Category Archives: Uncategorized

Healthy Essentials for the New Year

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Sweet readers, we’ve had our share of minor mishaps since having a baby. Something about sleep deprivation makes household accidents all the more likely. From scratches on our face (by little baby fingernails) to scrapes on our knees (from bumping into the corner of our bed at 2 am), we’ve used our first aid kit again and again.

So when HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® sent my family a box of health and hygiene products on Friday, I knew the band-aids and Neosporin would get put to good use. Not to mention the shampoo and lotion and dental floss….As a new mom, it can feel daunting to wake up an extra half an hour to take a shower. But as soon as the water hits my back, I feel instantly better. Taking care of yourself is a must (no matter if you have no kids or fifteen!)

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As we begin 2014, Ryan and I are committed to a healthy year. We want to get outside and walk more. We want to eat more salads (and enjoy that occasional scoop of ice cream). We want to spend more time with friends and family. The list goes on and on.

Get Significant Savings from Healthy Essentials this Month

To help families usher in a healthy New Year, HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® is offering amazing printable coupons, tips & tools and so much more. Here’s the deal: you can save over $45 by visiting www.HealthyEssentials.com in January and signing up for extra-special HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® coupons and offers.

Now is the perfect time for a fresh start to your healthcare routine and to create healthy resolutions. From pain & allergy relief to dietary & digestive health to products for kids & babies, there are significant savings on items for every member of the family! Visit www.HealthyEssentials.com to sign up!

Ring in the New Year with Healthy Essentials at the #Moms4JNJConsumer Twitter Party

I’m excited to join Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies for a Twitter party to talk about HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® for the New Year, resolutions, family wellness and how to score great deals on health and hygiene products! Learn how HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® can help you reach health-related goals for 2014.

When: Tuesday, January 14, 1 p.m. ET

Hashtag: #Moms4JNJConsumer (plus #ad or #sponsored for co-hosts)

Prizes: We will randomly award 15 prizes throughout the party, from all eligible correct responses to trivia questions. Each prize includes an assortment of Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® products with an estimated retail value of $50.

Prize Eligibility: No purchase necessary. Entrants must be legal residents of the 50 United States + D.C. 18 years of age or older. Void where prohibited.

Hosts: @theMotherhood, @CooperMunroe, @EmilyMcKhann, @TheMotherhood25

Want to go to 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™?

Visit HealthyEssentials.com and see if your wish could come true. Plus, get tips and coupons to save on your favorite products for the New Year. All you have to do is share a picture or story of a moment of caring in your life and you could scream “GOAL!” from Brazil.

Visit www.healthyessentials.com for more information on this amazing opportunity!

This post is part of the HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® 2014 program by Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. and The Motherhood, who sent me a box of products and compensated me for my time. Opinions, experiences and photos shared here are all my own, and I hope you enjoy them.

Monet

Anecdotes and Apple Cores

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“a portrait of my daughter, once a week, every week, in 2014”

This is my first time participating in this community, and I’m glad to be joining them. Thanks to the ever lovely Jodi for inspiring us all…

I don’t know how it’s happened, but suddenly, we’re on the short end of the stick. Lucy will only be an infant for a little less than six months. Toddlerhood will soon be upon us! And so, I’m learning to slow down and savor the little moments of her infancy. Moments like this:

Lucy sat between my legs as we threw that squeaky green ball for Margot on Tuesday night. As the dog bounded across the living room, Lucy’s eyes grew wide. I clapped in praise when Margot brought the ball back….which Lucy found hilarious. She threw her head back and laughed. Again and again. I couldn’t stop clapping. She couldn’t stop laughing. And I thought, “this is the best part of life…watching your child experience such unchecked joy.”

And then there was Monday. We celebrated her grandmother’s birthday (which meant a houseful of aunts, uncles, cousins, and good food). Lucy didn’t mind being passed from person to person, each of them loving her typical “Lucy” interactions (wide smiles, bites on the nose, scratches on the face). We let her rest, stomach down, on the carpet, and she made valiant efforts to push off and crawl. We all went home happy and tired. I already know she’s going to be an extroverted child (just like her papa).

But perhaps my favorite moment this week? Watching Lucy’s delight when Papa brings her into our bedroom. Usually, Ryan lets me sleep an extra thirty to sixty minutes in the morning because I still wake up at night to feed our girl. So when it’s finally time for me to wake from my beauty sleep, Ryan brings Lucy into our room. The moment our eyes meet, her face lights up, and she flails her arms up and down in excitement. How perfect to be loved with such unabashed abandon.

Monet

Anecdotes and Apple Cores

Little Things

Simple shots of our life this past week. Tune back next week for a similar post. I’d also love to have you follow me on Instagram (@cakestand) if you’re interested in more photos of food and baby. Have a beautiful and bountiful weekend, my friends!

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She’s getting ready for her first Christmas…

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And so are we…this beautiful doll came all the way from Berlin. A fitting first gift for Miss Lucille.

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Ryan made and enjoyed numerous bowls of ramen this week.

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And Lucy enjoyed this. Again and again. We’ve been exclusively breastfeeding for SIX MONTHS. I’m happy and proud.

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My inspiration board complete with stitches, dancers, beaches, and letters from Grammy.

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And of course, our greatest earthly source of JOY.

Little Things

Simple shots (iPhone) of our life this past week. Tune back next week for a similar post! I’d also love to have you follow me on Instagram (@cakestand) if you’re interested in more photos of food and baby. Have a blessed weekend, friends!

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A brisk walk before an ARCTIC COLD FRONT that kept us indoors for days.

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My suggestion for passing a cold winter day: cookies and a good book

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We hung our very first ornaments on our very first Christmas tree

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Baby cheeks

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This caramel and chocolate tart will be coming to the blog very soon

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My sweet girl standing, yes standing, in her crib….

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…and sitting beneath her Christmas tree

Monet

Anecdotes and Apple Cores

Feeling FESTIVE

Today, I brave the United States Post Office. A dreaded trip made even more frightful with a baby in tow. Long lines, cranky clerks, and never enough packing tape or stamps. But as of tonight, my packages and Christmas cards will be on their way (think Texas, Nebraska, California, New York, Pennsylvania…) And so I thought I’d send all my lovely readers our Christmas card too.

Christmas Joy | Anecdotes and Apple Cores

Christmas Joy | Anecdotes and Apple Cores

Christmas Joy | Anecdotes and Apple Cores

Monet

Anecdotes and Apple Cores