I want to be able to energetically reply that I’m Supermom and I’ve figured out how to freeze time, and avoid tough days, and stay eternally inspired.  But I’m not.  And I don’t want you to think that I am because then you might unrealistically feel like you should be too.  So it’s confession time…

As some of you may remember, I kicked off the year by announcing my major goal- running the Nike Women’s Marathon 2012 in San Francisco.  At first, I approached that goal with gusto- in January I ran the Nike Women’s Half Marathon, in February I ran the LIVESTRONG Austin Half Marathon despite some pesky knee pain… in March I decided to sit the Zuma Half Marathon out… and then the sitting out got a little too comfortable.

“Recovery days” gave way to “busy days” gave way to “teething days” gave way to “moving days” gave way to “the contractors still haven’t finished the kitchen days” gave way to “you’ve got to be kidding me days” until my “days” built up into one giant excuse… and one morning I sleepily glanced at my email inbox to read the subject line 15 Days Until the BMO Marathon.

And. I. Panicked.

I immediately defaulted to all of the excuses I’d been giving myself since my original time off for recovery.  Surely, I could just pick one from the mix and make it stick.  Who would challenge it?  No one would think less of me if I said “Well, I was going to run Vancouver, but being a new mom just caught up with me…”  because other moms would understand.  And it would be true.  The thing that bothered me about that statement was not the reality of it, but the fact that using motherhood as an excuse for not meeting my own needs is a slippery slope- that same statement could be inserted for any number of things that I need to do for my health, my soul, and my sanity.

Nope.  No more.

15 days pre-half marathon became the day I once again committed to lacing up my running shoes every morning, even if life will only allow for a few miles.  Back to the “How” question: for our family, it means that my husband runs a bit earlier so that he can feed and watch Baby N and telecommute for an hour while I get a run in.  Once I shower, he heads off to work- a great luxury, I’m aware.  Before it started heating up, training runs used to mean time on the trails with Baby N in the jogger.  If I timed it during her naps, I could log some fabulous miles.  I also have the benefit of a having a running coach, Leah.  She is an awesome resource and understanding enough to endlessly replan my training for me when I inevitably fall off of the runners’ wagon on a regular basis (plus, I think she might love jogging strollers just as much as I do). There is no right or wrong way to do it.  The key is simply to DO IT!   Some days are awesome and some days are rough… but regardless of how far (or short) I run, I’ve never looked back at a workout and thought “Gee, I wish I hadn’t spent time doing that for myself!”

Right now I’m staring down Vancouver in seven days.  I know I wont run it fast.  I know I wont PR.  I know I’ll be just another face in my pacing group in a city where I’m a stranger.  But I also know that I’ll be proud to push myself when the thought of a glorious morning of sleeping in with no baby sounds so appealing.  And I know that I’ll be stronger, healthier, and more self assured for my efforts.  And I know that, regardless of whether I kick it up in the last few miles and finish with a flourish or drag behind my group, I’m on my way back to finding my happy pace.

Reese Witherspoon

Photo: People.com

One of our favorite A-list moms has been spotted out and about a couple of times showing off her belly bump in a raspberry or fuchsia dress. If you’re pregnant this summer, a bright colored dress to show off your bump is a must-have for your maternity wardrobe. Dresses are easy and flattering and cover you in all of the right places! Plus, when it gets cool, you can throw on a jean jacket or cardigan and still look great.  The best part of this look?  You can wear it after you have your baby while getting back to your old self.


Reese is wearing:
Dress: Vanessa Bruno Athé Fuchsia Belted Silk Dress, $405
Purse – Christian Dior Delices Cannage Leather Flap Shoulder Bag, $2,650
Shoes – Diane von Furstenberg Sinead Twist Sandals , $350
Sunglasses – Tory Burch Oversized Sunglasses, $149

GET THE LOOK FOR LESS

Flounce maternity dress by Ripe, $95

Ripe Maternity Dress from Preggers Maternity, $95
Pressto Sandals by Steve Madden, Nordstrom $59.99

Beyonce

Photo: bet.com

After you’ve had a baby, it’s hard to hide the post-baby weight!  But the best way to fake it is by wearing all black and drawing attention to your better assets—it’s not like your ears have gained any weight! Just look what Beyonce does with basic black, a great anorak to hide the excess curves and oversized sunglasses to hide her tired eyes. The best accessory of all?  Your baby in their carrier complete with a cute pair of baby kicks— that’s the only thing anyone is going to see anyway!

Beyonce is wearing (in the picture on the right):
Pants: J Brand Leather Super Skinny Legging ($895)
Shoes: Isabel Marant Bekket Sneakers ($680)
Sunglasses: The Row Lennon Sunglasses ($410)
Baby carrier: BabyBjorn Baby Carrier Miracle – Black, Mesh; MSRP $219.95
Blue’s shoes:  Marc Jacobs Mouse Shoes, $66

GET THE LOOK FOR LESS

LEGGINGS
Black Ultra leggings by Hue with a wide waistband, Nordstrom, $36
Wunder Under legging by lululemon, $78

ANORAK
Black Croft and Barrow Anorak from Kohls, $54
Light-weight Nylon Parka, GAP, $69.95

ACCESSORIES
Sunglasses, Lulus $12
High top Converse for Target, $44
Hoop earrings from Nordstrom BP Department, $8

For your baby:

Babybjorn Active Carrier, $129.95

Babybjorn Carrier Active, $129; it has superior lumbar support, but is costs less than the style Beyonce is sporting.

Pediped, Emily, $33

Pediped Originals Emily show in Silver (also comes in Gold) Shoes, $33

Sarah Jessica Parker

Photo: Popsugar.com

Any mom can tell you that her “getting ready” time was cut in half when her baby arrived.  For moms with twins, you can cut it in half again.   Sarah Jessica Parker always looks chic, even in the comfiest of clothes.  A good pair of boyfriend jeans paired with a motorcycle style jacket can be dressed down with cute flats or dressed up with heels for girls night out or date night with her spouse.  Her twins define cute in their classic style, wearing a great pea coat for spring with our favorite trend for little girls, leg warmers.

Sarah Jessica Parker is wearing:
Jeans: Henry & Belle Sexy Boyfriend Jeans in Wrigley wash ($163)
Jacket: MiH Biker Jacket ($1,086.20)

GET THE LOOK FOR LESS

AKIRA Black Label high-neck padded jacket in grey, $109.90

JACKET
AKIRA Black Label high-neck padded jacket in grey, $109.90

JEANS
Boyfriend Jeans, Old Navy $34.94
1969 Sexy Boyfriend Jeans, Gap $79.95

ACCESSORIES
Lulus Neutral Qupid flats, $25

For your toddler:
Performance fleece lined raincoat (perfect for Chicago!) from Old Navy, currently on sale for $15.

Baby Legs leg Warmers, $12 at Preggers

Kourtney Kardashian

Photo: Celebritybabyscoop.com

Kourtney always looks put together in a way that works for many affairs:  work, date night, or a day out shopping.  Her maternity style is simple and made up of a lot of skinny pants and flowy tops.  With accent pieces like a blazer or chunky necklace, she adds character to any look.  Mason is the epitome of little-man cool with his collared shirts, hats and even his pjs which he has been photographed wearing out and about lately.

Kourtney is wearing:
Shirt – vintage
Jeans – JET ($119)
Necklace – Mirian Haskell College Statement Necklace ($900)
Shoes – Balenciaga LEATHER BALLERINAS ($489)
Sunglasses – Tom Ford Sunglasses Nicole Sunglasses – 39F ($385)
Purse – Chanel

THE LOOK FOR LESS

LA Made Maternity Jegging, $71, Belly Dance Maternity

AKIRA Red Label menswear satin tunic in white, $29.90, Akira
LA Made Black Skinny Maternity Jegging, $71, Belly Dance Maternity
AKIRA stamp circle necklace in silver, $24.90
Stunglasses Penny Tortuga Sunglasses, $18


For your toddler:

Paper Braid Fedora, Preggers, $26

Plaid shorts ($14) and white collared shirt ($9.94) from Old Navy
Paper Braid Fedora, $26  from Preggers
Pediped Grip N Go in Naples, $47

Jessica Alba

Photo: People.com

One of the hottest trends for spring are colored jeans.  No one has embraced them more or wears them better than Jessica Alba.  She has been photographed in a rainbow of colored legs, many pairs topping the $200 price range.  The good news is that ANYONE can wear them, and you can find them at a variety of price points.  For those of us who haven’t embraced skinny jeans, that’s ok too—as many of our favorite retailers make colored jeans in boot cut and flare leg styles too! Colored jeans are more fun than regular denim signal the onset of summer!


Jessica Alba is wearing:

Scarf: Theodora & Callum Blue border leopard tie all scarf ($175)
Jacket: Jbrand denim jacket ($229)
Jeans: AG the stilt in highlighter blue ($176)
Shoes: Tory Burch Patent Edie ballet flat ($178)

THE LOOK FOR LESS:

Spring Scarf from Old Navy, $16
White Denim Jacket from GAP, $69.95
Turquoise boot cut jeans from GAP, $69.95
Neutral patent Shoes from Wanted Shoes $39.99
Aviator Sunglasses from Nordstrom, $12

For your toddler:

Sourpuss Pink Star Leggings, $13

Denim Overall dress from Gap $29.95
Sourpuss Pink Star Leggings from Psychobaby, $13
Carrying a Skip Hop Zoo Pack from Belly Dance Maternity. $22

Luckily for me, our friends at CleanWell are launching a new product and approached me with their own challenge- replace all of the hand soap in my house for two weeks with their new All-Natural Antibacterial Liquid Hand Soap.  Yay!

Full disclosure- We generally use the CleanWell Foaming Hand Soap in our house already, but as we were staring down a steady of stream of contractors and workers I had already replaced it with run-of-the-mill liquid hand soap.  I love the foamy stuff, but it is exceptionally easy to fly through a container in a week’s time and I just couldn’t see myself standing by the sinks in our house reminding grown men that “One pump is plenty!” when using the foam soap.  So liquid soap is a necessity during a remodel that is generating frequent dirty hands.  I’m sure that CleanWell didn’t know that they would be issuing a two week challenge to our remodel team as well!

Monday morning I made the swap, and I am already thrilled with the way I coordinated the scents- Orange Vanilla in the guest bath, Peppermint in the debacle that is our kitchen, and Lavender in our bathroom (Ahhh… Hey, if I can’t make it to the spa I can at least relax while washing my hands!) and I’ve got a watchful eye on the levels to see just how long the goodness lasts.

I’m looking forward to two weeks of all-natural, tricolsan-free clean hands!  I’ll check back in with results (including just how much soap we used in a family of three  +  contractors) soon.  For now, feel free to join me in the challenge yourself by using the code CWEDC for 20%  your entire purchase online (while you’re there, make sure you snag some of the Disinfectants To-Go- total green mama must haves!)

*Update: April 26th*

We’re ten days in now… and we’ve got some fab smelling and squeaky clean contractors at our house!  I have to be honest- the thought of having a rotating carousel of people in and out of my home when I have a bitty babe makes me squirm, but thanks to the calming (and totally non-cloying) aromas of each soap I’ve put out in our dispensers I can totally tell which workers have recently washed their hands (and, subsequently, which spaces I might need to oh-so-discretely hit with the CleanWell Disinfectant To-Go).  On top of that, the soap level seems not to be diminishing.  Hooray!

Many of Bump Club and Beyond’s families visited with Explore and Much More at our 1^st Annual Ultimate Birthday Bash last month.  We took a few minutes to talk to the owners, who are also physicians (talk about busy parents!) about what makes a birthday party at Explore and Much More spectacular.

How did you have the idea to open Explore and Much More?

The drive to open Explore & Much More came from our 3 children.  We frequented Children’s museums quite often with our young ones and decided that it would be nice to have a smaller, clean, fun and educational playspace that we and other families could enjoy in our neighborhood.  We had a famous children’s museum designer and a preschool teacher design the space.

Tell us about a typical birthday celebration at Explore and Much More.

Our typical birthday celebration includes the private use of the playspace. Two party assistants run the party and take care of all the details so that all guests including the party host can enjoy the party to the fullest.  We provide all paper products and also have environmentally friendly packages.  We end our parties with an awesome balloon drop.

What makes an Explore and Much More Birthday Party an event that will be remembered forever?

We make every effort to make the party as enjoyable as possible for all our guests.  We take care of all the details.  Our playspace has many unique play opportunities to engage children of all ages and families tend to remember this forever.

What was the most creative birthday party you have had at Explore and Much More?

We have had many creative customized parties and enjoy the challenge of hosting a unique party.  Some examples include our famous Jungle theme, dinosaurs, Dr. Seuss Pajama party, Super Heroes and Princess parties.

What is the best party favor you have seen at an Explore and Much More Birthday Party?

There have been many great party favors but our favorite has been when the party host provided each of their guests with one return open play visit to Explore & Much More.

Who makes the best birthday cakes in Chicago?

We think that Chicago has some of the best bakeries in the country including Sensational Bites, Dinkels, Sweet Mandy B’s and many more.  Many parents bring in great homemade birthday cakes.

What are some popular trends you have seen at birthday parties in the last six months?

Customized parties using many of the children’s favorite characters are very popular.  Our party hosts have also been asking to include slide shows on our TVs for their guests to enjoy.

Is there anything else that you want to share with our parents as to how they can make their birthday celebrations spectacular?

We think that the best parties are the stress free parties where guests and hosts enjoy themselves to the maximum.  We try and facilitate this at Explore & Much More by offering many custom packages and taking care of all the details.  

Seventh Generation Tile and Tub Cleaner, $5.99

Seventh Generation’s ever popular formula now comes in a spray!  Great for getting in between all of the bathroom tiles, but safe for your little one too.

 

Naturally It's Clean Stain Eraser

Naturally It’s Clean, Stain Eraser, $20 for 5-towelette packets

Great to throw in your diaper bag or purse, the Stain Eraser safely removes most stains from fabrics.  The perfect item for any on-the-go mom!

ecoSTORE Liquid Laundry

ecoSTORE Laundry Liquid, $6.75 for 32 oz. 

Most of us would never think that our laundry detergent could contain harmful ingredients. ecoSTORE’s gentle formula contains ingredients derived from coconut and eucalyptus oil for extra cleaning power and a fresh, clean fragrance.  The bonus?  It’s extra concentrated, meaning you don’t have to use that much for each wash, OR store a giant container in your laundry room!

Dapple Baby Bottle Dish Liquid

Dapple Baby Bottle Dish Liquid, $7 for 34 oz. 

This award-winning product’s formula is designed to break down and get rid of milk residue and odor, making it perfect for washing bottles, sippy cups, breast pump components and pacifiers.  Of course it is free of phthalates, parabens, SLS, SLES, and dyes too.

Better Life 2am Miracle Nursery Cleaner

 Better Life 2am Miracle, $7.99

This cleaner is specifically for the most important room in your home—the nursery.  It safely cleaners surfaces, high chairs, mattresses, changing pads, cribs and more without leaving residue. The scent is an added bonus: Pure essential oils of lavender and chamomile help you and baby relax.

CleanWell Hand Soap

Clean Well Anti-Bacterial Hand Soap, $5.49

With four amazing scents to choose from, killing the germs on your hands has never been this much fun.

Method Home Daily Granite Polish

 Method Daily Granite Polish, $5.49

We love this solution for cleaning all of the stone surfaces in our home because a) it works and b) it smells AMAZING!

Activeion Ionator HOM

 Ionator Hom, $179.99

We’ve been a fan of this device since we met our friends at ActiveIon while working at Good Housekeeping (back in the day!) While the price tag may seem high, you will never buy a surface cleaner again.  The Ionator’s technology allows you to clean the surfaces in your home and kill germs through a simple spray of tap-water.  Don’t believe me?  Check out their website to see how.  This device is the ultimate in Green(er) Cleaners.

Join Bump Club and Beyond for their Living Green(er) Faire presented by FLOR on Wednesday, April 18, 2012 at FLOR, 1843 North Clybourn Avenue.  Our Green(er) Living Expert Panel will discuss the ins and outs of environmentally products, what is green, the safest toys for your baby, steps towards a more sustainable kitchen and more.  Everyone will take home an Envirosax tote bag filled with many of the products features on the ABC7 Chicago news segment and right here in this blog post.

I am not sure when it happened, or how…but all of a sudden there is a third person living in my house.  My baby is no longer a “baby;” she is most definitely a toddler in every sense of the word.  She runs around screaming, laughs, blows kisses, and talks (or at least tries to, though she hasn’t mastered English yet.)  I don’t know where the time has gone.  With a blink of an eye, J has become a little girl!

Toddler J is more fun than she has been in all of her 17 months.  Spending the day with her, while tiring, is also thrilling.  We do everything together, and can’t get enough of one another.   And while this sounds amazing, everything is not cupcakes and unicorns all the time. Not by a long shot.

While my toddler is 99% a delight to be around, the 1% of her that is a terror is terrorizing.  She has become the pickiest eater, she pulls my hair and laughs, throws her entire lunch (and dinner) on the ground and all over my kitchen walls, and sometimes has a tendency to bite me and even her bestie.  The worst is when she straightens her entire body in protest when we go to leave the park.  She cries huge tears and all of the moms and  nannies turn around to check out the commotion. (I try to hide behind my sunglasses for fear that people are thinking, “That Bump Club Girl can’t even control her own kid.”) Since I never know when this side of her is going to come out, I often live in fear of the breakdown. Like I said, it can be terrorizing.

I’ve been asking my friends who have toddlers the same age, and we all agree, it must be their age.  But the question remains, what do we do about it?  I am a first time parent and have never dealt with this before.  What am I supposed to do when J lays down on the ground in a restaurant in protest of the high chair?  Or pulls all of the shirts off of a shelf in a clothing store.  Does she understand what the word “no” means?

I don’t know the answer to these questions, so I have decided to call in the big guns.  After completing her recent training in positive discipline, Janeen Hayward, Principle of Swellbeing, will be joining Bump Club and Beyond for a BCBU Seminar on Positive Discipline techniques.  I don’t know about you, but I personally cannot wait for this one—it can’t come soon enough!

The point of this blog post is to let you know that A) Moms: you are not alone in this one.  It’s not you, it’s not your child…most toddlers and kids go through some level of defiance, even before the reach the age of two.  B) We have your back and are doing something about it.

If you are reading this and know exactly what I am going through, I hope that you will join us for what is sure to be a fun and informative seminar on April 10, 2012 at Little Beans Cafe. Who’s up for swapping stories over cocktails afterwards?

Join Bump Club and Beyond on April 10, 2012, 6:30-9pm for their first BCBU: The Secrets to Positive Discipline and Parenting Techniques with Janeen Hayward of Swellbeing.

Kidoozie Shop ‘n Cart, $39.99

Grocery shopping has never been more fun for your little one!  With their own cart, all the food, play money and more—they can set up their own shop at home!

Pacific Play Tents, starting at $30

These tents come in all shapes, sizes and themes, making play time exceptionally fun for your little one and their friends.  Some even come with tunnels, making for added adventure!

Schwinn Roadster Tricycle, $59.99

Nothing beats a shiny new bicycle and even your little one can get in on the action with this classic Schwinn Roadster.  It comes in red, blue and pink and makes an incredible present for any child in this age group.

Skuut Balance Bike, $90

This Eco-friendly wooden balance bike helps kids learn balance, steering and coordination before being able to transition to a regular bicycle. This multiple award winner helps build confidence among your little one before moving to a two-wheeler!

Deluxe Artist Easel by Battat, $135

For the little Monet in your house, this easel goes the distance as it is two easels in one—a chalkboard on one side and a marker board on the other.  With storage bins underneath, all of your little artist’s supplies have a place of their own.

City Threads Initial Tee at The Red Ballooon Company, $35

Chicago’s Red Balloon Company is the exclusive home of these tees in the Windy City.  Coming in all shapes and sizes, and with every letter in the alphabet available, these make a cute gift for any little one’s birthday—especially as they learn the letters of alphabet themselves!

VTech Kidizoom Camera, $35

Your little one can become the official family photographer with this real life camera!  From pictures to movies, the Kidizoom is sleek, durable and perfect for kids!

Kidkraft Uptown Espresso Kitchen, $200

A kids’ kitchen is one of our favorite toys and gift items.  This one is so urban chic,  looks just like so many of the kitchens in the downtown Chicago highrises!  The manufacturer’s recommended age on this toy is three, however we purchased it when our toddler was only one and a half—and it is one of her favorite toys. (If you do this, please be careful of any small parts and don’t leave your little one unattended during play.)  A toy kitchen goes a long way for pretend play and make believe.  This is one toy that we know, despite the price, will go the distance well into the toddler years and beyond!

Psychobaby Custom Shop Headphone Hoodie, $40

We know we’ve shown this item before, but it still remains one of our favorite gift items.  Any cool kid needs one of these hoodies, with their name on the back of course! It comes in all sizes (even baby!) and you can customize the color of the earphones and pocket ipod.  If there is one custom gift we love, it’s this one (just ask our friends as many of them have received them from us!)

Spiketus Rex Backpack Half Pack Size, $48

Mad Pax makes these awesome backpacks that are the perfect size for any little one under four.  They come in many different colors (and even bigger and smaller sizes.)

Zingo ThinkFun, $19.99

This incredibly fun game helps build your child’s reading and counting skills—while having fun with their friends!  The perfect birthday present for any little one in this age bracket.

Bump Club and Beyond celebrated our second birthday on March 3rd! In addition to our huge Ultimate Birthday Bash on March 11th at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, we are going to be bringing you birthday resources all month long on our blog, Facebook,Twitter, Pinterest and more.

P’kolino Chalk Table, $99.99  

Your toddler is not only getting ready to go to pre-school soon, but likely is into art and drawing.  This functionally smart chalk table is the perfect solution for seating for your child. Not to mention, it’s perfect for a smaller urban living space.

Sevi Instrument 8-Piece Set, $35  
This instrument set is perfect for the little musician in any house.  With maracas, a tambourine and castanets, your 2-year old can create a garage band with their playmates in no time!

Little Tikes TotSports T-Ball Set, $19.99

This beginner’s t-ball set helps a child’s development skills.  It’s perfect for helping coordination and motor skills.

LeapFrog My Own Leaptop, $24.99

Personalize pretend computer play for your own child! Parents can connect to the online LeapFrog® Learning Path for customized learning insights and ideas to expand the learning.

Plan Toys Blocks (50 pcs), $19.99

This classic block set promotes creativity among your toddler.  With 36 natural blocks and 14 colored blocks these blocks help stimulate any child’s imagination.

Educo Alphabet Abacus, $29.99

Kids can learn their numbers and letters with this colorful spin on a classic toy.

Little Tikes 2-in-1 Garden Cart and Wheelbarrow

One of our favorite “make-believe” toys, your little one can try their green thumb right alongside you this spring and summer. With life-like flowers, garden tools, and more, this is a great 2nd birthday gift—especially for a spring or summer birthday!

Bump Club and Beyond celebrated our second birthday on March 3rd!  In addition to our huge Ultimate Birthday Bash on March 11th at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, we are going to be bringing you birthday resources all month long on our blog, Facebook,Twitter, Pinterest and more.