Oh No They Didnt!

I was just browsing etsy for a gift for a friend when I came across this creative case for an Apple iPad....

All I could think was...."Oh no they didnt!" Btw, everytime I say that outloud I think of Bethenny from the Real Housewives of NYC. Love me some Real Housewives!

Back to the pad...if you love it, purchase it here. I'll pass on this one.

An Unforgettable Birthday Weekend

Yep, I'll never forget this one. Mostly because of all the snow that hit the Baltimore/Washington Region...

(My bro and his perfectly chiseled driveway job)

But also because when we returned home (from camping out at Mom's and Dad's) on Super Bowl Sunday, planning only to drop off our things, one of the cars, and dash back out to a friend's Super Bowl Party, we discovered that someone had broke into our home while we were away. They saw our unshoveled driveway (probably even knocked on the door) and then took advantage of the opportunity.

The chill of the open back window in our living room was the only thing that gave it away, as the house wasn't ransacked or torn apart like you would imagine.  The culprit(s) methodically (I mean they spread it out on the bed!) went through my jewelry taking only the "good stuff" and a few items from Charm City Daddy including a laptop he had in his home office. Our first reaction? Violation."They got us!" Our second reaction Thankful. "Glad we weren't home, and the baby has no idea what happened." Our third reaction? Anger. "I wish I could find the person who did this, and....!"

Despite the serial numbers and detailed descriptions, the police will probably never recoup what we lost. I hope I am wrong, but we shall see. I have no doubt our stuff is on the black market probably being used for drugs or something.  The weather has been a terrible factor in the response  and follow-up of the police/detectives too. I have to think that the police are also more consumed with crimes like homicide than a breaking and entering in good ole' Baltimore.

So why am I sharing this with you? I debated whether or not I would share this here, but then I thought if I could encourage others to take the time to make sure you have additional insurance on their valuables (I didn't have coverage on every item taken), turn ON their home alarms (even in a great neighborhood and especially in 30 inches of snow!) then sharing my story with you would be worth it.

So, that's that. It happened and as my friend Jess eloquently put it, "It's just stuff." Although I no longer have my "push present" and some other sentimental "stuff" I am thankful to have the REAL present that came after the push--Miss Olivia, who laughed and talked when the police officer arrived.  Love my baby so much.

Oh and we didn't make the Super Bowl party (nor did we see any of the fun commercials). 

Charm City Baby's Christmas List

Although she has no clue, Olivia has a nice little Christmas list and it seems to be getting longer and longer by the day.

Because Charm City Daddy has spoiled her by always making her stand up and she LOVES standing up, the first item on the list is this jumparoo:

Then I thought--better go ahead and get the walker because we'll need that soon too.

Then today I saw this cute little scarf (neckie) on Halle Berry's little girl...and thought "awwww my little girl would look cute in that too!"

And can I say something about how quickly we are losing floor space to all things baby? Ahh! I was at Babies R Us this weekend and almost purchased the bouncer and walker but when I saw how enormous they were in person, part of my heart sank and I had the selfish new parent feeling like---"we must surrender MORE of our grown up home to MORE baby stuff? Really? Geez."

Then we went to a Christmas party at a friend's house later that day--a friend who has surrendered the entire second level (aka family room and formal dining room) of her townhouse to an enormous kids area. I am not kidding. She had everything, every contraption or toy you EVER saw in the store and wondered if your child would really like it or if it would waste your money.  It was perfect for the Christmas party b/c we all brought our kids and they entertained themselves. I also got to "test drive" the bouncer and walker (she had the exact ones  I was looking at) with Olivia. Guess what? Olivia LOVES them both! Charm City Daddy and I looked at each other within seconds of putting Olivia inside them and said "Oh yeah, we've gotta get these." Crap.

So, there goes more of my coveted living room square footage. Oh well. For the development of her gross motor skills and perhaps 45 minutes of baby pre-occupation,  it is definitely worth it. Ho! Ho! Ho!*

(*for some reason, I'm lovin' that phrase this year)

How Motherhood Changes You...

On Saturday, while I was reading Charm City Baby her bedtime story Charm City Daddy popped into the nursery with a little wrapped gift and surprised me with this beauty...

He said it was my pre-Christmas gift b/c I "needed a little pink" referring to the center pink diamond.

Well, I LOOOOOOOVED it. Yes, I just used past tense. I wore the ring all day Sunday, but all I could think about as I stared at it (over and over again) was this...

The front load washer/dryer set I've been wanting for a while.

So, guess what I did? I took the ring back. Yes, I did! Since he's a regular there, Charm City Daddy had it on consignment from the jewelry store in case I wanted the yellow one instead. Wasn't that sweeeeeeet?!

When I returned to the jewelry store on Sunday after church you should have seen the confused faces of the 2 women that helped me. They were like, "What?  He gave it to you? You want to give it back? And you don't want to pick out something else?"

Now, of course CCD told me I could I have both the washer/ dryer and the ring, but that didn't seem like the most practical and prudent thing for new parents to do.

Ahh how motherhood changes our priorities. But hey those cloth diapers are gonna love the new washer / dryer--which arrives next week.

UPDATE: I ended up canceling this washer/dryer order after I realized I had ordered an electric dryer and I needed a gas one. Then I dropped the ball on reordering. Then I convinced myself that I should really wait until the present washer/dryer combo actually DIES, before investing into something shiny and new, and RED. Talk about the ULTIMATE in prudent parenting AND mom guilt.

Christmas Decor

Last Friday, I managed to get almost all (except those pesky window candles) of my Christmas decorations up while my mother-in-law, who was visiting, could watch and entertain Olivia. As I was unpacking the stockings and the ornaments I realized that I didn't have a stocking or any ornaments for baby Olivia. :( Bad Mommy.

Knowing that I'd like to personalize those items, I immediately turned to Things Remembered and Pottery Barn. Neither disappointed.

Both have specials and sales going on right now and specifically Pottery Barn has a little special on their stockings that includes free shipping.  If you were also in the market for these things, it's worth checking out.

Charm City Mama's Holiday Gift Pick #5 (For the Papa's)

Are your dudes hard to shop for? Mine is. So much so, when I see something he may like, I write it down in the memo pad section of my Blackberry. So, basically I'm going to run down that list right now...

Here are a few things, I think he (and almost any guy) would appreciate this holiday season:

Charm City Daddy is a preppy New England boy at heart. He loves his Vineyard Vines.
He would LOVE these pants...

In case you can't see, those are little Santa whales...

His outbursts during Patriots games are so dispruptive and startling to the baby, I had to send him away this week to watch Monday Night Football somewhere else. He would love this VV tie.

Is there a man on this planet (with HBO) that doesn't have an obsession with Entourage?

Buys the first six seasons in a boxed set.

We've been talking about getting one of these for a long time.

Finally, I think all daddy's should have a camcorder or some sort. We have this one. And it does the job.

But we will need something a little more substantial for those extended cinematic moments that should be captured like gift opening on Christmas Day or maybe Olivia's little dance recitals.

Something like this would be nice...

And of course when all else fails Charm City Daddy has also always appreciated cufflinks, metal collar stays, new gym socks, or something from Brookstone. Typical dude.

Charm City Mama's Holiday Gift Pick #4

Anyone that has been to my home knows that I am a candle lover. In fact, I used to be a regular at Candles Off Main when I worked in Annapolis and would visit their downtown boutique on my lunch break. Yep, that bad. They have REALLY good stuff though and it's a great place to get educated on candles.

Anyway, one of my favorite brands of candles is Voluspa. If you have every smelled their distinct, sophisticated, and "powerful fragrance throws" you know why people are loyal to the brand.  I buy the Voluspa three wick tins all of the time, but last year around this time, I bought the Voluspa Basic Black Votive giftset with the intent to actually gift it, but then I couldn't part with it! Ah! I decided to keep them for myself and I travel with them, put them in our guest bedrooms for our guests to enjoy and take with them. These candles are so powerful I keep the box in my closet and it smells up the place better than a sache.

I suggest you get the gift set for a friend (and yourself). That way you can decide which scent(s) you will become addicted to from the assortment and can then commit yourself to purchasing them for the rest. of. your. life.

And while you are in scent shopping mood--have you seen these?

Lampe Berger (pronounced in your best French accent) is another creation Susan at Candles Off Main introduced me to a couple of years ago.  Apparently these lanterns were used in Parisian hospitals back in the day to kill airborne bacteria and neutralize odors. I love my basic clear glass one, but there are many ornate lamps to choose from to match your home decor. I suggest starting with the starter kit which basically includes everything in the picture above. Susan's web site explains how to use them beautifully with an instructional video as well.

Okay..technically that was two gift picks. I promise to pick a men's gift next!

Charm City Mama's Holiday Gift Pick #3

When I said I would pick some holiday gift ideas for the mamas and papas out there, I forgot one little thing. I really don't shop too frequently--or at all. And if I buy anything, it's mostly online. I thumb through my favorite mail-order catalogs when I get home and that's enough of a fix for me. If I see something I love and am compelled enough, I'll order it online or (this is even more rare with the baby) pay it a visit in the store.
This lack of shopping makes it quite a task to think of holiday gifts and shopping. Whoops. Needless to say these Holiday gifts are rapidly approaching their culmination at  number five.

But hey, here's one that I can personally vouch for and love. The Pandora charm bracelet. My colleagues gifted me one with a few baby-related charms just before Olivia arrived and I love it.

It's a different take on charm bracelets and worry-free, I might add. Once this thing is clamped on it's going nowhere and neither are the charms. It's a gift that keeps on giving too---kids and hubby and family can help you build up the charms and you can change them around (add or take them away) at any time. I personally like it's weight and how the variations and combinations are endless.

Two more picks to go! Next up...a gift for the papas.

CCM's Holiday Gift Pick #2

Male or Female, skin care can be so tricky. What works at one point in your life may be totally useless later as your body and hormones change. I definitely experienced this during my pregnancy. I had a to work hard to control breakouts on my face since I didn't have the luxury of using prescription skin care products.

My holiday gift pick#2 is something everyone in your family will appreciate--smooth, healthy skin. This weekend during a facial the aesthetician suggested the Clarisonic.

To put it simply the Clarisonic is a gentle deep cleansing/exfoliating brush for your face. In just a 60-second use it is 6 times more effective than your normal beauty cleansing routine.

And why should your man buy this little miracle machine? It also helps with keeping his skin clear too--particularly those pesky and persistent in-grown hairs! To that, Charm City Daddy says "SOLD!"

Oh and if you have a teenager in the house, I'm sure they'd get some use out of it too--in fact you may have to hide it from them and remind them it's mama's!

The Clarisonic is available at Sephora, Nordstrom, and other fine beauty stores.

Charm City Mama's Holiday Gift Pick #1

With the holidays fast-approaching, I thought I'd suggest a few holiday gift ideas for all of the mamas (and papas) out there.

My first pick is from no other than the lovely TB (good gracious I love her stuff).

The chic yet clever Nylon Foldable Tote, is uber functional and perfect for a mama, since it seems we are always carrying around stuff. It comes in black/cheetah (shown below) and magenta/cheetah.

It starts as a 5 inch by 5 inch square and unzips/unfolds to create a full 13 inch tall, by 15 inch wide tote, where the case seen above becomes the base and bottom of the tote. Visit the TB site for alternate views.

When I saw it, I immediately thought about how I NEVER remember to bring reusable shopping bags with me to the store, but this little wonder could slip right into my purse and would be on hand if I ever needed a bag in a jiffy. It would also be great for traveling mama!

 I know everyone is into those plain Longchamp ones, but I find this one to be far more fun and fashionable without the clumsy handles.

Just my two cents, and holiday gift pick #1!

We Survived!

We survived: our first trip/flight with baby; baby's first round of vaccinations; and Mommy's first day back to work (today).

What a 3-day span we've had!

New Orleans was a blast and getting there was certainly eventful--definitely requiring a post of its own, so stay tuned for pics  of NOLA and the airport story.

Olivia had her 8-week check-up today. Here are O's latest stats:

Weight: 10lbs, 7oz (50th percentile)

Length: 23 inches (25th percentile)

Head Circumference: 38.6 cm (50th percentile)

She also had her first round of vaccines today! Ouch! Poor baby has been fussy all day (the perfect time for me to make my exit and return back to work). The au pair couldn't wait to hand her over today which was perfect because I ran into the house to see her.

Yep! I went back to work today (after O's appointment of course) and the practical jokester that is my boss had this in place of my nameplate outside my office door:

Haha ! VERY funny. I got the joke right away and burst into laughter (and knew exactly who was behind it). I love my job, but even better the wonderful people I work with.

And can you believe the presents are still coming in? Here are two recent gifts we were fortunate to get from dear, dear friends.

Today the mail brought a lovely surprise from a dear friend (and her mom) from my high school days!

And a sweet lady from church who we consider our guardian angel (and who also shares a birthday with Olivia--coincidence? nope.) gave us this beautiful portrait of Olivia.

I need to get a frame for it, but for now it hangs here in the nursery.

Thanks Julie, Debbie, and Gennifer!

Stay tuned for the lowdown on the NOLA trip.