Super Mommy Tip #8

Super Mommy Tip #8, Only Do What You Can Handle Part 3:

I think every Mom dreads doing laundry. I mean it piles up before we ever get to the bottom of it, it never stops, never a day (or hour for that matter) goes by that you are tossing something in the basket. Quite frankly I am lucky if I finish a whole load in one day from start to finish. I always tell myself that I will get better about it and not let it stay in the dryer for a day or two but I am still waiting for myself to listen. Anyway, I have decided since laundry is never ending, that I can only handle 2 loads at a time. Yep only 2! Anymore and well I get buried, overwhelmed and nearly depressed. Choose how many loads you can do at a time in order not to get buried beneath the never ending pile. If that means picking out your favorite things, then do it and don't do ANYMORE that what YOU can handle! Don't overwhelm yourself by dirty laundry.

PS. One of the best decisions I ever made (and this was before I had kids) was for my hubs to do his own laundry. When we first moved in together I took over all the laundry, folding, putting away all his clothes, being the perfect little house-girlfriend. Well it took me about a month before I realized that...well that he can do his own laundry. 6 years later he still does his own and I am still patting myself on the back for the great decision. So sorry husbands but ladies, try it! I promise this is not one that you will regret.

Super Mommy Tip #8

Do your own salon manicure & pedicure. For most of us Mom's the days of heading to the salon every week or two to have someone else massage, rub and paint our hands and feet are just a distant memory. Time just isn't on our side to pamper ourselves as we once did. So if you are anything like me, well hopefully not because I am a little obsessed with having perfectly filed and painted nails, and want salon-looking nails here are my tips for doing your own salon mani - pedi.

1. Get salon grade polish. Every salon sells polish. My favorites are OPI & Esse. Personally on my hands I like a pale color, madamoiselle (Esse) and privacy please (OPI). I like pale colors on my hands because if I do mess up a little you can't really tell. For my feet I get brave and use a variety of colors because they are a little easier to do.

2. You will also want to get a base coat polish and a top coat polish (they do make these combined). These you can get from the drug store. For the top coat make sure you get one that is shine or extra shine.

3. You need either toothpicks (beak the point off) or bobby pins. You will use these to get the excess polish off your cuticles.

4. All optional: pumice stone, foot bath, salt scrub. If you have time, I typically do the scrubbing when I am in the bath. Or just ask your husband, I am sure he will be happy to rub your feet :) ha-ha

Okay, to get started, file your nails and trim your cuticles. If you don't have the tools, invest in them from you local drug store. They are cheap. I like clippers, a cuticle trimmer and a file. Once you finish that, you will start at the center of the nail and work your way out with the polish. You want an even, light coat. You will do 2 coats, so be sure not do it too thick. After you paint each nail, take your toothpick or bobby pin and run it along your cuticle to grab any excess polish.

For my hands, I sometimes only use one coat of polish but for the feet I always use 2 coats. I also like to make sure the polish is completely dry before I put the top shine coat on. Voila! Only you will know that you didn't spend hours at the salon getting those fabulous nails, something us Mom's only dream about these days!

Remember practice makes perfect!

Crayons Are the Devil

If you have a 3 year old or 2 year old or probably 4 year old (I just haven't gotten there yet), you have probably had this thought too, "crayons are the devil". Seriously, they do NOT come off of things easily and if your darling child is anything like mine, she will mark on everything possible. I have had this thought, "crayons are the devil", for quite some time but I assumed my kid would listen at some point to my non-stop harping, that you "only color on paper". I have now realized that my kid will color on anything and everything and under no circumstances listen to me ALL the time or even some of the time for that matter. So yesterday I had to take matters into my own hands immediately after my darling colored ALL over her new baby she got for Christmas in purple crayon. Thank goodness I didn't splurge on the American Girl doll.  I did it, yes I was a little upset when I did but I will have to say that even now, over 24 hours later, I have no regrets. I threw every crayon I could possibly find (and believe me I looked everywhere) in the TRASH. Ahhhhh, (sigh of relief inserted here). Don't judge, I am a good Mama, I just couldn't take the crayons anymore. I will have to say it was exhilarating. I can deal with markers, I can deal with paint, I can deal with play dough (sort of) but I couldn't handle the crayons. Crayons just don't come out of the couch, carpet, walls, dolls, more walls, toys, clothes like washable markers and paint. I am glad they are not in my life anymore for the time being, like I said it has been a mere 24 hours.....

I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that someone actually wrote a book on things their kids have destroyed.  Sh*t My Kids Ruined is a real book plus they have a site where you can submit things your little darlings have ruined too!  http://www.shitmykidsruined.com/

Super Mommy Tip #7

This week's Super Mommy Tip: Keep 2 bags in the kid's closet at all times, one for keeping out grown clothes and one for donating. I don't know about you but the daunting task of going through all the girls clothes at once can be overwhelming therefore I put it off for as long as possible. Now I just keep a bag or box in their closet and just toss things in as they outgrow them, one to keep and one to donate. Once the box gets full I store it or take it to the thrift store. Now I no longer have that task at all, eliminated!!

I hope everyone had an amazing holiday! I know I did. Now I just need to get all these sweets that I can't stop eating out of my house! I wonder if the thrift store will take a bag of treats?? HEHE

Fudge, Fudge, Fudge & Easy Last Minute Gift

Another one of my favorite things to make for the holidays is FUDGE! Love it! The recipe I use is

Rachel Ray's 5 Minute Fudge.

1 bag of morsels (that word makes me laugh and I'm not sure why), I prefer milk chocolate but you can use dark, semi-sweet or whatever you like.
1 can of Sweetened condensed milk
nuts or anything else you want to add in or you don't have to add anything

In a double broiler (I just use a bowl on top of a pot) melt the morsels (!) and the add the can of milk. Once everything is melted add in your extras if you have any. FYI you don't want to continue to heat the mixture once you add nuts or whatever because that will make soft and not crunchy. Get a pan (I like to use my toaster pan), spray with cooking spray. Pour mix into pan. I refrigerate for an hour but it sets almost immediately so you don't have to. Just wait a few minutes and cut and eat!

Great to put in small bags and give to teachers, neighbors, friends....


Do you have a kid on your list but don't really know what they are into? My back-up plan for all kids gifts is ART SUPPLIES! You can't really go wrong, pretty much all kids boys and girls love to draw and color. I keep a box stocked with markers, crayons, paint, construction paper, etc... Whenever I need a kid's gift at the last minute, I just fill a bag up from my box!  Also a great idea when your kids are driving you crazy and you really need to finish something. Let them pick from the box. Alea actually has a big bag with tons of supplies and I let her have at it. FYI washable paint and markers are 100x easier to clean up or get out of things than crayons! So if your kid get carried away and likes to mark on the floor, walls, couch...give them markers and paint, NO CRAYONS :)

So Much to Say!

Since I have been a little MIA the past couple of weeks trying to get all my Christmas orders out, I am now bursting at the seams! I have so much to talk about, here is what I can get out today and I have the best kept secret...Super Mommy Tip!

So because I have been so busy, I haven't really gotten my hub anything for Christmas, just a couple of small things. We don't do big presents for each other anymore but I like to give him nice but practical gifts. I have definitely making him a silhouette of the girls. For those of you that don't know, I am a thrift store addict, almost...I love the thrift store. It might have something to do with where I live, you can find things at the Aspen Thrift store that you won't find at any other thrift store but that works for me. A few weeks ago I found a pair of croc shoes, brand new with tags similar to this for $10. They are regularly $50 shoes. He has gone on and on about how comfy they are, so I wanted to check out their other styles and get him shoes for Christmas. So just this morning I got around to crocs.com and realized that they have many different shoe styles. Right now they are offering FREE express shipping on all orders over $100, plus many of the shoes are buy one get a second for 50% off. Perfect! I got him 2 pairs and realized that my total wasn't $100, so I just added a cute pair of boots for myself (how could I not they are the Claire boots for goodness sakes). They will be here by Christmas too!

I know there are several men that read my blog, so I wanted to give you a couple of tips. If you want to do something to make your wife REALLY happy...hire a cleaning lady, don't tell her, you have to arrange everything on your own and just let her come home to a sparkling clean house. If she is a stay at home Mom you will have a little more work to get her out of the house but I promise her happiness will be worth it. Remember this and this is very important, this is not a present for your wife. Let me repeat, this is in no way considered a present for her.  It is your home too and although she probably does the majority of the cleaning it is not her job to clean the house. This is something that will make you both happy. i.e. She will be glad the house is clean and you will be glad she is not pestering you to help out.

Okay Ladies, this is for you. Are you ready? This is one of the best kept Super Mommy Tips EVER.
So I have always pretty much thought I had a fat back. Yep, a fat back. Many areas of my body I am pretty happy about but I have always been self conscious about my back. A couple of months ago, I have no idea what I was watching or reading but I remember that it was talking about buying a bra that fit correctly and yada, yada, until I heard the words....Your bra should be lower in the back than in the front... hummm....check your bra, yep sure enough mine was even too, I also recall sometimes it even crept up in the back! Go now and look in the mirror, do you see back fat? Okay now pull the back of your bra down about an inch or 2. Viola! It is gone!. I have no idea why no one ever told me this either. I guess just naturally I assumed that your bra should be even in front and back, nope, remember lower in the back. I could have saved myself years of agony over the fact that my back was fat, actually I had come to terms with the fact that it was something I could not change. But I could and I did and I no longer have a fat back!

Super Mommy Tip #6

Super Mommy Tip #6, the quickest way to make your bathroom sparkle when you don't have time to clean it. Is your holiday party just minutes away and you've spent all your time on everything else but your bathroom didn't make the list? First clean the mirror, use at least 3 or 4 paper towels. Then wipe around the sink with those same paper towels, wipe around the toilet and check the floor. Re-wet the paper towels if necessary and last light a candle. Viola, your bathroom is sparkling in 2 minutes!

Hope this helps with the stress of your holidays.

For those of you wondering about my weekly sewing/craft challenge. Unfortunately I have to put it on hold as I get all the holiday orders out. I do have a couple of great things in the works but unless I miraculously get extra time, it will probably be after the holidays until I can post again. Don't worry or fret I have many other great, fun things to post about, so stay tuned.

***Remember 20% off all orders until the end of the month plus FREE shipping! You must order by December 15 to receive your order by Christmas.

One more thing, please keep George Aldrich and his family in your prayers.  He went missing in Aspen last Saturday night. It just started snowing today and is suppose to snow 4-6 feet in the next couple of days. If they don't find him immediately, I am afraid it will be a long time before they do.....

Super Mommy Tip #5

Freeze it! Many times when I make dinner, I make double the amount and freeze the extra. Then when I don't feel like going to the store or just don't feel like making dinner period, all I have to do it take out ready made food from the freezer and toss it in the oven, throw it on the stove or heat it in the microwave. You can pretty much freeze any type of food. Some of my favorites are lasagna, chicken casserole or any casserole type of dish. I bake it first, then take the portion I am going to freeze, let it cool, then I wrap it in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, then a Ziploc bag. I do all those steps to avoid any kind of freezer burn. I also freeze lots of soups and chili. For those I just cool first and put it in a Tupperware to freeze. I like enchiladas too, for those I just cook the chicken or meat, wrap up the tortillas with cheese or your favorite inside goodness and then wrap with plastic, aluminum foil and a Ziploc. When you take them out just put them in your dish and cover it with enchilada sauce and bake. Yum!

So next time, make a little extra and toss in the freezer, you will be glad you did!

-When you exert positive energy you will receive positive.

Remember 20% off all Bebe Dulce orders plus FREE shipping.
Shop for your favorite sweet baby at Bebe D!  www.bebedulceaspen.com

*I will refund the 20% after the order is complete via your payment method.

Super Mommy Tip #4

Only do what you can handle, Part 2.  Getting your baby to sleep can be a daunting and dreadful task. Some babies drift off into dreamland with no problems. Other babies it takes a prayer and a miracle to get them to finally let go and relax. So many people say, "Let them cry it out, you have to do it!" Well I can tell you that when Alea, my first daughter was born there was no way on earth I was going to let my precious new baby cry. Absolutely no way. I rocked that kid to sleep until my arms fell off or she fell off my arms, since she was 2, I was pregnant and she no longer fit :) I will say that when she was about a year and a half I did try it a couple of times but I thought that I had to let her cry for an hour or something to make the whole CIO work and I just couldn't last an hour listening to my baby scream. When baby #2 came along, I was determined to get her to fall asleep on her own when she was too small to realize what was going on. I will have to say that I got a blue ribbon for that accomplishment. They only thing that I didn't realize is that she would not drift off into dream world every time I decided to lay her down without a fuss. Yes, some days I can lay her down and she is fast asleep before I leave the room but other days well, it takes a lot more. So here I am letting my precious baby #2 CIO...sort of. What I discovered with baby #2 and the whole CIO stuff is that I don't have to let my baby cry for an hour before it works. Several books that I have read say, let them cry for an hour, even our pediatrician, who I love dearly says to let them cry for an hour before comforting them. That doesn't work for me. Why? Because I can't handle it. Yea, it might be great sometime, somewhere but hearing or even knowing that my baby was crying for an hour sends my anxiety to a whole new level. What I did decide was that I can handle 15 minutes. No more. Some days I can't even handle the 15 minutes, sometimes it is 10 minutes and guess what? That's okay because I can only do what I can handle. So set a time that you can handle and work from there. Just because Dr whoever tells you in his book or your beloved pediatrician tells you you have to wait x number of minutes, guess what? You don't. What worked for them doesn't always work for you. Just because you can handle something one day doesn't mean you can handle it the next. Baby #2 goes to sleep just fine the majority of the time but sometimes I can't handle it and I don't let her cry at all. So set your time limit at what you can handle, on that day and at that time. Don't force yourself, I promise everyone will be happier in the long run.

Another thing I taught myself with baby #2 is that if she is having a tough time falling asleep go do something where you can not hear her. My favorite thing to do is take a shower right after I put her down. I relax and take as long as I want and need in the shower and 99% of the time she is asleep when I get out. And the best thing about it is that I have no idea if she even cried at all. I also vacuum or find something to do outside for 15 minutes. It helps a lot because I know if I am just sitting on the computer or doing something quiet, I definitely can't last the 15 minutes because I end up just staring at the clock.

So just figure out what you can handle and do just that! Good Luck!


And don't forget to enter our Thankful Giveaway! How cute will that sweet little girl in your life look in this adorable dress?

Super Mommy Tip #3

Only do what you can handle, Part 1.  For our Super Mommy Tip this week, I am starting another small series within the Super Mommy Tips titled, "Only do what you can handle".  As "Super Moms" we try to do too much most of the time. The thing is we don't even think twice about going above and beyond. Unfortunately, constantly going above and beyond makes us stressed, overwhelmed and frustrated and we don't accomplish what we set out to accomplish.  Ultimately things go array in one way or another.

Over the summer after having baby #2, I was determined to loose the baby weight ASAP. I forced myself to workout atleast an hour a day. Once August came I lost my momentum and couldn't get it back. I just couldn't find an hour each day to go to the gym and I was becoming more and more frustrated.  About 2 weeks ago, I read an article in a magazine and it was a small workout plan that you can do in your house that is spilt into a 10 minute, 20 minute and 30 minute programs. For some reason after reading this it dawned on me that I didn't have to work out an hour each day because I didn't have an entire hour but I could find 10 minutes, 20 minutes or even 30 minutes to exercise. So I started this small interval training program and also decided that I would take the kids on a walk for cardio as often as I could (even if it was only a day or two a week) it was better than nothing. Each day I would only do what I could handle for that day if it meant only the 10 minute program or a 30 minute walk or any variety of my plan, as long as I did one thing each day. I have lost just a couple more lbs but I can feel the difference in my body, my stomach is slowly shrinking (very slowly but you have to start somewhere, right?) Most of all I am not frustrated about not doing anything anymore. Before I thought just because I couldn't commit an hour, then I just wouldn't do anything when all I had to do is what I could handle. I didn't have to wait for my husband to get home to watch the kids, finish dinner, clean the house and the huge list of things that needed to get done.

So decide what you can handle, start slow at whatever you are trying to accomplish and you will see better results!  Good Luck and smile because you are Super Mom!

Super Mommy Tip #2

Okay, so after the last Super Mommy Tip, I actually had a couple of people tell me that their husband gives their children a bath and quite frankly there was no way their husband was going to jump on cleaning the bathroom at the same time. Totally understandable.
So if your house is run anything like mine, I pretty much do all the cleaning. #1 because I work from home and therefore I have to look at the mess constantly. #2 because my husband doesn't clean very often. I mean he is happy to if I kindly ask him but that usually entails vacuuming or doing the dishes. So the way I get him to do things a little more often and EVEN sometimes without me having to ask (gasp, yes sometimes I don't even have to ask!) Is that I Praise the hell out of him when he does something. Yes I know, why should they be praised for something that we have to do daily (and get 0 praise), or that it is their house too, yea, yea, yea. A couple of years ago we went to see a marriage counselor and one of my issues was that I did everything around the house and he didn't help out (this was when I worked full time as well). She told me, you have to praise him. At the time my hard-headed-ness said their was no way no how I would "praise" him and tell him thank you for doing something I was expected to do. As time went on, I get it. I want the help, he doesn't see "clean" the same way I do. He doesn't see the dirt like I do and quite frankly if I don't want to do it all by myself, suck it up and say, "Oh my goodness, the rug looks so great, thank you so much for vacuuming!"

So my Super Mommy Tip #3 is to Praise your husband for helping clean around the house!  This tip might be hard to swallow in the beginning but trust me it will help you in the end! Try it a couple of times and I can almost guarantee results.

There are also a couple of products that are tried and true in my house. I tried countless different products until I found these gems, so I thought I would share them.

If your daughters hair looks like this in the morning and you have to spend a half an hour combing it while she screams her head off you need this product!

So believe me when I say I have tried countless products for this child's hair. My answer is Biolage. I use the shampoo, conditioner, and most importantly the detangler. The detangler is a rinse out after you condition but I promise no matter how matted your kids hair is you can comb right though those tangles! Biolage is more expensive than your regular drug store shampoo but you can get it at Target. I promise you will save many tears. In addition to that on the days I don't wash her hair, I use Biosilk Kids Tangle Buster spray. You will not need the spray if you have just washed her hair. The Biolage also makes her tangles much more manageable, meaning a lot less screaming and crying and holding her down :0 And that right there makes the day better for everyone.

And your babies hair will look like this no no time!

My other can't live without product is Aquaphor. You must get it if you don't already know it's magic. I have never used a diaper rash cream on either one of my kids. At the first sign of a red little bootie, slap a layer of this magic and viola! Happy butts everywhere. I also have a tube in my bag for lips since it will cure dry, chapped lips in no time. A rash of any kind, anywhere and it is clear in a day! Yep, I get the biggest tub they make and it lasts forever!

Unfortunately, I was not paid or given any free goodies for this post :) Just wanted to share and make your day a little brighter.

Super Mommy Tip #1

I have decided to do a series of tips for Moms. I think it is a fun way to share what I have learned from being a Mom and things that people have told or taught me to be a better, more efficient Mom and the secrets to being or appearing to be a Super Mom.

Super Mommy Tip #1: Clean the bathroom while your kids are playing in the bath. Once I started doing this my bathroom suddenly became a much cleaner less dreaded place. The last thing I want to do in my free time is to clean the bathroom. Plus Alea is always up for spending as long as possible in the tub. I can clean everything except the inside of the tub while she is in it, then when she gets out all I have to do is wipe out the inside! I do recommend using non-toxic green cleaning solutions or if you spray the sponge outside of the bathroom and then use it to clean, so your not fuming up the bathroom while your little one is in there :)

Feel free to comment or contact me with your fabulous Mommy tips, then I can share them with everyone. If I use them there just might be a fabulous prize in store for you from Bebe Dulce!

I did it!

You know when Alea was a baby we rocked her to sleep until she was nearly 2. Yep every nap and every bedtime. Finally when she almost 2 I decided since I was pregnant and she was running out of room on my lap that she needed to go to sleep on her own. Thank goodness she took to it pretty well and it wasn't too painful. I meant to have her go to sleep by herself much younger it was that before I realized it she was 1 and could scream Mommy, Daddy come get me! That was all it took for us to go get her and continue to rock her. Now that she is nearly 3, you just never know what you are going to get. Sometimes she is so tired and will drift off into dreamland before we shut the door. Other times, well it sounds like there is a full-on circus in her room. Did I tell you about the day she somehow, somewhere found an old bottle of spray tan? Yep, her body, her clothes, the floor, the bed.... And don't forget the time she got into the laundry room and got a bottle of Downey fabric softener (thank God it was almost empty) and dumped it in her bed? Just in case you were wondering Downey stains when used without water. Needless to say her room smelled great!

When Emme was born I decided that she needed to go to sleep on her own much earlier. I have much less time and I remember the countless hours I spent rocking Alea. So when Emme was about 5 months I started her. Luckily she took to it pretty well and most of the time falls asleep without even a whimper. The other times (since she has just sprouted one tooth and has another just about to pop through) she cries and I bring her back upstairs and it can be quite the ordeal.

If you are wondering my point... there are those days when both girls give me a break, take a nap at the same time and fall asleep without a peep. I sit on the couch with a huge grin on my face and think I did it! I definitely don't turn on the TV, sometimes I work and some days I don't do anything, I just revel in my accomplishment! Sleeping children is such a sweet reward!