Veggie luv...

As I've made pretty clear in my posts here, one of the most beneficial things I've found about meal planning is giving my family a varied and well-rounded dinner menu for the month.  Because we like our veggies around the NMOTB house, we go through produce like no other.  The only thing that bothers me sometimes is that I've been known to get stuck in a produce rut.  We generally cycle through the same 5-10 vegetables/preparations a few times a month and that can get awfully boring.

Enter, Door to Door Organics Produce Delivery.

If you're not familiar with the concept, DTDO provides a service where on a weekly/biweekly basis, you can have fresh, organic produce delivered right to your door step.  What I love about it is that the produce box is predetermined for you (though you can build a profile with your tastes/make substitutions as necessary), so it offers the opportunity to try a variety of produce you'd otherwise skip over if you're stuck in a rut (like me.)

When our box arrived (with the apt slogan, "Joy Delivered"), it was like Christmas Day.
I don't think I've ever torn into a box so excitedly before.

The medium vegetable box we ordered was literally brimming with gorgeous, fresh produce.  I also added a few things from their fresh market (they have practically EVERYTHING you could want out of a natural food store).

I might be hooked forever.

DTDO tasked me with creating an original recipe to share with you all as part of a giveaway we'll be doing this week on the blog.  Two lucky Chicago-area readers will receive a $50.00 gift certificate each toward your own box of Joy Delivered.

I wanted to share a recipe that was easy to cook on a weeknight (because in the NMOTB kitchen, those are the best meals you can ask for) as well as a recipe that would offer a way to use any number of the great organic vegetables that would come in a produce box delivery.  This recipe is totally customizable, so make it with your favorite combination of vegetables, use your favorite jarred or homemade marinara, and whatever pasta strikes your fancy.

Hope you enjoy!

{NMOTB Pasta Primavera}

Ingredients:
- 3ish tablespoons EVOO (as if I measured this...do what feels good)
- 3-4 cloves of garlic (sliced thin)
- 1 yellow onion (diced)
- 6 cremini mushrooms (sliced thin)
- 1 zucchini (sliced into half coins)
- 1 head of broccolini (chopped)
- 1 red bell pepper (sliced)
- 1 jar of marinara (I usually make my own, but for the purposes of this recipe, I used Rao's Homemade Marinara Sauce which is GREAT and available in the DTDO pantry, do whatever you want!)
- 1 pound of the pasta of your choice (We used this fresh spaghetti and it was OUTSTANDING.  Dried pasta of any shape would be fine as well!)
- 1 can of cannellini beans (rinsed/drained)
- 2 big handfuls of fresh spinach
- Italian Seasoning (eyeball this)
- Salt/Pepper to taste
- Freshly shredded parmesan for garnish

Directions:
- Drizzle some of the EVOO in a large skillet and warm over medium low heat.  Add sliced garlic and heat until fragrant.

- Add diced onion and toss with more EVOO.  Heat until soft/translucent.

- Add all vegetables into pan (and toss with more EVOO if things are a little too dry, you can tell it's one of my favorite ingredients).  Stir everything up, season with Italian Seasoning and a little S&P, and cover the vegetables.  Cook for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are softened, stirring frequently.

- Meanwhile, boil your pasta in salted water.  If using fresh, this takes less than 5 minutes, so save enough time for whatever you're making.

- Once vegetables have softened, pour marinara and can of beans into the skillet and stir to coat everything.  Taste and adjust seasonings.

- Add pasta and spinach and toss until spinach is slightly wilted.

- Garnish pasta with fresh cheese.  We used this delightful Olive Oil and Rosemary asiago.  Serve with crusty bread for mopping up the delicious sauce and a nice green salad featuring gorgeous DTDO produce!

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Are you ready to make your own delicious recipe with a box from DTDO?  Below you'll find all of the great ways to win using my fancy Rafflecopter giveaway widget.  The only bummer of this giveaway is that you must live in the greater Chicagoland area to enter (unless you live in Chicago...in which case, there are no bummers!)  You can search for your zip code here to see if you qualify.  The giveaway ends at midnight on Friday, October 24, and I'll be announcing the winner here on the blog on Friday morning!

However, because they're so awesome, DTDO is also offering $10.00 off your first order exclusive to NMOTB readers.  So even if you don't win the giveaway, you can try out produce box deliveries at a discounted price.  Follow the link here to get started.

Follow the Rafflecopter directions below for multiple ways to enter the giveaway and may the odds be ever in your favor!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Though Door to Door Organics  provided me with a complimentary delivery for review on this blog  the opinions expressed in this post are solely my own.  Obviously I barely have the time to wash my own hair daily, so I'm not going to take the time to write about a product I don't fully endorse.

What can I do...

First things first - a winner!

Congratulations to Wendy!  You are now the proud owner of a new (pink!) GooseWaddle gift set.  You will hear from me soon for details on how to claim your prize.  ENJOY!

-----

Next things next - a meal plan.  I know I said I'd be posting it today.

Sigh.

I'm working on it.  My week at work has been unusually chaotic and busy and I have come home too tired to think every night this week.  So, I'll try to post it sometime this weekend or by Monday at the latest.

This weekend will afford me a little bit more rest and a little bit more time to make some decisions on what we're going to eat.  Stay tuned.  For now, I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and a great start to your March - spring is almost here, right?  RIGHT?!

I've got your love to keep me warm...

We've been going through a really cute phase in the New Mom on the Blog house.  The Incredible Hulk has deemed it his job to find various things in the house that are either "comfy" or "cozy."  The tags on his clothes are his favorites.  Sometimes he'll reach out to touch our hair or his pajamas to let us know if they are "cozy" or "scratchy."  Even his well-loved Lamby has one "cozy" ear and one "not cozy" ear.  (The cat's tail is cozy, but TIH is not supposed to touch it.)

So, when the fine folks at GooseWaddle asked me if I wanted to check out one of their blankets, I knew we had the exact reviewer for the job.  (Literally, I had about five seconds to admire the adorable packaging our blanket came in before TIH ripped it out of my hands and said "COZY."  I haven't really even been allowed to touch the thing since we got it.)  So, TIH?  Tell us what you think.

Me: Sometimes people give things to us so I can tell them what I think of them on my blog.
TIH:  Blog?
Me: Yep.  So, these people want to know what you think of your blanket.
TIH: Hold on, I need to get some water.
Me:  What color is your blanket?
TIH: Blue!
Me:  What do you like about your new blanket?
TIH:  It's cozy.
Me:  What are some fun things you can do with the blanket?
TIH:  Um.  Play.
Me:  How do you play with it?
TIH:  Um, you throw it up into the sky.  (Demonstrates.)  And you can touch them.  (Demonstrates.)
Me:  How many blankets do you sleep with at night?
TIH:  Um...18.  (That's pretty legit.)
Me:  Do you want mommy to get you more blankets like this?
TIH:  YEAH.
Me:  Do you have anything else you want to say about your blanket?
TIH:  COZY!  TOUCHING!  Where's my other blanket?
(At this point he handed me the smaller of the two blankets and said "Now you can go to sleep."  PRECIOUS.)

Obviously he's a fan, but these blankets get the NMTOB stamp of approval as well.

Last week a nasty stomach virus ripped its way through our house (will this winter EVER END?)  TIH had spent the course of the illness clinging to his two blankies and so the minute he looked to be on the way to wellness, I washed both.  They washed nicely and came out of the dryer just as warm and fuzzy as when they started. Anyone who has been around an infant EVER knows that these things need to be washed on the regular, so I was glad to be able to do a quick quality check there.

I also really love the fact that the gift set comes with its own "lovey" blanket in addition to the large one.  When TIH went to his babysitter for the first time, I really wanted him to have a small blanket to take with him that smelled like us and like home, but I also didn't want to run the risk of him being put to sleep with a blanket on him (since sleeping with loose blankets before age 1 greatly increases suffocation risk.)  GooseWaddle provides the perfect replacement.  (Of course, if you're like TIH, you'll require both blankets to be with you at all times, so it wouldn't quite work out as well as I described.)

Another fantastic feature of GooseWaddle blankets is that they are stretchy enough to be used as a swaddle blanket, but also have the warmth many swaddle blankets are lacking.  TIH was born in the summer and actually hated being swaddled because of how hot he would get.  However, this would be the perfect solution to someone welcoming a baby into our current, polar-like conditions.  (I haven't actually been able to try out the swaddle feature of these blankets.  Swaddling a three year old would likely be like trying to swaddle a cat.)

Additionally, as someone who loves companies who "pay it forward" out into our world - for every GooseWaddle blanket purchased, GooseWaddle donates a receiving blanket to a child in need.  Talk about warm and fuzzy.

So, wouldn't you like a chance to win one of these awesome gift sets?
Great, because GooseWaddle wants you to do just that.

In the interest of not doing anymore obnoxious giveaways in the comments that never work - I noticed a few of my blogger friends using this little widget called Rafflecopter.  So, you can enter the giveaway through that and hopefully it will be smooth sailing!  (If you are having trouble, don't hesitate to ask me.  I certainly don't want anyone to miss out on a chance to win this awesome prize!)  Don't have kids?  Doesn't matter.  How sweet would this be to give as a shower gift?  I'd be excited if it were a gift I received! I'll announce the winner here on Friday when I'll also be sharing our March meal plan!

For more information about GooseWaddle and their line of products, you can check them out on Facebook, Twitter, or by visiting their website.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Though GooseWaddle provided me with a complimentary gift set, the opinions expressed in this post are solely my own.  Obviously I barely have the time to wash my own hair daily, so I'm not going to take the time to write about a product I don't fully endorse.

Stay cozy.

Something for everyone...

My internship required me to work 40 hours a week for a 6 month period.  It wasn't paid.  And it didn't really afford me the opportunity to work a job that occurred during normal hours.  So, after some brainstorming and Craigslisting, I saw they were holding auditions for a dinner theater that was pretty much an institution in St. Louis.  With my theme park performance background (still so proud of that, obviously), I knew I was likely to get the job so I went out and auditioned.  The show was a bawdy musical comedy set in Henry VIII's royal court (the script for which had been around for 30+ years) where we were encouraged to joke around with the guests of the show, recommend the alcoholic beverages heavily, and basically have the time of our lives.  It was AWESOME.

That's me in the middle.

I proceeded to work there for the next two and a half years (up to and including my final show when I was 5 months pregnant with TIH - it was pretty fun to wear the costume with my baby bump peeking out of my bodice.)  Sure, the extra money was a huge help and I absolutely loved the job, but the late nights weren't going to jive with the new baby.  Doing the whole show and serving food & drinks while pregnant was hard enough.  I knew I wouldn't have the energy once the new baby was in the picture.  So, a few months before TIH was born, I hung up my bodice once and for all.

In a way, leaving that job was one of the first major parental sacrifices I made.  Giving up something I really enjoyed doing because I knew it would be better for my family in the long run.  I have sincerely missed dressing up, interacting with the customers, and the tips didn't hurt, obviously.  So, when I was contacted by Medieval Times - Chicago who was interested in doing a giveaway on the blog, I literally was pinching myself with happiness.

When I worked for the dinner theatre, we were often asked, "Is this just like Medieval Times?"  At the time, I had never visited a Medieval Times (in fact my only knowledge of it came from this scene in The Cable Guy.)

Kicking myself for not reenacting this.

After being there I can't believe the comparison was ever drawn.  Mostly because this show had a much larger cast, was not a musical, featured staged combat (that was REALLY impressive), and oh yeah, they had actual HORSES.  However, it still was a bit of a walk down memory lane and we had an incredible time.

We arrived at Medieval Times (which is kind of cool to see right off the highway) and followed the long hallway in to get our tickets.  Your seats are pre-determined when you book your reservation, so it's a pretty easy deal.  They also use this cool system with scanners and tickets so they know what you've paid for in advance (there are various upgrades you can add to your order including keepsake photos, etc.)

These tickets also tell you which knight you'll be cheering for.

There is some time in between when you arrive and when you are seated.  There's lots of things to explore, lots of photo ops, fun souvenirs to buy for the kids (TIH obviously got a light up sword), and a a full bar with lots of yummy drink options.  (All of which come in souvenir glasses of sort.)

When we were finally led into the arena, it totally took my breath away.  The lighting for the entire show is SURREAL, and I loved how each section started out being lit in its signature color.

Plus, our seats totally rocked.

We were immediately greeted by our server (who was unfortunately, not Janeane Garofalo), but who was extraordinarily great at his job.  Soft drinks and coffee are included with the price of admission, so he took our drink orders and then it seemed as though he immediately was bringing us food.

(A vegetarian option is also available.)

There are no utensils at Medieval Times (though they will provide a set for the kiddos, so no worries there.)  Not that it mattered, TIH was SO excited to sip soup out of his bowl.  I was shocked by how delicious the menu was.  The food at my dinner theater was great, but in truth, you came for the entertainment not the food.  So color me excited when the food at Medieval Times was just as awesome as the show!

Utensils would have slowed me down too much.

Throughout the meal you are entertained with some competitions between all of the knights where you are encouraged to cheer on your section's knight.  We were sure to show our Yellow Knight pride all night long.

I can totally pull off hats.

There's never really a dull moment throughout the show.  I think our favorite part was when our knight fought in a really exciting battle...and won. You'll hear me say "Whoa" when the swords keep sparking when they hit each other and then cheer like a crazy person when our guy won.  It's really exciting and intense. Too cool.

Spoiler alert:  our knight won the whole tournament!  (Don't worry, it isn't a real spoiler.  The winner changes every show.)  I can't explain how happy this made TIH.  He had been cheering his little heart out and waving his flag and light-up sword for the whole show.

There were moments when the cast actually came in the audience and a little girl in our section was actually named "Lady of the Realm" so the Yellow Knight stood right by us.

He left the horse in the arena, unfortunately.

One of the things I was most impressed by (and I know it's weird) is how much it did NOT smell like horses in there.  Literally these giant, gorgeous animals were walking around right past us and I still didn't find anything unappetizing about it.  I'm sure it is strange that I even thought about that, but whatever they are doing to deodorize those guys - it's working.

Plus, they're really pretty.

All in all, it was an absolutely fantastic night.  We have already discussed a return visit for some of our out of town guests.  I can't even begin to describe how impressed I was by the caliber of the show, the quality of the food, and the excellence of the customer service.  Truly, it was a night we talked about for weeks afterward.  And (in a full circle fashion), having to give up the opportunity to perform in shows like this, just opened up the opportunity to enjoy watching them with my family.

I think I'll take it.

-----

So, I know exactly what you're thinking.  "Gosh, I wish I could take my family to Medieval Times - Chicago."

GOOD NEWS.  Medieval Times has generously offered to give one lucky reader FOUR tickets to see the show here in Chicago!  Ready for the details?

To be eligible to win, all you have to do is make sure you 'Like' Medieval Times - Chicago on Facebook.  Then, leave a comment on this post sharing the first big sacrifice you remember making as a parent.  (If you're not a parent, leave a sacrifice you expect to have to make upon having kids.  If you don't plan on becoming a parent, just say that.  No worries.  We're all inclusive here.)

Good luck to all who enter!  (And don't worry if you don't live here - you get to pick the date of  the performance you'd like to see. Chicago is an awesome place to visit - I'll help you plan your trip!)

(To see all of the photos from our visit to the castle, check out my Instagram hashtag #mt_Chicago.  You can also follow Medieval Times - Chicago to see some really cool behind-the-scenes photos which are sure to get you excited about the prize!  Hurry up and enter!!)

Look at this photograph...

I must start this post by saying that I am sorry that I quoted a Nickleback song for the title of this post.  Sometimes things just fit too well though.  So, I had to.  And I'm sorry.  Mostly that the song is now probably ringing in your head right now.  Blah.

So, as you may know, I am partnering this week with Kindred Photo App for an awesome giveaway in which three lucky winners will be receiving a "year supply" of their awesome photo booklets.  Now, I'm sure some of you might be wondering, "What am I going to do with 12 photo booklets?"  That's a fabulous question.

I also was a bit daunted by the task of coming up with some ideas of what sort of photo booklets to make, but once I got started, I almost couldn't stop.  In addition to making brag books for TIH's grandmothers, I also made a few books for myself.  One of them is my favorite photos from my Facebook album "Adventures in Chicago" in which I've been documenting all of our fun times in our new city.  The other book I called "Just the Three of Us," and it is filled with my favorite snapshots of my husband, TIH, and me.

But, there are literally endless possibilities for these books. Even if you aren't the winner of one of the three giveaway prizes, you're going to want to download this app and take advantage of this awesome subscription.  I've had such a blast coming up with these little booklets, and you will too!

Here are a few ideas for how you could use these booklets:

- Baby brag books for every member of your family (especially those who aren't on social media!)
- Monthly favorite photos for baby's first year, you could even come up with a way to bind them all together after you collected all twelve! (This would be awesome as a shower gift for a mom-to-be as well!)
- You could be as awesome as this mom and then put together the best shots in a booklet to further assert your awesomeness:

- Scan in pictures of your kiddo's artwork and organize them into several booklets (The paper quality of these booklets is much better than construction paper and will hold up better over time.)
- Make photo booklets of absolutely anything your child does for a Christmas gift for his/her grandparents
- Photo booklets for Mother's Day/Father's Day/Grandparent's Day
- Put together all of the gorgeous detail shots from your kid's photo shoots that maybe aren't something you'd frame, but that are far too gorgeous to pass up:

photo credit: Rosser Photography

- Baby's first Christmas, Halloween, any holiday (You'll have a ton of pictures and you'll want to share them all.)
- Baby's first cake smash (Photograph the entire destruction and evolution of messiness!)
- Do a family end-of-year book (This idea could also be transformed into some relatively expensive Christmas cards, but if you're only sending them out to some select family members, it would actually be the coolest thing ever!)
- Even though I know I shouldn't encourage TIH to take selfies, I kind of love the end result when he does.  I could do a full album of selfies of him, without a doubt.  Impromptu photo booth?  Why not?



Obviously, a lot of these ideas are centered around children (especially babies in their first year.)  But, trust me, winning this giveaway is not contingent on parenthood.  There are a ton of ideas for these photo booklets without having offspring.

- Take adorable pictures of your pets (Trust me, before TIH came along, Lido was the most photographed cat on the planet and I would have totally had an album of him.)
- Make a quick booklet of vacation photos before you even get off the plane to share with all of your jealous friends
- Share your favorite proofs following a photo shoot (engagement pictures, headshots, etc.) so you can get opinions before you order
- Weddings, weddings, weddings.  You could use your entire year's subscription on wedding photos alone.  Everyone is going to ask to see your wedding photos.  This will be (by far) the quickest way to share them.
- Favorite scenery photos (I love the photos of fall leaves and first snows that will be flooding my news feeds, but is my personal favorite as of right now:)

Dear Chicago.

- These would make an easy photography portfolio to whip out to show to potential clients
- Sharing/preserving ancestry photos (I know many of my family members would LOVE this.)
- Print out your Instagram photos! My Instagram photos are some of my favorites and I hate leaving them just sitting out there in the Internet.  So what if they're all pictures of food and pretty trees - those kind of things are nice to look at.
- Favorite party pics following a party (I'm totally doing this with the pics from the amazing 30th birthday party I just had!)
- Make a booklet of any special milestone - finishing a marathon, graduations, etc. - these memories are important to share!



So, now that you have a little inspiration to get you started, I hope you're making sure to enter the giveaway.  And, since you've read all of these great ideas, how about a little bonus entry?  To do so, go back to the original giveaway post, and leave another comment with an idea you have for using these photo books.  (It doesn't have to be original, you can borrow one from this post, but go do it.  NOW!)  You have the opportunities for as many as SIX entries into this contest.  Don't miss a single one!  GO NOW.



Though Kindred provided me with a complimentary subscription to their service and with a few complimentary photo books, the opinions expressed in this post are solely my own.  Obviously I barely have the time to wash my own hair sometimes, so I'm not going to take the time to write about a product I don't fully endorse.

I see you all the time in Polaroid...

I have a small confession.  I really sucked at filling out The Incredible Hulk's baby book.  I mean, I have a lot of the important stuff written down - first foods, first steps, first words - but, trust me when I say every little box isn't filled out in the way I thought it would be when I purchased it.

Whoops.

For me, the beginning was so overwhelming and busy, I had no time or energy to painstakingly fill out every moment in a baby book.  I did, however, have time to take pictures.  Lots of them.  And eventually I was able to organize those into four books which chronicled the first year of TIH's life.  In fact, I continued doing so and have since made a photo book for every year.  These are TIH's baby books.  These are what I will go to when I'm feeling nostalgic.  (Who am I kidding, I do it already.)

 

Though this entire blog is devoted to giving lots of varying advice to New Moms, I think this particular piece of advice is super important.  Make photo books for your babies.  Today I'm sharing my methods for doing so in TIH's first year, as well as giving you a SUPER simple (and affordable) way of doing so, but do what makes it easy on you.  That's the point, getting yourself organized enough that when you do feel like sitting down and making an album that you can do so quickly and easily (so that you can spend your time with that adorable little creature you're so heavily documenting!)  So here it is:


1.  First and foremost - you must take pictures.  And LOTS of them.  If you don't have some sort of photography apparatus before your child is born, try to make friends with a rich person who will buy you one scout out a good deal.  I definitely would suggest digital (do they even make cameras that have film anymore?) because you're going to need to take 300 pictures to get the one shot you want.  Babies are wiggly.  At the very least, get a phone that has a good camera on it.  We have a decent digital camera and 95% of my photos of TIH were taken with my iPhone.

2.  Whether you're printing a bunch of photos or making full photo books - do it in chunks.  Whether you do it every month or every few months, you'll be happy that you're not trying to decide between photo #689 and photo #1258 of your baby in the bathtub.  What I mean is that if you wait too long, you'll have to print all 8000 pictures you took over the span of several months and you won't necessarily remember what was going on or why you felt it necessary to take so many pictures in the bathtub.  Keep it simpler by breaking it up a bit.  If the plan is to make a photo book, working as you go will make the process all the easier. (For example, as soon as you upload the pictures from family vacation, immediately start dragging and dropping them into a photo book.)

3.  Have a system for organizing your photos.  I use Apple's iPhoto because its easy, organized, but mostly because it was free software that already came loaded on my computer.  My filing system is done by month and I label the folders with idiot proof names (i.e., "October 2013," "Christmas 2010").  That way, when I'm ready to print my photos or if I'm looking for something in particular, I know exactly where I can find it.  Putting your photographs on Facebook (with similarly easy album names) can be helpful as well as many photo printing/sharing sites allow you to connect with your Facebook page.  This means that even if you haven't managed to download all of the photos from your phone to your computer (which I'm totally guilty of), you're still able to access them for prints.

4.  As often as your resources allow it, have professional photographs taken of your family (or at the very least of the baby.)  We got TIH's photos taken in the hospital, at 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 1 year.   Since then we usually just stick to the year mark and then try to get in a minishoot in the fall for Christmas cards.  I'll be the first to admit that some of my favorite photos of TIH are the snapshots that I took myself (so don't discount those), but there is something to be said for the magic of good lighting and Photoshop.  At first, we went the portrait studio route, but after one bad (and expensive) experience, we started looking for comparable packages with other professional photographers.  What I found is that many photographers offer "First Year" packages and the price of those were better than any coupon I could find with portrait studios.  There's no wrong route to take, but you'll be happy you have these as bookends for your photo book...

5.  Make PHOTO BOOKS.  Wait, did I already say that?  Okay, because it is THAT important.  Seriously, the prints can get expensive/lost and can be really easy to forget to print.  The photo books are easy to make and easy to duplicate (Hello, easy Christmas presents for grandparents.)  Not to mention, they are super fun to do!  (Hours of looking at cute pictures of my child?  Sign me up.)  Plus, these things will last.  The stack of TIH's photo books sit in our living room and everyone LOVES looking at them when they come to our house.


To make things even easier, the awesome peeps at Kindred Photo App contacted me to share this incredible new service they've just rolled out.  This service couldn't be any simpler if it tried.

I made three photo books in about 30 minutes during a train ride back from the city the other day.  All you have to do is download their FREE app (available on iTunes and Google Play), make an account that will allow you to access your photos (from your phone's photo albums, Facebook, or Instagram), select pictures (or have the app do it for you!), and ship it out to your choice of recipient.

Seriously.  It is SO simple.  What will arrive at your house are these neat little booklets:

The printing is high quality and the paper is nice and thick.  I immediately sent out two brag books to each of TIH's grandmothers to enjoy and of course they both were elated.

I made a couple of books for myself, of course, and could totally see me doing a "Best of..." book for every month.  The cost of the service is $5.95 a month and each booklet costs only $5.00.  I can tell you that I have spent that amount of money MANY TIMES OVER on making prints of photos, but none of them looked this beautiful!  (Nor was it ever this simple.)  And, if you decide that the service isn't for you, you can cancel it at any time with no penalties!

Even better?  Kindred is giving away a "year supply" (12 booklets, but you can use them all at once or space them out over a year, whatever) to THREE lucky readers.  Here's FIVE different ways you can enter:

1.  Leave a comment on this post saying that you like NMOTB on Facebook.
2.  Leave a comment on this post saying that you follow NMOTB on Instagram.
3.  Leave a comment on this post saying that you follow NMOTB on Twitter (and while you're at it, why not follow Kindred on Twitter too?)
4.  Leave a comment on this post saying that you've downloaded the FREE Kindred app on either iTunes or Google Play.
5.  For a bonus entry, upload your favorite photograph of your little one to my Facebook page or Instagram (by tagging me @newmomontheblog and using the hashtag #NMOTB_kindredphotobooks) and then come back and leave a comment on this post saying that you've done so!


I will be announcing the winner on Friday, so be sure to check back!  Good luck to all who enter.  And, even if you don't win - consider giving the subscription a shot.  I've been so happy with my experience thus far!

Though Kindred provided me with a complimentary subscription to their service and with a few complimentary photo books, the opinions expressed in this post are solely my own.  Obviously I barely have the time to wash my own hair daily, so I'm not going to take the time to write about a product I don't fully endorse.

Let the fear take the wheel and steer...

Before this post gets underway, I wanted to make a quick clarification about the Pampers giveaway.  This being NMOTB's first giveaway (though there will be more, I hope!), I think I did a bad job of explaining the rules of the giveaway.  Each comment you make on the blog (whether it be to tell me you follow me on Facebook/Pinterest, be your awesome sleep advice - I'm learning so much! - or your bonus entry for today) counts as one entry for the giveaway.  So, if you liked me on Facebook or Pinterest (thank you!) in order to enter the giveaway you need to leave a comment so that it can be counted for an entry.  If you already followed me on Facebook/Pinterest, you must also still leave a comment stating so.  I am terrible at explaining things without being wordy, so I blame the confusion on me and you're probably even more confused now.  Ideally, you will be able to enter the contest up to three times (So, three comments on the giveaway post - one with your sleep advice, one stating if you follow me on Pinterest, and one with your guess about today's bonus question.  Additionally, you must "like" New Mom on the Blog on Facebook to qualify you if you win.  You don't have to leave an additional comment stating so.)  Phew.  No wonder it's so confusing.  I'm terrible at this.

Though we have yet to experience them, I have several friends who have told me about their struggles with a very unsettling phenomenon known commonly as "night terrors." 

It's like a bad dream on steroids except that you'll never know what made your little one scream like a banshee in the middle of the night (nor will they).  In truth, since we haven't experienced them, I don't even know that much about them myself, so I was super excited when I received an email with someone who was interested in writing her solution for night terrors that worked like a charm.  This particular person is someone who has raised two wonderful children into adulthood and lives an amazingly healthy lifestyle (one which I modeled some of my own weight loss after).  She also happens to be my mother's twin sister and more importantly - my godmother.

Oh, AND, did I mention? She's gorgeous.

So here is what my Aunt Patty has to share with us.  And, make sure you don't miss the end of the post where I tell you what you can do for another chance at the Pampers Giveaway!

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From the day she was born, my amazing daughter, Katie, has thrived on rituals.  She still does to this day, 23 years later.  When she was a three-year-old little girl, she and I had to go through the exact same routine every night before she would settle down to sleep.  After her bath, we would read exactly three books, no more, no less.  We said the exact prayers in the exact order.  Then I was required to tuck her beloved teddy bear and water baby into the exact spots around her and give her the exact number of kisses on her sweet, little nose.  And finally, before closing the bedroom door, we would need to say the exact goodnight words, always ending with, “I love you so, so much.” 

Finally it was time for my own ritual, when I would have a little time for myself to relax before climbing into bed and falling into a deep sleep.  But without fail I would be abruptly awakened by Katie’s desperate screams.  I would rush up the stairs and into her room to find her in a completely different state than I had left her just a few hours earlier.  Sweating and breathing heavily, Katie would be staring wild-eyed into space, sobbing and screaming, speaking incoherently.  I tried everything to help calm her.  I tried soothing her with gentle words, then reasoning with stern ones.  I tried applying cold washcloths to her face to snap her out of it.  I tried holding her, only to be pushed away.  Every attempt to soothe or rouse her was useless.  All I could do was stand by helplessly, waiting until she eventually calmed on her own and she fell back into a peaceful sleep.

Luckily, Katie had no recollection of these terrors in the morning.  But I did.  I was exhausted and becoming increasingly frustrated and hopeless.  I felt guilty for the misplaced anger I had towards my small daughter, who had absolutely no control over these episodes.  I felt like a failure as a mother for my inability to help calm my terrified child.  Was it my mothering technique?  Was I doing something wrong?

I was becoming more and more desperate as the nightly terrors continued over the following year.  Finally I reached out for help from Katie’s pediatrician.  I described the episodes in detail and he explained that as long as she was in no danger of harming herself, it was okay to do nothing.  He assured me that Katie would eventually outgrow them.  After that I turned to parenting books and had some insight into other parents’ experiences with night terrors and had a few tips on how to handle the episodes.  The advice was mostly to not interrupt and let the terror run its course.  But I was not going to just stand by and witness my daughter’s nightly terrors.  And I did not want to wait until my daughter outgrew them.  These night terrors were entirely too disruptive in our household so I continued to search for help.

One day, I mentioned Katie’s ongoing night terrors to Jane, the owner of my favorite bookstore.  Surprisingly, Jane happened to have a friend who not only had a child with the same problem, but also had solved it.  She gave me her friend’s number, which I called immediately.  Jane’s friend was a complete godsend.  Her advice was so, so simple, but it changed everything.

She told me she would get her daughter out of bed about an hour or two after she fell asleep.  She would guide her to the bathroom, set her on the toilet, and then help her get back into bed.  She said her daughter never really woke up and would go right back to sleep.  It was that simple.  I gave her advice a try that night and it worked!  Katie’s night terrors completely stopped and our whole house could sleep soundly through the night.  I repeated this routine for about a year until slowly easing off.  She never experienced a night terror again. 

Today, Katie has a different set of nighttime rituals.  They do not include her beloved teddy bear or water baby.  And I no longer read to her or tuck her into bed and help her say her prayers.  But one ritual has not changed:  we never go to sleep without telling each other those exact same words, “I love you so, so much.”

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It is of course at this point that I share with you that the obvious reason we haven't experienced this phenomenon yet is most likely because we haven't potty trained.  So, just one more thing to look forward to.  Yay...

Feel free to ask more questions about night terrors or about this possible solution.  I'm sure Aunt Patty will be happy to ask them!

And now, the bonus round!  For one more bonus entry in Friday's giveaway: hop on over to the original post and name the connection between the subject of this post and the lyrics I used for its title.  (Your answer doesn't have to be correct in order for your entry to count, so give it a try!)  The giveaway will close tomorrow, May 2 at 7:00 pm CDT, so get all of your entries squared away before then!

Do you sleep anymore...

A couple of months ago, I helped throw a baby shower for one of my best friends.  My duties were extremely simple: drinks, dipping implements for the chocolate fondue, and diapers.  I saw this great idea on Pinterest to have the guests of the shower write bits of advice for the mom-to-be on diapers for her to read during those (NUMEROUS) diaper changes.  I wanted the diapers to be ones she could actually get a good use out of and so of course, I went straight for Pampers.

At my own baby showers, moms of all ages with kids of all ages all swore by Pampers as their go-to brand of diaper.  We were given countless diapers at our showers and we also made sure to stock up a bit before The Incredible Hulk made his appearance, but immediately we saw the difference in the quality of other diapers to Pampers.

I recommend Pampers to all New Moms for one small, but very important reason - SLEEP.  By far, the most jarring thing you experience in the first few weeks of motherhood is the enormous lack of sleep that follows.  So, when your precious babe starts to sleep for long stretches, the very last thing you want is for them to wake up because they have soaked through their diaper.  Pampers Baby Dry is your number one defense for this.  We diapered TIH in them all day long knowing that if he fell asleep and took an extra long nap, we'd be okay even if his diaper hadn't been changed for a few hours.

When your babe gets a little bit older, you will want to eek every last bit of sleep out of their one nap a day (if you're lucky) that you can.  We actually go up a size to ensure a little bit more absorbency when TIH wears them over night and we've also found they are a Godsend for long car trips (when you can convince your toddler not to unbuckle themselves out of the car seat while headed down the highway at 70 mph.)

We're on the road to potty training any day now (or so I like to delusionally tell myself), so I'm enjoying the time that we can rely on a good brand of diapers for the comfort of our kiddo and the extra hours of sleep (for all of us.)  So, in the meantime - I know I have Pampers in my corner.

Good news!  My friends at Pampers have provided me with the SWEETEST prize pack to giveaway this week on the blog.  Included in the package (valued at $100):

- Pampers Baby Dry Diapers (size can be selected by the winner)
- Pampers Sensitive Wipes (also a favorite in our house)
- Constellation B Glow Animals (TIH is absolutely obsessed with this)
- 3 of our FAVORITE Nighttime Story Books (Goodnight, Moon; Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?; Where the Wild Things Are)
- 1 FREE product coupon for Pampers Baby Dry Diapers
- 1 FREE product coupon for Pampers Wipes

I literally could not be more excited to give this prize pack away to one lucky reader.  So here are the rules:

- You must be a fan of New Mom on the Blog on Facebook to enter.  Leave a comment with the best kiddo sleep advice you've ever received.  (If you were already a NMOTB Facebook fan, you can just state that when you leave your comment.)
- For one bonus entry, you can follow me on Pinterest where I am obsessively pinning great ideas for kids, DIY, and food.  (Mostly food.)  Just leave an additional comment saying that you've started to follow my madness.

The contest will shut down Thursday night at 7:00 pm CDT at which point I will randomly select a winner from the comment section and announce it here on the blog on Friday, May 3!  And be sure to check back on Wednesday where I will be offering up another opportunity to win this awesome giveaway as well as some of the best sleep advice I've ever heard from my very own godmother!

Good luck to all who enter!  Hope to see you back on Wednesday!

Though the lovely folks at Pampers provided me with the Pampers Baby Dry Sweet Sleep Time Gift Pack to giveaway on this blog, the opinions expressed are my own.  I truly have always been a huge fan of their product.