Husband Appreciation Day

{back in the day when it was just the two of us}

I am learning that I sometimes forget to notice my husband. I think that with the presence of little people who often have needs that demand immediate attention, I can put my hubby on the back burner. Not intentionally. Not out of spite. But, over time, I wonder what sort of toll our coming and going and fragmented conversations amidst breaking up fights over the pink dinosaurs and wiping bottoms and the "hold on, I will be right back" (and then forget to come right back) moments will have on us.

I shared a while back that we do this thing called "The 5 A's". We have not been doing such a good job at maintaining that. Need to kick that in high gear again. It really helps us stay connected amidst the busy days in this season of life for us.

For a long season we were able to do a weekly date night. We would alternate who was in charge of planning it. The person in charge of planning it was supposed to plan the date solely to make the other person very happy. (Oh, and the "planner" was in charge of securing the sitter! It was such a great deal). What this did for both of us, was weekly cause us to be thinking of each other a lot. When it was my week to plan the date, I would find myself thinking of Drew so often - thinking about what kinds of foods he likes, what he was into at the time, and as I was cruising about town, I had my eyes open wide to notice fun places that he would love. We had some pretty great nights! I highly recommend a weekly date night. Our budget is a bit tighter at this moment in time, so we are trying to do a weekly date night at home. We have dinner together after the kids go to bed, and try to spend some quality time talking (and "talking"). I am thinking that we should even kick these nights up a notch and rotate planning our in home date night.

Here is the deal: my husband is amazing! He works really hard [two jobs!] so that I can be home full-time with our kids. He is an amazing father - so loving and so intentional with the kids. He is a phenomenal musician - he is the kind of guy that women swoon over while he sings and I have him here in my house (and he has written many a love song for me)! He is super funny and so much fun to hang out with. He is hot! ...There are so many qualities in him that are worthy of praise and gratitude on my part and I do not speak my love and appreciation for him nearly enough.

I have a sneaking suspicion that most moms might just be in the same boat as me.

So... here is my recommendation. Go, right now, and find a piece of paper and list 5 things that you love about your husband. 5 things that you are thankful for. Make this "Husband Appreciation Day". Share your list with your hubby today. You can read it to him over candle light. You can email it to him. You can leave him little notes in fun places for him to find. Do it however it fits you, but I recommend that we for sure do this! Just thinking about what I love about my husband has made me more thankful for him!

And, do me a favor, let me know how it goes.

*If you do not have a spouse, then substitute another special person in that slot. We have far too many people in our lives who deserve to be told they are loved!

How do you stay connected to your spouse? Do you have a weekly date night? I would love to hear what works for you.

I am constantly reminded of my precious grandparents. They had one of the most precious relationships I have ever witnessed. They had 8 kids. Yep, 8! Insanity. But, even in the midst of all those kids and all the life that buzzed around them, you could see the love between them. One of the magical pieces to their relationship was how they talked about each other in front of each other, and apart from each other. I have so many memories of my grandma buzzing past my grandpa and he would smile and say to whomever could hear, "There goes that pretty lady. Most beautiful lady in the world." She would do the same for him. He passed away not too long ago and it is really surreal to see my Grams without him. But, she still talks about him so fondly. They are a legacy that I chase after.

what we're thinking

We're sitting in a row on the couch, three peas on a brown leather pod. We're watching America's Funniest Videos (or AFV!) and I keep thinking that maybe I shouldn't let my small children watch such a thing. A show where we sit and laugh at painful episodes of stupidity. I feel the mother guilt and try to shrug off the thoughts. I want to just sit, just sit for a while and not care, just for once. It seems I'm always fighting this or that or limiting this or that or explaining this or that. So I just sit.

And I start to think about a friend and what comes to mind is, I bet she never lets her kids watch this.
It seems I never just sit around with flashing thoughts of all the good things I do, the things that make me the good mom that I am. I just plain forget to think about them.

A man of impressive width is skate boarding across the screen. Someone is videotaping him, of course, in the hopes of winning ten grand. We three know what's about to happen. I squint a little and shake my head when the board slips out from under the man who falls forward, bouncing off the bumper of a car. I reach down to fold the next item in the basket at my feet.

Miles says, "Oh no! That big fat guy fell!"

I flinch and tell him it's not okay to say that. I start to explain why when I'm interrupted from the other side of me by Asher. "We should get a fat guy, Mama!" he says excitedly, and I can't help it, I cover my mouth and try to stifle it, but it rolls out, my laughter. I'm not laughing at anyone from the TV, and I know he isn't either. We're laughing at innocent three-year-old exuberance, a belief that if the man on the screen could cause such a response in the audience, we should probably get one of him.

I stop laughing and wonder if I should again try to explain why we don't call people fat. But I can't think of anything to say so I just sit there and picture my boys at school someday, calling people fat because their mother never told them why they can't.

The inevitable stream of wedding mishaps starts rolling next, so we see a hundred groups of bouncing bridesmaids fall on each other like bowling pins in their drunken efforts to be the next betrothed.

Next there's a groom who knocks down his new wife by taking "you may kiss the bride" just a little too far. They roll around at the front of the church, trying to untangle the groom from the gown and right then, for some reason Miles tells me I should marry him, the clumsy groom. I tell him that I can't because I'm already married to Daddy, and while I fold a towel corner to corner he retorts loudly. "Well, you could be doubly married!"

I laugh instead of explaining once again, because I'm tired and for some reason I can't find the bottom of the laundry basket.

~~~~~

Every mother, a thousand times a day, asks herself if she's doing the right thing and then doubts that she is. It helps me to remember the things I know I'm doing right for sure in the lives of my boys. Like...how I do my best to...feed them. One point for me!

Now it's your turn.

Seriously Mama friends, think on your good things along with me today, okay? Maybe we could practice thinking more about the goodness of our mothering selves. Maybe then we can doubt ourselves less, and live in the moment more.

Heather writes at The Extraordinary Ordinary

Cilantro Rice with Black Beans

This is my favorite last-minute meal, and it is so easy to make. Most of the ingredients are pantry staples, except the cilantro, which we buy in frozen cubes at Trader Jo's.

2 cups cooked brown rice
1 can corn
1 can organic black beans
2 tbsp lime juice
1 bunch chopped cilantro (or four cubes Trader Jo's frozen)
salt to taste


That's pretty much it! Cook the rice, add the other ingredients, heat and serve! It's a one pot meal with whole grains, protein, and very little prep required. The lime juice adds a layer of flavor that will make your tastebuds happy!

SUNDAY GIVEAWAY: Davy Liu Book Set

This week's giveaway is one that should have all of you book worms on the edges of your seats. As a true nerdy book worm myself, I was smitten with these books from the first reading.

Author Davy Liu has created some of the most captivating stories with truly magical illustrations. Prior to penning these children's books, Davy worked for Disney on “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin,” “Mulan,” and “The Lion King.” His books have been written (and illustrated) with the goal of becoming children's films. Currently he has 3 books in print, and his goal is to create a series of 12 books that will also be movies. All of the books have animals as the characters, because Davy noticed that all of the projects he worked on with Disney had the greatest response when the characters were animals - they were universally appealing.

Davy has an incredible story - he really struggled through school with academics. His parents wanted him to succeed and pushed him hard, but he could not seem to perform academically at the level that they hoped for. He eventually discovered that he had quite an amazing artistic ability and began to foster it. He won some contests with his submissions and finally felt as though he had found "his thing". His artistic ability is clear when you see his illustrations.

The first book in the series is The Giant Leaf. It has a message of faith and vision. We meet Kendu, a fox that is lives in slavery to large dinosaur beasts. At night he dreams of a giant leaf and he knows that the leaf represents a life of peace that he longs for.

He eventually takes a journey fueled by faith that leads him to the giant leaf from his dreams. The story has twists and turns and is incredibly captivating. Davy's hope is to inspire a "Kendu" (pronounced almost like "can do") spirit in the children that read his books. Woven into this story is the story of Noah and the creation of the ark.

The second book created by Davy is The Fire Fish. This book has a message of faith and perseverance through struggles.

The historical events from Exodus are woven into the narrative following a family of fish and their journey through dangerous waters and fighting to stay united as a family in the sea. I fell in love with these little fish and their fighting spirit from page one.

The third book is Jordan's Guest. This book introduces us to Jordan, a donkey that is living in a world where horses and camels are the prized animals.

He questions his purpose but is taken on a journey where he ultimately discovers he has a purpose bigger than he could have imagined.

The 4th book in the series is The Royal Feast . It's a story about building
character and courage...it's based on the book of Daniel (from the Bible), but from the lion's
perspective.

I cannot wait to read this book! Here is a brief synopsis that Davy was willing to share with us as a sneak peak ...

After a long season of drought, the plains are green and full of life
again. Belt, an orphaned lion cub, is enjoying his adoptive porcupine
family but beginning to wonder what it means to be a real lion.

Tricked by the bully Mohawks, Belt falls into a hole and is captured by
two-feeters who cart him away to the city. After he is saved from a fire
by a two-feeter with a golden mane, he finds himself in a stone palace
ruled by the wise lion, Nebu.

Years later, the appearance of a familiar golden-maned stranger tests
Belt’s courage and all that he has learned from Nebu. The Royal Feast is a
compelling story packed with adventure, intrigue and a touch of humor that
is sure to bring a knowing smile.

We are so excited to be able to give away a set of the first 3 books that are already in print to one lucky mama reader. Please leave a comment answering the following question in order to be entered:

"What is your favorite children's book to read to your children?"

How to earn additional entries:

1. Follow our blog (publicly) and leave another comment (or let us know if you already are).

2. Subscribe to the Mama Memo and leave another comment (or let us know if you already are).

3. Blog about the giveaway, and link back here. Post your blog entry before you comment.

4. Add the Mama Manifesto button to your sidebar.

5. Follow us on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway: "Giveaway- Win a a set of Davy Liu books from @MamaManifesto. Enter at mamamanifesto.com"

6. Become a fan of Mama Manifesto on Facebook by clicking the button on the left.


[This giveaway will be closed Saturday at 11 p.m. and the winner will be announced next Sunday!]



And now for the winner of last week's giveaway:
{{{Jennifer N}}}

Congratulations! Shoot us an email by 8/1 to mamagiveaways(at)gmail(dot)com with your prize in the subject line, and we'll hook you up! Keep checking back for more great giveaways!

If you would like to purchase these books, please visit Davy's website. They also have the "movie book" for The Giant Leaf & The Fire Fish in DVD for $20. It's a great follow and read-along for the kids to see the words
and animations on the computer. If interested in this item, you can place an order via email: order@kendufilms.com

Davy obviously has an incredible story. He is available to speak and loves to share his story with audiences of all ages. If you or anyone you know is interested in setting this up, please contact his media relations agent via email or phone.
mary@kendufilms.com
(714)873-7721

Summertime Brilliance

I love the Real Simple weekly tips. Whoever is behind developing these tips is simply brilliant. And, they make me happy. Recently they had a weekly tip titled "50 Smart Summertime Uses for Old Things". It's fab.

Here are some of my favorites:

Recycle your six pack containers to cleverly tote your condiments & flatware items to the picnic table.

Tote your picnic stuff in a laundry basket.

After you reach your ideal destination, unload and flip the basket over. Place a table cloth over the picnic basket and use the basket as a table. Tote everything home, and hose out the picnic basket.

When you need to cut corn off the cob, place the corn inside the hole in a bundt pan, and as you cut, the corn will fall into the bundt pan (as opposed to your kitchen floor).

Another brilliant idea for a bundt pan - freeze water in the mini bundt pans and use as large floating ice cubes in a punch bowl at a party.

So pretty.

Make an aluminum foil funnel to transfer salad dressing to a pretty bottle.

Makes for a much prettier outdoor table.

To soothe pesky, itchy bug bites, dissolve 2 antacid tablets in a glass of water and then dab on the bites.

Use coffee filters to protect little hands from dripping popsicles or ice cream bars.

Poke the stick of the treat through the filter and it will catch the drips.

Do you have any summertime shortcuts or ideas for repurposing?

how to: domestic bliss

Here you will find a trusty tutorial on how to build beautiful family memories, painting you as better than Martha Stewart on her best day.

#1. Go to Target for the second time this week. Just because you can.

And come on, that Liberty of London line!

..................

#2. Run through the grocery section for no reason in particular except that

you're hungry and it sounds fun.

..................

#3. When you son picks up a chocolate-chip-muffin-mix-in-a-bag, giggle nervously because there are other women around and you don't want to seem like you're the kind of lady who buys muffin-mix-in-a-bag just because your three year old asks for it.

..................

#4. Say something sort of silly like,

"oh honey! You know if we're going to

make chocolate chip muffins, we'll do it from scratch!"

If you need help faking this statement, imagine yourself in an apron or something.

..................

#5. When you get to the checkout counter and realize the muffin in a bag is still in your cart, just go ahead and buy it. You're sweaty and tired and the baby needs some juice.

..................

#6. This step gets a little dicey. When your sweet chocolate-chip-cookie-muffin-obsessed three year old begins to refer to what you're baking as "cookies from scratch" because he's confused about your conflicting store statement, capitalize on his confusion. Don't lie to him, OF COURSE NOT. But you know - if you try and explain the difference between baking from scratch and premixed baking and he just can't understand it, what can you do?

..................

#7. Present delicious muffins to sweet son in all your domestic glory.

When he declares to the whole world for two days straight that you made chocolate chip cookie muffins from scratch, feel slightly guilty. And then blog about it.

Pizza with Caramelized Onion and Prosciutto

I am seriously cracking up. The last few recipe posts from me have all involved pizza dough. I do declare that we eat other foods. It has just so happened that I have had some very lovely pizza dough based meals lately.

This amazing pizza discovery started with this picture:

The Pioneer Woman's favorite pizza. I think that I have gained 10 pounds just by reading all her amazing recipes. I saw this one and knew I had to make it!

I followed her recipe, but made a couple of changes. I used my Trader Joe's whole wheat dough. (One of the employees at Trader's gave me a great tip of leaving the dough out to rise for an hour, rather than the 20 minutes that the package says. It makes a big difference.)

I also did not have any fresh mozzarella. I had honey goat cheese. I LOVE goat cheese, so I was willing to take the risk and substitute it for the mozzarella. It was amazing. Seriously, the slight sweetness of the goat cheese, with the sweet caramelized onions and the salty proscuitto is like heaven. So heavenly that now I can never ever make it with any other kind of cheese.

Here's the deal:

Ingredients:

1 recipe pizza dough, let rise as needed

1 large onion, sliced thinly

olive oil

1 tablespoon brown sugar

goat cheese

proscuitto

salt & pepper

fresh basil (a handful of leaves) chopped finely

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Heat a bit of olive oil (about 1-2 tablespoons) in a pan and saute your onion and brown sugar until nicely caramelized.

2. While the onion is cooking, drizzle some olive oil in the bottom of a cookie sheet and spread out evenly. Then begin to spread your pizza dough into the pan until it is as thin as you can get it without tearing it.

3. Drizzle more olive oil over the top of the dough and spread out evenly. Sprinkle freshly cracked pepper and salt over the dough, then sprinkle your basil.

4. Slice up your goat cheese very thin and layer across the dough (to your liking).

5. Sprinkle the caramelized onion over the goat cheese.

6. Place the proscuitto across the onions.

7. Place in the oven for 15 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned and done to your liking. Slice into squares and serve with a yummy green salad. Add a light glass of white wine and you will be the happiness mama!

SUNDAY GIVEAWAY: Saltbox NYC Getaway bag

I am so stinking excited for this week's giveaway! I am one of those people that when I find something I love, I want to give it to everyone I know. Narcissistic of me, I know. Who am I to assume that the things I love will be loved by others as well.

Me and Oprah, so passionate are we about our favorite things. Well, lets just say if I were Oprah, this week's giveaway item would absolutely be on my Favorite Summer Things Show and they would be handed out with my favorite summertime beverage - yummy moscow mules. (If I were Oprah, first I would take all my BFF's on a nice long spa getaway in France. We might have to stay in a castle. And pop over to Italy for a few days. But, my friends could bring this favorite thing with them!)

Mamas, meet the Saltbox NYC Getaway bag. It is a bag made of incredibly durable canvas that is treated to be stain and water resistant (every mother's dream, right?). The fabric choices are modern and fun. The shoulder straps can be re-arranged and you can clip the top of the bag for a hobo look, or keep it unclipped for an "east-west" tote look. It has a ring inside to clip your keys to, and two zippered pockets in the lined interior to hold the small things you don't want getting lost in the massive amount of space.

This bag is large. It has become the bag that I tote on picnics, to swim team, to the pool for lazy days, my library tote, and on occasion, a cute purse. If I clip it hobo style, it is a really cute purse.

You are going to love this bag!


Saltbox NYC is going to give one lucky mama the getaway bag of her choice. So, enter to win by visiting their site here to see fabric choices. Leave us a comment letting us know what your favorite fabric is.


You can also enter to win a bag at their site on their home page every month (love them!). And, good news for all - they are offering our readers a discount code. [Use the code MAMA25 for a 25% site wide discount. Just enter it at checkout. It expires 8/31/10.] While you are there, check out all their other cute bags and products. I am a big fan of their wallets too!

How to earn additional entries:

1. Follow our blog (publicly) and leave another comment (or let us know if you already are).

2. Subscribe to the Mama Memo and leave another comment (or let us know if you already are).

3. Blog about the giveaway, and link back here. Post your blog entry before you comment.

4. Add the Mama Manifesto button to your sidebar.

5. Follow us on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway: "Giveaway- Win a Saltbox NYC Getaway bag from @MamaManifesto. Enter at mamamanifesto.com"

6. Become a fan of Mama Manifesto on Facebook by clicking the button on the left.


[This giveaway will be closed Saturday at 11 p.m. and the winner will be announced next Sunday!]



And now for the winner of last week's giveaway:
{{{Kandice}}}

Congratulations! Shoot us an email by 7/25 to mamagiveaways(at)gmail(dot)com with your prize in the subject line, and we'll hook you up! Keep checking back for more great giveaways!

in good faith.

I'm going to tell you the truth off the bat. I'm not an animal person. I come by it honestly, because I didn't grow up in an animal house - but they're just not my favorite. I have a new friend, however, who writes so beautifully about her dogs, that I kind of want to love them. She is passionate about adopting adult dogs and so she writes about it and I could just eat it up. The other day she wrote this statement on her blog that I basically want to have sewn into a massive afghan and lay it on our couch for visitors to curl up on. A family mission statement via afghan, if you will. She said,

"I cannot, in good faith, encourage anyone to go through what we’ve been through the last couple of months."

What a beautiful, vulnerable truth.

And all I could do was relate it to mothering.

Now, in our family - we've sort of taken the parenting graduate level route. We're not living childhood 101 over here. We got pregnant with our first baby eight months in to marriage, pregnant with our second when our first was only four months old, and pregnant with our third when the second was still less than six months old. In the middle of all that, we've moved cross country, ran a non-profit ministry, and then decided to plant a church back across the country. Not exactly your recipe for stability or peace or rest or easy childrearing.

But in all honesty, everybody's got their challenges and they all feel hard. One baby, six babies, poverty, riches - hasn't everyone gotten sweaty in line at Target or cried because you can't handle one more middle of the night feeding? Don't we all get sick of cleaning up baby food off the floor or upchuck a little when our kids ask where babies come from? Mothering is hard, and hard is all relative.

But the point is (to quote my friend) - I cannot in good faith, encourage anyone to go through what we've been through the last couple of years. In no normal setting would I suggest that you stop sleeping, deal with feces daily, crucify the things in your life that you hold dear like comfort and rest, sign up for three little voices barking breakfast orders, or give up any and all rights to your own body, personal space, and private time on the toilet. Why would I suggest those things? They're insane. When I sit at baby showers now and KNOW that they're expecting to push an eight pound accessory out that will make their lives more fun and their holidays more memorable - I want to grab them and shake them! I can't encourage you, can't spur you on in this venture that will ultimately make you lay down your life for another human in ways you never knew existed!

But I will.

Because it's worth it.

Because there is something beautiful about putting your own desires aside, for the good of someone else, really - for the good of the whole world, until eventually your desires are more centered on caring for those miniature humans than they are for yourself. Swallow whole the disappointments and the let-downs, the pain and the beauty and the heartache. The contractions, the laughter, the stretch marks.

Go ahead mamas.

Mess up your whole life, mess up your whole house with finger paint (unless you're renting of course) and just shake up all your little plans and calculations and blueprints.

You're gonna do great.

TALK BACK: Abbie Sunderland

Last month, many of us watched the saga of Abbie Sunderland unfold: a 16-year-old girl who attempted to sail around the world by herself.  During an intense storm, she lost contact and had to be rescued.  Now that Abbie is safely back with her family, many are beginning to question her parents' decision to allow their daughter to engage in such a dangerous excursion.  Some are critical of her parents, saying that they were too lenient (or perhaps even encouraged her aspirations).  In defense of the public outcry, Abby said, "I think a lot of people are judging me by the standards they have for their teens.  They don’t understand that I’ve sailed my whole life and I do know what I’m doing out there."

What is your take? If your child was passionate about something that involved risk, would you encourage it?  Is what Abby did any different than a child who does motorcross or a similarly dangerous sport?  Do you try to steer your children away from potentially dangerous hobbies?  Do you think the Sunderlands should have allowed their daughter to sail around the world at her age?  What would you have done?

SUNDAY GIVEAWAY: Stephanie Johnson ML Traveler

This week we have a great giveaway for all your mamas who like to travel! This is a product that I stumbled on that I absolutely LOVE. I love traveling with my family, but I honestly do not have a whole lot of love for living out of a suitcase with our stuff all mixed up. I want a bit of organization amidst the chaos that comes with the traveling, and I don't think that is too much to ask for.

Neither does Stephanie Johnson, whom the Wall Street Journal has deemed "the Bag Maven". When you check out her product line, you will see why. It is sleek, it is practical, and there are bags and cases galore to help keep your cosmetics and travel items wrangled in quite nicely (and fashionably). My two favorites are the ML Traveler and the Susan Jewelry Roll. I spotted Stephanie Johnson's line on real simple's website. The ML Traveler has multiple compartments for all your cosmetics and travel toiletries. It is dreamy with how many different separate compartments there are. I can easily pack my toiletries and cosmetics AND my kids' toiletries in the one container, in separate compartments. The Susan Jewelry Roll allows you to organize your different jewelry pieces (whether traveling for business or pleasure) in a compact little case that rolls up and fits snugly in your bag. No more of me untwisting my earrings out of my necklaces.

[the ML Traveler]

Good news for our mama readers - Stephanie Johnson will be giving away a ML Traveler to one lucky mama reader.

Leave a comment answering the following question to be entered:

If you had a plane ticket to go ANYWHERE with one person, where would you go, and who would you take with you?

How to earn additional entries:

1. Follow our blog (publicly) and leave another comment (or let us know if you already are).

2. Subscribe to the Mama Memo and leave another comment (or let us know if you already are).

3. Blog about the giveaway, and link back here. Post your blog entry before you comment.

4. Add the Mama Manifesto button to your sidebar.

5. Follow us on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway: "Giveaway- Win a Stephanie Johnson cosmetics travel bag from @MamaManifesto. Enter at mamamanifesto.com"

6. Become a fan of Mama Manifesto on Facebook by clicking the button on the left.


[This giveaway will be closed Saturday at 11 p.m. and the winner will be announced next Sunday!]



And now for the winner of last week's giveaway:
{{{mikkiroo}}}

Congratulations! Shoot us an email by 7/18 to mamagiveaways(at)gmail(dot)com with your prize in the subject line, and we'll hook you up! Keep checking back for more great giveaways!

mama love

... I love this dialed in "mobile art cart" idea. We have our crafty art supplies spread out across the house in many different nooks and crannies. I will be implementing this idea from wee wonderfuls.

[photo from real simple]

... this fabulous list of ideas to entertain kids is the perfect fix for the moment when you look at the wild beasts running towards you and think to yourself, "what in the world do we do now" (and it is only 9:30 AM). If this other list doesn't inspire you to channel that inner kid within, you might need to go buy a pack of bubble gum. (I think I am more excited to make those bubbles than my kids.)

... one of my quirks is enjoying brushing my teeth. I just love that new squeaky clean feel. I guess I've passed that down to my children because they get very excited about new toothbrushes. My latest favorite for me is the Radius toothbrush. I dig the timer that tells me when to move to the next quadrant, and the indicator that tells me when it is time to add a new brush head. The handle remains, and by just replacing the brush head, I am throwing away less plastic AND it is made out of recycled stuff. My kid's fave is the spinbrush my way - it spins (they are mesmerized), and it comes with stickers that can be used to design their own fancy style. I think toothbrushes are the perfect stocking stuffer or easter basket surprise (I told you I was quirky!).

... I have a 6 year old who has graduated from an obsession with the hula hoop, to a new obsession with jump roping. We hear a lot of jump rope chants coming from her room, as she pretends to jump rope in front of the mirror. Who knew Jump Rope was such a big deal in the big world. I certainly didn't until I stumbled on these videos. And then I. could. not. walk. away. Check out this video. This team is amazing. And, this guy, well, he just makes me tired. Who knew that jump rope was more than a blacktop activity at school. I'm a bit nervous to google "hopscotch".

... I am loving this Children's garden. Makes me want to go dig a hole or something.

... I cannot wait to see this film this Fall. Education is a big deal, and it seems like a moment in our country's history where we need to pause and consider whether what is happening is working. I love films that do not just point fingers at all the brokenness, but that chant the beauty of the good too. This looks like it will do that quite well.

... and, with that, i will leave you with one of my all time favorite quotes ...

meet the mama: Jessi

We are very happy to announce we have a new mama on board! Please join us in (officially) welcoming the very funny, very inspired, Miss Jessi.

Here's a bit more about Jessi:

How long have you been on your motherhood journey?

I sort of stumbled into motherhood in 2006 when I tried natural family planning (aka - the rhythm method) without totally understanding how it works. Oops. But, yay! Fast forward four years and I have a three year old prince, a two year old pint size beauty, and a one year old who I should probably stop calling "the baby".

What is one of your hardest mom moments that you will one day look back on and laugh?

My twenty-fifth birthday. My husband was gone all day to work, and I changed nine poopy diapers in one day. The exact opposite of how I dreamed I'd spend my 25th birthday, but hilarious nonetheless. There have been harder moments, but I think they may be so stressful that I've blocked them out of my memory.

What has surprised you the most about motherhood?

Hands down, what a worthy pursuit it is. Before I became a mother, there was a big fear in my head that if I had children, I'd be giving up on so many possibilities and in general - that it just wouldn't be enough to occupy my mind or really make me feel as if I was working for something, doing something for the Lord, making an impact. Suddenly, the idea of raising and guiding three children feels like too much - too much responsibility for one (or two) people, too much to fit into one day, and too much for my easily overwhelmed mind.

What is a current challenge in your family life?

Providing stability with what we have, in the midst of big transition. My husband just finished his first Master's degree (which meant lots of time away), we're in the process of planting a church, and preparing for a cross country move. I'm a tasky-homebody-who likes routine, raising slightly OCD scheduled-children, so I have my work cut out for me to create a peaceful home-life wherever we are, taking what comes our way!

My mom secret-weapon is....

Candles. If I'm feeling stressed or like the house is a wreck, lighting a nice little scented candle tricks me into a small bit of peace and also for my kids... somehow they've gotten into their heads that blowing out a birthday candle is better than the actual dessert. Maybe we left some birthday parties too early???? So now, if we're in the middle of meltdown mode - I sing them something to the tune of Happy Birthday and let them blow out some candles and everybody's happy.

My mama manifesto is...

... to love and serve my family in a way that helps them understand the Lord better.

... to care a little more and just play on the floor for a little bit.

... to care a little less and forget the stains on the carpet I find while playing.

... to still live life in community and share with other women when it seems like my mind only has room for nap schedules, meal plans, and discipline strategies.

... to humbly grow in all areas of motherhood, without feeling like an expert.

Effective alarm clock - but how to market?

[warning: this post talks about poop. A lot.]

I am a true night owl. I get my bursts of energy right around 10 PM. Sometimes 11. Makes for fun blog reading in a sleepy house, but does not make for the early morning chitter chatter that comes from my two kids who truly have the internal clocks of roosters. Their room has blackout curtains glued to the interior of their floor length curtains AND velcroed to the wall so that the smallest amount of sunshine possible can peep through. And yet, they are up quite early. They aren't just up - they are chipper. They are loud. They are giggly and full of energy.

Typically, they saunter into my room and say the same thing nearly every morning:

"Mama - we're up. It's morning. We're hungry. Please get up with us."

Typically, I respond with encouragement to go enjoy a few more minutes of quiet time in their room reading or playing quietly while I enjoy a few more minutes of quiet time to "rest my eyes".

(If only there was a pause button for these early mornings to get a few more minutes of precious, sweet, amazing slumber.)

I am constantly trying to get to bed earlier and re-train my "night owl" body to be a chipper early "morning bird". It really would make life so much easier. Oh how I would love to wake up in the morning excited about sunshine and a day of activity. Oh how lovely it would be to not have my head rattle with the cheerful noises (very loud) of my children who start their day at a level 10. It would be nice to have senses that are alert and awake before 11 AM. I've tried alarm clocks but I tend to sleep through alarms unless it is really important (like needing to be at the airport very early), and in that case, I hardly sleep at all because I am so nervous I will sleep through the alarm.

Today, however, was a different story.

My kids entered my room, but the morning greeting was a little different today:

daughter: "Mama - Callen's bum smells really bad. Really bad."

son: "It does, Mom. It smells very bad."

me: sitting up straight with eyes open - "Okay, stay where you are."

daughter: "Oh no - there are little brown pieces on Callen's foot."

And, I am up and running. Yes, he somehow pooped his pants in the night and did not notice that it was the largest quantity of poop he has ever pooped in his life. He is 4, people. He has been potty trained for a while. How does one not notice that they have a large load of disgustingness in their drawers? How does one not notice it falling down their legs and out the bottom of their pajama pants as they walk across the house? How does one not notice that they are stepping in it and tracking it through the house?

To all of these questions, I have no answer. I do know that a "poop alarm" works very well for even the most sleepy headed mothers. I just cannot quite figure out the marketing piece to it.

summer fashion to inspire

...right around the time July hits, I usually have sweet ideas of sun dresses and wide brimmed hats floating around in my head. Somehow, it doesn't totally translate and I end up wearing my hole-y yoga pants and coffee stained men's undershirt and calling that "my summer style". Before I do that too many days in a row, I thought it might help to compile some summer fashion inspiration. What IS actually in style, what looks can I put together using what I actually have, and what staples do I need so my poor yoga pants get a rest.

First - some "day at the park" inspiration.

I'm loving the idea of these slouchy cropped pants. WAY better than holy yoga pants.

A mature graphic tee helps anyone's energy level.

A pair of navy Tom's, good for the world and your feet.

A bright tote and some sunglasses would round out this day.

Because, if you're going to be pushing someone on a swing for 43 minutes - you may as well feel sort of cute doing it.

Next, coffee with some girlfriends. Or tea, if you prefer.

I'm trying to promise myself that any time I won't be digging under the car seat for someone's passy, I will try and wear a light and airy dress like this one.

And anytime I don't HAVE to carry diapers or cheerios or someone's favorite "thomas the train", I'll try and carry a clutch instead of a bag.

This masculine watch just thrills me. Thrills me. Thrills me.

Some sweet feminine earrings and wedges would just complete some time talking with good friends.

Lastly, a date with my husband. My favorite activity on earth.

Sometimes it's hard for me to move into wife-mode after being in mommy-mode all week. A shirt like this would really, really help. Don't you think?

And, being a girl from the south, wicker jewelry is a sight for sore eyes. Ahhh, wicker.

Flats and cropped pants make everything feel a little simple. In a good way.

With some turquoise and gold studs from etsy to round it all out.

.... so there's where I'm starting with summer fashion inspiration.

Hopefully if nothing else, it will help me to take a second look at my closet tomorrow and avoid pants with no button.

What are you wearing this summer, mamas?

Quick Cinnamon Rolls. Heavenly.

These were an impromptu creation. We have decided as a family that these shall be hereforth called "Christmas Morning Rolls". Because they taste so good - they taste like Christmas. And, they were easy. Way too easy to taste this good. While there is some brown sugar in these rolls, there is not the hefty amount of butter typically found in traditional rolls. They are also made with whole-wheat flour.

Last week, we discovered how to make Pizza Balls out of pizza dough. These cinnamon rolls were made out of the same whole-wheat pizza dough from Trader Joe's.

Here's the lowdown.

Ingredients needed:

1 package whole wheat pizza dough, or recipe of pizza dough

a few table spoons of olive oil in a bowl

2 tablespoons of brown sugar

cinnamon

pumpkin pie spice

walnuts (probably about 3 tablespoons)

olive oil cooking spray

optional - glaze made with 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 tbsp milk, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract all whisked together

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray the inside of a cake pan or bundt cake pan with olive oil cooking spray.

2. Follow instructions for pizza dough preparation, and after it has risen according to instructions, roll out on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle about a 1/4 inch thick.

3. Once you have your dough rolled out, brush the surface of dough with olive oil with a pastry brush (this is a perfect task for a pint sized helper).

4. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the dough. Follow with cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice (do as much as you like. I was pretty generous because I love cinnamon). Lastly, sprinkle walnuts evenly over the dough. I did not measure how many nuts we did. The kids just did handfuls until it looked good to us. When done, spray a light layer of olive oil spray over the nut mixture.

5. On the shortest side of the rectangle begin rolling the dough up into a long roll. Roll it as tight as you can. Lightly spray the roll on all sides with olive oil cooking spray.

6. Take a pizza cutter, and cut the roll into sections that are about 1 inch wide. Place the rolls into your cake pan like you see in the photo below.

7. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until the rolls are lightly browned on the top and the dough feels done, but not dry. (We are very technical around here) :) While the rolls bake, prepare the glaze if you are using it. They would be lovely either way.

8. Remove from oven and top with glaze.

ENJOY!

SUNDAY GIVEAWAY: Hasbro Toys Boggle

Twist, shake, set it, and play! The wordsearch game BOGGLE now comes in a compact case... just twist and raise the lid, shake the letter cubes in the quiet case, then search for words as the 3-minute timer counts down. And with no loose parts to worry about, it's as easy to store and take along as it is to play!

One lucky mama will have the chance to try out the new and improved Boggle!

To enter, leave us a comment answering the following question:

What is your family's favorite board game?

How to earn additional entries:

1. Follow our blog (publicly) and leave another comment (or let us know if you already are).

2. Subscribe to the Mama Memo and leave another comment (or let us know if you already are).

3. Blog about the giveaway, and link back here. Post your blog entry before you comment.

4. Add the Mama Manifesto button to your sidebar.

5. Follow us on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway: "Giveaway- Win the new Hasbro Toys BOGGLE game from @MamaManifesto. Enter at mamamanifesto.com"

6. Become a fan of Mama Manifesto on Facebook by clicking the button on the left.


[This giveaway will be closed Saturday at 11 p.m. and the winner will be announced next Sunday!]



And now for the winner of last week's giveaway:
{{{paula michele}}}


Congratulations! Shoot us an email by 7/11 to mamagiveaways(at)gmail(dot)com with your prize in the subject line, and we'll hook you up! Keep checking back for more great giveaways!

Best Diaper Bags 2010

There are certain parts of motherhood that you just cannot escape. One is baggage. We all have to carry around stuff for our kids. Diapers, wipes, sippy cups, snacks, spare toys, yada yada yada. One thing that makes me happy is to have a diaper bag that helps me feel equipped and organized on the go. But, have you noticed all the choices these days? There are a lot to choose from. So, we did some investigating and narrowed the list down just a bit, broken down by categories. All the bags on this list were provided to us for review so we could hold, test, carry, and sling on the go with our kids. We hope that if you are in the market for a new bag, this will help. We feel pretty strongly about promoting "Responsible Consumerism". We think that some products are made better than others, and that some products will outlast the baby stages and continue to be used after your kids are older. These are the products we love. . . because not only is this kinder to our budgets to get one bag that we love, instead of plowing through several that just don't work. Here are a few of our picks for diaper bags that will stand the test of time.

{Best For Big Families}

The BabyMel Tool Bag
The Tool Bag is another great option that dad won't mind carrying. This is my personal favorite because I am a huge fan of outside pockets, and the Tool Bag has ten(yes, ten!) outside pockets, five of them large enough to carry those big-kid sippy cups. This is the perfect bag for parents of multiple small children.
The Tool Bag is equipped with an adjustable strollerstrap which securely attaches to stroller. The fabric both inside and out wipes clean easily, and it is big enough to carry just about anything you need.

{Best Hip Mama Bags}

Storksak Beth

There is nothing like finding a diaper bag that you love. I mean, this is pretty much every mom's "essential accessory" when she is out and about with baby. I don't know about you, but I have always felt that it is just a tad deflating when you have actually gone to the trouble to shower, dress yourself in real clothes (not sweats or exercise clothing), brush your teeth, and dress up your face to get "out" looking like a bit more like your pre-baby self AND then you walk out the door with something slung over your shoulder that immediately shouts to the world: "I am a MOM!" We think the Beth Sak in Sea Stripe Blue is so cute that you will use it as a purse long after the baby graduates from diapers. Made from a durable and stylish nylon satin fabric, the Beth shoulder bag combines a fashionable design with functional features to help new moms look chic and stay organized while on-the-go with baby. Accented with antique brass hardware and trimmed in faux leather, the Beth is equipped with an adjustable shoulder strap, a convenient zip front organizer, a detachable pouch (for make-up, wipes or other personal items), a padded changing mat, and dual side zip thermo-insulated bottle pockets to help keep liquids warm or cool for up to four hours.You can find the Beth Bag in a variety of colors at Storksak's website here, or at Saks Fifth Avenue.

{Best Dad Bags}

Dadgear

Does your husband squirm at carrying your feminine-print diaper bag? Does he look like he's carrying a purse? For all the hubbies wanting to look manly while caring for their kids, DadGear has the perfect guy-approved diaper bags in a variety of dad-friendly styles. Not only do these diaper bags look cool, but the functional features make this a popular options with mom, too. We love their classic messenger bag.


{Best Luxury Bags}

Nest Hudson

Nest does the UN-diaper bag: sleek, hip bags that will have even your non-mommy friends asking "where'd you get that?" No one would guess that tucked in the glossy, glamourous exterior are nooks and crannies for diapers, bottles, and even a changing station.

We got the pleasure of trying out Nest's Hudson bag. With luxurious pebbled leather and gold hardware, this is not your mother's diaper bag. In fact, it looks like a high-end purse. I could decide which I liked more: the leather exterior or the tiffany-blue satin lining. It was all so pretty. I think this diaper bag is the most glam bag for baby stuff that we've ever seen, and for all it's rock-star umph, it's actually really practical. Function meets fashion. It's a splurge, but for mamas who want to look hot, the Hudson is your bag!




Petunia Pickelbottom
Carry your baby’s belongings in style with Petunia Picklebottom’s Asian-print silk boxy backpack diaper bags. There’s a reason why celebrities and soccer moms love these bags: they’re gorgeous, can be carried as a bag or a backpack, and, of course, they hold a ton of baby essentials.

{Best Functional Bags}

GoGaga

Is the weight of your diaper bag dragging you down? GoGaga's Slide Diaper Bag may be the most ergonmoic diaper bag we have ever tried. The secret is the unique strap that expands to distribute the weight across your shoulder and back much like a baby sling. This bag has it all: a roomy size, a husband-friendly design, lots of pockets, and it converts to a laptop bag later. We are gaga for it.

{Best All-Around}

Lassig Messenger Bag

Surprisingly, our favorite bag was a little number from a company that is new to us: Lassig. Their Messenger Bag is made of all natural, eco-friendly materials, in a variety of fun colors and prints. A well-disguised diaper bag masked as a trendy satchel, the inside includes a changing mat, well-organized inner-compartments, an insulated bottle holder, wet pocket, and a removable bottle holder compartment. And it's so cute that once you pass the diaper stage, it will pass as a great laptop bag.