Mother's Day 2013

This weekend included my mom, a garage sale, Great Gatsby, an out-of-this world brunch, naps and a large family get together.  It’s been three days and I am still fantasizing about the lobster eggs benedict I had for Mother’s Day brunch. I’ve been wearing my robe I got every second of every day, have gotten pretty deep into Maya Angelou’s new book my mom gave me and now know what Gwen's birthstone is, which is ever so sweetly dangling off my neck in form of a lovely necklace with her name on it. Plus, I got to spend Mother’s Day with my mom for the first time in years, which is always good for the soul.

It was a marvelous Mother’s Day weekend and I’m plum exhausted. Getting to do the things I want to do, taken out and showered with gifts can really wear a girl down. That and being pregnant, working full-time, living in a home without a kitchen and maintaining a regular weekend social calendar will do that to you. 

We’re gearing up to make our way out of what is apparently the busy season and into a blissful and hopeful month without any plans. Meanwhile we’re praying to the insurance gods above that we can finally get our kitchen back in working condition before a little bundle of joy is dropped off on our doorstep. 

As Jake's taking photos of us outside he says "Lauren, change your face, the sun's not that bright" to which I look at the photos to realize, he's right. It wasn't that bright outside, I'm just pregnant and have gained 20 pounds. Thanks husband!

Mother's Day 2012 - Much Better Than 2011

Last year was my first Mother’s Day. I had big hopes and plans for this day. So big that when the actual day came I was let down by every single thing that happened. This isn’t to say that that precious husband of mine didn’t do everything I asked, come up with an incredibly sweet gift on a budget or make me feel appreciated. He did all of those things. Meanwhile, his ingrate of a wife was just too caught up in her own expectations to enjoy and appreciate the day for what it really was.

Not this year. This year I told my husband what I wanted and explicitly explained to not spend a penny. I wanted to sleep in and eat crepes for breakfast. I purposely stayed off the internet so I wouldn’t fall into the stupid trap of jealousy that comes with seeing other mom’s jewelry or fancy brunches that comes with the bragging territory that is Facebook.

I woke up late. I marveled at my lovely drawing my husband and daughter made me. I woofed down a crepe in bed. I came downstairs to more crepes with strawberries, bananas and chocolate syrup.

We laughed as the baby demanded to sit in my lap and eat my crepes no matter how hard her dad tried to get her to sit in his.

We went to church where I got a cute little flower button.

We spent the day being lazy and enjoying each other’s company.

We talked to our moms.

I got to visit with one of my best friends and catch up on her life.

It couldn’t have been more perfect.

The moral of the story? Keep yourself in line with those expectations. Just because other families can afford the luxury of fancy jewelry or brunches doesn’t mean that’s what you need or want. I am embarrassed and a tad ashamed of my behavior last Mother’s Day, but I learned a valuable lesson from it:

We are our own little family and will celebrate in our own little way.

There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s actually a pretty neat privilege. It just took me a little while to realize what a privilege it really is.

Motherhood Is...

I am an intelligent, beautiful woman. This is something that I like to repeat to myself often because it is too quickly forgotten during the daily battles that come with motherhood.

Becoming a mother for the first time introduced me to a completely foreign world. Having been around very few babies in my life, breastfeeding, diapers and swaddling were terrifying concepts. I read the proper books, registered for the must-have items and took the appropriate classes. Being prepared was my solution to calm those fears of inadequacy.

Yet on that warm January day as my husband and I exchanged a tear-filled glance upon hearing our daughter’s first cries I realized that nothing could prepare me for this moment. I became aware of how much love we had to share with this baby and it was clear we were going to be just fine.

 I am an intelligent, beautiful woman.

After months of failed breast-feeding attempts, I felt helpless sitting in a rocking chair in tears holding a screaming infant in my arms. I did everything the lactation consultants instructed me to do, followed every bit of advice from other moms and my baby girl still refused to breast-feed. I knew it wasn’t working but we kept trying in hopes that everyone else was right.

The day I listened to myself and ignored the world around me was the day all of our struggles ended. She was exclusively breastfed for over a year from bottles of expressed breast milk.

I am an intelligent, beautiful woman.

Six months later I was driven to the point of insanity as my days were spent rocking the baby to sleep only to have her wake up minutes after she was laid down. She was exhausted, not eating and we were desperate for any solution.

One day in desperation I lay on the nursery floor after putting the baby down for her nap. I sat with a timer, poised to jump into action the minute she moved. After reading advice from a book, I was determined to soothe her back to sleep before she could wake. I laid on the nursery floor for two hours like a crazed lunatic.

All along I knew what the answer was, but chose to follow bad advice instead of listening to my own heart. At the end of the day we did what we knew was right for our family. Our baby girl napped solidly and slept through the night from then on.

I am an intelligent, beautiful woman.

As I trudge through motherhood making inevitable mistakes, there is one reassuring constant. Motherhood is exactly what I was made for. It is a humbling, enriching experience that can sometimes make me forget what I’ve known all along.

I am an intelligent, beautiful mother.

Mother's Day Tea Party

{Disclosure: I was provided with the madeleine cookies by Donsuemor Madeleine Cookies and the tea by Davidson's Organic Teas (who are totally local and off of Wells, btw) in exchange for blogging about this tea party.}

On Friday I threw a Mother's Day Tea Party/ play date for the moms club I belong to. It turned out to be a small crowd, which was perfect. The kids played while we got to chat with each other and enjoy some cookies, cake and cucumber sandwiches.

The party was in the afternoon (right after nap time, thank you very much) and it was beautiful outside so I decided to go for iced tea instead of the traditional hot. I've done this before at past parties and discovered that small tea cups are annoying when drinking iced tea because you drink more when it's iced. Not to mention that tea cups are tiny.

Enter the handy mason jars.

I keep using them at parties and have run into a problem; everyone eventually gets confused on which cup is theirs, since they all look identical. I'm sure there's probably some cute and clever solution out there that I'm unaware of, but I'm going to plan on sharpies next time.

The wraps around the cups? They're those popular water bottle label printables you see everywhere. Coordinating water bottle labels seems excessive to me and I always ignore them when using the printable party packs. Then I saw them wrapped around mason jars here and couldn't wait to try them out. They were my favorite part of the party.

I've been a fan of Davidson's Organic Teas for awhile. and they did not disappoint. My girlfriend's entire tea cabinet is stocked full of their teas which we get to enjoy at her tea parties. My favorite is the Cherry with Almond. It's best served hot with a smidge of cream and a sugar cube.

I used to work at Starbucks, where they sell Donsuemor's madeleine cookies and let me just say I ate a fair share of them. These things are delectable and I'm not even saying that just because I got them for free. My favorite are the chocolate dipped but, I mean, really, can you go wrong with any of them? Chocolate, lemon zest and traditional? Come to mama. I've seen them at Costco so next time you want to jazz up any get-together I'd recommend picking some up.

We apparently can not have these in our home as we discovered that Gwyneth is a wild maniac with them. Like crying and throwing fits after she tried one. She may have eaten five yesterday.

I kept my fingers crossed that the lilacs would stay in bloom for the party. And they did just that. Shhh, don't  tell my neighbor I stole them from his bush. 

The kids enjoyed their tea party as well. By the end of the party I  had "strawberry, rainbow and sprinkle"  tea.

I thought I was being all clever by putting out sippy cups of water for all the kids. Don't do this!!! Gwen immediately thought they were all hers and drank out of each one. Then the children at the party decided they were theirs and there was a lot of sippy cup sharing. Lord save us if any of those kids were sick. Lesson learned.

PB& J for the kids, cucumber for all.

I love Mother's Day, well for the obvious reasons, but mainly because it's the perfect excuse to throw a tea party. They are my absolute favorite type of party because it's simple and cheap. Just cut the crusts off a sandwich and cut it into triangles and you've got yourself party food. And who doesn't like tea?

[Free Mother's Day Printables from Amanda's Parties To Go]

Mother’s Day Balloon Bouquet

I am a fan of flowers but equally a fan of balloons. Gosh, bouquets of balloons and flowers get me all sorts of excited.

Mother's Day Balloon Bouquet - Martha Stewart Mother's Day.

Modern Mother’s Day Printables

I've been on the hunt for Mother's Day printables for a tea party I'm having. Unfortunately, most Mother's Day stuff is pastel and, well, kind of tacky. But not this stuff! This is bright, in your face and I like it a lot. If you're coming to the tea party, please pretend like you didn't see this.....

Amanda's Parties TO GO: Mother's Day FREEBIE.

Mason Jar Planter Box for Mother’s Day | Shanty 2 Chic

While I love flowers I always hate when I get bunch and have to put it in a vase. Why? Because it always looks like I took them and put them in a vase. It never looks right, try as I may. I mean, I took a floral design class and still, it looks kind of crappy. This is a cute alternative and apparently only costs $8.

Mason Jar Planter Box for Mother’s Day.

A Rose for a Phenomenal Woman

This poem has always reminded me of my Mom. It paints a beautiful portrait of a strong, intelligent, beautiful woman that is all woman. Since I can't be with my Mom for Mother's Day (or get a hold of her for that matter) here is your pink champagne cupcake and a beautiful poem. Love you Mom!
Phenomenal Woman
by Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

A Rose for a Phenomenal Woman

This poem has always reminded me of my Mom. It paints a beautiful portrait of a strong, intelligent, beautiful woman that is all woman. Since I can't be with my Mom for Mother's Day (or get a hold of her for that matter) here is your pink champagne cupcake and a beautiful poem. Love you Mom!
Phenomenal Woman
by Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.