CARA Box Reveal

    I participated in my first ever Cara Box Exchange this fall, and it was so much fun getting to know two new bloggers and sharing gifts with them. If you're not familiar with the Cara Box Exchange, it's a way to meet new people and share some love through gift giving. Each participant is matched with two other people - one to send a box to and one to receive a box from. I was paired up with Terri and Tawnya. Check out Terri's post to see what I sent her.

     I received a beautiful box from Tawnya and was spoiled by her generosity and great taste! Included in her box to me was a gorgeous scarf, a journal, a personalized mug and my favorite Starbucks drink (Peppermint Mocha - it's already almost gone!!), a Nutmeg & Spice scented candle (amazing!), silicone cupcake liners for my baking addiction (awesome!), and my favorite chocolate - Reese Peanut Butter cups (which are already completely gone!).

     The really cool thing about this particular match-up is that Tawnya and I live in the same city, have baby girls just a few months apart, and are both nurses! How crazy is that?

     The next Cara Box exchange starts in just a few weeks, so be sure to head over and sign up. It's a great way to build community and make a new friend or two. It's also an opportunity to be generous and give to someone else, while also receiving some lovely gifts handpicked just for you! Win win!

YOU are a good Mama!

     A friend recently posted a link on Facebook to an article about a photo project that was done by a group of women in Victoria, BC. The title of the project is "No More Mommy Wars!" and it features photos of moms who, although they have made different parenting decisions, are standing together and supporting one another without judgment.

     I love the message of this project - that instead of judging or criticizing each other for our different approaches to mothering and parenting, we should be standing together and supporting one another as moms. It's a hard enough job without also feeling like we need to be constantly living up to someone else's standards.

     Please, please, PLEASE go read the article (especially if you're a mom) and be inspired by this amazing group of women - and maybe get together with some friends, take your own photos, and declare an end to the silly "mommy wars".

     A few days after reading about this project, I came across another great post. This post challenges us to actually TELL our mom friends that they're doing a great job. How many times have you thought to yourself that someone you know is a great mom, but never actually TOLD her that (I'm guilty!!)? How much does it mean to you when someone lets you know you're doing a good job (in motherhood or elsewhere)? Don't we all thrive on those words of affirmation? When someone takes the time to tell me that I'm a good mom, it means so much and really does go a long way.

     I love this quote from the post I mentioned above:

via

     I recently had an experience that confirmed for me the need for moms to support and encourage one another. We were on vacation this summer, and on one night we chose to have dinner out rather than in our hotel. We were in a crowded restaurant and had each taken about 3 bites of our meals, when Tessa decided that she was done with sitting in that wooden box that passes for a high chair (can't say I blame her!). That, or she just had something to say, and chose to use her loudest, shrillest squeal to get her point across. She screeched over and over - she wasn't upset, just wanted to be heard. We took her out of the chair, took turns holding and bouncing her on our laps, tried a soother and every toy I had in my bag - no dice. She just wanted to squeal. Heads were starting to turn and we got a few evil eyes from other diners. We asked to have our food packed up and while my husband paid the bill, I got Tessa ready to go. Our table was right near the door, and a woman was waiting there with her kids. She took a few steps over to me, put her hand on my arm, gave me a sincere smile and said, "I love how vocal your little one is!" I could have cried right then and there. In that moment, I was feeling defeated by what I thought was my inability to "control" my baby and frustrated that my husband and I were unable to enjoy a nice dinner out. It meant so much to have a fellow mom stand with me and offer encouragement. She didn't have to say anything - she could have just given me one of those sympathetic smiles or even ignored us altogether, but instead she made the effort to come over and say something, and by putting a positive spin on the situation, she was able to lift my mood and make me feel like I was doing something right.

     With that experience in mind, I'm inspired to keep on the lookout for opportunities to encourage and support my fellow moms, even if they're strangers, and even if they do things differently than I do. And I challenge you to do the same. Tell someone today that she's a great mama.

Exciting Things Ahead...

     Wow, I can't believe it's September! The summer literally flew by. It was a great summer though, and I still have one or two more posts in the works highlighting some of my favorite parts, so I feel like I can still hang on to the last bit of summer before Fall really hits!

     I've always loved Fall and (when I was still in school) heading back to school with my new clothes and pencils and notebooks...there's just something so fresh and exciting about Fall. I don't know why I still feel this way...it's been 3 years since I've been in school and it'll be another 5 before I have kids going back to school. I guess there's just something about Fall and the feeling of change in the air that gets me excited for new beginnings and all that's to come.

    
     So I wanted to write a quick post with some of the exciting new things I'm working on for the month of September and through the Fall. Of course, I'll be continuing to write mostly about my experiences as a mom and providing updates about Tessa and our family, but over the past month, I've also had the opportunity to connect with some new people in the blogging and online world and to get involved in some exciting stuff!

     First, I'll be participating in my first ever Cara Box Exchange through one of the my favorite blogs I've discovered this summer. Sign up starts today and goes through the week, so if you're interested, click on the button below and find out what it's all about (you don't have to be a blogger to participate in this either!).

     Second, I'll be guest co-hosting one of my favorite blog hops later this month and will also be working on (hopefully!) getting my first giveaway up and running. Stay tuned!! :)

     Finally, (and this is the thing I'm most excited about) I've found an opportunity that allows me to use my blog for a bigger purpose than just sharing my life with the internet. I've joined the Compassion Bloggers Network and since September has been declared "Blog Month" by Compassion, I thought this was a great time to get started. For the month of September, there will be weekly "assignments" where a writing prompt is given and bloggers are encouraged to write a post with the goal of getting children sponsored through their blog. Compassion has set a goal of 3,160 new online sponsorships through the month of September - hope you can join in and help reach that goal!

  
     I've been a Compassion sponsor for over 10 years and love the work they do with children and families around the world, so I thought this was a perfect fit for my blog. I want to be able to use this platform and the tiny bit of influence I have to make a positive difference in the lives of children living in poverty. So, I hope you can join me by spreading the word about Compassion and Blog Month and maybe see if you can make it work to sponsor a child (or two!). Starting today, you'll see a Compassion button in my sidebar - you can click on this at anytime to link directly to Compassion's website where you can find out more and choose a child to sponsor. I'll be sharing more about this through the month, so keep checking back!

     Also, I now have a blog Facebook page! I know that not all my Facebook friends are interested in reading the blog, so this way I can update those who do want to follow without pestering everyone else. :)

     In offline life, Tessa and I started a mom & baby stroller fitness class today. I actually won 50% off this class through a draw I entered, so I figured this was a good time to start back to some kind of workout routine. I haven't done much of anything since Tessa was born, and it definitely showed this morning! One of the leaders had a 4 week old (no, that's not a typo - she had a baby 4 WEEKS ago!!) and she kicked my butt! Definitely motivating! I didn't have my camera along, and even if I did, I was too busy trying not to die on the side of path to get any photos. Maybe I'll take it along one of these days and get a shot of what we're doing. It was a challenge this morning, but I think it'll be good and I'm looking forward to seeing my progress over the course of the class. It's also another opportunity to connect with some more moms and maybe make some new friends.

Soaking up the last days of summer before the beautiful colors of fall surround us...

     So, there you have it. I feel like I have my work cut out for me and that a couple of these things may be a bit challenging, but I'm looking forward to the challenges and excited to push myself in new ways.

     How about you? What does Fall hold for you? Any new challenges or goals you have for yourself? I would love to hear about what lies ahead and what you're most looking forward to this Fall.

     

My Liebster Award + A Funny

     A huge thank you to Meg at The Patchwork Paisley for nominating me for a Liebster Award. It came as a complete surprise and I'm honored that someone (other than my mom) thinks my blog is worth reading and acknowledging. Make sure you go check out Meg's blog - her artwork is fabulous and I especially love her post about her baby's nursery - she's got some really cute ideas there.

So, what is it?

     Liebster is a German word that means dearest or beloved. The Liebster Award is a peer award given to "up and coming" bloggers with fewer than 200 followers. It's given by fellow bloggers, so it's an opportunity to recognize and acknowledge each other, connect with new bloggers and build community. Yes, it's a little bit chain-letter-ish, but it's a fun way to get to know some new people.

The Rules:

1. Link back to the person who nominated you.

2. Answer the 11 questions asked by your nominator.

3. Choose at least 5 and up to 11 bloggers, each with fewer than 200 followers, and nominate them for the award.

4. Come up with 11 questions for your nominees to answer.

5. Contact your nominees and notify them of your nomination.

So, without further ado, here are Meg's questions and my answers:

1. If there was a movie made based on your life, who would play you and why?

    I had to ask my husband this question because I'm pretty clueless when it comes to anything actor or movie-related. He says Jenna Fisher. Apparently I'm just like her character, Pam, from The Office.

2. What was the last thing you Googled?

    Watermarking images for my blog.

3. What is one of your guilty pleasures? 

    Chocolate chips straight from the bag. I literally eat handfuls of them.

4. What is something you know now that you wish you knew "then?"

     Now that I'm a mom, I wish I had known how hard parenting was (and I'm only at the beginning). I'm pretty sure I gave my parents a rough go at times as a child and teenager (I think I was what you might call a "strong-willed" child - that's probably putting it nicely). I wish I had known then that everything they did parenting-wise came from a place of love and was done with my best interest in mind.

5. What do you consider to be one of your greatest accomplishments? 

    Giving birth to my daughter.

6. What is one thing not many people know about you?

    My Meyers-Briggs personality type is INFP

7. If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about your life, would you? What would it be?

    Sometimes I wish I had chosen a different profession (I'm a nurse and don't think I love it as much as I should). I also really wish I was multi-lingual.

8. What is your favorite Disney movie? 

    I still love The Lion King and I think I always will. :)

9. What is something you've never done, but would like to try?

    I would love to take a long-term trip through Europe (maybe backpack-style, at least for a little while). I've been to Europe, but only for short visits. I wish I could take a year or so, stop and stay in one place for a while then move on to the next one and see and experience as much of it as possible. That or be on The Amazing Race. Or go on a safari in Africa.

10. Where is your favorite place to be?

      Other than at home with my husband & daughter, I love being out in nature - in the mountains, the forest, under the stars - but I think the absolute best place on earth is the Canadian prairies during a summer thunderstorm.

11. What is your favorite blog post you've written?

      I really like this one.

Now, for my nominees (and I apologize if you have more than 200 followers, it's hard to tell - I used GFC and/or Bloglovin for my numbers):

   Andrea @ Hand and the Heart. Andrea's writing is honest and beautiful. Sometimes I read a post of hers and wish I had written it! :) I always look forward to her posts.

   Jen @ First Comes Love. A fellow nurse and mom of a little girl. I really enjoy Jen's warmth and humor. She’s also a very talented photographer.

   Shannon @ Everyday Mom-ents. I only recently found Shannon's blog, but I truly admire her commitment to her daily workout routine with 2 little ones at home…makes me think I need to stop making excuses and get moving!

   Megan @ One Fifteen Danville. Megan's another recent find and fellow first-time mama (her daughter is 2 days older than mine). Her blog is beautiful to look at, and her writing is honest and real.

   Colleen @ Naturally Crafty Mom. I love Colleen's passion for cloth diapering (just like me!) and she has some great posts on the topic.

   Amanda @ Happily Ever After. Amanda's list of the 10 things she lives for is almost identical to what mine would be.

  Alycia @ Crazily Normal. Alycia's the only person on this list who I actually know in real life. :) We live in the same town, are both nurses, had baby girls weeks apart, and are now both blogging about mom-life.

My questions for my nominees: 

 1. How did you come up with your blog name?

 2. What is your favorite blog post you’ve written? Link to it so we can all read it!

 3. Morning person or night owl? Coffee or tea? Salty or sweet? (yes I know I'm cheating and asking more than one question but they're easy one word answers!)

 4. What is/are your favorite book(s)? (This one’s for me - I'm always looking for new book suggestions!)

 5. What is the one thing (not person) you don't think you could live without?

 6. What is your favorite place you've traveled to?

 7. If you could spend a day with any person – past, present, living, dead – who would it be and why?

 8. Is your life right now what you imagined it would be 5 years ago? Is there anything that surprises you about your life?

 9. If you could go back in time and give your younger self any one piece of advice, what would it be?

 10. What would you do with a free day all to yourself?

 11. If you were to go back to school just for the fun of it, what would you study? What’s one subject you really want to know more about?

         To my nominees, I hope you can take some time to answer these questions and link back with your answers - I'd love to hear what you all have to say. Of course, you don't have to participate if you don't want to, but it's a fun way to connect and get to know each other better. Make sure you leave a comment here and link back when you've finished so I can read all about you! Take care and Happy Friday!

     Oh, and on a funny note, I saw this posted on Facebook this morning and thought it was hilarious. Maybe it's the lack of sleep I had last night, but I was literally laughing out loud. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.