Sweet Leigh Mama

Modeling Inner Beauty

2012-11-13T16:31:00.001-05:00

How do we teach our daughters about TRUE beauty, when they are bombarded over and over again by images, messages and impressions of FAUX beauty? They see us get ready each and every morning... Fix up our hair and slather on make-up to cover up our imperfections. Suck in our bellies as we look in the mirror. Read books and magazines designed to "improve" us - to fix us. We know that isn't the

Equifax, You STINK!

2012-09-07T14:38:00.000-04:00

Equifax won't listen to me. I've called. I've emailed. I've even attempted to Facebook you. No response. No help. So now, I'm airing your dirty laundry with 25,000 of my nearest and dearest readers. So, Equifax - CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? Fix it. Make it right. DO YOUR JOBS! Dear Equifax - I am HIGHLY disappointed in you as a company. You encourage people to "know your credit. manage your future

You Don't Really Know a Man Until You Have a Child with Him...

2012-07-29T23:29:00.001-04:00

Last night I was reading a book I picked up on the clearance table in Barnes and Noble - Candace Bushnell's One Fifth Avenue. And I came across this quote: "You don't really know a man until you have a child with him. Then you see so much. Is he kind? Is he tolerant? Is he loving? Or is he immature and egotistical and selfish? When you have a child, it can go two ways with your husband: You

WIN 2 Gorgeous Silver Cameras Thanks to HGTV's Kim Myles and ApartmentGuide.com!

2012-07-24T14:58:00.000-04:00

Last week I let you all in on one of the best giveaways I've seen in a while - a chance to win $10,000 C.A.S.H. in Apartment Guide's Your Picks. Your Place. Sweepstakes (easy peezy entry instructions here). {Did you enter yet? If you didn't - then, well, you must not be the brightest bulb in the tanning bed. So wise up and enter NOW before it's too late!} I also let you know last week that

Need $10,000 in C.A.S.H.? Yes, Please!

2012-07-16T15:39:00.000-04:00

One of the perks of having a blog is that I find out about some really awesome things that I might not know about otherwise - new products, contests and giveaways, breaking news. I'm super picky about what actually makes it out of my inbox (self-made REUSABLE frozen suppositories for hemorrhoids... not so much... yes I was really asked to promote this. And yes, I vomited a bit in my mouth.).

The Grass is Always Greener... Where You Water It

2012-06-08T10:33:00.000-04:00

Taking the time to water my grass - figuratively and literally. Working on fixing up me & my home, and nurturing my most precious possession: my family. Be back soon - I promise : ) xoxo, SLM

A 2 year Old Taught My 2 Year Old to Use the Potty

2012-04-24T12:54:00.001-04:00

Ansley-Pants and Miss Paige after a long day playing! It's official - Miss Paige is in the midst of potty training. For the past two weeks, we've been "diaper-free". Well... sort of. But I have to say the whole thing is going really smoothly! Unlike the last time I tried... Flashback to October 2011 - which, in mama time - is about 20 years ago. Miss Paige was about 21 months old and in the

Stay-at-Home-Mom: Luxury or Sacrifice?

2012-04-13T01:42:00.001-04:00

You've probably all heard it by now - the statement that made all moms cringe. The statement that simultaneously offended moms who stay at home with the kids as well as those mom who work outside the home. But just in case you missed this gem, here is a quick summary of recent events (Source: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/04/

The War of the Quilt

2012-03-14T12:37:00.000-04:00

The second most valuable thing to any mama is her sleep. First of course is her babies and family. But a very close second is sleep. When I was pregnant with Paige, I had a hard time sleeping. If my husband rolled over, breathed heavy or made any noise or movement of any kind for that matter, I would wake up. And of course that would make me mad. And so of course I would lash out.{Remember

Cranio Schmanio: D's Sagittal Synostosis Repair

2012-03-13T01:40:00.004-04:00

The big guy 4 months after his surgery! Quick update: I've created a page on Sweet Leigh Mama dedicated to D's craniosynostosis journey. I've talked (aka emailed) with a lot of families going through a similar circumstance, and I wanted to make sure it was easy for you all to find my posts on the topic. I made sure to include links to all my craniosynostosis posts (in chronological order), as

Mama Bear Moment: Too Smart For Strangers with Winnie the Pooh

2012-03-13T00:13:00.001-04:00

You've heard of a "wolf in sheep's clothing"? Well I'm a rabid wilderbeast/ mama bear / vigilante bounty hunter in a "normal mama's" clothing. By day I am the happy, smiley mama everyone knows and loves... but if provoked, this mama bear will not hesitate to go buck wild on your booty. And just like any mama bear, the one thing that will make me lose my mind in .2 seconds is if my children - or

In Memoriam: Moose A. Moose and Zee D. Bird

2012-03-09T18:36:00.001-05:00

Moose and Zee heading to the unemployment line Sniff. Sniff. It's a sad day. After a quick Google search, I have found out that Moose A. Moose and Zee D. Bird (aka Moose and Zee) aren't on vacation nor are they holding out for contract negotiations. Nick Jr. gave Moose and Zee the axe. The ole' heave ho. The pink slip. On March 1 the beloved pair of woodland creatures who entertained Miss

Easy-Peezy Homemade Baby Food and Purees - FAQs

2012-03-06T12:00:00.000-05:00

New to the world of homemade baby food and purees? Here are a few frequently asked questions that I had myself, and have been asked many times! Email me at sweetleighmama@gmail.com with any additional questions that I can help with! I'm not an expert per se, but I've made homemade baby food and purees for both my children and have done a lot of research on the subject! I guess that's as close to

Easy-Peezy Purees: The Whys and Hows of Transitioning Your Little One to Solids

2012-03-05T16:17:00.002-05:00

The Whys and Hows of Transitioning Your Baby to Solids Stage 1: 4-6 months – Start off Slowly Homemade Pea and Carrot Puree - YUMMY! When? There is really no rush in introducing solids to your baby’s diet. I’ve found it’s better to let your child guide you as to when they are ready. I know with my first baby, I was always anxiously awaiting the next stage in her development. It was

Easy-Peezy Homemade Baby Food and Puree: Foods to Avoid

2012-03-04T12:00:00.000-05:00

Steer clear of these foods when making your own baby food and purees... Great but Gassy: Broccoli, Cauliflower – Introduce slowly, a little bit at a time to test your baby’s tolerance to gas-inducing foods A Little Too Spicy: Kiwi (when pureed, the seeds release a black pepper-like spice), Peppers Avoid Acidic: Pineapple, Oranges, Papaya, Tomatoes – Fruits high in acidity can cause upset

Easy-Peezy Purees: The Essential 17 Fruits and Veggies Every Mama Needs to Know

2012-03-03T12:00:00.000-05:00

So what are the fruits and veggies you should use to make your homemade baby food and purees? I call them the Essential 17. These fruits and veggies will be at the core of your baby’s puree menu based on their nutritional value and effects on your baby's developing digestive track. Check out the nutrient scoop of each of the Essential 17 below! The take a peek at the list at the very bottom

The Basics of Making Your Own Baby Food and Purees: How to Puree

2012-03-02T12:00:00.000-05:00

The Basics of Making Your Own Baby Food and Purees: How to Puree Wash: When using fresh fruits and veggies, be sure to rinse thoroughly to remove any pesticides, dirt and other unmentionables that may have latched onto your food. Chop: Cut into small chunks in preparation for steaming - or in the case of fruits that don’t need to be cooked – to throw right into the blender. Be sure to

The Basics of Making Your Own Baby Food and Purees: What You Need to Get Started

2012-03-01T12:00:00.000-05:00

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An Easy-Peezy Guide for Making Homemade Baby Foods and Purees

2012-02-29T13:52:00.000-05:00

Nothing about me screams organic or green. I have the smallest recycling bin on the block. We don’t drive hybrid vehicles. And I prefer a good bottle of water vs. anything out of the tap. These aren’t things to brag about – but it’s my reality. I barely have time to brush my teeth each morning, let alone worry about saving the planet (I’ll get to that tomorrow…). I take an average of half a

Creative Minds Are Rarely Tidy

2012-02-28T08:45:00.002-05:00

Creativity runs in my family. My mom always had a sewing room filled to the brim with crafts, fabrics, buttons, thread - you name it, you could find it in this room. My grandma was the same way. My mind is always racing with ideas for projects, crafts, artwork - it's hard to shut off the creativity switch sometimes (and Pinterest doesn't help the situation - "just one more 'Find More Pins' and

The Truth About Postpartum Depression

2012-02-25T15:23:00.001-05:00

Postpartum depression. It's real. And it doesn't necessarily happen right after the baby is born. For me it happened 4 months later. Obviously something was going on the last few months. I wasn't myself. I could barely get out of bed in the morning. Throughout the day, all I wanted to do was crawl back into bed. My body felt dead. I had two beautiful smiling children that made me happy - but

Amber Alert: My Sideburns Are Missing

2012-02-24T17:48:00.002-05:00

Chewbaca I've decided that the best sales people in the world are the ladies who do the waxing in nail salons. I know, I know - I should go to some fancy schmancy place to get my eyebrows waxed. I also should get my hair dyed by a professional, but somehow - despite the best on intentions - I always end up with a box of dye and crazy Dexter-inspired gloves doing contortion-style moves in my

Babble's Top 100 Mommy Blogs of 2011 (I Must Have Been #101)

2011-12-16T23:56:00.000-05:00

I know this is going to be shocking, but I didn't make it into the Babble's Top 100 Mommy Blogs of 2011. BOO! But I'm kind of OK with it since I didn't even know the list existed until a few minutes ago. But let's be honest - we all know I was probably #101. ANYWHO... So now that I know about it, I see that there is a button to nominate your fav mommy blog for the 2012 edition of the list. If

A Little Bit Pregnant

2011-12-16T23:29:00.000-05:00

They say you can't be a "little bit pregnant". But I totally was. Yes - me. You know... the one who got her tubes tied in June? {Read this for a refresher on that situation: http://sweetleighmama.blogspot.com/2011/07/all-tied-up.html } Here's what happened... The week before Deacon's surgery, I started to feel a little funny. Nauseous. Sore boobs. Exhausted. The only times I had all three of

The Surgery: Craniosynostosis Repair Day 4 - Present

2011-12-13T12:13:00.001-05:00

Need to catch up? Here are links to all the Cranio posts in chronological order: http://sweetleighmama.blogspot.com/2011/07/unexpected-journey-craniosynostosis.html http://sweetleighmama.blogspot.com/2011/08/surgeons-and-doctors-and-specialists-oh.html http://sweetleighmama.blogspot.com/2011/08/you-have-to-do-what-diagnosis.html http://sweetleighmama.blogspot.com/2011/11/