Mom Talk: The Myth of the Super Mom

Hello all!! Welcome to my first Mom Talk Monday.  Mom talk will be exactly what it sounds like, posts about things moms talk about.  My hope is to give my take or opinion on various concerns that moms have.  I find that amongst all my mommy friends and family the conversation is typically the same.  We all have the same basic needs, concerns, and joys.

For my first installment I want to tackle the myth of the Super Mom.  We've all heard of her.   She always looks fantastic. Her home is elegantly decorated and spotless.  She successfully completes all her pins from Pinterest (apparently, you're supposed to use it as inspiration to actually do projects... not just dream about them... whatever!!).  Her kids rooms' are always perfectly cleaned and organized. And speaking of kids, they are always well behaved and neatly dressed (there is never dried Mac n cheese on their chins).  They are potty trained before 2, and eat what they are given.  Which, of course is only fresh fruit or veggies (that she grew in her own garden) with organic meats.  Oh, and she and her husband have the perfect marriage.   I could continue, but I'm sure I don't need to.  A lot of us moms have this idea of what we should be then feel guilty for not living up to this fantasy.  Or we strive to do EVERYTHING to become her and we are resentful... at least I was.

Clearly I'm a Super Mom, Check Out my tumbler!!

The truth, that I believe we all discover in our own time is that she doesn't exist, she's a myth.  a complete fabrication of our minds.  Sure, there are times when my house is spotless, and my kids are neat and tidy.  However, usually my home looks lived in and if you popped in unexpectedly you might find the boys and I in our pj's well past 11am.  Of course I offer my children various healthy meals and snacks, but there are days when I can't toast a pop tart fast enough, and yes I have the number to Dominos stored in my cell phone.  The love my husband and I share is immense... one for the story books, and even so, there are times when we get on each others last nerve!

A very good friend of mine, said to me "Wow, you're such a Super Mom".  While I gladly accept any compliment I get, I was really thinking, You're the Super Mom, Ms. Full time working mother of twin girls... two-year-old twin girls!  Of course I told her so.  We all do our best in whatever situation we have.  Last summer I had lots of mom guilt (thats a whole other topic) because I didn't do anything with my boys.  I was pregnant and hot and quite frankly I just didn't feel like it. We sat in our air conditioned home, they watched more TV than I care to admit, we did hardly any tot-school,  and that's okay.  It's okay if there is dust on the base boards, or a sticky spot on the kitchen floor.  Sometimes the kids will be off the hook, and sometimes their rooms' will appear to have had some type of toy grenade explode in it.

It's time for us to give ourselves a break.  Be the best mom we can be with out completely loosing our  shit minds.  Stop assuming the grass is always greener or uh, cleaner?  Enjoy and be proud of your own life, home..whatever, because in our own respect we all have a little super mom in us.

The Hand Me Down Situation

Hello friends!! So I finally did it... I found a way to organize the kiddos Hand me down clothes.  Wanna see how?... read on!!

Seriously with three boys the clothes were out of control.  When Ace was born we got loads of stuff... LOADS!! Lol, two showers and everyone's coworkers' kids' clothes hand me downs (did you get all that?).  Now, I am not one to turn things down (at least I wasn't... More on that later), so I had to find a place for all the clothes. One cute little baby boy... No problem!! His baby clothes load was stored neatly in the closet separated by homemade size dividers.  Clothes that my baby boy grew out of we're just tossed in an old diaper box.  Problem... He just kept growing out of them!! Duh!! The boxes began to get overwhelming!  Enter... Bear, right on time.  All Ace's clothes went into Bear's drawers and all was well again.  Until the seasons changed, and of course Bear grew out of his clothes.  Needless to say everything just got out of control again.  Now, I did take control back and pack a few diaper boxes for donation, and I had some make shift system of transferring clothing from one room to the next, but... It. Was. Not. Working!! Then I got preggers again and really lost control.  On top of all that, with clothes in boxes I had no idea what kind of inventory I had.  Okay, obviously I had some idea but, to really know what I needed for the next season meant emptying boxes which was a pretty daunting process.  After unpacking all the baby clothes, and receiving a new haul for Ace from my cuz (we like to keep it in the family!!), things got really out of hand!  I knew I needed to do something.  I needed a system that would work for me and my needs.  So this is what I did:

My Process

Of course I had helpers getting into EVERYTHING, which of course adds to the mess!!

First, I go crazy on Pinterest and Google Images.  There is tons of inspiration out there and it really
gets my creative juices flowing.

Next, I like to think about what I've seen and imagine it in my own home.  I saw some awesome stuff, one was a completely organized shelving system, sitting pretty in matching labeled bins.  I mean, it was like a personal second hand store in the basement!  Awesome organizing, but it wouldn't work for me because I hate running to the basement.  Yes, I'm lazy like that.

Then, I really hunker down and decide what I want my finished project to look like and how I want it to function.  I make a plan as part of this step and make a list of things I need as well as a timeline.

Finally, I start.  After all the steps.. I'm seriously excited.  It's like Christmas, because I know soon I will have this awesomely organized gift of a space.

So, yeah... I started with this.  These were only clothes that were is CJ's room.  In-San-Ni-Tee!  Keep in mind, things always get messier before they get better (at least in my case).

I ended with this.

 Lol... are you as excited as I am?  The top left are things going to goodwill.  The top right is organized and going to my another one of my cousins, expecting her first boy!! The clear bin is going in our basement for "just in case".  The blue bin will stay in CJ's closet for easy access.  I repeated this project in each of the boys' rooms over the course of about a week.  So they each have their own bin.

I separated clothing by season and  size, summer/spring and winter/fall and used a post-it to write what is specifically in each package (which are jumbo sized Ziplock Bags).  Now when it's time to shop for a new season I can lift a package and see what I have without taking everything out.  Laaaaaaaaaaaa!! That was my super sing song voice by the way.

Some of you may be thinking... How did you fit all those clothes in that one bin?  Answer: I didn't!! I had to pare down... A lot.  Part of my goal was to make sure I only kept what could fit in these bins.  The clothes that didn't make the cut went to in a donation box. When all was said and done I had bought 3 blue bins with lids from Walmart and 1 package of jumbo Ziplock Bags.

I am truly excited about this new system and I really think its going to work for us.
My next task (at some point) will be finding a way of wrangling all the little shoes, and big shoes for that matter.

So, how have you handled your hand me down situation? Any ideas for shoes?


Thanks for reading,

Leiah

Iheart Organizing

Allow Me To Re-Introduce Myself

Allow me to re-introduce myself, my name is... well, I guess I'm channelling a little Jay-Z there.  Okay seriously, My name is Leiah.  I am the mother of 3 wonderful little boys and married to my best friend.  My hubby, Mr. Roseyglasses (trust me he hates that name) is my great love.  I knew it from the start (okay the middle) of our first date, but that is another story for another time.  My oldest son, Ace (formerly Munchkin) is 4, going on 40.  He's such an insightful, inquisitive little man.  My number two is Bear.  I've decided to drop the Little since he's just getting so big.  Bear will be 3 in September, seems like just yesterday I was writing my first post while he slept quietly in his crib... Or was he on my lap?  CJ is my newest arrival, and my third little man.  He's 7 months old now and partially the reason this blog has been so inactive.  He is my sweet baby and I am currently experiencing the bitter sweetness of watching my tiny wrinkled infant disappear and transform in to a fat legged crawler on his way to toddler hood.

This blog is my open diary.  I write about all kinds of things, but I suppose you can check out my About Me page to read about all that.  Moving forward, I'd love for you to join me as I experience (and share) my life as a stay at home mom.  My ups and downs, my progress and procrastination.  My mini obsessions (like Pinterest... I know I'm not the only one), and my continued learning.

Welcome Back to Rosey Glasses.

Leiah

P.S.  Like our new look?  Head on over to Latoya Monique Designs.  She is Awesome!!

Organized Diaper Bag

I find the difference between my packing the diaper bag as a first time mother, and now as a third timer, hysterical.  I used to take everything but the kitchen sink.  I was so worried that I'd need something while we were out and it would essentially make our lives miserable for that (very small) period of time.
I've narrowed down what I typically used to bring to just the essentials. Here's my list of what I try to have in my diaper bag at all times.

Baby Needs:
Diapers (about 1 per hour you"ll be out) Although I usually just bring three.
Mini Wipes Case of course
Diaper Cream
A Changing Pad
A burp cloth
A large receiving blanket that usually doubles as a burp cloth, or a cover for feeding
An extra outfit - Sleep & Play, undershirt ( be sure to change it out as baby grows or seasons change
Extra Bib
A hat and baby mittens

Mommy Needs:
Wallet and car key
Comb
Lip gloss
Sometimes an eyeliner
The baby record books for the doctor
Receipt and Coupon holder
Breast Pads
Antibacterial wipes and gel

The Extras:
Boogie Wipes (mostly for Munchkin and Bear)
A baggie filled with mini packets of cleaner, and stain remover wipes

This is everything on the list, plus Munchkin and CJ.

 I know the list seems pretty long, but it all fits neatly in my diaper bag.  When I was searching for a diaper bag while pregnant with the Munchkin, I had one thing on my mind.  CUTE!! I wanted it to be baby cute, so I chose one that was brown and turquoise with a cute little teddy bear. Blah Blah Blah.  It had only one large pocket which basically meant it had zero organization.  Everything was just in there.

I chose this diaper bag for its function and basic style.

Here it is empty, just waiting to be filled with all its goodies.

Here's How I organize my bag.

First, my stuff.  I usually don't take my own separate bag if were going out for a short trip.  This all fits neatly in the zippered pocket in the front.

 Next I fill the two snap pockets in the front of the bag.  One gets the goodies like Boogie wipes (which smell delightful if I may add).  In the other, I place the hat and mittens.

                           

Onto the inside.  In the main space I add the burp cloth and Receiving blanket.  I have a snuggle thing (can't think of the real name) over the baby's car seat, which eliminates the need for a heavy winter blanket.

The two empty back pockets get diaper cream, lotion, and diapers.  I usually bring between 2-4 diapers, since he gets changed right before we leave to go anywhere.

 There is another pocket with elastic in the front (see, lots of pockets = awesome organizing), this is where I keep the extra outfit and bib.

The back open pocket gets the pad and wipes.

There are two side pockets on the outside of this bag.  One is used for antibacterial wipes. I like it here, because it gives me easy access.  My antibacterial gel is a mini one that usually clips onto one of the straps.  The other pocket is currently not being used, but at some point a water bottle or sippy cup will go in there.  I also have a little mini pacifier holder, though It's kind of pointless since CJ doesn't care much for them.

Sometimes depending on where we are going I may bring a toy or throw some extra snacks for the big boys.

All packed up and ready to go!

Quiet Over Here

Things have been mighty quiet here at Rosey Glasses.  I'm imagining virtual tumble weeds.  All for great reason though.  I am enjoying my guys (the big and the littles).  I've been keeping home, playing with race cars and Legos, EBF, and celebrating my wedding anniversary.  Oh, and patiently waiting for Spring.  I've got some big ideas cooking for when the weather gets warmer and I can bring all three outside.

Thanks for stopping by!

EBF

EBF.  EBF is short for exclusively breast feeding.  Although I must say, there is nothing short about it.  It takes a lot of time.  A lot of patience, and for me, a long time before my nips weren't sore.   Sounds fun right?  Actually it's wonderful.  EBF is an awesome bonding experience and an excellent reason to stop whatever it is I'm doing, sit down and put my feet up.

I have been away from Rosey Glasses for quite a while.  I just didn't have the energy to do much during my last months of pregnancy (okay the whole pregnancy) and during the first 2 months of little CJ's life.  Yes, my sweet little boy is here and two months old.  He is the third child I've breastfed, but the first that I have exclusively breastfed.  He's never had a bottle although he did get about a half ounce of formula in a supplemental feeder to help him latch.  I am super proud of myself.  It has taken a lot of determination and endurance (cracked nipples anyone?).

I always knew I would breastfeed, and honestly have no problem with formula.  My first two received a mixture of both.  However, I believe this will be my last baby and I wanted to see if I could do it.  Could I be my child's only source of food?  Could I dedicate myself to the goal of at least one year?  So I'm doing it!

Now it's only been two months, but we are going strong.  We have survived clogged milk ducts, cracked and bleeding nipples, and latching problems, but we are doing it!!  I do plan on introducing bottles... Momma wants a glass of wine!!! But he will only get bottles of breast milk and only on rare occasions.

Sorry if I seem to be gloating, it's only because I'm so freaking proud of myself!! With that said, it is not my intent to belittle mommas that choose to bottle feed.  We all do what is best for our families and no one should feel bad about how things turn out.

Be Blessed!!!

My Newest Addiction

I have a new addiction everyone.  I'm still loving to organize, teach my little tots (and preschooler now),  and I still love to host a good event... but I have found something new to keep me busy...  Cloth Diapers!

Can you believe it?  I never thought in a million years that I'd actually be taking the plunge.  My interest in cloth diapering began almost four years ago, while pregnant with Munchkin.  I am hardly a card carrying member of the Captain Planet Team, but I am somewhat eco-sensitive... if that's a word.  I very often forget to bring my reusable grocery bags to the store... but I reuse the ones I get for garbage and mostly doggie duty outside.  I try and recycle anything that can be recycled.  While newly pregnant with my first baby I decided to look into it.  Let's just say for anyone who has ever tried to "look into" cloth diapering, they know how totally overwhelming it is.  It's not your grandmama's cloth anymore, or should I say it's not JUST your grandmama's cloth anymore.  You can still find the old school flats and prefolds, but now there is just so much more!  So much that it is extremely overwhelming.  Basically I got bored of trying to figure everything out and that was the end of that.  When I found myself preggers with Little Bear I thought about it again, but only very briefly.  I'd successfully used disposables and thought it'd be a bit crazy to start with two little one under 2.

So yes, I've decided to start with (what will be) 3 kids, three and under... yes crazy! 

Why?

My answer is simple..  I am expecting this to be my last baby, and I really like to try everything at least once.  Plus, well, not to toot my own horn, but I'm a bit more of an experienced momma this time around.  So when the thought popped into my head, I started googling, and stalking some cloth diaper forums, and watching you tube video after video.  After a while, all the cloth diapering lingo became more and more familiar.  I began to understand!  So jump in right??... wrong!!  There are a lot of variables to consider while cloth diapering like ease, cost, and size.  Cost being a big one.  Yes, over time cloth diapering is probably (in most cases) cheaper.  However, if you get carried away (which I'm learning many people do) you can expect to probably break even... then again you could sell your stash or use it for another baby to come.  The best advice I read is to decide your reasoning, and go from there.  My reason, as I've said before, is mostly to try something new, with cost and environment coming in tied for second.  So how do I try something new, with out investing too much in the beginning.  By going the part time route.  This means I will use them while at home, and keep disposables on hand just in case the laundry doesn't get done in time.  "Baby Steps".

So I ordered my first set. 

I decided to go with a less expensive pocket diaper (perhaps in an up coming post, I'll explain the different types... or at least point you in the right direction).   An online buddy suggested Sunbabies one size.  I ordered 6 with bamboo inserts (no there are not bamboo sticks inside... ouch!!)  $51.00.  I figure that's not too bad of an upfront cost.  I also bought a drying rack for $20 from Walmart.  Then I added two BumGenious 4.0s (another type of diaper) just because.  They were 17.99 a pop!!... so I stopped there.

We have been cloth diapering part time for only a few days.  I've encountered both wet and solid messes, and  I've completed one load of diaper wash, and I gotta say... I'm still excited!  I'm loving it.  I love watching Little Bear run around with his fuzzy butt.  The texture on the inside is so soft, I can only imagine it's much more comfy for him.  Comfy for baby, better for environment... so far so good!  Even though I am enjoying it so far, I've decided to give it another week or so before ordering more, and beginning my newborn stash.  I gotta say it is extremely difficult... there are so many kinds and options. Sigh... Patience!!

Until next time... Have a wonderful day!!