Showing posts with label guest post. Show all posts
Showing posts with label guest post. Show all posts
Friday, September 23, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
Check out my Guest Post on Lessons Learned Today
If you get a chance go stop by and check out my guest post on Lessons Learned it's all about most mom's #1 topic, poop. Make sure to check out her site while you're there it's honest and hilarious, I know you will enjoy it.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
I'm being featured over at Midnight Mommy
Today I am lucky enough to be featured over at Midnight Mommy. My post is about Meal Planning and some beginners tips. While your there make sure to check out her site, I'm sure you will find something you love I know I always do.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Guest Post: Shiloh from Everyday Gameplan
Today's guest post is from Shiloh at Everyday Gameplan, she has some awesome ideas for days you are stuck inside with your little ones, be sure to check out her site especially on a rainy day when you are looking for something to do with the kids. Today she shares some great ideas for a kids birthday party.
photo credit: stev.ie
Sometimes it can be hard to find an original, inexpensive party idea that is also exciting enough to keep all your guests occupied. One of my favorite themes is a "Messy
Party." My dad used a "Messy Night" theme for a teen night one year. I was too young to join in, but I was allowed to watch. Honestly, I'm still a little bitter that I missed out.:)
Invitations:
Invitations should be simple. Mistakes won't matter, because your recipients will just think it's part of the theme. I would be careful though, because there's a difference between a bit messy, and Oscar the Grouch grungy. Also, don't forget to specify that guests should wear clothes that are able to get dirty.
Games:
Jello Marbles: Make a couple 9 x 13 pans of jello. After the jello is a little firm, add marbles to each pan. Have the guests retrieve the marbles...with their toes.
Banana relay: Give each team a banana. Have the first person in each team run with the banana around a cone and back to the rest of his team. The second person grabs the banana and they both run around the cone, holding the banana. Continue adding team members until the whole team makes a trip around the cone holding the banana. The last runner to be added then eats the banana.
Nose on the clown: Draw a clown face on a large piece of newsprint and hang it on a wall. Have players stand a distance away. Give them sponges soaked in red paint to throw at the clown. They are aiming to be the closest to his nose.
Feed the baby: One person sitting in a chair must eat chocolate pudding. However, someone else must feed them, and that person must be blindfolded.
Bob for ...Icecream: Hang an icecream bar from a string, so that it is about head height for your guests. (One bar per guest.) Guests must eat the icecream while their hands are behind their back. The first person to finish their icecream is the winner.
Refreshments:
Kids can make any refreshment "messy," but here are some other suggestions. Dirt cake would make a great dessert. Mix a couple flavors of Kool aid for a muddy looking drink. Instead of pizza, serve some spaghetti, but don't worry about forks.:) Cheese puffs are messy as well.
Favors and Decorations:
Prior to the party, splash some paint on a dropcloth. After it's dry, it's a table cloth. For favors, buy a bunch of large white T'shirts. Give them to the kids at the beginning of the party to wear, and tell them they won't get a napkin, but the person with the messiest shirt will get a prize.
This is definitely not an exhaustive list, but hopefully it gets you started with some ideas. Decorations are an especially hard part for me. What are some of the messiest decorations you can think of?
-Shiloh Stone http://everydaygameplan.net photo credit: stev.ie
photo credit: stev.ie
Sometimes it can be hard to find an original, inexpensive party idea that is also exciting enough to keep all your guests occupied. One of my favorite themes is a "Messy
Party." My dad used a "Messy Night" theme for a teen night one year. I was too young to join in, but I was allowed to watch. Honestly, I'm still a little bitter that I missed out.:)
Invitations:
Invitations should be simple. Mistakes won't matter, because your recipients will just think it's part of the theme. I would be careful though, because there's a difference between a bit messy, and Oscar the Grouch grungy. Also, don't forget to specify that guests should wear clothes that are able to get dirty.
Games:
Jello Marbles: Make a couple 9 x 13 pans of jello. After the jello is a little firm, add marbles to each pan. Have the guests retrieve the marbles...with their toes.
Banana relay: Give each team a banana. Have the first person in each team run with the banana around a cone and back to the rest of his team. The second person grabs the banana and they both run around the cone, holding the banana. Continue adding team members until the whole team makes a trip around the cone holding the banana. The last runner to be added then eats the banana.
Nose on the clown: Draw a clown face on a large piece of newsprint and hang it on a wall. Have players stand a distance away. Give them sponges soaked in red paint to throw at the clown. They are aiming to be the closest to his nose.
Feed the baby: One person sitting in a chair must eat chocolate pudding. However, someone else must feed them, and that person must be blindfolded.
Bob for ...Icecream: Hang an icecream bar from a string, so that it is about head height for your guests. (One bar per guest.) Guests must eat the icecream while their hands are behind their back. The first person to finish their icecream is the winner.
Refreshments:
Kids can make any refreshment "messy," but here are some other suggestions. Dirt cake would make a great dessert. Mix a couple flavors of Kool aid for a muddy looking drink. Instead of pizza, serve some spaghetti, but don't worry about forks.:) Cheese puffs are messy as well.
Favors and Decorations:
Prior to the party, splash some paint on a dropcloth. After it's dry, it's a table cloth. For favors, buy a bunch of large white T'shirts. Give them to the kids at the beginning of the party to wear, and tell them they won't get a napkin, but the person with the messiest shirt will get a prize.
This is definitely not an exhaustive list, but hopefully it gets you started with some ideas. Decorations are an especially hard part for me. What are some of the messiest decorations you can think of?
-Shiloh Stone http://everydaygameplan.net photo credit: stev.ie
Friday, August 19, 2011
Guest Post: Heather from Adventures of My Life
Today's post comes from Heather over at Adventures of My Life be sure to stop by and say hello. I know you will enjoy her blog as much as I do.
I would like to thank Jessica for allowing me to write a guest post for her blog. This is my first guest post. You can follow my blog over at Adventures of My Life. Be sure to come on over and check me out.
For the longest time I had no clue what to write about. I had to think and to think hard. After long hours of thinking I decided to share with you a little bit about myself and why I started to blog.
I am 21 years old. I am a wife, mother, full-time college student and a Independent Mary Kay Beauty Consultant. I am in my Senior at Nevada State College. I met my husband in November of 2007 and we started dating December 27, 2007. We had our son on March 4, 2008 and we got married on May 29, 2009. I started my Mary Kay Business in March of 2010 and have loved every minute of my journey.
I started blogging on Wordpress in June 2010, when I started blogging I had no idea what I wanted to accomplish with my blogging. My wordpress blog was only advertised to friends and family on facebook. I mainly used it as a way to update my family and friends on what was happening in my life. There were times were I didn't update for months at a time. In March of 2011, after meeting Holly over at Twins Plus One and reading her blog I decided to move over to Blogger and blog regularly. I have loved every minute of it and all the awesome people that I have met.
I blog about what is important to me and who I am. As well as events that happen in my life. In January 2012 when I begin my student teaching I will have be blogging weekly if not daily about my experiences.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Guest Post:: Madeline from The Charming Mad Chatter
Hey all! My name is Madeline and I run a little ole' blog called The Charming Mad Chatter. On my blog, I discuss all kinds of things. I'm a Christian wife, who is hoping to be a Christian mother sometime soon! My post is about things my husband and I have discussed while having the "maybe baby?" talk!
My husband and I have been together for four years. Our third wedding anniverary is in November. We've known each other longer than that. Needless to say, the "maybe baby?" talk has come into conversation more than the "what's for dinner?" talk. We're stable in our relationship, and we want to have children.
Therefore, we've started having the inevitable, what if and how and general decision conversations! I can honestly say that before we reached this point , I had NO idea there was SO much to decide. If you don't take it slowly, it can give you a headache just by overwhelming you. It's important to us to be on the same page with everything, and so therefore we are planning.
My hope is that by me sharing a short list (because the full list would take days to read), I help out someone help who is hoping to expect soon.
Cloth Diapers vs. Pampers : Now before you go all "ewwwwww cloth!!!!" on me, give me a chance! We've decided to go to the cloth route! Besides the bonus of saving LOTS of money, cloth diapers are better for a baby. Cloth Diapered babies have less rashes, due to the fact that cloth diapers have no chemicals, unlike Pampers. Another bonus is that cloth diapers are earth friendly. Disposable diapers take hundreds of years to degrade in landfills. So, less money, healthier and earth friendly? I'll take it! Also, cloth diapers now have earth friendly, biodegradable inserts you can buy, and are a lot easier to use than they used to be ten years ago!
Cloth Wipes vs. Store bought disposable: Okay, so I could probably use the above argument for this. Except I'm going to say that it's different. I'm not doing cloth wipes. Nope. Not happening. There are no disposable biodegradable inserts for wipes. Wipes are messier. Not as easy as cloth diapers. And plus, I figure that my cloth diapers will cancel out my disposable wipes. Some times you just have to compromise.
Co Sleeping vs. Crib: I have to say this was an easy decision for me to make. Hubs & I have decided that for the first year, we'll keep the baby's crib in our room, with us, and we'll have the baby sleep in the crib. I have no desire to be wandering half asleep down hallways, tripping and bumping into things. At the same time, I can't co sleep. I'm a very heavy sleeper, and hubs is in between. I know for a fact that co sleeping would be dangerous for us. The only thing that will really wake me up is sound (hence baby's crib in room), and I don't want to risk anything happening.
Breast vs. Bottle: This was not an easy decision, because it's one I can't make. And I hate those types of decisions. As much as I would like to breastfeed, I can't. I have some medical issues where medication is required. And while those can be managed for 9 months, my doctor has informed me that I have no choice but to bottle feed, as I will have to be put back on my normal medications directly after baby is born. :( So, it's going to be bottle for us!
Daycare vs. Homecare: I have to say that this was a no brainer for use. I know that there are some that are fine with daycare, and some that have no choice. I don't have any desire to let my children be influenced by other adults, and I want to be the one teaching them everything. Hubs agrees with me.
Homeschool vs. Public School: We haven't decided this. This is more like a "we'll cross that bridge when we get there" decision. We want to see if the schools have improved when we get to that point, and it also depends on some other factors. Dyslexia runs in my husband's family, so that's a factor. If homeschooling is best for any of my future children, than that's what I'll do!
I know these aren't every decision to make, but these were big ones for us! Deciding to have a baby is just the FIRST decision you have to make!! The first of MANY! I hope what I had to say was hopeful to someone today! Thank you to Jessica for having me!
Madeline
My husband and I have been together for four years. Our third wedding anniverary is in November. We've known each other longer than that. Needless to say, the "maybe baby?" talk has come into conversation more than the "what's for dinner?" talk. We're stable in our relationship, and we want to have children.
Therefore, we've started having the inevitable, what if and how and general decision conversations! I can honestly say that before we reached this point , I had NO idea there was SO much to decide. If you don't take it slowly, it can give you a headache just by overwhelming you. It's important to us to be on the same page with everything, and so therefore we are planning.
My hope is that by me sharing a short list (because the full list would take days to read), I help out someone help who is hoping to expect soon.
Cloth Diapers vs. Pampers : Now before you go all "ewwwwww cloth!!!!" on me, give me a chance! We've decided to go to the cloth route! Besides the bonus of saving LOTS of money, cloth diapers are better for a baby. Cloth Diapered babies have less rashes, due to the fact that cloth diapers have no chemicals, unlike Pampers. Another bonus is that cloth diapers are earth friendly. Disposable diapers take hundreds of years to degrade in landfills. So, less money, healthier and earth friendly? I'll take it! Also, cloth diapers now have earth friendly, biodegradable inserts you can buy, and are a lot easier to use than they used to be ten years ago!
Cloth Wipes vs. Store bought disposable: Okay, so I could probably use the above argument for this. Except I'm going to say that it's different. I'm not doing cloth wipes. Nope. Not happening. There are no disposable biodegradable inserts for wipes. Wipes are messier. Not as easy as cloth diapers. And plus, I figure that my cloth diapers will cancel out my disposable wipes. Some times you just have to compromise.
Co Sleeping vs. Crib: I have to say this was an easy decision for me to make. Hubs & I have decided that for the first year, we'll keep the baby's crib in our room, with us, and we'll have the baby sleep in the crib. I have no desire to be wandering half asleep down hallways, tripping and bumping into things. At the same time, I can't co sleep. I'm a very heavy sleeper, and hubs is in between. I know for a fact that co sleeping would be dangerous for us. The only thing that will really wake me up is sound (hence baby's crib in room), and I don't want to risk anything happening.
Breast vs. Bottle: This was not an easy decision, because it's one I can't make. And I hate those types of decisions. As much as I would like to breastfeed, I can't. I have some medical issues where medication is required. And while those can be managed for 9 months, my doctor has informed me that I have no choice but to bottle feed, as I will have to be put back on my normal medications directly after baby is born. :( So, it's going to be bottle for us!
Daycare vs. Homecare: I have to say that this was a no brainer for use. I know that there are some that are fine with daycare, and some that have no choice. I don't have any desire to let my children be influenced by other adults, and I want to be the one teaching them everything. Hubs agrees with me.
Homeschool vs. Public School: We haven't decided this. This is more like a "we'll cross that bridge when we get there" decision. We want to see if the schools have improved when we get to that point, and it also depends on some other factors. Dyslexia runs in my husband's family, so that's a factor. If homeschooling is best for any of my future children, than that's what I'll do!
I know these aren't every decision to make, but these were big ones for us! Deciding to have a baby is just the FIRST decision you have to make!! The first of MANY! I hope what I had to say was hopeful to someone today! Thank you to Jessica for having me!
Madeline
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Guest Post: Stephanie from Gum Drop Pass
I just want to thank Stephanie for helping me out while I am away. If you haven't read her blog yet you should definitely stop by and check it out. I love hearing about her family and her honest point of view and I know you will too.
Hi there to all of Jessica's lovely readers! First I want to thank Jessica for letting me have the opportunity to be a guest writer for her while she's busy doing fabulous things. :) So thank you!
My name is Stephanie, and I spend my time on my little blog called Gumdrop Pass. After a move six hours away from my friends and family, my husband (Jake), 2 year old (Logan), and two pups (Yogi and Boo Boo) are just settling in to our new adventure. I blog about EVERYTHING - openly and honestly.
But enough about me... let's get to the post... (Thanks again, Jessica!).
Hobbies for Mommies
I don't know about you, but as soon as I left college, got married, and had a child, my "me-time" kind of went out the window. As time went on, and I got used to this new crazy lifestyle, working out schedules and learning how to prioritize, I found that I had a little bit more "me-time" available. However, I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHAT TO DO WITH IT.
I wrestled with this for a long time. It was kind of depressing, actually, having to admit to myself that I had no interests that were all mine. Of course I enjoyed spending time with my family and friends. I, OF COURSE, loved going shopping. But do these things really qualify as hobbies? I decided that for me, the answer was no.
I had to really ask myself: What do you like to do? How weird is that! A few years ago, I could have produced a bazillion answers to that question. However, "Predrinking at Mary's," "Going out in Cape," (my college town), and "Day drinking at the baseball game," were no longer suitable answers. (I swear - I was still a good student! lol). I then started to ask myself: What COULD you like to do?
My answers all fit the "Creative" category. Now, this is SO FAR from everything I have been known for in my previous years. I was an athlete, a tomboy... I had never given much thought to anything else. BUT. I had always loved to write. My English professors had tried to get me to switch my major (I kind of wish that I had!). So I got back into blogging. Doing so really made me want to make my blog LOOK prettier. SO I started researching how to do this. I broke down and bought Photoshop and found my love for digital design. I am still QUITE the newbie with this, but I have been having so much fun putting things together! I do intend to share some freebies soon, but for the time being, I'm enjoying my new hobby. My creativity is s-l-o-w-l-y transitioning itself from the digital to the physical world. THIS I am nervous about... but also quite excited! It's like a whole new world to me - I'm tapping into a side of myself that was dormant for so long!
I guess what I'm saying is - I got myself out of my rut by thinking outside my comfort zone. I hope that there aren't (but I'm sure that there are) other mommies out there who have lost a sense of themselves and might feel lost as where to begin to even look. My advice is to think outside of what you "used to do" and start thinking of what you CAN do. It's terrifying and unfamiliar, but you might just find something that you absolutely love!
What about you? Have your interests and hobbies changed since becoming a mom? What has worked for you? Please share - I'd love to hear all of your experiences!
Hi there to all of Jessica's lovely readers! First I want to thank Jessica for letting me have the opportunity to be a guest writer for her while she's busy doing fabulous things. :) So thank you!
My name is Stephanie, and I spend my time on my little blog called Gumdrop Pass. After a move six hours away from my friends and family, my husband (Jake), 2 year old (Logan), and two pups (Yogi and Boo Boo) are just settling in to our new adventure. I blog about EVERYTHING - openly and honestly.
But enough about me... let's get to the post... (Thanks again, Jessica!).
Hobbies for Mommies
I don't know about you, but as soon as I left college, got married, and had a child, my "me-time" kind of went out the window. As time went on, and I got used to this new crazy lifestyle, working out schedules and learning how to prioritize, I found that I had a little bit more "me-time" available. However, I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHAT TO DO WITH IT.
I wrestled with this for a long time. It was kind of depressing, actually, having to admit to myself that I had no interests that were all mine. Of course I enjoyed spending time with my family and friends. I, OF COURSE, loved going shopping. But do these things really qualify as hobbies? I decided that for me, the answer was no.
I had to really ask myself: What do you like to do? How weird is that! A few years ago, I could have produced a bazillion answers to that question. However, "Predrinking at Mary's," "Going out in Cape," (my college town), and "Day drinking at the baseball game," were no longer suitable answers. (I swear - I was still a good student! lol). I then started to ask myself: What COULD you like to do?
My answers all fit the "Creative" category. Now, this is SO FAR from everything I have been known for in my previous years. I was an athlete, a tomboy... I had never given much thought to anything else. BUT. I had always loved to write. My English professors had tried to get me to switch my major (I kind of wish that I had!). So I got back into blogging. Doing so really made me want to make my blog LOOK prettier. SO I started researching how to do this. I broke down and bought Photoshop and found my love for digital design. I am still QUITE the newbie with this, but I have been having so much fun putting things together! I do intend to share some freebies soon, but for the time being, I'm enjoying my new hobby. My creativity is s-l-o-w-l-y transitioning itself from the digital to the physical world. THIS I am nervous about... but also quite excited! It's like a whole new world to me - I'm tapping into a side of myself that was dormant for so long!
I guess what I'm saying is - I got myself out of my rut by thinking outside my comfort zone. I hope that there aren't (but I'm sure that there are) other mommies out there who have lost a sense of themselves and might feel lost as where to begin to even look. My advice is to think outside of what you "used to do" and start thinking of what you CAN do. It's terrifying and unfamiliar, but you might just find something that you absolutely love!
What about you? Have your interests and hobbies changed since becoming a mom? What has worked for you? Please share - I'd love to hear all of your experiences!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Guest Posts Needed
I'm looking for some guest posts for August 17-21. I would like to have them by August 15th, so I can schedule all of them. If anyone is interested please send me an email at jessicaclarke80@gmail.com you can write about anything as long as it's family friendly. Thanks:)
Guest Post
Today I did a guest post over at Adventures of my Life about being a former Montessori teacher and parenting. Please go check it out here and be on the look out for more posts about Montessori. Coming up will be how to incorporate Montessori in the home.
Friday, August 5, 2011
My First Guest Post
Today I did a guest post about weight loss on The Professionally Insane M. Please go check it out, it's an introduction to my process of trying to lose weight after having a baby. I will continue to keep you guys updated on my progress and if anyone out there has any tips I would love them. Thanks Madeline for having me!
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