Mom Blog and Baby Blog | Baby Bunching

10 things we loved about blogher

Baby Bunching just returned from BlogHer 2010 in the Big Apple, and to say that we had a blast would be an understatement.  The conference itself was a wealth of information and contacts, but given that we are BFF’s, our favorite part was that we got to spend an entire weekend together without interruptions from any children at all.  This was especially important to Cara, who still carries guilt that her eldest child’s meltdown of nuclear proportions totally wrecked our last attempted reunion with all the kids earlier this year. 

We met so many new faces we can’t keep track of them, but we also saw some old friends.  Cara realized a longtime dream of meeting the hilarious Stimey, a favorite blogger and fellow Baby Buncher and mom of three boys. We had the good fortune to end up sharing a breakfast table with uber-Buncher Sierra Rix, who has guest-posted on this blog before.  We got to say hi to the Justices, organizers of the super-fab Blogalicious conference.  Linda even got to run past Bruce Jenner in Central Park, while Cara was tickled by a chance encounter with Mrs. Potato Head at the lunch buffet.  Linda enjoyed a great ride up and back on the Hershey's S'more Road Trip to BlogHer, where she met BabytobeTV and found out that she, too, is a Baby Buncher. Yes, a good time was had by all. 

Top Ten Things We Loved About BlogHer/Baby Bunching Reunion 2010:

1.  It was in New York. This was especially a bonus for Cara, who had only visited once before - with a strap-on four-month old in the Bjorn. To enjoy the city kid-free was decadent, to say the least.
2. Soaking up the contents of the Metropolitan Museum of Art over a leisurely two-day period - without kids. 
3. Standing in line at the Gershwin Theater in the hopes of winning the $25 Wicked ticket lottery.  No, we didn’t win - but we had a damn good time standing in line - something we never would’ve been able to do with our kids.
4. Killing time waiting for Wicked tickets drinking Wickedtinis at Azalea (right next door).  Admittedly, we did think of how much the kids would get a kick out of this oddly eerie illuminating green glowing beverage.  But it was still nice to be able to sip them at a leisurely pace in a real, live grown-up bar.
5. Cocktail-hour reunion (courtesy of Facebook) with one of Cara’s dear friends from grade school on the roof of the Dream Hotel.  Drinks, 20 years worth of catch-up chatter, and a serene rooftop location.  No need to further explain why the kids wouldn’t have been welcome here.
6. Cocktails and dinner with Linda’s brother, replete with leisurely people-watching over coffee from the cafe. 
7. A run/walk (Linda and Cara, respectively) through Central Park.  Could’ve done this with kids, but there would’ve been a lot more whining about the lack of available water fountains there.
8. A stroll through crowded, pulsing Times Square and brief stop in the M&M store there.  We were really glad the kids weren’t there for this one.
9. Scoring free conference swag toys for our kids.
10. Going home to our kids.

So yeah, there were a lot of cocktails now that we look at it.  But we also responsibly attended every conference session and even split up so that we could soak up as much information as possible.  We’re looking forward to synthesizing what we learned and strategizing to bring you a new-and-improved Baby Bunching community.

s'mores: a summer activity not to miss

Summer is passing by at warp speed. We're moving down the summer checklist of all the great things that we only really have time for during summer: zoo, local water park, hike at National Park, museum day, lunch with dad (next week), the beach and camping out (decided we're not quite ready).

This weekend we gave s'mores a try for the first time with the kids. All in all, an excellent summer activity for Baby Bunchers.

The great thing about s'mores is there is no wrong way to make and/or eat a s'more. It's very had to be Type A and be a Baby Buncher and there is certainly nothing Type A about s'mores. It's good old -fashioned messy fun. We were lucky enough on Friday night to have a friend offer up her fire pit. No fire pit? No problem. A grill or gas stove will suffice in a pinch. (Thanks to Hershey's for providing us with some supplies***.)

My top reasons S'mores are perfect for us Bunchers!

1) There are only three ingredients: graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallow. Best part all ingredients (if not eaten during s'more making session will undoubtedly be consumed some other time during the week. So no waste.

2) S'mores counts as dessert AND activity. So for the next gathering in the afternoon or evening, this is not only food, but fun. It's like having a pinata at a birthday party. Kids break pinata and falling candy becomes instant goody bag!

3) Fire! An immediate draw for the dads, which means dad will likely volunteer to spearhead and supervise this activity. You just have to keep the marshmallows out of people's hair.

4) Simplicity. S'mores is a reason for us to slow down and enjoy a few moments together. A fire (whether it's a campfire, a fire pit or the grill) is a great way to gather everyone together for summer tales or even recap of the day. Pull in a few neighbors and you have an instant party. S'more are a way to keep kids engaged in some old-fashioned fun, the chocolate and marshmallows help. Even if they only eat one of the three ingredients, they are participating in an American tradition.

5) The best reason yet, besides the fact they are super yummy:  Easy set up and clean up! A must for every Baby Buncher.

****“Both Cara and Linda are attending BlogHer. As part of the S’mores Road Trip to BlogHer, Linda received a round trip ticket on Amtrak to the convention and Hershey branded items. Any views expressed in this post are her own. 

tastebudding: good food, happy mealtime

Food is a huge part of the parenting gig. We all start out with the best intentions for meal preparations, but Baby Bunching can quickly put a crimp into your wholesome food plan. New baby comes along and all attempts at homemade baby food, always sitting down as a family, and forcing toddler to eat food served come to a screeching halt.

During your many years of Baby Bunching, mealtime will develop into many different scenes. Our philosophy here is to never get started playing short-order cook (you will totally thank us for this later), and start good habits with your kids now--no matter how much it sucks. This is so when they are five they will at least try green beans and not be rude at friends' houses about the type of bread they will/will not eat.

The road to a stressless mealtime can be seem like an uphill battle most days. Getting your kids to sit down, behave at the table, try one food 15 bagillion times over and over, chew with their mouths closed and not talk about potty at the table are all part of challenge. Before even getting to the behavior battles, you have to get them to actually eat the food. Finding good meals that everyone in your family can enjoy is many parents #1 issue because if the food doesn't please, the game becomes a stalemate.

Tastebudding is a new site started by a group of parents, one is our former college roommate, who are working to find a quick, easy solution for parents to find kid-friendly food. The tastebudding team knows how important it is for us to prepare healthy food for our kids. (Yes, they're talking beyond pizza and chicken nuggets, although you'll find a few of those homemade recipes there as well.) The best part kid-friendly recipes are the ones that come from other parents who have tested them on the toughest critics. Tastebudding overs more than just searchable recipes.

Think Allrecipe.com for kid-friendly food + community where parents can also connect and discuss dinnertime manners, school lunch planning or when to start solid foods. The best part is when you submit your recipes you can add commentary on what works best or doesn't. And those who try the recipe can offer up additional suggestions. They've essentially brought the idea of a cooking club to the web.

Pop on over to tastebudding.com and let us know what looks yummy for dinner tonight.

bunchers' most desperately sought accessory--an extra set of hands

By Sierra Rix

All too often, we Bunchers lament our need for an extra set of grown-up hands. Here’s how I got mine - We decided to host an au pair. Some background: I am a former stay-at-home mom, in the trenches with my Bunch for four years, who rejoined the work force in January of 2008 when my kids were one, three and four.

Before I launch into just why I love hosting au pairs to help with my bunch, I should let you know that I work at Cultural Care, the agency we host through, so I am a bit of a cheerleader for them. That said, when I did go back to work, we tried a number of options before going the au pair route.

Childcare arrangements we tried included: a patchwork of college sitters who had class schedules and school vacations to work around; family members who had their own full-time jobs; high school sitters who were available in the afternoons and babysitting co-ops. After several months of stress – not only going back to work, but from cobbling together a childcare chart each week that made air traffic control look simple, I decided it was time to simplify our lives and provide some consistency for our kids. I looked into daycares, but I wasn’t comfortable with the classroom set up and lack of one-on-one time for my little guys. That aside, the fees, especially for more than one child, were over the top. I also considered a nanny, but again, cost was a concern as was the idea of abdicating our role as parents to a “professional” childcare provider.

Ed, my husband, and I made a list of what we wanted: something personal, flexible and affordable. We desired a situation that allowed our kids to nap in their own beds, play with their toys, have playdates, go to the zoo, or the playground and enjoy story time. I wanted to know that when they were sick, they could be at home in their jammies and snuggle up with their lovies, while I could remain productive at work. We also wanted an arrangement where we could adjust the hours to fit not only our work schedules, but to allow for the occasional (dare I say it) date night (crazy, I know) or family outing without Ed or I going off the deep end. I won’t lie, cost was also huge consideration for us; the idea of working just to afford childcare really didn’t appeal to me.

Enter in the au pair program. An au pair runs about $340 week for 45 hours a week of childcare and light housekeeping. Au pairs can do playdates, run the kids to activities, and take them to all the fun places they love. The housekeeping was a huge bonus for me because I felt like I spent a significant portion of my free time doing laundry, corralling toys and loading/unloading the dishwasher. (In case you missed it, I said the “L” word. Laundry. I have a hate-hate relationship with laundry; it’s never “done,” especially if you are parenting a bunch.) She or he (yup, there are guy au pairs) lives with you. This is beyond helpful when there are 3 feet of snow on the ground, schools/daycares are closed, or potentially one (or all) of my little ones are sick, but I still need to get to work. It also fosters a family-like relationship which is hugely beneficial for the kids. If you are wondering why we didn’t go with an au pair sooner, all I can say is so do I. Nicole with Jane, 4wks. October 2009

We made the plunge and got our first au pair in June of 2008. Since then, we’ve welcomed several more au pairs as well as our fourth child (September of 2009), something that in my pre au pair days would have sent me into a tail spin. I returned to work this January without a qualm. My baby girl loves Nicole, our Swiss au pair, and I know she is in good hands. Our kids have benefited in so many ways from the young women we’ve welcomed. Beyond the enthusiasm they’ve brought to the role of childcare provider and big sister, our au pairs have opened up the world to our kids by sharing their own culture’s songs, crafts, language, food and games. The kids are not the only beneficiaries, Ed and I have peace of mind knowing our kids are happy and well cared for. And certainly don’t forget, the aforementioned date night!

Sierra is a wife, mom to 4 kids (2 girls: 7 & 5 mos & 2 boys: 5 & 4), Host mom to a fabulous Swiss au pair, dog walker for Rusty the Jack Russell, litter scooper for Mr.Clark the cat and Development Director for Cultural Care. She blogs about family shenanigans at Mom on the Run and au pairs at Sierra Rix, DD.