Welcome!
There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots, the other, wings. – Hodding Carter
As parents, we hope to do many things for our children. We hope to keep them safe, healthy and happy. We hope to teach them lasting lessons about the world and how to be a part of it. We hope to create intelligent contributors to society. We hope that they will grow up to change the world for the better. How? With Roots and Wings. By giving them the foundation they need to be good people and the freedom they need to accomplish greatness.
We have started this blog because we have been where you are and we want to share the journey. Come with us as we build this site, tell us what you’re looking for, and enjoy what we have to offer. It will be a work in progress – just like us and our families! Enjoy!
The Mashed Potato Clause
A couple of months before our wedding, my husband and I attended another wedding at which mashed potatoes were served but ran out before everyone ate. This was a travesty to my husband. He couldn’t believe a caterer would let such a thing happen, and was concerned that there was perhaps a potato shortage because Idaho had decided to become part of Canada or some other far fetched explanation. As part of the wedding party, we were amongst the first to eat, so this lack of potatoes did not impact my husbands stomach, just his sensibilities.
This cause a near immediate call to our caterer. I can’t count the number of times he made this poor woman promise that we would NOT RUN OUT OF MASHED POTATOES. Seriously. There is a mashed potatoes clause in my wedding catering contract. There were SO many potatoes that night we could have fed an army. I wish at least once a week I had gotten some home to my freezer, because they were amazing, and we did not run out.
One of the many, many things that make he and I perfect for each other is the fact that we both love to throw a party. He coordinates dates, invites, combinations of our friends that work well together, and the booze. I plan the menu, do the shopping, and cook the food. He’s amazing at the last minute running around the house making sure it’s “company ready”, and I happen to be a pretty damn good cook. We’re a good team. One party that is becoming an annual tradition is our “After Thanksgiving Thanksgiving”, where I cook the entire spread on the Friday after Thanksgiving for our friends.
So what did I do tonight? After getting home from our family’s Thanksgiving dinner, I put a 23lb turkey outside in the cooler in it’s brine, chopped veggies for my stuffing, and peeled twenty-six hard boiled eggs. Go ahead, do the math, I’ll give you a minute.
That’s fifty-two deviled eggs. For about 14 people. When I bought the two dozen eggs (we already had two in the fridge, hence 26 total), this is what my husband said: “Do you think that’s enough?”
Why? Because deviled eggs are Article IV of the Mashed Potato Clause.
I found my voice, courtesy of a stranger
I’ve been struggling to find my voice here. I know there are so many things I have to say, so much I can offer, but I’ve been having difficulty pulling the trigger and actually getting anything down. What, right now, is the most important thing to share?
I found it. Anissa Mayhew. You may or may not have ever heard her name, but I have, and she is the thing I want to share.
Anissa Mayhew was my first twitter stranger. As I embark on this incredible and insane journey of starting over with another baby, being unemployed, trying to find what it is I was meant to do, a twitter stranger may seem a small thing but to me it was huge. I posted a giveaway for one of the products I reviewed on the examiner.com, and she replied. Only she, as far as strangers went. She replied, she re-tweeted me, and in those tiny interactions she made an impression. It might have been her humor, it might have been the huge smile in her twitter picture, it might have been the fact that she didn’t ignore me at a time when I am feeling a little ignored and irrelevant, but she made an impact.
Tuesday November 17, Anissa Mayhew suffered a massive stroke. How do I know this? I have never met this woman. I know because Twitter told me – well, really an ARMY of people who care about Anissa told me, via Twitter. Since then, I’ve learned a thing or two.
I have learned that Anissa Mayhew is 35 years old. She is the mother of 3 children, the youngest of which has survived leukemia. I suppose it is more accurate to say they all survived. Anissa has touched many, many lives with her bright personality and savvy business sense. There are thousands, maybe tens of thousands, who have been touched by her life, her humor, her story. Isn’t this an amazing time we live in? A time when, only by chance, I should come in contact with such a spectacular person through something as abstract and minor as 140 characters on a computer screen.
Who would have thought that this is where “social media” would take us? When I first joined MySpace, I did it only to keep tabs on my then 16 year old sister. I rediscovered old friendships through that page, shared my life with those who were far away. Eventually I discovered Facebook, and found even more old friends. With Twitter, and the Knot/Nest/Bump, I have connected with not only “IRL” friends, but made new ones, friends that have enriched my life in ways that would take days to tell you about, and a lifetime for me to forget.
Like Anissa. My interaction with her was so completely minimal that it is almost laughable that I should think about her as often as I do. But I do. I will watch for updates, and keep her in my prayers, and hope that she recovers fully and returns home to her husband and children, where she belongs. I care what happens to her. THAT is what I think social media does for us, when done properly. I think it makes us care more, not less. It connects us in ways we could have never imagined. It means that Anissa’s family has amazing support from all over the world, when they would have taken just one extra prayer.
If you’d like to follow Anissa’s progress, her husband is using her old blog, Peyton’s Hope Page , as a sounding board. Please consider adding her to your prayers, I think she deserves it.
$10 Free Credit at Shutterfly
- Holiday Photo Book from Shutterfly
Register for Parenting.com Baby & Child Model Search and you will get a code for $10 off Shutterfly when you check the box that says “Yes, I want to receive future special offers from Shutterfly via email and save $10 off my order at Shutterfly.com. New members also get 50 Free prints!” The code doesn’t expire until 11/15/2010.
Don’t forget to shop through Ebates to get 15% cash back from Shutterfly.
Breast Feeding- It’s Worth a Try!
I believe every woman should at least consider breastfeeding their babies. Lets be honest- breastfeeding is tough at first! It can be painful and frustrating but it won’t last long. Soon you and your baby will be pros! Stick with it and reap all of the many benefits. Breastfeeding is good for you, your baby and your pocketbook!
1. Breastfeeding saves money on formula. You have the potential to save approximately $800-1200 a year or more on formula by breastfeeding your baby. Breast milk contains everything your baby needs and more that 100 ingredients not found in formula. Breast milk is a far superior baby food. Breast milk is digested easier and no baby is allergic to their mother’s milk. Special formula for babies that have allergies can be quite costly!
2. You don’t need to buy a bunch of extra baby bottles. If you breastfeed you probably will only need a bottle or two to use for pumped milk when you are unavailable to feed your baby. You won’t have bottles to prepare or wash. You won’t have to remember to pack a clean bottle and formula every time you leave the house either. You’ll have milk that is the perfect temperature and ready to feed your baby at a moments notice. If you are returning to work and can pump milk for your baby you will probably need to invest in an electric pump and you will need a few more bottles. Even so, you will still be saving quite a bit of money while simultaneously providing your baby with the best nutrition possible.
3. Breastfeeding has the potential of saving hundreds of dollars or more on doctor bills. Breastfeeding has been proven to protect babies from illnesses and infections. Breast milk contains antibodies from the mother which are passed on to the baby protecting it from many illnesses. It has been proven that breastfed babies have fewer ear infections, develop fewer food allergies and are overall healthier than formula-fed babies. Most common illnesses are not passed through the milk to the baby. In fact if a mom is ill, her breast milk will contain antibodies to help protect the baby from those same illnesses.
4. Breastfeeding benefits mothers. Besides not having to wash bottles or prepare them (especially for middle of the night feedings!), breastfeeding helps moms lose the extra baby weight after pregnancy by burning extra calories. Breastfeeding also helps the uterus contract back to it’s original size after birth. Studies have shown that breastfeeding may reduce a woman’s risk of breast cancer.
5. Get more assistance. Breastfeeding mothers are eligible to participate in the WIC program longer than non-breastfeeding mothers. In addition, mothers who breastfeed their babies receive an enhanced food package. Breastfeeding mothers can also receive breast pumps, breast shells and more to help support the continuation of breastfeeding.
As you can see, the benefits of breastfeeding are many! If you are able, give it a chance and see for yourself!
Boodlebags – high quality with an eye towards a green future
Boodlebags Miranda Bag
On July 18th, less than a month before my darling son arrived, my husband and I went to the Mill Creek Festival to enjoy some food from my brother’s BBQ stand. I was not at all in the mood to walk anywhere, especially in the incredible heat of mid-July – but boy am I glad I did! As we were walking through the craft booths an adorable diaper bag caught my eye – the Boodlebags Miranda Bag. It was bright and colorful, a great size, and when I touched it the very first thing I thought was that it was incredibly well constructed, an absolute must for a diaper bag. I went in and introduced myself to Angela and took her information knowing I really wanted to review her product.
Boodlebags makes three different bags right now, the full-size Miranda diaper bag, the Baby Boodle changing kit, and the Cha-Cha wristlet. They are all available in a variety of fantastic fabrics and are very well made; each one by hand by Angela herself or one of her local sewing helpers. The Miranda Bag has plenty of pockets both inside and out, great detailing on the shape of the outside flap, a nice padded strap and even a clip for your keys (who wants to chase their keys around the bottom of their bag?). Boodlebags has thought of everything. The interior also has a padded sleeve that will fit up to a 15″ laptop, making the Miranda bag perfect for anyone, not just moms!
My Baby Boodle in Spirodots Chocolate
I have the Baby Boodle changing kit and I truly adore it. The exterior fabric is a sturdy canvas, and the inside is a cozy flannel. It unfolds to become a changing pad with flaps that hold a standard travel wipes holder and 3-4 diapers. It’s super cute and works great – Friday when my son and I visited his dad at work, I used the pad to change his diaper twice on my husbands boss’ desk. It is nicely padded so his little head wasn’t on the hard desk, everything I needed was right there so I didn’t have to lug the whole diaper bag out, and the pad is plenty big – even a very messy diaper didn’t end up on the desk (which I’m going to call a good thing for my husband’s career). It easily unfolds and folds back up with one hand which can be a lifesaver when you’re holding a squirmy baby! The only potential drawback is that the changing surface is flannel and not plastic, because it can’t be easily wiped down (see: very messy diaper; above), however the softness of the surface makes up for that by being cozy for my sweet baby to lay on, instead of cold and sticky. Plus, all Boodlebags are machine washable!
Boodlebags is a great Seattle area company making a superior product in a responsible way. Angela looks to purchase fabric domestically whenever possible and is always searching for ways to reduce the carbon footprint that her business makes. She even recently acquired an antique foot-pedal sewing machine, hoping to use human power to create her exceptional bags. I think that’s pretty fantastic.
Free $40 Credit at 1-800-Flowers
Gorgeous Holiday Roses
Get a free $40 credit at 1-800-Flowers. Here’s how:
- Go to 1800flowers.com. In the upper right hand corner click on REGISTER.
- Register for the Fresh Rewards program
- Once you are registered and logged in, set up 10 reminders for birthdays, anniversaries etc. You’ll earn a $40 Fresh Rewards pass for setting this up.
Your Fresh Rewards pass will be mailed to you in 4-6 weeks. Just “window” shopping made me happy and I can’t wait to make someone’s day with a beautiful floral arrangement at a great price- maybe even free!
See Kai Run, making beautiful and healthy shoes
"Justin" by See Kai Run
In 2004 a Seattle area mother began searching for shoes that were not only healthy for her baby’s feet, but that reflected her and her son’s personalities – shoes that were as “happening as Kai”, she says. See Kai Run was born.
Operating out of Woodinville, Washington, See Kai Run now has an entire line of childrens shoes in three age groups ranging from birth to around 11 years old. Their smallest, soft soled shoes, appropriately called “Smaller“, their toddler See Kai Run line, and for older kids their sister company, “Eleven“.
My son has the “Justin” shoes from See Kai Run and I can’t possibly gush enough about these shoes. The quality is obvious from the moment you open the box and they are so cute I wish I had a pair in every size. The leather is amazingly soft and the flexible sole will help his little feet stay healthy as is takes his first steps. The colors of the Justin shoe are perfect for the outfit I have planned for his first Christmas, the sweater vest I bought is going to match perfectly. See Kai Run styles are as varied as our children, some in muted, quiet colors and some vibrant and loud. The shoes are velcro or elastic making them easy to get on and off, even for small hands who are learning for the first time. Each pair is given a childs name – seekairun.com doubles as a baby name book!
Why See Kai Run?
Healthy Fit
- Very flexible soles are healthy for developing feet.
- Wide opening and toe box accommodate even the chubbiest little feet.
- Velcro closure allows for adjustable fit and easy on and off.
- Leather lining is breathable and durable.
- Padded collar adds comfort and helps our shoes stay on little feet.
Quality Construction
- Leather used for our footwear meets the most stringent available U.S. and international guidelines.
- Sheepskin leather uppers are butter-soft and more durable by weight than cow leather used by many other brands.
- Durable construction and rubber sole stand up to heavy play indoors and out.
Urban Style
- Hip, urban styles in modern color palettes.
- Bold designs and detailing.
- Modern takes on classic styles.
With Roots and Wings 