My Black Friday Crush

Black Friday is one of my favorite holidays. I'm really not sure why, because I rarely end up with any stellar deals. Oh sure. Last year I bought a copy of The Blind Side for $3.99 at 5:30 a.m. Was it worth it? You tell me. I saved at least $6, and all I had to do was get my uber pregnant arse to Target by 5 a.m. (I couldn't even have coffee, and the movie wasn't even on Blu Ray.)

So. Now that we've established I'm crazy (if we hadn't already done so in previous posts), allow me to defend my BF neurosis with a tiny bit of practicality. I do like being in the mall on the busiest shopping day of the year, when very few people are there, and in recent years I have accomplished quite a bit of Christmas shopping. Arguably, I would be able to find equal or better deals online in my pj's, but then I would feel like I would be missing the party (and there's a little more crazy for you). I've somehow turned it into a social experience in my head which makes no sense, because people tend to be a little bit cranky on Black Friday.

There's something else. Every year the KitchenAid Stand [alone] Mixer goes on sale (in various sizes, but my heart belongs to the 5 qt. model in Empire Red). It's the only time of year that I've found it discounted this much. It seems to be a yearly semi-big ticket item. Every year it reappears. Every year I long to bring it home with me along with all of my the other Christmas gifts and make it a part of my home and life forever. I envision beautiful recipes falling into place, while I drink wine and stare at my beautiful appliance. And every year I just let it go like the Boys of Summer. 

I love it, and I will always love it. I enjoy my one week infatuation, then move on. I tell myself, "I don't have a place to put it. Maybe I'll save up and get one next year (serious LMAO here for thinking I have that kind of discipline). I just can't justify the expense this time of year." The truth is I know it will be there for me to fall in love with all over again next year. I take it for granted, ultimately reject it, and it just keeps coming back for more. Sad. It could use a good lesson in how to play hard to get.

This year I will do the same, only I'm slightly less infatuated with it, distracted by things like my upcoming tropical vacation and toys for the monkey. Maybe someday I'll write a Christmas tragedy about our love that was never meant to be, because--after all--I don't have a place to put it. I can't justify the expense. And frankly, I think we all know I'd use it once, maybe twice a year. But for now, isn't it beautiful? *Sigh*

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Making Baby's Food

My son is beginning to transition over to table foods, but he's still eating mostly pureed foods and taking a bottle with each meal (just like his Mommy!). I make about 95% of what he eats. I feel better knowing exactly what's in it and how it was prepared, and I've used to sources to help me accomplish this seemingly monumental task (that really isn't monumental, but when I tell people they always give me that, "Wow! You're Super Woman!" look. I let them think that because correcting people is--after all--not very well mannered, is it?).

Notice a lack of baby here, which explains why the food
is still neatly in the dish and not all over the camera lens.

The first is The Baby & Toddler Cookbook: Fresh, Homemade Foods for a Healthy Start, by Karen Ansel, MS, RD, and Charity Ferreira. This book helped me establish a foundation for cooking for the monkey. It focuses mostly on the basics and boosted my confidence in my ability to prepare healthy meals.

The second source I use is Top 100 Baby Purees, by Annabel Karmel. It's filled with a wide variety of simple purees, and has been a good source for inspiring my creativity. (The poor kid can only eat so many pureed carrots before wanting to throw them in my face. At least this is how I imagine it, since I would readily throw them in someone's face, if I had to eat them every day.)

Yes, of course I always serve my infant from a plastic
Hobby Lobby tray, on formal china, by our bay window,
with a silver spoon and a vase of fresh basil sprigs! Don't you?

The process does require some planning, and here are a few steps that have helped me streamline the process a bit:

1. I block out time to steam and puree like foods (example: apples, pears, plums) back to back. For me it's just easier to keep everything organized and simple. (It also cuts down on the cleaning, because I convince myself that a good healthy rinse of everything between batches is sufficient. I'm pleased to report that to date no babies have been harmed in the production and/or ingestion of said food.) Since some foods are best prepared in the oven, I will also have something baking while I'm steaming other things.

2. I buy large quantities of fresh fruits and veggies, make several batches of each at one time, and freeze them, according to the directions in my first recommended source. Even though I live a life of luxury (snort!) staying at home with my son, I have one million and one other things to do besides cook for him all day (like play, blog, my nails, etc.). I like to spend a total of four hours in the kitchen in order to conquer the task for up to a month. It just makes me happy.

3. I keep plenty of ice trays available. This is only in theory. Truthfully, I always run out of ice trays, and my whole happy homemaker process comes to a screeching halt. But I'm advising you to have plenty of ice trays on hand, so you can keep the well-oiled baby food making machine well-oiled. Do as I say not as I do.

The process is easy, if a bit time consuming, but it's worth it to me most days. In addition to the advantages mentioned above, we have also realized a monetary savings of 40-50% (that's more than a few trips to Starbucks for Mommy!).

What are some ways you've found to cut the ginormous labor and financial costs of your little bundles of joy?

Vacation To Do's

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In less than 3 weeks my husband and I will board a plane and fly south to catch a ship and sail around the Caribbean. We will be leaving the monkey here with his grandparents. In the old days I would wait until the day before a trip like this to pack, forget something important like a toothbrush, and drop some serious cash off at the airport to pick up forgotten essentials and in flight entertainment items (magazines, etc.). If I was super excited, I might buy a new outfit or spend 15 minutes in a tanning booth. (And yes, I still read paper magazines occasionally, when I'm feeling nostalgic and pretending I'm still young.)

This time it's just a bit different. My To Do List is unending, my anxiety maxed out. I'm leaving a physical piece of myself here. He will be separated from me for almost 9 days, the longest period of time we have ever been apart. I'm charged with providing for him while I'm away. I have to ensure he has plenty of food, adequate shelter and clothing, and the absolute best care. So my To Do List includes things like: (1) prepare meals; (2) do laundry; and (3) pack extra Sleep Sacks and binkies. But that's just the tip of the daunting iceberg.

There are some long term things to consider as well. They include: (1) have Trust documents drawn up; (2) review life insurance policies and make current, if not; and (3) print Letter of Authorization, Healthcare Directive, and Powers of Attorney (so that my son can receive emergency medical care without delay in my husband's and my absence). Yea! Vacation! It's just like planning a trip to Disney World with my family when I was a kid, and my biggest concern was packing my favorite toys! Just like that.

Am I being a little morbid? Maybe. But I have someone else's life and well being to consider now. Someone who is still helpless without me. (The "skills" he's developed include sticking his fingers in electrical outlets and chewing on coffee tables; not exactly ready to be released into the wild.) And I spent enough years in the field of estate planning to know how important these types of things can be. Lack of preparation makes tragic situations unmanageable. It can prolong the effects of the tragedy indefinitely, stalling the recovery for those left to face it (at best), or (at worst) making that recovery impossible.

The fear of somehow being separated from my child as he tries to figure this life out is paralyzing to me. The mere thought makes me feel like I'm drowning. Unfortunately, I have to think about it because the only thing worse than not being here for him would be leaving him a legacy of fear and uncertainty. Providing for him is specifically outlined in my new job description. No buts. No clauses. My job doesn't end if I happen to check out early. As he grows, he will know by his experience whether his parents provided for him for his lifetime, even if we are not physically present.

So my list for this trip is overwhelming. Completing it is emotional, taxing, and at times downright depressing. (The topic of mortality isn't exactly the most romantic way to begin a Baby-moon.) But in some ways it makes the whole experience more meaningful. I find myself cuddling with my son a little bit longer before bedtime, laughing more, and spending less time in the laundry room and more time playing on the floor, because I have been forced to consider the above.

Don't get me wrong. Being all serious and uptight about this stuff is not overshadowing the fact that I'M GOING ON VACATION!!! I'm very excited about getting away with my husband, and I plan to have the time of my life! And when I finally knock out all of the un-fun stuff on my list, I'll be focusing on the more familiar vacation to do's: (1) frequently apply self tanning lotion to avoid scaring fellow cruisers; (2) download favorite chick flicks and novels to iPhone (to avoid dropping serious cash at the airport); and (3) don't forget toothbrush (this time, for the love...)!

The Spark is Back!

Yesterday was my baby's first Halloween. Well, if we're going to be technical, it was his second. But this was the first year I could put him in a monkey suit. And I did just that. We had so much fun visiting all the people who love and dote on him (which is pretty much everyone. Helloooo? See above!). The entire day of preparation it seemed to take, and the complete exhaustion at the end was totally worth those two hours of laughter and light.

Taking him to see grandparents, aunts and uncles, and friends, reminded me of my childhood, when my family would forego the traditional trick or treating to visit family and friends. We would drive all over town to show off that year's costume, and I was allowed to stay up 30 minutes past my bedtime even on a school night.

As I grew, there were fall festivals, parties, and haunted houses (although I'm a total wimp and didn't survive many of those). Halloween eventually became one of my favorite holidays...until the infiltration of slutty-ness (slutty nurses, slutty policewomen, even slutty Brownies and Girl Scouts. To me, the latter begs the question: Whose attention are we really trying to attract here?). I don't know if it was my age (the age of desperate single women trying to get laid) or what. But over the past 6 years I have tried to avoid all things Halloween because so much of it seemed to be...not my cup of tea.

But last night it all turned around, when I saw that sleepy little face wrapped in a monkey hood. We drove all over our small town to show off this year's costume, and he got to stay up a full hour (gasp!) past his bedtime. It's a simple tradition, but one I'm happy to pass onto my son. In years to come there will be trick or treating the neighborhood, parties, fall festivals, and maybe even haunted houses. But this year it was nice to start with the basics: family. And it's nice to rekindle my big kid love affair with Halloween.