My Cold Confession

Okay, I'm coming out of the closet (but certainly not out of the house) as a bad mother here and admitting that I HATE going outside in the winter. Not only do I despise cold weather myself, but I resent the hassle of getting kids all bundled up just to go outside, freeze, and bring them back in to unbundle. I mean, I'll go from house to car (warming in the garage in a very non-environmentally-friendly way) and then into a mall/Church/friend's house/etc., bracing the cold only en route to a warm destination, but as easily misinterpreted as this may sound: if you're not going to be removing any clothing when you arrive, is it really worth being there?

I'm certainly no mama bear in the overprotective sense, but when it comes time to hunker down for the winter (on a full stomach, no less) I wonder if I'm hanging out with the wrong species. (Though, as a bit of trivial research for you, I found out that bears who are pregnant or have cubs under two years of age actually don't hibernate. File that piece of useless knowledge away.)

And never mind taking my own daughters outside...part of my job (my least favourite) entails outdoor yard duty. I have no issue with supervising kids...I mean, I'm probably in the wrong profession if I do...but I'd rather do every recess, every day, in Fall and Spring just to get out of going outside in the frigid in-between. My life actually changed this year when I discovered snowpants. I'm not a hugely vain person (my toques and boots would make that very clear) but I have done yard duty for the past ten years without ever once wearing a pair of snowpants. This year, my new teaching partner was showing off her cozy Costco purchase, and offered to share them with me. Fortunately we never have duty at the same time. (I did try to get a pair myself, but they were all gone.) I also broke the bank for a really, really warm North Face coat, and I have yet to succumb to a truly painful yard duty this year. Just for your amusement, this is what I look like when heading outside for 15 minutes:

Actually, outside isn't always the problem. I'm thrilled to tell you the heat in my classroom was finally fixed a few weeks ago (after one maintenance man suggested that perhaps I should just gain some weight!) so at least I can now remove my coat when I come back in from recess, instead of teaching in a parka. Oh yes, I did.

I've never been what one would call "outdoorsy", even in fair weather. I can sit by the pool and read magazines with the best of them, and I do enjoy walking with my family in the nice summer heat (though I truly prefer the treadmill for individual fitness) but camping, hiking, etc...not my strong suit.

I truly do feel guilty that my kids are losing out. I mean, I have a lot to offer in other ways (for example the expertise that comes with being a teacher) but I count on their daycare provider and Frannie's school days to get them their winter fresh air. Reading books, providing arts and crafts, and encouraging imaginative play...that's more my realm. Fortunately for my girls, their Daddy is much more inclined to be outdoors, but unless there's a particularly nice (translation: unseasonal above-freezing temperature) Saturday or Sunday it's just not going to happen for me.

If I didn't have this silly thing about wanting my children to grow up in the best country in the world, I'd be heading south faster than you can say "snowpants". (Sadly, no one can move quickly enough to get a potty-training toddler out of said snowpants...)

Thank goodness the groundhog did not see his shadow. Maybe I can rejoin the land of the living this year sooner than I thought.

Lulu Photobooks: Review and Giveaway

Giveaway open to Canada and US.

When I was first offered the opportunity to make a Photo Book at Lulu.com, I actually hesitated for a few weeks. The thing is, I have weird organizational issues. For example, I just happen to prefer all my photos printed off and arranged in chronological order in photo albums. (I know, not only obsessive, but also very 20th century.)  For that reason, I'm not much of a scrapbooker - although since I was given one when Frannie was born, I felt obligated to use it, and did a very nice job of capturing her first year, if I do say so myself. (No, Maggie, my second child, doesn't have one. But she does have a regular old baby book).

I couldn't think of a theme or occasion to inspire a Lulu Photo Book until it dawned on me...it didn't HAVE to be about the kids! I realize all you enthusastic moms out there, clearly more devoted than I am, would use this prize to show off your little angel(s), but I decided to make it about my husband and me, and instead used photos from our New York City experience for my creative project.

It was extremely easy to get started by choosing one of their many themes (I went with "Graphite"), then uploading photos, and dragging them in to the book as desired.

(I apologize for the dark photos in this post - my flash washed out the details so I had to make do! Anyone looking for me to review a new camera??)

I love how you can change order of the pages simply by dragging, and change the page templates, deciding whether each page is best with one large horizontal, four smalls (a great way to summarize our Julia Roberts experience), two verticals, etc. There are spots for adding text as well, if you wish.

A couple of times the program shut down on me mid-project, and my contact suggested the problem could either have been that my photos were too large (I don't think so) or that I wasn't running an updated version of FlashPlayer (which is likely the culprit). My work was always saved, so it was just a matter of opening the browser window and logging in again.

My book arrived very quickly, and I was quite impressed with product. Except for the fact that I neglected to remove my red eyes in our shot with Regis and Kelly, the quality is fantastic. Mine is hardcover, which I find very classic and coffee-table-book-looking, but softcover is also available.

I would confidently recommend Lulu Photo Books.

Thanks to Lulu, I am offering one lucky This Mom Loves reader a 20 page, 8.5 x 8.5" hardcover Photo Book of your choice, which you can design and create to your own personal specifications!

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment letting me know what the subject of your Lulu Photo Book would be! Your baby's first year? Your pets? Christmases past? (It can also be a neat way for momtrepreneurs to showcase their products or services - not least of which photographers.)

For additional entries, leave a separate comment letting me know that:

• you follow This Mom Loves publicly through Google Friend Connect
• you subscribe to This Mom Loves through email (be sure subscription is activated)
• you follow @thismomloves on Twitter

Contest will run until 11:59 p.m. Eastern on February 24th, after which time a winner will be chosen by random number generation. Good luck!

Disclaimer: I was provided with a Lulu Photo Book in order to facilitate this review. Opinions are, as always, my own.

Winners: CSN and Cheerios

Congratulations to the latest This Mom Loves winners:

The $50 CSN card:

# 288 of 389

Kitty C. of Radcliff, Kentucky

Cheerios Prize Pack

# 3 of 94

Yuk Ching of Toronto, ON

There's still time for Canadians to enter to win Klutz Craft Kits from Scholastic (ends Feb 14th).

Coming next: photobooks and personalized jewelery! (Open to US and Canada)

What Every Baby's Bookshelf Needs

As a mom who's also a primary teacher, I'm definitely aware of the educational advantages of reading to your children on a regular basis, and from an early age.

Whether for the literacy value or just the bonding time, we all know it's important to read to our babies and toddlers, and I wrote "10 Books For Baby's Bookshelf" for the latest issue of Peterborough, Northumberland and Lakeridge Kids to give parents some suggestions about what types and titles of books to choose.

Some of these stories have tactile advantages, others get you singing or rhyming, and some are just classics that no baby's bookshelf should be without.

Check out the link, and let me know if there are other categories or favourite titles that I may have missed!

Wednesday Words

So, I've never hopped on board the Wordless Wednesday train, as "wordless" just doesn't work for me. Instead, I've decided to give it a twist.

I plan to bring you, on select Wednesdays, some valuable tidbits of the English language (or at least translations) that mean something to me, and hopefully will get you thinking as well.

You'd expect that the first time around I'd go with someone like, oh, Jesus, or at least some biblical figure, and I assure you (or warn you) they will come. Instead I'm going in a slightly different direction, and bringing you a quote I love from Tina Fey:

"I think every working mom probably feels the same thing: You go through big chunks of time where you're just thinking 'This is impossible - oh, this is impossible.' And then you just keep going and going, and you sort of do the impossible."

I'm forcibly restraining myself from connecting, explaining, and effectively over-analyzing this sentiment and turning you off "Wednesday Words" forever. Instead, let me just wish all of you moms strength as you continue to do the impossible today.

Kids' Crafts: Klutz Review and Giveaway From Scholastic

Giveaway open to Canadians.

When my contact at Scholastic asked me if I wanted to review some Klutz craft kits, my only stipulation was that I wanted something that my four year old daughter would be able to do. I know their Klutz books are very popular, as I see my Grade 3 students ordering them from the classroom flyers all the time, but I know many of them are for older kids. I wanted an activity that Frannie would be able to do with some independence, and be proud of her work.

Well, you should have seen the look on her face when I handed her The Fabulous Book of Paper Dolls by Julie Collings. ($19.99)

Now, this is a girl who asked me to cut the cardboard pictures of Disney Princesses off the back of her Advent calendar, and played with those cheap little things as if they were the most expensive toys in the world. Paper dolls are her thing. (Don't get me started on the questionable connection between Advent and Princesses or Spiderman. Do you know how hard it is to find a religious Advent calendar? But I digress.)

These sturdy paper dolls are perforated and ready to go. They attach with adhesive dots, which I thought might be a pain (mainly because I figured I would be responsible for all of the adhesing. I mean adhering.) Once Frannie learned how to work that part herself, she was on her way. The dolls themselves are a range of skin colours, and interestingly when Frannie made her first choice she said: "I'm picking this one, because her skin is the most like mine." How nice to think that her darker skinned counterparts can say the same thing.

The book is full of fashions, accessories, babies (perhaps considered accessories if you're a Hollywood starlet), pets, and even backdrop scenes for imaginative enjoyment.

Frannie has honestly played with this for hours each day ("This is the best thing I've ever had in my whole life!"), and shows it to everyone whose attention she can capture. "See what a lady sent me?" (My apologies to the male PR reps out there, but all review products are sent to our home by "a lady".)

If your little one isn't so much a paper dolls sort of kid, how about this:

Klutz Build-a Book: Why I Love My Dad ($14.99)

We're saving this one for another day (maybe my husband will forget about it by June if I put it away for a Father's Day gift) but basically it's a make-a-scrapbook type project where you can use the provided pens, stickers, paper, etc. to create a special Daddy keepsake.

If you're a hibernator like me, you're probably looking for some indoor fun you can share with your kids this time of year, and either of these Klutz kits would be a great choice!

And of course Scholastic is offering both of these great kits to one lucky Canadian This Mom Loves reader! To enter, simply leave a comment and tell me what sort of crafty activity your child enjoys most!

For additional entries, leave a separate comment letting me know that:

• you follow This Mom Loves publicly through Google Friend connect
• you subscribe to This Mom Loves through email (be sure your subscription is activated)
• you follow @thismomloves on Twitter
• you follow @ScholasticCDA on Twitter

Contest ends on Monday February 14th at 11:59 p.m. Eastern, after which time a winner will be chosen by random number generation. Good luck, and happy crafting!

It's My Blogiversary: Now Delurk!

Today marks the First Anniversary of This Mom Loves! I can't believe that one year ago today I published my first post (though I waited a couple of weeks before actually sharing the address with anyone!)

Now, don't feel badly if you forgot all about my special day. Stick with me for a minute, and I'll tell you how to make it up to me...and it will be quick and easy!

I started out just wanting a place to share my ideas and opinions, to make some connections and hone my writing skills. It has become so much more than that. The networking especially is incredible...and I have to admit I love being able to say "so, Debbie Travis was telling me...."

From My Very First Post to the enticing Top Five Signs You Won't Want To Follow My Blog, I was off to a good start. Some of my other highlights:

Are You A Hyper Parent? (On a related note, it hit me in June that my four year old was in dance, swimming and soccer all at once. Hmmm.)
Bottle Battle: Have You Heard That Breast Is Best?
Is Your Child Ready For Kindergarten? (Are You?)
Sorry I'm Not "Just Spiritual"
In Praise of Epidurals

It's also amazing what I've learned, not only about blogging and computer "stuff", but also about the moms out there. For example, apparently there are a LOT of people who love designer Sarah Richardson, as her Momterview gave me the most hits I have ever had in a day...by far!

If you want to see a year's worth of my own (Debbie-and-Sarah-wannabe) home decorating posts, click here. You may also want to check out all of my celebrity Momterviews, travel posts or my friend Krista's ever-popular party themes.

As a "PR Friendly" blogger, I love having the opportunity to try out new products, attend events, and share my opinions. Plus it's fun to be able to share the wealth with others through giveaways.

One of the biggest perks, though, is that it has given me a real sense of pride to know that I created this (with technical and design credits to Cebong, Eon and Leelou Designs) and I retain all editorial control.

Now, I must say that it's strictly a hobby. I haven't made a penny, except the odd gift card for participating in some blog tours, but I'm certainly not in it for the money. I get my rewards in other ways. And this is where my anniversary gift comes in! (Hey...you forgot all about it! You can hear me out!)

I've read that 95% of blog readers are "lurkers" who do not leave comments. I was a lurker until about a year ago, so I ain't judging. Little did I realize back then that bloggers check regularly for comments, and get excited when they realize that there are some, and people are not only reading their work, but care enough to say something about it!

I came across a great blog post early on called DeLurk Your Pants Off! (Though I'm not encouraging you to go that far. Really. Please don't.) But I do want you to delurk today, as your blogiversary gift to me. Be brave, or just compassionate, and leave a comment! Feel free to just say hi, or if you're feeling really bold, tell me something about yourself. If you have your own blog, I even promise to come and visit!

I can also promise a lot more information and fun in Year 2 of This Mom Loves, including an athlete Momterview, true confessions, and some great products for kids and adults alike - crafts, toys, cleaning products (I find that fun!) and jewelery (probably more popular!)

For now, you lurkers, it's time to leave a comment. Click on the title of this post if you're in your email or on the homepage and the comments box isn't visible. (Sorry to the pros, but I've actually had people ask me how to do this!)

Thanks for commenting and making my day...and thanks to all of my readers for helping me take This Mom Loves further than I ever expected...now onward and upward!

Cheerios First Foods Giveaway!

Giveaway open to Canada.

Can you remember the first foods you gave your bundle of joy? Perhaps you aren't even at that phase yet, and still need to decide how to proceed when milk is no longer enough. Where can you go for information? Your doctor, obviously, but most of us don't stop there. We want to know what the experts recommend, but we also want to know what everyone else is actually doing.

Introducing the new Cheerios First Foods section on Babycenter.ca. If you're reading this blog, it's safe to say you have a little one, and are therefore familiar with Babycenter. With both of my pregnancies I signed up for the weekly developmental updates, which were fun to share with my husband and my students. The site is also a great reference for almost any baby concern that may arise.

Baby food is always a popular topic. With Frannie, my first, I started her on bland pablum at precisely six months of age, and progressed through baby food vegetables, fruit, and finally meat before starting on chunkier finger foods (and yes, Cheerios were the first!) She sat in a special high chair and I used all sorts of ergonomically-designed spoons to enhance the mealtime experience.

Then I had a second child. The high chair was gone, and we actually put her in a Bumbo seat right on the kitchen table with us as soon as she could squish into it. Baby food? Forget it. I was so excited the first time around to shop for those cute little jars, but since I was already feeding a toddler at the same table this time, I just minced or pureed what everyone else was having, and she was set. Could this be connected to the fact that she is a much better eater than her older sister? No, probably she just takes after Daddy and Frannie unfortunately takes after her picky Mom.

The new Cheerios First Foods section on Babycenter.ca has great information, such as which foods to introduce when. I particularly love that the content acknowledges cultural and family preferences, yet makes the Canadian Paediatric Society recommendations clear.

There's a section where experts answer common questions, like "Is it safe to give my baby honey?" and "Are organic foods better for my baby?", as well as printable tools like a weekly caregiver food diary. (I would use that if a child had nutritional issues, or to monitor the introduction of new foods. I wouldn't expect caregivers to fill this out for every healthy child.)

You can also find some interesting polls, just to see how weird -I mean normal - you and your baby really are!

To celebrate First Foods, I have a Cheerios Prize Pack to give away, worth $50! It includes a Cheerios On-the-go Tot Container, Cheerios playbook, box of Cheerios, bowl and utensil set, and a $30 VISA cash card! (Put it towards some wonderful first foods for your little angel. Or shoes for yourself. Whatever.)

All you have to do to enter is check out the new Cheerios First Foods section on Babycenter.ca, and leave  a comment with your feedback. (Be sure to also leave your email address. If I can't contact you, you can't win!)

For extra entries (once the mandatory entry is completed), leave a separate comment letting me know that:

• you follow This Mom Loves publicly through Google Friend Connect
• you subscribe to This Mom Loves through email (be sure subscription is activated)
• you follow @thismomloves on Twitter

Contest is open to Canadians and will close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, February 6th, after which time a winner will be chosen through random number generation. Good luck, and happy munching!

Disclosure - I am participating in the Cheerios First Foods program by Mom Central on behalf of General Mills. I received a gift card as a thank you for my participation.  Opinions are, as always, my own.