Sleeping in...

Ahhh - I remember the days (pre-kids) when we slept "in". For my husband and me, that meant sleeping until 9. That was about as late as we could do. Now, I'd give anything for 7. My kids seem to think getting up between 6 and 6:30 is a great time to start the day. Of course, they get to nap during the day. I keep thinking that we will nap when they nap, but somehow that becomes the time to power through some chores. Chores that would go faster without extra help, if you know what I mean.

And I imagine there will be a day when I am begging them to get up - or serving lunch before I see hide nor hair of any of them. And I imagine there will be a day when they won't want to cuddle with me in the morning, or the afternoon...and even getting a hug will be a great feat. And I imagine there will be a day when I am clamoring for even a half hour of their time.

So I imagine that for now, I should be happy we are up at 6.

Skiing in Colorado

Most people think of Colorado and think "snow". But that is only the high country. Living in the front range or west of Denver is like living in a vacation land. Over 300 sunny days a year (you don't know what it's like NOT to have sun until you come here), practically zero humidity and beautiful mountains to gaze at all day long. 30 degrees here is not like 30 degrees to the east. You barely need a jacket. Whenever we visit family and friends back east, I can't wait to come home. I have become "soft". When I am east, I miss the sun, I miss the dryness and I can't stand all the bugs and rain that goes with it. We only get 12 inches of rain here in Denver. The rest is snow. And the amazing part is that one day it is cold enough to snow but the next it is 20 degrees warmer so it all melts. It is snow you can enjoy - rarely messes up driving and is just beautiful on the trees.
And skiing on fresh powder is a huge improvement over the icey slopes back east too. If you ever get a chance, please come visit. You will love it.

Over-scheduled children?

Kids' schedules are amazing. We wonder, as adults, where we get to the point of having only 24 hours in the day to accomplish 15 million things. I think we start as children. We want our kids to be well-rounded. So we enroll them in various activities. One - to get them to try different things and TWO - to figure out where their interests lie. But am I the only mom going crazy going from one activity to another? I doubt it. I have now tried to find activities that span the age differences - to streamline the number of different places I am driving during the week. The girls are in gymnastics together. The boy goes to music class while his sisters are in school That is 2 activities a week instead of 3. But my understanding is that as they get older, it just gets worse. As moms, we do our best to raise well-rounded, socially responsible, kind and gentle humans. There must be an easier way...

Jon Bon Jovi in Denver

Bon Jovi is coming to Denver! Let me say that again. BON JOVI IS COMING TO DENVER!!!! You can take the girl out of NJ but you can't take NJ out of the girl. Of course, I haven't lived in NJ for 18 years (half my life) and I work quite hard on LOSING the accent, but one weekend back in NJ and it all comes back. It's like riding a horse. I know what exits to take, which highways, and what malls to go to - without even using my Nav system.
We (one other NJ girl and a few other Bon Jovi fans) are going to have a wonderful girls' night seeing him and reliving our youths. Of course, things change as you get older. When we were "young", we would wait in line for hours scrambling for any tickets possible. Remember when your parents drove you to the ticket line? That was BEFORE the internet. Now - getting tickets online makes life much easier. Besides, who wants to wait in line with their kids? And, depending on your financial status (aka babysitting jobs), we would pay for whatever tickets we could afford. Now we are going to try and see him from a box - with food and plenty of space for dancing. Of course, Bon Jovi would be great from any seat and any angle. Like wine, both his music and the band have gotten better with age.

Viewing the World Through Children's Eyes

My daughter (3) took a shower this morning. When she got out, she exclaimed, "Mom! The shower is all wet!" Once I stopped laughing and asked her more about it, I learned she was concerned her baby brother would go in and get his feet all wet. How sweet and wondrous at the same time. Yesterday, she cut her bangs. VERY short. I laughed, asked her not to do it again and then looked at her baby brother with his amazing strawberry blond hair and curls. Then I politely asked her not to cut his hair. EVER. I may never be allowed to have his hair this long again. So I am postponing the first haircut for as long as possible.
On the other hand, her older sister (5) has a new catch phrase: "Mom! I have a great idea. Let's..." She is learning the art of persuasion early. Maybe she will be a consultant or lawyer. Right now, she wants to be an artist like her Aunt Heather. That would be FABULOUS. Aunt Heather is super talented. Other days, she watches the Foot Network and then turns to me and says "Let's make that..". Some day she will realize I am no Paula Deen.
My one year old just repeats "mama" all day long. Which, of course, is a synonym for "gimme".

press, mommies with style, the mom buzz, tot trend weekly

Read about The Looking Glass in the press! Mommies with Style, The Mom Buzz and Tot Trend Weekly all highlighted our special offerings.

Football Playoffs

I have long maintained that I could provide great color commentary for Football games. Commentary that audiences - especially women - would understand. For example, last night's Saints Vs. Vikings game provided lots of materials. Here would have been my advice:
1) Coach should have given Adrian Peterson a glass of wine to calm his nerves. If doctors can prescribe red wine to pregnant women to slow pre-term labor, then it would have worked for him.
2) How many times does Brees lick his fingers before passing the football? I can't even walk into a hospital with my kids (who was their hands multiple times a day) for fear of passing on diseases, but he is licking the football and then handing it off. Yuck.
3) Everyone wondered why Favre didn't run the ball on that near-last play instead of passing it and getting picked off? What's to wonder? He didn't want to get HIT. He's tired. That hurts.
I was rooting for the Vikings but the Saints pulled it off. Now I am rooting for the Colts. Why? Peyton Manning of course.

Kids Helping at Home

My kids LOVE to set the table? Why? Because of the personalized napkins we use at EVERY meal. They make move them around to change where everyone sits, and it helps them learn their names and spelling. Also gets them very excited to set the table. Check them out: http://www.thelookingglassonline.com/kids-c-86/mika-bu-napkins-p-206

Saturday mornings

Saturday mornings with young kids are special. They come bounding into your room before the sun rises, ask for waffles from "scratch" and can't wait to start the day. They ask "what are we going to do today"? I am sure in a few short years when I am dragging them out of bed and BEGGING to make box waffles for them just short of noon, I will miss these days dearly.

Denver Health and Newborns in Need

The Looking Glass is supporting Denver Health's Newborns in NEed program. Denver Health provides healthcare to more people below the poverty line in the Denver area than any other hospital. Their Newborns in Need program provides new items for mothers that cannot afford to buy anything for their children. It gives them a real head start and some hope. We created a gift basket of our wash cloth, night gown and receiving blankets at 20% off PLUS free shipping for this wonderful program. Please help these mothers out.

Healthy kids

Being back at school after Christmas break means being back in the swing of things. And back in the swing of germs. Only 3 weeks in, and all 3 of my kids are sick. One with bronchitis, one with a double ear infection AND bronchitis and one with strep throat. $90 later, everyone is on antibiotics and on their way to being healthy...I hope. How long will it last? Our healthcare system may need revamping, but it isn't broken (if you have insurance, I realize). You can choose your doctors, change your mind and change your mind again. The practice I go to is AMAZING. Right on top of everything and a great bedside manner. Do I believe healthcare should be free? No. It is a service and not one to which I believe I am automatically entitled just by existing. But I can pay for it. Do I believe people who can't pay for it should have access to healthcare? The same quality as me? Absolutely. Everyone deserves to have healthy kids and not see them suffer unnecessarily.

Wash 'n Wear

Thank goodness for washable kids' items. Where would we be without it? We have been "sharing" viruses in our house for the last month (yes, time for the doctor). And everything that is well "loved", keeps getting washed multiple times - and still looks great. The Angel Dear baby blankets and lovies, or SwaddleDesign hooded towels really stand up to the test. Now, if only my kids were as easy to wash and stay germ free...

So much to do, so little time

With 3 kids ages 5, 3 and 1, plus my own company, keeping up is the name of the game. Thankfully, technology makes it easier, well, when things go wrong. Easier to reschedule, easier to cancel, easier to call ahead and change a reservation - you get the idea. I still love my old fashion Franklin Covey calendar. Of course, it only keeps me organized as often as I use it. Some days are better than others.
I need a new car radio and am busy searching different sites for the different components I need to get the job done - nothing is all on one site. This is taking a lot of time - mostly when the kids are playing or napping.
That is why a website like The Looking Glass is perfect - all the brands I love in one place. Makes shopping easier. Plus, I can add a personal touch and get free gift wrapping. The gift arrives the way I would want it to - if I had time.

Just when you think you're ahead....

...someone in the family gets sick. Then another. Then another. You fall like dominoes. As the kids get older, it gets easier. They know how to "find" the toilet. It is the one year old who throws up at will. But, what can you do? This too...shall pass. So, to pass the time, we are snuggling with our cozy blankets from The Looking Glass, sleeping and watching movies. What else is there?

Family Time

Well, stomach bugs are no fun. We got one when we were travelling east for the holidays and I thought we would be healthy for awhile now that we are back in Colorado. Unfortunately, we "got" another one. Must have come special delivery. But at least they come and go and don't linger. And, there is yet another benefit - family time. We have to cancel all plans while we "quarantine" our sick little ones until we are all better. So what do you do in the house all day? Some Wii, some TV, some rest, but all in all - some family time. Time to talk. Time to cook. We are using The Looking Glass cookbook - You Look Thin...Eat! to create some recipes. For dinner, we are making another family treat that isn't in the cookbook but who knows...after today, it might make it into version 2 - You Look Thin...Eat More.

Organize the House After The Holidays

Well, it took me until mid-January to get my house in order from the holidays. With the influx of "stuff", I needed to get rid of "stuff" to make room for more "stuff". This took some organization. I bought a bookcase off of Craigslist and used those canvas bins from Target to sift through the toys. And you know what? The girls loved it - they thought it was a great game to go through EVERYTHING and decide what they wanted or didn't want. They had to be reminded of their baby brother from time to time - some stuff was worth saving. But most wasn't. We had a huge bag to give away. Now, the new :stuff" fits in and life feels de-cluttered again.