Where Does The Time Go?

Recently, a reader wrote in to an advice columnist at The Washington Post, asking about why her friend with children seemingly had no time to call her back. The author, Carolyn Hax, gave her a response I think we can all relate to:

Dear Carolyn:
My best friend has a child. Her: Exhausted, busy, no time for self, no time for me, etc. Me (no kids): Wow. Sorry. What'd you do today? Her: Park, play group . . .

OK. I've done Internet searches; I've talked to parents. I don't get it. What do stay-at-home moms do all day? Please, no lists of library, grocery store, dry cleaners. . . . I do all those things, too, and I don't do them every day. I guess what I'm asking is: What is a typical day, and why don't moms have time for a call or e-mail?

I work and am away from home nine hours a day (plus a few late work events), and I manage to get it all done. I'm feeling like the kid is an excuse to relax and enjoy — not a bad thing at all — but if so, why won't my friend tell me the truth?

Is this a contest ("My life is so much harder than yours")? What's the deal? I've got friends with and without kids, and all us child-free folks get the same story and have the same questions.
— Tacoma, Wash.

Dear Tacoma,
Relax and enjoy. You're funny.
Or you're lying about having friends with kids.
Or you're taking them at their word that they actually have kids, because you haven't personally been in the same room with them.
Internet searches?

I keep wavering between giving you a straight answer and giving my forehead some keyboard. To claim you want to understand — while in the same breath implying that the only logical conclusions are that your mom friends are either lying or competing with you — is disingenuous indeed.

So, since it's validation you seem to want, the real answer is what you get. In list form. When you have young kids, your typical day is: constant attention, from getting them out of bed, fed, clean, dressed; to keeping them out of harm's way; to answering their coos, cries and questions; to having two arms and carrying one kid, one set of car keys and supplies for even the quickest trips, including the latest-to-be-declared-essential piece of molded plastic gear; to keeping them from unshelving books at the library; to enforcing rest times; to staying one step ahead of them lest they get too hungry, tired or bored, any one of which produces the kind of checkout-line screaming that gets the checkout line shaking its head.

It's needing 45 minutes to do what takes others 15.
It's constant vigilance, constant touch, constant use of your voice, constant relegation of your needs to the second tier.
It's constant scrutiny and second-guessing from family members and friends, well-meaning and otherwise. It's resisting the constant temptation to seek short-term relief at everyone's long-term expense.
It's doing all this while concurrently teaching virtually everything — language, manners, safety, resourcefulness, discipline, curiosity, creativity, empathy. Everything.

It's also a choice, yes. And a joy. But if you spent all day, every day, with this brand of joy — and then when you got your first 10 minutes to yourself, you wanted to be alone with your thoughts instead of calling a good friend — a good friend wouldn't judge you, complain about you to mutual friends or marvel at how much more productively she uses her time.

Either make a sincere effort to understand, or keep your snit to yourself.

-Carolyn Hax

Friday Giveaway: Brooks running shoes

Brooks running shoes

Brooks has always had a solid reputation for making amazing shoes for runners. -They offer different shoes for different styles of running. They work on the cutting edge of technology to make sure that the shoes runners wear protect them from injury and help them run faster, longer and better. Pretty awesome, right? Well, they have kicked things up a notch by making their award-winning Trance shoe environmentally friendly by adding BioMoGo, the world's first biodegradable midsole. The result? Tons of cush wrapped in a pristine, new, "green" package. We have tested this shoe on ourselves and our husbands and we happen to love it! Brooks also offers some sweet running shoes for active kids. If you have been looking for motivation to get yourself in running shape, the Trance 8 might just do the trick! And, for those days when you just need comfortable shoes to chase the kids at the park, and push the shopping cart with gusto, you are in business in these shoes. Maybe if you are feeling guilty for missing a workout, you can ponder the fact that these running shoes will biodegrade 50x faster than the average pair of running shoes in a landfill and feel a bit better about yourself. These truly are shoes that are healthier for you (when you use them for an active lifestyle) AND the environment!

Brooks will be giving away a pair of these "green" shoes to a lucky mama who can kick start the new year with some motivation to hit the pavement! To enter, leave a comment answering the following question:

What song or music motivates you to get moving?

How to Get Extra Entries:
***When you enter an extra entry you must post a *separate comment* for each entry, sorry but we can’t keep track of extra entries unless you do this. ***
1 digg and 1 stumble of this article (click buttons at bottom of article)
2 join our Mama Memo mailing list by clicking here
3 join our facebook network by clicking here
4 blog about this giveaway on your own blog and leave a comment with the link

[this giveaway will be closed on Thursday, 2/5/09 at 11 PM, & the winner will be announced next Friday!]

And now, for the winners of last week's giveaway:

(((( Zach & Hannah))))

Shoot us an email in the next two weeks to claim your prize! If you did not win this week, keep checking back because we have more fabulous giveaways lined up.
Thank you and good luck to you all!

Why Sleep When You Can Read?

India seems to inherited my tendency to read books while I should be sleeping. This is often the scene I find when I come to get her out of bed in the morning, or after her nap. At bedtime, she is the queen of stealth, and will tiptoe out of bed and systematically "read" every book on her shelf. It's cute, but one of these days I will need to explain to her that this habit will not serve her well once she has actual responsibilities in the morning. But for now, I'm letting it go.

What do your kids do when they should be sleeping?

Easy as ABC

This has got to be one of the best ideas I have seen in a long time for decorating cupcakes!  Think of the endless possibilities :: you could spell, "Happy Birthday", someone's name, a special word for a special occasion...  Better yet, your kids could help you do the spelling!

I got this idea from Better Homes & Garden's February issue.  They used the Trader Joe's Cinnamon Schoolbook Cookies and used a thin layer of icing and then sprinkled with colored sugar.

I think I will do this for my son's birthday.  I can see "happy birthday callen" in a long row.

TALK BACK: errands with kids

Trying to complete errands with kids in tow is one of the most stressful situations a mommy can face. I am often so tired after trying to grocery shop with my kids that I end up crashing on the sofa as soon as the perishables are in the fridge.

I have no idea how moms of multiples kids get anything done. As I get closer to have four, I often wonder about how I will strategize my shopping. Will I get those harnesses and strap two of them to the side of the cart? And get dirty looks and nasty comments for leashing my kids? Then again, you get dirty looks and nasty comments if the kids are running around, too. It seems like a lose-lose situation.

And I refuse to get a sitter or wait until Mark is home and suck up my downtime to do something like GROCERY SHOPPING. No, I must figure this out.

Two carts?

Human chain?

Daycare rope?

HOW??

What are your tricks for running errands with your kids?

Slow-Roasted Tomato Soup (While You Sleep)

The other day, I found myself with an overabundance of cherry tomatoes. (You know when you buy groceries, and then get home and realize you already had a few of the items hiding in the back of the fridge?) Anyways, I set out to find a recipe for all these tomatoes, tweaked it a bit, and figured out a yummy soup that I cooked overnight! It ended up tasting like a soup I would get in a restaurant, and it was very little work.

2 cups cherry tomatoes
3 tsps miced garlic (or more, if you like)

1/4 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3-4 chopped basil leaves (or 4 frozen basil cubes from Trader Joe's)
salt
pepper
2 cups fat-free vegetable or chicken broth

The night before, place all ingredients in a crockpot. Set to low, and go to sleep. The next morning, do not panic: it will look like a mess of mushy tomatoes. Add some water if needed so all tomatoes are floating, stir, and set crockpot to HIGH. When you are ready to eat lunch, use a stick blender, or place the mushy mess in a conventional blender. Blend until smooth. If you want a creamier soup, add a pinch of milk. This tastes amazing with some whole wheat toast and a bit of parmesan on top! My kids both loved this soup, and I think it would make a great pasta sauce, too.

Universal Mommy Truth

Universal Mommy Truth:

If you go to the park with the Razor, it will not be used. If you take the time and effort to pack it up and carry it from the car, it will assure that the Razor will be ignored for other park activites.

If, however, you leave the Razor at home, you will discover that every other child at the park has their Razor with them that day. It will be the only thing your child can think to do. They will gaze with envy and longing at the children whose mothers' brought the Razor. They will talk endlessly about their love of the Razor and misery over leaving it at home.

And next time, you will bring it, and it will bruise you in the shin as you try to walk with it from the car, and they will have no interest. Ad infinitum.

Friday Giveaway: Jacki Paper Valentine's cards

We are excited to be offering a Valentine's giveaway! Jacki Paper is a spunky line of greeting cards created by a stay-at-home mom of three. They make super fun cards that are nostalgic of childhood memories with fun messages in beautiful letterpress.  We fell in love with their slogan "kidhood recycled".

They are offset printed on 100% recycled paper with soy and vegetable-based inks, using only wind power in the printing process.   And with messages like "i had to pass out valentines to everyone, but this is the only one I meant" or "Okay, maybe you are the boss of me.  Happy Valentine's Day.", these are sure to brighten anyone's day.  We say, hip, hip, hooray for the eco-friendly cards that can only make you smile!  Jacki Paper has greeting cards for every occasion, so be sure to check out all the fun @ Jacki Paper!

(added bonus is that you will get to hear one of the sweetest songs ever!)

Jacki Paper will be offering one lucky reading a set of nostalgia-inspired valentines, just in time for the season! To enter, leave a comment and answer the following question:

When we were little we used to sing, "You and me sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g..."  What is your favorite kidhood rhyme?

The randomly chosen winner of our babymel X2 diaper bag contest is ...

((((debijot))))

Shoot us an email within 2 weeks and we will hook you up!

Dear Mother,

You're perfect.

It's not that you don't have faults, you do. You should know that, since you seem a bit focused on those faults.

But you're absolutely the perfect fit for your children.

You have flaws of course, but they're all covered up with the goodness of you--your intentions, and the depth that is in you, pounding to the beat of your children's hearts.

----------

In the middle of the daily grind, it's hard to catch your breath. The fatigue catches up with you at times, pulling you away from the person you've been striving to become. But your kids? They'll forgive it all in a moment, when you take the time to apologize and start again. Their love is unconditional.



Isn't it amazing how we're given children to teach us exactly what that love looks like?



It's a relief to know it goes both ways. We mothers would forgive a million mistakes our children make. It seems we should learn to forgive ourselves for our own.

----------

You never dreamed you could feel such a range of emotions in just one day. But here you are, completely crazy in love with your kids, while wanting to run away screaming in the midst of tantrums, stubborn arguments, and messes. The clash of such opposite emotions is so confusing. Then comes the guilt, the kind you can't escape no matter how hard you try, leaving you to feel you've failed to do any of the things you intended to do well. Try to fight that guilt. Stop yourself when you hear the negative voices. The good things you're doing are there, a thousand actions big and small. They are your unique ways of showing your love. Look at them. Think on them.

----------

Don't forget that all the stages pass in a moment, even if it doesn't feel like it at the time. You'll hardly be able to remember that piercing cry, the toddler time outs, the rat race and the chaos. That will all fly away like a feather on a breeze, catching up with the newborn baby smell and the pudgy little fingers.

So hang in there. You're doing a beautiful job, whether you know it in every moment or not.

You're a mother. You don't have to be the kind of perfect Mother you try so hard to be. You're already just the right Mom, just as you are.

Even when you make those mistakes you so despise, please remember, your children need you to believe in your goodness, so they can one day believe in their own.


You Rock,
Heather

rubber buggy baby bumpers

Looking for a little inspiration with Baby Shower planning?  I recently put together a shower for a dear friend. The gender of this little one is a mystery which makes planning shower a fun challenge. I found the idea here (I can't resist borrowing one of the best invite ideas ever) months back and was just waiting for one of my friends to get pregnant so I could use it. Alicia and I stayed up late chatting, cutting, sewing and gluing and we are so thrilled with the end result.

Talk Back: Inspiration for the Stir Crazy

{sidenote:  Alias Denim announced the Mama Manifesto reader who won the pair of jeans is Emily Hill! Congrats, Emily!}

After reading the comments for the most recent Friday giveaway, I am feeling utterly spoiled with our amazing weather out here in California.  It is pretty clear that many of you are wishing for sunny weather and warmth.

There always seems to be a point in the seasons where one feels soooo ready for the next season to come.  Our summers can feel kind of long out here in CA, and one idea that I got from my sister a couple of summers ago is to set up a "Summertime Toy Trade".  She lives in a part of California that gets really, really hot in the summertime and there are certain times of the day that you just have to come indoors (unless you are floating in the pool).  She and some of her neighbors have set up a toy rotation where they each pull together a few of their favorite toys and games and put them in a box and rotate them from home to home so that each week there are fresh toys to play with.  They are "New" to my niece & nephew and by the time their toys come back to them, they have missed them enough to really play with them for a while.  

I am thinking this could be a good venture for neighbors or circles of friends for the winter as well.  It would be a good thing to set up some ground rules for how toys are handled and expectations for caring for other belongings.  I love that this saves money because you do not need to buy new toys that your kids will be tired of in a week or two.

What are your tips or ideas for breaking up the winter doldrums?

Still relevant

On this hisorical day, take a few minutes to listen to this inspiring speech with new ears. How does it move you to action TODAY?

Friday Giveaway: Hot off the press - Babymel X2 Diaper Bag

Babymel, a new collection of hip, affordable parent bags, from the makers of Storksak, introduces the X2, a revolutionary two-in-one bag for moms of twins or multiple young children. Made from a durable rip-stop fabric, this two-in-one bag can be carried together or worn as two separate bags. The X2 bag features two thermo-insulated bottle pockets to keep liquids hot or cold, two large front compartments with magnetic closure, two adjustable shoulder straps and an innovative patent pending shoulder strap attachment built into the strap alleviating the need for a separate stroller strap clips. Other features include two matching changing mats and large main compartments with multiple pockets and a wipe-clean lining.

This is the diaper bag that all of us moms of multiple wee-ones have been wishing for! I cannot tell you how many time my husband and I have been out with our two kids and have needed to separate for a bit and each take one child. Who gets the diaper bag? Who needs which supplies out of the diaper bag? How refreshing to just unclip the bags and each take the bag we need! This is absolutely brilliant!

Babymel X2 is available in three solid/solid color combinations: Black/Red, Army/Sand and Black/Black. The Babymel X2 retails for $98.00.

It will be available at www.RightStart.com beginning February 1st. Oh, that is right, Mamas, this bag is being given away here before it can even be found in the stores! We feel so honored.

So...you want this bag, right? Leave us a comment to be entered in the giveaway!

Here is our question: If you could go ANYWHERE in the world right now, and you could LEAVE YOUR DIAPER BAG AT HOME, where would you go? Would you take someone with you or would you go alone? The contest will end on 1/22/09 at 11 PM.

The randomly chosen winner of our Vintage Momma ring giveaway is ...

((((Amanda Sue))))

Shoot us an email within 2 weeks and we will hook you up! And for those who didn't win, we still have a prize for you. Over the next two weeks, Vintage Momma will be offering 15% for all readers of Mama Manifesto. So head on over to her etsy store!

An easier way to get the veggies down

We are all about getting our kids to eat veggies. But the truth us, some kids are just picky, picky, picky. If you have a kid who refuses their greens, this may be a good option: My Daily Veggies, a blend of whole dried USDA-certified organic vegetables that you can mix with or add to your favorite dishes to boost the nutritional value. Since the USDA recommends a whopping five to nine servings of vegetables a day, this is a great way to get your kids TWO servings without a fight. It's made of 100% dried whole organic vegetables from the green, red and orange-yellow food groups that, as defined by the USDA, provide two full servings of vegetables per single-serve packet. I have thrown this into a berry smoothie and the kids did not notice. It can also be used to add nutritional value to rice, soups and sauces, burgers, stir-fried dishes and just about anything else you can cook up.

Paint Your Food, Please

My three-year-old loves to help me prepare dinner. It makes him feel like a "big kid", but often ends in a mess. I finally figured out a way that he can help that utilizes an age-appropriate skill: painting. I bought a food brush and it's his new kitchen tool. He uses it to paint olive oil onto veggies, marinara onto lasagna, or salsa onto chicken. And he's actually, surprisingly, very helpful with this technique.

What "cooking tasks" do you delegate to your kids?

Talk Back: Measuring up

One of my biggest weaknesses as a woman is the amount of comparing I do.  -Often without even knowing that I am doing it.  I think it is a very human thing to track where we are in relation to others.  Is there anyone out there that does not understand what the phrase "Keeping up with the Joneses" is all about?  

I find myself comparing elements of my life to others' lives all the time.  I compare my kids behavior, sleeping patterns, eating habits and general growth and development.  I compare my body, my clothes, my skills, my writing style, my husband, my home, and even my craftiness.  It is just something that happens without me even knowing.  It usually goes something like this...  I see someone or something... I notice something about them or it ... I look at my life and find the nearest equivalent and I compare what I have in this area to whatever I am looking at.  If it stopped here, it would not be so bad.  But it doesn't stop there.  Very quickly, the comparison turns into me criticizing myself for not measuring up to what I see around me.  The truth is, probably most of what we are seeing is the best version of itself.  You know, the mom who has the beautiful hair and perfect makeup and kids dressed in clean and matching clothes is probably just as tired inside as me.  She quite possibly may also be questioning whether she is cut out for this whole motherhood thing in her own head, just like me.  You know, like Vince Vaughn's character shares in the movie "Old School" - his wife is always tell him to  "Smile at the baby, smile at the baby..."  so that they appear to be the happy parents with the perfect family.

We recently got to sit with a group of women who were sharing very vulnerably in this area.  It was a pretty amazing thing to see the sense of acceptance settle over the room as we all let got of all facades and just said what we were feeling the most weary about.  You could see it on every face ...

I am not alone.

I am not the only one asking these kinds of questions.

She feels that too?

I am learning to be more aware of my thoughts.  To take them captive.  And, as these little seeds of comparison sprout, I try to pluck them out before they can grow into resentment, self-pity, or ingratitude.

Where do you find yourself comparing?  What pieces of yourself do you most often compare to others and get discouraged by?

Peanut Butter Cookies

This week we have another reader submitted recipe.  This recipe comes from Tina, mama to Evan, Dylan and Charlotte!  She has a passion for cooking very healthy food and also maintains a gluten-free diet for one of her son's to help keep his eczema in check.

Tina says:  "Here's a recipe I make frequently. It's very easy and something I can do with my kids because the measurements don't have to be super exact. You know, if you get a little extra peanut butter or not enough sugar or whatever, it's fine. I love it because it only has 5 ingredients (with an optional 6th ingredient) and it's gluten free."

Thank you for sharing this super yummy, kid-friendly recipe with us!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together:
1 cup organic peanut butter (crunchy or smooth, whatever you favor)

1/2 to 3/4 cup rapadura or sucanat sugar (dehydrated cane juice)

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup flaxseed (optional)

Roll into 1-inch balls. Add a piece of chocolate on top, if you wish. I usually bake them for 8 - 9 minutes on a cookie sheet, then take them out of the oven. I take a tablespoon measuring spoon and make a little ditch in the middle. Put 3 chocolate chips in the ditch (there's probably a better word than "ditch" but you know what I mean). Bake for another minute. Take them out of the oven and spread the chocolate chips like frosting in the center. They present well for a party but can be messy if storing them in a container for the family.

I Am The Queen of Self-Care

Some days, your values just collide, and you have to choose between self-care and a competing value. Oftentimes, it is self-care vs. kid-care. Today, it was self-care vs. frugality. Frugality won.

This was my afternoon snack. Two half-eaten apples. Because I wanted an apple, but couldn't stand to throw away randomly-bitten-but-mostly-intact apples I served my kids for lunch. They were 69 cents each, after all.

In retrospect, perhaps self-care would have been a better choice.

Friday Giveaway: Vintage Momma Designs Ring

We are so excited about this week's giveaway. It is a hand crafted ring (size 7) by Vintage Momma, our favorite jewelry designer. All of Vintage Momma's designs are created by hand by a fabulous mom of three (and Mama Manifesto reader). This ring is wrapped in silver jeweler's wire, and the small Vintage Silver Tinsel bead catches every shimmer of sunlight. It is as much of a party to wear as it is to just look at, and it goes with everything.

Vintage Momma is committed to using the most natural materials possible, and to reuse/recycle/upcycle as much of her product, without sacrificing any quality. Please check out her online store to see all of the amazing and well-priced jewlery she has to offer.

"One-in-8" is a new line she is introducing in support and recognition of the fight against Breast Cancer. 1-in-8 women have Breast Cancer (13%), This line is in support of theher sister's journey as well as the millions of women who have faced and fought this disease. 50% of the profit from this line of jewelry will go directly towards continuing the fight against this life-altering disease through the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Association.

If you love these rings, check back on Fridays, because we have another giveaway from Vintage Momma on the schedule! To enter the contest for this ring set, visit Vintage Momma's etsy store, and then come back and leave a comment about:

What is your favorite piece of Vintage Momma jewelry, and why?

Contest ends Thursday, January 15th at 11pm. Be sure to check back next Friday to see if you've won. And now, for the winners of last week's Little Twig giveaway:

((((((((( Ginny))))))))))

(((((((((Jenna)))))))))) (Jenna of the laina's laundry blog)

Shoot us an email in the next two weeks to claim your prize!

How to traumatize your kids while clearing out your sinuses

I have enjoyed using my neti pot ever since Dr. Oz and Oprah told me I should be doing it. (Because I do whatever Oprah tells me I should do). I gotta tell you, though, if you haven't tried it, you should. It's amazingly refreshing. And did I mention OPRAH does it?

So anyway, I've been deaing with a nasty cold for weeks now, and yesterday I was looking forward to giving the system a little flush. Jafta was at preschool, and India was hanging out with me in the bathroom. I prepared my pot, tilted my head, and got a good little stream going, when suddenly India got a glimpse of what I was doing and started SCREAMING BLOODY MURDER.

It was horrific. No parent ever wants to think about what their child would look like if they were witness to an act of violence. And yet, that is exactly what India looked like. I might as well have been gauging my eyes out, the way she was screaming. She was also yelling "NO, MOMMY NO!!! DON'T DO IT!!!" through her screams. She was completely and totally traumatized. I had to spend the next half hour comforting her, calming her down, and assuring her that I was not hurt. And then she followed me around like a mother bear following her cub, making sure that I didn't try any of that funny business again.

So, lesson learned. In the future, my Neti Pot use will be behind closed doors.

Blogging with kids and internet security

Do you keep a blog? Are you worried about posting photos of your kids?

Rather than obscuring my kid's faces in the photos on my blog (too inconvenient), I've just decided to cover their faces with wig caps every time we go out.

Hee-hee. In all seriousness, what do you do? Do you change names and avoid photos? Or do you just put it out there?

Don't throw away those Christmas cards!

If you are like me, you probably have a stack of this season's Christmas cards sitting somewhere in the house. In the spirit of reducing, reusing, and recycling, why not try recycling them as gift tags to use next year? All you need is a pair of scissors, a hole punch, and some twine. Check out this tip from Ideal Bite on recycling cards.

Have a stack of photo cards that you can't bear to throw away? I hate tossing out photos, but never know what to do with them. One solution is to start a Christmas photo scrapbook. We have done this for the past five years and just now have a full book. I crop the photos down to fit several on a page, and it's a fun way to look back at our friends and family over the years.

Have any other ideas for repurposing Christmas cards?

Talk Back: How much are you willing to pay for a good pair of jeans?

I am not sure about you other moms out there, but for me, finding a good pair of jeans that fit me really, really well is like trying to find a bathing suit that I feel good about! I struggle to find jeans that are long enough in the legs, that fit in the "booty" region, that are also not so low that when I bend over I look like a plumber, and that do not create the infamous "sausage roll" around the mid section where the waistband is squeezing in. Skinny jeans are not my friend, and they are everywhere these days.

I finally broke down about 2 months ago and went to a fancy department store to try on jeans that cost so much that they make me sweat just thinking about it. I have always purchased jeans that are either on sale or cost less than $50. But what happens is that I have 4 pairs of jeans in my closet that all cost around $50 and none of them are a very good fit. My husband has been telling me for over a year to go and try on jeans at Nordstroms. He argues that I wear them nearly every day and that I have spent more than a "luxury denim" brand would cost on its own. So, I finally broke down and went. Luckily for me, the day I walked in just so happened to be the last day of a huge denim sale at Nordstroms. The jeans I found that I love, love, love that fit me better than any other article of clothing I have ever found and instantly make me feel sassy were 50% off. I am not sure I could have justified them otherwise.

How much are you willing to pay for a pair of jeans? Does anyone else have a stack of jeans that make them cringe and reach for the sweats instead? Have you ever splurged on a pair of designer jeans? Was it worth it?

{BONUS GIVEAWAY}

Recently I discovered this company called Alias Premium Denim.


Alias Premium Denim is an up and coming premium women's denim company, offering a high quality jean featuring chic styling, a fabulous fit, and the perfect price. A fellow member of our "female tribe" was tired of paying exorbitant prices for premium denim and believed that a great quality jean could be offered for much less, hence, Alias Premium Denim was born. Especially in these tough economic times, it is sweet to find a company that offers premium denim lovers a less expensive alternative, while not making them sacrifice style, fit, or quality. Their "sweet dee" has that designer look, along with the designer denim cut and stretch, and they retail for $40!


Alias denim will be giving away a free pair of their "Sweet Dee" jeans to a lucky Mama Manifesto reader. This contest is open to all Mama Manifesto readers until January 13th!

Go here to enter to win!

WOMEN HELPING WOMEN: buy a purse, help support a family in need

We are really excited to be able to host an online "purse party" for an amazing group of women in Haiti. Heartline Haiti is a mission that runs a Sewing Program to provide women a means to support themselves. These purses have been handmade by women in the program located in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. They are made by hand of recycled fabric and burlap sugar sacks. Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere, and poverty, famine, disease, and hurricanes have made it very difficult for the people there. This is a great opportunity to buy a cute, handmade bag that will help support a local woman living and working in Haiti. This is a real way to bring change to the nation of Haiti; one woman and one bag at a time. You are taking a personal interest in her and her life. These ladies are buying their own sewing machines, paying for their children to go to school and buying stoves with money still in their business accounts. It's a great example of the Chinese proverb: give a man a fish, he eats for a day; teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime. We love the micro-enterprise ideals that this mission is pursuing, and we are thrilled to be a part of providing an income for hard-working women in a difficult situation.

To purchase a bag, please visit our Esty shop or click on a bag below. To help spread the word, link this website to your blog, forward an email to friends, and post on your facebook account. Thanks!!

Creole Chicken & Rice

We have a fun, international recipe today that I've stolen from Christine's blog, which she adapted from a missionary to Haiti. It's a traditional Haitian meal and also really healthy.

4 chicken breasts

2 large tablespoons of tomato paste

4 cups of chicken broth

2 large chicken bouillon cubes

1 onion

1 green pepper

Thyme and Parsley tied together in a little bunch

2 cloves of garlic

1 leek

1 tsp of salt

cooked rice of choice

Cover chicken with about 6 cups of water, 2 bouillon cubes, and cook. Save broth for sauce. (when the chicken was done, I sat it aside and shredded it up). Mash together 2 or 3 garlic cloves, 1 small leek, and 1 tsp salt. (I ran all of this, including green pepper, through my little food processor - the kids will eat anything they cannot identify). Take 1/2 cup of of the broth and put into sauce pan and bring to a boil, add garlic/leek mixture and green pepper, cook 3 minutes, add tomato paste and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Don't burn. Add 3 1/2 cups of chicken broth, parsley and thyme and hot pepper. Bring to boil and cook for 30 to 45 minutes until it starts to boil down a little bit and becomes less watery looking. Spoon over the rice.

Censorship

There is no freedom of speech in this house. My kids inherited a Winnie the Pooh book, and I felt it was a little too scary. The Heffalump threatened to eat Winnie. To "gobble him up", to be precise. The horrors! Way too scary for my kids. So I decided to cross that line out with a Sharpie. I am ever the over-protective mother.

My kids took immediate notice to the editing I did, and now every time they read it, they scold me for having "colored" in their book. And my husband mocks me for censoring an innocent Winnie the Pooh story.

I don't even know what I'll do when one of them wants to read Naked Lunch or something. Let's just hope they stick to buttoned-up Victorian literature in their teen years!

Friday Giveaway: Little Twig

We are talking quite a bit about nasty chemicals like phthalates, parabens and BPA. We are always excited when we stumble upon a company that is doing its part to create products that are better for our kids, and better for the earth.

Mamas, may we introduce you to Little Twig. It is a refreshing company with a line of products that makes you want to dive into the bath with your kids. We are currently enjoying their bubble bath that is scented with tangerine, lemon & rosemary oils. You won't find any of that sneaky artificial "fragrance" yuckiness in here!

Why we love Little Twig products:

• they are paraben and sulfate free, contain no synthetic fragrances (bye-bye phthalates), are mineral oil free, and use natural oils and organic ingredients
• they offer a variety of products that are soy, wheat & nut free (they are reformulating their entire line to soon be entirely soy, wheat & nut free)
• they offer travel kits with their fabulous products so that you can travel with the best for your little buddies
• they have a recycling program that is kind to the earth, and also offers families that are "going granola" and choose to recycle their products a way to save with little twig
• they give a portion of their profits to the Every Child Foundation (a charitable organization helping kids in need)
• they have an unscented line that is extra mild and gentle - perfect for kids (or adults) with allergies or skin issues like eczema

We are excited to give away 2 sets of Little Twig's Bodymilk Lavendar Refill & Unscented Bubble Bath to 2 lucky mamas! To enter, leave a comment answering the following question:

If you got to have some bath time all to yourself, what CD would you choose to listen to?

How to Get Extra Entries:
***When you enter an extra entry you must post a *separate comment* for each entry, sorry but we can’t keep track of extra entries unless you do this. ***
1 digg and 1 stumble by clicking here and here
2 join our Mama Memo mailing list by clicking here
3 join our facebook network by clicking here
4 blog about this giveaway on your own blog and leave a comment with the link

[this giveaway will be closed on Thursday, January 7th at 11 PM, & the winner will be announced next Friday!]

And now, for the winners of last week's Astor and Sage giveaway:

((((((((((((EllyBean)))))))))))

Shoot us an email in the next two weeks to claim your prize! If you did not win this week, keep checking back because we have more fabulous giveaways lined up.
Thank you and good luck to you all!

New Year, New Goals

Happy New Year, Mamas!

I love the clean slate and fresh start that roles around each January 1.  I tend to have a few New Year's resolutions that make my list each year:

• Eat healthier (especially after my week long fudge eating binge that hits when I am near my mom's homemade fudge over the holidays)
• Exercise more regularly
• Organize home
• Connect with friends afar that have drifted out of my life that I miss dearly
• Spend some quality quiet time with God each day

Then, there are the more random ones that are specific to that year.

This year: to continue to strive to be present with my kids in our moments, even the very busy ones; to continue to grow in gratitude and to train my mind to be aware of all the blessings that surround me daily; and to make sure I am making my husband a priority and showing him that I appreciate him; to make the most of the time I have (life is very busy for me right now!) and to prioritize it well.  

Here is what I am wondering today ...  given that one of our values  in our manifesto is providing a safe place for moms to be real, and to be a source of tools and information for other mamas out there ... 

• what are your New Year's Resolutions?
• what are some topics, resources, questions, ponderings that you would love to see on Mama Manifesto over the next year?  Got some burning questions you want us to try and answer or you want us to throw out to the mama readers to "talk back" on?  Got any issues you are dealing with in your marriage, as a woman, as a mama that you would love help with?  Need recipes for a specific meal?  Need to drop a few pounds but don't know where to start?  Any specific product categories you would like to see reviews on?

We want to hear about it!  Our intent for Mama Manifesto has always been that we would be growing a community here.  How can we help you with 2009?