers for.
He is now in his new big boy room with his very own twin size rocket ship bed. Thanks, dad!
This week we stopped putting diapers on him and he started using the potty with out much fuss and few accidents.
Who is this kid? What did he do with the little terror that was trying to feed his new brother Styrofoam peanuts and biting tiny limbs just a few short weeks ago?
Number 2 is starting in on the action, too. Almost 3 months old and a real infant, no longer a newborn. Light years past the newborn phase... he has found his fist. i remember when Ferris first found his fist...2+ years ago, before the big boy bed, abc's, golf, baseball, bike riding,potty training...
Almost 3 months into our new 4 person family dynamic and I can't quite believe how big my 2&1/2 year old son seems...
I first noticed it when I came home from the hospital with our new son, Vincent. 8lbs 8oz, but tiny in comparison to this 30lb boy that I was still hoisting up on a changing table and washing diapers for.
He is now in his new big boy room with his very own twin size rocket ship bed. Thanks, dad!
This week we stopped putting diapers on him and he started using the potty with out much fuss and few accidents.
Who is this kid? What did he do with the little terror that was trying to feed his new brother Styrofoam peanuts and biting tiny limbs just a few short weeks ago?
Number 2 is starting in on the action, too. Almost 3 months old and a real infant, no longer a newborn. Light years past the newborn phase... he has found his fist. i remember when Ferris first found his fist...2+ years ago, before the big boy bed, abc's, golf, baseball, bike riding,potty training...
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
today, tomorrow, someday...soon
So, I'm due tomorrow and I am very ready. see. the proof is in the photo I snapped earlier. I'm huge and have cankles and can't even fit into friends shoes that are several sizes bigger than mine.
Instead of allowing the desire to sit on my butt and just wait for this kid to arrive I've been keeping pretty busy doing many many many things that actually should have been done a while ago. So, hey, all in all, it's working out well....this waiting thing.
I had hoped the baby would be coaxed out by the full moon this past weekend, but here I am, still pregnant.
This weekend:
-we painted Ferris' new bedroom and installed the new floor...so it's almost inhabitable.
-raked the yard and trimmed back all the hedges, got the garden ready for spring.
-actually mopped the house for the first time in, um, a long time.
-tons of laundry
-unpacked suitcases of spring/summer clothes and put away the winter gear
-bought a wading pool and child size gardening gloves.
-played putt-putt and went to the driving range
it was a really great weekend. lots of fun and pretty productive.
now it's Wednesday and it's back to work at the store. not a bad gig at all. just trying to get everything ready for my leave.....
soon, he'll be here soon.
ps- no worries, mom, it's no voc paint
Monday, April 14, 2008
if i were a celeb. that was photographed all day long...
i'd probably come across as worse than dear old Britney.
I'm due in just over a week and although I should be stuffing my swollen body with good, healthy foods in carefully balanced meals and preparing the house for this new little man, I am, instead, completely giving over to the sloth and glazed expression that accompany those final days? weeks? of pregnancy.
This morning, just as I thought I was doing great by getting to the post office bright and early to mail off our tax forms a man turns to me and says, " It's okay, I have a ton of laundry to do, too."
I smiled politely and left the place (with Ferris in tow) wondering what in the world inspired such a comment.
My clothes were clean...they didn't stand out as being unmatched or anything...i was wearing a bra...what in the world had this guy seen in me that made him think i needed to do laundry??
As I drove away I glanced in the rear view to watch Ferris intently reading his big book of all the vehicles that boy could ever dream of driving one day. My sweet little boy sitting contently in his car seat...dressed in his jeans, checkered vans, striped polo shirt and black hoodie with the glow in the dark skeleton torso on it.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, that old thing?
little does that man know that I dress him in that hoodie almost daily...even if all of his clothes are squeaky clean!
Would he find this unacceptable?
What other crimes of decency have I committed recently?
If anyone cared enough to follow me around today they would have witnessed:
-me eating a bowl of granola, a small mocha latte with whip... AND a muffin for breakfast.
-attending playgroup with my son and recoiling in terror at the sight of Michelle, our friend who was due last week, still pregnant. this could be me in another week!
- getting home, stripping off my stupid maternity jeans that not only look unflattering, but never seem to stay up and replacing them with stained sweatpants. also, letting the ladies swing free!
- for lunch: brie and crackers, half a bag of salt and vinegar chips, 1/2 a pineapple and 4 oranges. and in the spirit of honesty, eating this while watching the season finale of Rock of Love II.
i could have left that bit out, but man it feels liberating to admit it.
this is about as far as we've gotten through the day so far. The boy is napping blissfully and I'm trying to remember what I should be doing right now. I'm thinking about getting back into the dreaded maternity jeans to take him to an afternoon playgroup. thank god for playgroups!
I'm due in just over a week and although I should be stuffing my swollen body with good, healthy foods in carefully balanced meals and preparing the house for this new little man, I am, instead, completely giving over to the sloth and glazed expression that accompany those final days? weeks? of pregnancy.
This morning, just as I thought I was doing great by getting to the post office bright and early to mail off our tax forms a man turns to me and says, " It's okay, I have a ton of laundry to do, too."
I smiled politely and left the place (with Ferris in tow) wondering what in the world inspired such a comment.
My clothes were clean...they didn't stand out as being unmatched or anything...i was wearing a bra...what in the world had this guy seen in me that made him think i needed to do laundry??
As I drove away I glanced in the rear view to watch Ferris intently reading his big book of all the vehicles that boy could ever dream of driving one day. My sweet little boy sitting contently in his car seat...dressed in his jeans, checkered vans, striped polo shirt and black hoodie with the glow in the dark skeleton torso on it.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, that old thing?
little does that man know that I dress him in that hoodie almost daily...even if all of his clothes are squeaky clean!
Would he find this unacceptable?
What other crimes of decency have I committed recently?
If anyone cared enough to follow me around today they would have witnessed:
-me eating a bowl of granola, a small mocha latte with whip... AND a muffin for breakfast.
-attending playgroup with my son and recoiling in terror at the sight of Michelle, our friend who was due last week, still pregnant. this could be me in another week!
- getting home, stripping off my stupid maternity jeans that not only look unflattering, but never seem to stay up and replacing them with stained sweatpants. also, letting the ladies swing free!
- for lunch: brie and crackers, half a bag of salt and vinegar chips, 1/2 a pineapple and 4 oranges. and in the spirit of honesty, eating this while watching the season finale of Rock of Love II.
i could have left that bit out, but man it feels liberating to admit it.
this is about as far as we've gotten through the day so far. The boy is napping blissfully and I'm trying to remember what I should be doing right now. I'm thinking about getting back into the dreaded maternity jeans to take him to an afternoon playgroup. thank god for playgroups!
Friday, March 07, 2008
Are we really open? Is it Spring already?
Shima 105 Main St. North Adams, MA 01247
Yes, it appears so.
We opened our lovely little boutique, Shima, on Tuesday.
We've received some great local press and plodding along putting together our site, www.shimaboutique.com . We even had our first storytime event yesterday!
If we can pay the bills and eventually pay ourselves I think we will really enjoy running this little place.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
9 weeks... that's not so bad!
9 weeks left, theoretically, until our new son makes his entrance.
I hear from both men and women, "9 weeks? You're almost done!"
From the men I simply roll my eyes because I know they say this completely oblivious to what the last 9 weeks (or any weeks) of pregnancy feels like.
From the women, mostly mothers themselves, I know they are trying to be positive and cheery because they DO know what those last weeks can feel like.
They usually follow the statement up with something like, "...but they are considered full term by 36 weeks right? and even at 32 weeks they are usually good to be born with little complications, right?"
Hey! Now I only have 2- 9 weeks to go. It's that glimmer of an early, but perfectly safe and healthy delivery that keeps us all going at the end.
I still love being pregnant. It's an incredible honor and there is nothing I would trade for the feeling of a little person growing and moving in my belly. There is also something awesome about having this huge, commanding belly and loving it instead of feeling self conscious about it. I can't think of another time in my life when I've actually felt more beautiful and confident completely naked rather than clothed. Still, I can feel my fortress of bliss being slowly chipped away by a multitude of villains.
the scale- I know gaining weight during pregnancy is required and healthy, but my irrational mind still manages to make me feel lousy every time I have to take that step up onto the deviously accurate physician's scale... the fact that you have to do it more frequently the closer to term you are (and fatter you feel) is simply wrong.
cereal- it's not just for breakfast anymore. it is also a chaser to almost any meal or snack. why? i have no idea. it just is. am I right?
shoes- one serious perk to summer pregnancy has to be flip flops and light airy dresses. Since I live in in New England I am battling with jeans, sweaters, seriously flawed maternity jackets (thanks a bunch, the Gap) and worst of all, shoes!!! Lace up snow boots and sneakers. Zip up boots. They are all evil when there is a bowling ball of elbows and knees fighting you when you try to bend over to get them on your feet.
February- The most wicked of them all. If February were a human we would not be friends. It's colder than the previous months and filled with snow and sleet and rain... sometimes all in the same day. February, I hate, hate, hate you. I was pregnant with my first son mostly through summer and the heat never bothered me much (must be living in Texas for so many years before moving to New England) but this winter is killing me.
I was fine until February came. Now I loathe every snowflake because it means boots and shoveling. Both very unappealing to a big, pregnant mama with 9 weeks to go.
I hear from both men and women, "9 weeks? You're almost done!"
From the men I simply roll my eyes because I know they say this completely oblivious to what the last 9 weeks (or any weeks) of pregnancy feels like.
From the women, mostly mothers themselves, I know they are trying to be positive and cheery because they DO know what those last weeks can feel like.
They usually follow the statement up with something like, "...but they are considered full term by 36 weeks right? and even at 32 weeks they are usually good to be born with little complications, right?"
Hey! Now I only have 2- 9 weeks to go. It's that glimmer of an early, but perfectly safe and healthy delivery that keeps us all going at the end.
I still love being pregnant. It's an incredible honor and there is nothing I would trade for the feeling of a little person growing and moving in my belly. There is also something awesome about having this huge, commanding belly and loving it instead of feeling self conscious about it. I can't think of another time in my life when I've actually felt more beautiful and confident completely naked rather than clothed. Still, I can feel my fortress of bliss being slowly chipped away by a multitude of villains.
the scale- I know gaining weight during pregnancy is required and healthy, but my irrational mind still manages to make me feel lousy every time I have to take that step up onto the deviously accurate physician's scale... the fact that you have to do it more frequently the closer to term you are (and fatter you feel) is simply wrong.
cereal- it's not just for breakfast anymore. it is also a chaser to almost any meal or snack. why? i have no idea. it just is. am I right?
shoes- one serious perk to summer pregnancy has to be flip flops and light airy dresses. Since I live in in New England I am battling with jeans, sweaters, seriously flawed maternity jackets (thanks a bunch, the Gap) and worst of all, shoes!!! Lace up snow boots and sneakers. Zip up boots. They are all evil when there is a bowling ball of elbows and knees fighting you when you try to bend over to get them on your feet.
February- The most wicked of them all. If February were a human we would not be friends. It's colder than the previous months and filled with snow and sleet and rain... sometimes all in the same day. February, I hate, hate, hate you. I was pregnant with my first son mostly through summer and the heat never bothered me much (must be living in Texas for so many years before moving to New England) but this winter is killing me.
I was fine until February came. Now I loathe every snowflake because it means boots and shoveling. Both very unappealing to a big, pregnant mama with 9 weeks to go.
Monday, February 11, 2008
what do Gladys Knight, Ozzy Osbourne and the Old 97's have in common?
They have all sung the word, "train".
For my two-year-old son that is enough commonality to make a killer playlist. This is great news for me because linking songs together by a common word or theme is about the extent of my dj-ing talent.
My junior high mix tapes sucked. There was no flow, just awkward breaks from one song to the next (if you were lucky enough for the song not to be cut short before the next) and it really didn't matter if one song led into the next one smoothly...and mostly I was recording the songs off the radio. BUT this no longer matters! My son is fully satisfied with my mixing skills and so Ozzy's "Crazy Train" is unapologetically followed by "Midnight Train to Georgia" and everyone is happy.
For my two-year-old son that is enough commonality to make a killer playlist. This is great news for me because linking songs together by a common word or theme is about the extent of my dj-ing talent.
My junior high mix tapes sucked. There was no flow, just awkward breaks from one song to the next (if you were lucky enough for the song not to be cut short before the next) and it really didn't matter if one song led into the next one smoothly...and mostly I was recording the songs off the radio. BUT this no longer matters! My son is fully satisfied with my mixing skills and so Ozzy's "Crazy Train" is unapologetically followed by "Midnight Train to Georgia" and everyone is happy.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
2 days and a few thousand booths later...
My partner and I spent the past weekend at New York International Gift Fair scoping out some last minute picks for our store opening in March. Two under-dressed, pregnant gals zooming up and down aisles and aisles of everything you can imagine.
I can not tell you how overwhelming that event is...and incredibly cool.
Unlike some of the trade shows we've attended in the past this one actually had some separate areas for handmade goods and goods made in the US.....if they could have made these sections within a larger division dedicated strictly to kids goods we'd have been in heaven, but as it was we still had to navigate all the different venue locations to hunt down everything we wanted to check out.
I think we managed the event quite well.
1- we found some terribly cool new products that we haven't seen around yet to put into our store that actually fit our requirements of sustainability and trade practices! This is insanely hard to do at these huge shows and can be extremely disappointing when you find cool things you like, but they don't meet any of those standards.
2- we were only bombarded with one rude tirade about labor practices when we asked a toy company about their manufacturing facilities. We can accept that "made in China" is not synonymous with "sweatshop"... which is why we'll ask how much the company is involved in the production of their products.
The gist was about how we wouldn't want to work there, but it's not like they had limbless infants producing their toys. The whole tone was really condesending and aggressive and weird for a sales person.
3- we got to put faces to people we've only known through e-mail up until now.
A few of our favorites that are no big secret since they are already pretty big on the scene:
Robeez new Tredz line- I actually picked up a pair of these for my son last summer at Marshall's and everyone that has admired them since, has lamented being unable to find them, even on the Robeez site. Apparently, I was in the right time and place. They were one pair from a 5 thousand pair run of prototypes. The official line just launched this week. These shoes are awesome! My son loves his and my big fat pregnant self loves that he can put them on by himself.
Erbavivia- This line of high end natural skin care products is incredible all around. If the gorgeous packaging doesn't get you past the price tag the companies eco-friendly business practices will. The products are actually made in the US. The packaging is recyclable and the company is working towards 100% no waste, carbon-neutral manufacturing.....and they donate some of their proceeds to charities. I don't mind paying top dollar for a product when they go the extra mile. Isn't it nice to know the price is justified by more than just product popularity?
Pixel Organics- I seriously hope that we have the budget to include this kick-ass line of bedding in our store in the near future. It's organic, it's made in the States, the graphics are drool-worthy, and it's a bit pricey. I guess, most designer crib sets are pricey to me, but I've never been able to justify upwards of $300 for crib bedding. I could do it for this line of bedding....if only I had the $$!!!
Oh! And they just launched a line of infant wear that is really adorable and organic....and pricey. Sigh...It's good to want, right?
I can not tell you how overwhelming that event is...and incredibly cool.
Unlike some of the trade shows we've attended in the past this one actually had some separate areas for handmade goods and goods made in the US.....if they could have made these sections within a larger division dedicated strictly to kids goods we'd have been in heaven, but as it was we still had to navigate all the different venue locations to hunt down everything we wanted to check out.
I think we managed the event quite well.
1- we found some terribly cool new products that we haven't seen around yet to put into our store that actually fit our requirements of sustainability and trade practices! This is insanely hard to do at these huge shows and can be extremely disappointing when you find cool things you like, but they don't meet any of those standards.
2- we were only bombarded with one rude tirade about labor practices when we asked a toy company about their manufacturing facilities. We can accept that "made in China" is not synonymous with "sweatshop"... which is why we'll ask how much the company is involved in the production of their products.
The gist was about how we wouldn't want to work there, but it's not like they had limbless infants producing their toys. The whole tone was really condesending and aggressive and weird for a sales person.
3- we got to put faces to people we've only known through e-mail up until now.
A few of our favorites that are no big secret since they are already pretty big on the scene:
Robeez new Tredz line- I actually picked up a pair of these for my son last summer at Marshall's and everyone that has admired them since, has lamented being unable to find them, even on the Robeez site. Apparently, I was in the right time and place. They were one pair from a 5 thousand pair run of prototypes. The official line just launched this week. These shoes are awesome! My son loves his and my big fat pregnant self loves that he can put them on by himself.
Erbavivia- This line of high end natural skin care products is incredible all around. If the gorgeous packaging doesn't get you past the price tag the companies eco-friendly business practices will. The products are actually made in the US. The packaging is recyclable and the company is working towards 100% no waste, carbon-neutral manufacturing.....and they donate some of their proceeds to charities. I don't mind paying top dollar for a product when they go the extra mile. Isn't it nice to know the price is justified by more than just product popularity?
Pixel Organics- I seriously hope that we have the budget to include this kick-ass line of bedding in our store in the near future. It's organic, it's made in the States, the graphics are drool-worthy, and it's a bit pricey. I guess, most designer crib sets are pricey to me, but I've never been able to justify upwards of $300 for crib bedding. I could do it for this line of bedding....if only I had the $$!!!
Oh! And they just launched a line of infant wear that is really adorable and organic....and pricey. Sigh...It's good to want, right?
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Elderly Elvis, I love you too
When we decided to move out of Brooklyn and find a new place to settle down one of the aspects of North Adams that truly endeared me to it was it's abundance of local characters. A true Twin Peaks-ish charm that would make the absence of our Brooklyn subway crazies less painful.
Of these characters I have two favorites. Moped girl and Elderly Elvis.
Moped girl is a middle age woman with long ponytails. She is a bit on the large side and scoots around town on a red moped with her toddler sized doll "daughter" in an infants bike seat on the back...helmet and all. She is awesome. I love to see her at the grocery store, her doll child in the basket as they shop together. She is pleasant and kind and once in a while talks to us about tool sales or other bargains we might be interested in.
As for Elderly Elvis, I had only seen him from a distance until today. He must be in his late 60s-early 70s... trucker cap or leather cap, big gold Elvis sunglasses, leather vest and a wicked set of jet-black mutten chops framing his aging face. I had always assumed he dyed the sideburns black since the rest of his visible hair is grey, but until today I had no idea of the depth of his dedication to his hip, Elvis look. As I gazed at him across the row at our local Good Will I realized that while he DID have mighty impressive sideburns made of his own hair...a large portion of his dramatic black sideburns were actually penciled in with cosmetics! Yes, Elderly Elvis, you make me proud to live in this wonderful little town. I honestly hope that when I am in my "golden years" I still have the spirit to put that much effort into maintaining my identity and spirit.
Of these characters I have two favorites. Moped girl and Elderly Elvis.
Moped girl is a middle age woman with long ponytails. She is a bit on the large side and scoots around town on a red moped with her toddler sized doll "daughter" in an infants bike seat on the back...helmet and all. She is awesome. I love to see her at the grocery store, her doll child in the basket as they shop together. She is pleasant and kind and once in a while talks to us about tool sales or other bargains we might be interested in.
As for Elderly Elvis, I had only seen him from a distance until today. He must be in his late 60s-early 70s... trucker cap or leather cap, big gold Elvis sunglasses, leather vest and a wicked set of jet-black mutten chops framing his aging face. I had always assumed he dyed the sideburns black since the rest of his visible hair is grey, but until today I had no idea of the depth of his dedication to his hip, Elvis look. As I gazed at him across the row at our local Good Will I realized that while he DID have mighty impressive sideburns made of his own hair...a large portion of his dramatic black sideburns were actually penciled in with cosmetics! Yes, Elderly Elvis, you make me proud to live in this wonderful little town. I honestly hope that when I am in my "golden years" I still have the spirit to put that much effort into maintaining my identity and spirit.
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