MamaManagement

My little man when he was really little Something happens when your baby turns one. Especially when you know that it's your last baby. My baby turned one three months ago. And in the past few months he has started to show his independent self more and more. He is walking...he's actually running now. He is learning to communicate his needs and wants more and more. He is no long a passive observer, content to be carried around or lay back in the stroller and just take it all in. He wants to be out there, mixing it up, getting hands-on...and getting into all kinds of trouble. He still loves and needs his mommy. He ventures out to explore, then comes running back for a quick reassurance that I'm still here for him. But I can see the tether between us stretching, and it both excites and saddens me. On vacation a few weeks ago my baby decided, on his own, to wean. Now I realize that fourteen months old is a perfectly acceptable age to wean. We got in that full first year...

My most recent foray into the world of crafting for my kids was an incredibly simple project that went over surprisingly well with the kiddos...especially my 3 1/2 year old. Here's how it came about... A few weeks back I spent a little time working toward my long-standing goal of cleaning out and reorganizing our office/library. Every so often I get inspired and make a little headway...only to get distracted a short time later. Which is why this has been on my to-do list for somewhere around a year...or at least since January. Anyway, I was cleaning out some piles and drawers when I came across a pile of Christmas cards from last year. Obviously, during the annual January putting away of Christmas decorations I had simply piled up all the cards and stuck them in a corner...where they sat until July, when I randomly pulled them out. As usual, I had meddling kids at my feet while attempting this library clean-out, and they got interested when they saw this stack of cards.....

As we begin the hectic, but wonderful, back-to-school season, everyone is looking for simple dinner solutions. Well, here's yet another "go-to" chicken dish in our house. It's a very simple way to dress-up the same-old chicken breast. It's easy. It's fast. And, most importantly, it's delish. It's Grilled Chicken with Rustic Mustard Cream--which sounds fancy, and tastes pretty fancy too, but is so basic. Grilled Chicken with Rustic Mustard Cream (from Cooking Light) 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp whole grain dijon mustard, divided (you can use regular grey poupon too) 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp black pepper 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts Cooking spray 3 tbsp light mayo (or regular mayo) 1 tbsp water (Note: This recipe calls for grilling the chicken, but when you don't feel like firing up the grill, you can cook the chicken in a pan on the stove as well. Just coat the pan with cooking spray and cook t...

I'm pretty sure that I'm running out of summer. I have, what, two weeks left before Labor Day? And I am only halfway through my summer goal of reading my niece's top ten book list. But, since I am at the halfway point, I thought I'd give you all a quick update. First, as a refresher, here is Katie's top ten book list, which I shared a while back: 1. The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale 2. The Host by Stephanie Meyer 3. The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins 3.5 The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling 4. Divergent by Veronica Roth 5. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak (awesome!!!) 6. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi 7. The Secret by Rhonda Byrne 8. The Maze Runner by James Dashner 9. Princess Academy by Shannon Hale 10. Matched and Crossed both by Allie Condie I had already read The Hunger Games series, The Harry Potter series and The Book Thief prior to beginning my summer quest-- all of which I would highly recommend, by the way, if you haven't already...

We just had this chicken again last night, and I was reminded how much we all like it (Portia too!). It is an extremely yummy, versatile chicken dish that everyone will love...and is even "company worthy." It's called Rosemary-Fig Chicken with Port, but you don't have to make it with fig...I have used Traverse City cherry preserves and Stonewall Kitchen sour cherry jam (both are awesome) many times, you could also try it with apricot, or even a berry...maybe blackberry. It's such a simple recipe, so it's easy to play with. Go ahead and experiment with flavors you love! Rosemary-Fig Chicken with Port (from Cooking Light) 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp black pepper 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts Cooking spray 2/3 c. fig preserves (or other fruit preserves) 1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary 6 tbsp port or other sweet red wine Sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic powder evenly over chicken. Coat chicken with cooking spray. Heat large skill...

This post is really for my friend, Robin, who is days away from having her first child. She recently asked for book recommendations as they try to build their soon-to-be-born son's library...so, Robin, here you go! Here's what I've learned about books and reading with little ones since I had my son: all kids are not the same. I know, we all already "know" this, but I REALLY understood it, after having my son: from birth, every child is unique. Every child develops at their own rate and in their own way. My daughter took to books like a duck to water. From a very young age she would lay on the floor with us, attention rapt, as we read to her. And today, at three and a half, she is still that way. One of her favorite activities is reading...having someone read to her, listening to books on the ipad, and "reading" books herself. She certainly has favorites, but, really, she's happy to read most anything...she's just happy to read. I have foun...