What to do, oh what to do on days when all you have to think about is you? Remember the times when your only concern was to get up, get dressed, take care of a few personal hygiene tasks and eat a few times? Those were the days with little responsibility and lots of fun! As an adult these days grow to be extremely few and far between. To rekindle the simpler days of my life I try to focus on a few small, rewarding experiences, and draw inspiration from those things around me. Whether this is appreciating those sleek modern lines of the latest, contemporary strollers, or admiring the architecture on our morning mommy and me walks, I make time for creative inspiration and design spotting. Or I have made it a habit of making time for a creative read–it doesn’t matter if I’m on a vacation, heading to the cabin or just take a quick happy hour for myself I can always manage to dive into my favorite inspirational magazines for a little dose of design. Depending on my mood, I can lose my thoughts in foreign cultures with Afar or channel my inner party-planning guru with Sweet Paul. Find a new magazine off the beaten path and uber specialized for some new insight. Here are a few of my favorites:

Frankie is where you will find lots of bits and bobs including clothes, music news, craft, photography, travel, events and more.  They love to support Australian and international fashion.

LMNOP is the publication for parents with an eye for style. Elegantly designed, practical and fun, you’ll find everything you nee to make you laugh, make, nurture, organize and play with your child.

Anthology explores a theme each issue. This month they are highlighting “Wit & Whimsy”- a merging of a good sense of style and humor.

Rue- believes:

That every color can be your favorite color.

That great taste comes in many forms, the fringe of a carpet, the pull of a drawer, the lines of a sofa, the curve of a smile.

That a good can of paint atones for a multitude of sins.

That friendship can be forged across continents by only a kind word and a shared lust for leopard prints.

That a glass of pink champagne really does a party.

That everyone has the talent and drive to design their more beautiful life-we all just need a little nudge in a right direction.

That inspiration is everywhere.

Milk v offers a journey in the modern world of childhood. Writing and illustrating photographic evidence of our desire to discover all the unexplored world of children’s fashion. The art of living with family in the last childish leisure, all new domains will be furrowed.

Sweet Paul magazine is based on Paul Lowe’s wildly successful blog Sweet Paul, which ranked 22^nd in the London Time’s Top 50 Best Design Blogs. Paul’s motto is “chasing the sweet things in life” and the magazine sure lives up to that. It will be filled with easy and elegant recipes, fun and stylish crafts, entertaining ideas, shopping tips, up and coming crafters and so much more.

Afar is a multi-platform travel media brand that inspires and guides those who travel the world to connect with its people, experience their cultures, and understand their perspectives.

Domino a decorating magazine took a break in 2009 but will soon be returning. They focus on decorating stories, easy, often inexpensive changes that make a big difference in the home- from spruce-ups of dowdy furniture to more involved DIY projects like painting stairs or reorganizing a home office.

inspirational magazines for your happy hour | design spotting is a post from: Happy Hour Mom

I am a Starbucks junkie.

Not because the drinks are the best (they are)…

Not because they have free WiFi that makes for a perfect blogging happy hour (they do)…

Not because I have been to Starbucks in 6 different countries and they all make me feel like I am right at home (I have)…

But because they accomplish all of this, and still make time to get involved with and support the community. Just by visiting Starbucks.com you can see the many ways they not only get involved, but encourage others to get involved as well. From “The Power of an Hour” campaign, to setting goals and tracking community support efforts, to the Valentine’s Everylove campaign, Starbucks is all about you and me, and everyone in between. Here is a taste of this year’s Valentine’s effort:

Everylove is for all the relationships in your life worth celebrating. It appears differently to each of us, but we all recognize it the same…

-everylove stories

I had lunch with a girlfriend yesterday and we were talking about our husbands bringing us flowers. She made me smile when she shared that she would rather he surprised her with a Starbucks, instead of the flowers that will die a few days later anyway. Even though she loves the flowers, and the thought, she’d take a Starbucks surprise any day. It’s amazing how drink can get us moms through the busiest of days. The great thing is that you can find a Starbucks in nearly every city and country around the world (often times two to a corner), and 9 times out of ten you can put a smile on someone’s face by simply giving them a Starbucks card. They’ve made it even easier with the Starbucks eGift Card, so now you can share the love from across the globe. I don’t know what it is, but Starbucks has made this mommy one happy lady.

One venti, non-fat, peppermint white mocha, no whip please : ) What drink puts a smile on your face? Share in the comments below…

drink. love. smile. starbucks #everylove is a post from: Happy Hour Mom

After you pee on the stick (or five if you are anything like me) and get your double line, plus sign, or the indisputable “pregnant” reading, you typically have about 8 months left before D-day. That is a lot of time to prepare emotional and physical for baby. You may need a new car if you are adding baby number 2 or 3 to the family. You may need more space in your home or need to move things around to clear out space for your new addition. You will most likely be decorating and/or painting your baby’s space. You will probably read a book or two telling you what to expect throughout your pregnancy and tracking your baby’s growth, and the changes in your body. And while prep for baby is obviously the most important thing to consider, you can’t forget to prepare for Delivery Day as well! You can certainly call your many mom friends to find out what you’ll need, or use your past experience and knowledge to get your bag ready, or you can simplify your efforts by purchasing the Push Pack! Obviously invented by a mommy, the Push Pack covers all the bases and provides you with the essentials for your trip to the hospital.

What’s in the Push Pack?

• EO® lavender scented shampoo, conditioner & bath gel
• washcloth
• make up remover
• razor & shaving cream lotion
• deodorant
• comb & hair bands
• lip balm
• toothbrush & toothpaste
• breast pads
• maxi pads
• disposable underwear
• comfy socks (your choice of pink or blue)
• playing cards
• Motherlove Organic Nipple Cream®
• notepad
• thank you cards & pen
• gum
• Preggie Pop Drops®
• Bellybar®
• cup of oatmeal & spoon

above list courtesy of moderndaymoms.com

push pack, must-have for expecting moms on delivery day is a post from: Happy Hour Mom

Whether you’re looking for one last relaxing and pampering vacation pre-baby or just want to celebrate the birth of your upcoming child, babymoons are in full effect these days. Baby Moons are designed for ultimate last hurrah for parents-to-be. You can drive to a close destination for a weekend or fly to a tropical island to reconnect as a couple before entering or re-entering parenthood.

Why do people take babymoons?

New moms and dads are taking full advantage of the days that go on without noisy, long car rides with kids fighting and sippy cups and breast pumps taking up the majority of your suitcase space.

Things to remember on your babymoon adventure:

The point is to rest. Avoid long travel and layovers.

Be sure to consult with your OB GYN if you are planning to travel aboard. Double check our timing and precautions. Typically flying is ok until the 36^th week.

Consult with a travel agency to avoid extra stress. Remember the ultimate goal of your baby moon.

Check with the airline for any travel restrictions.

While packing be sure to bring information for the nearest medical center and the contact information for your OBG GYN.

Consider purchasing trip insurance in case you may have to cancel due to unforeseen issues that may arrive.

Top Babymoon destinations:

Florida

California

Turks and Caicos

Hawaii

Italy

What to bring?

Comfy pajamas

Lots of magazines (you won’t be reading those for awhile)

Loungewear

Nice camera

Stretch mark creams and lotions

how to babymoon is a post from: Happy Hour Mom

There is something to be said about an organized jewelry box. After your shower, an outfit is carefully (or not so carefully sometimes) chosen, you put on your makeup and turn to your jewelry box for the finishing touches. Skimming through your many options of babbles accessories can be a tough task. I’m pretty sure I didn’t wear any jewelry that made sense for the first 3 years of my sons life. All of my earrings, rings, necklaces and braelets were shoved into different compartments in one designated drawer. By the time I actually needed or wanted to wear something special I did not have the time or energy to sift through the possibilities. Now that my son is 4 I realized that my jewelry box is an extraordinary place that neither of my boys need or want to have anything to do with. My jewelry box is a mom-only zone that has wondrous powers. Besides displaying my rainbow sea of jewelry, I can chose to finish off my outfit with the perfect touches. My, now organized, jewelry box stays organized. I can’t say this for much else in my house, but it feels good to have something to myself. What is your favorite place in your home?

organized jewelry box | simple fixes is a post from: Happy Hour Mom

Dads are a special breed. Who picks you up when you are down, dad. Who reaches all the toys on the high shelf, dad. Who makes feel like the most special person in the world, dad. Father’s day is the perfect time to pay the special father, grandfather, or uncle-who-is-more-like-a-dad, back for all the wonderful things he does. Dig deep and think about what really makes him feel happy and appreciated.

Is your father a sport-lover who spends his free time playing or watching sports? Or do you have manly man on your hands who prefers to work with his hands in the house or on the lawn? No matter what type of hobbies or activities he loves be sure to find something that will add value to his days.  After tooling around active forums I tried to pull some ideas for what dad really wants.

Sports related gifts- tickets, memorabilia, equipment and accessories ( Framed and autographed jersey, tickets to a local game, bike, rounds of golf with little trinkets, lessons, or bowling ball.)

Manly- yard & home improvement items (ie. leaf blower, lawn mower, tools) hobby (gun, fishing rod, tackle box)

Sentimental- Coupons for free days without chores, foot rub, 2 hour pass to dominate the remote control, handmade artwork from the kids, 10 reasons why I love my dad

Health and Wellness- spa gift card (massage, mani or pedi (many men are open to staying manicured these days), toiletries, grooming items, gym membership.

Techie dad- iPad, gift cards to Best buy or Apple, classes, or GPS range finder.

what do dads want for gifts on father’s day? is a post from: Happy Hour Mom

As moms we want our child’s first birthday party to be a momentous event! The options are endless for choosing an appropriate theme that illustrates your little one’s favorite toy, show, color, holiday or unique personality. My cousin-in-law went through countless options before finally landing on the perfect way to incorporate a little preppy, some traditional blue and green, argyles, plaids, moustaches and bowties. With a little help from Pinterest and friends and family she was able to pull it together just in time for the Baby Alec’s Little Man First Birthday Party. Whether you are on a budget or not the little details do go far. Here’s how she did it all!

Excuse me I Moutache you a question? When guests arrived she mocked up a photo booth feel with a frame from Ikea. They had the choice of wearing a bowtie or moustache in their pic. Make sure to have a designated friend or photographer. As the hostess, you’ll have plenty of other responsibilities during the party. The best part is that these pictures served as adorable little thank you cards.

Having a food table fit for a king, or little man, serves as the main focal point for the whole party. She used vintage suitcases to stack mini strawberry shortcakes topped an argyle smash cake for the man of the hour. Mini bow tie pasta salads were a great compliment to hand wrapped pulled pork sandwiches. For dessert, everyone enjoyed lemon cake-centered and vanilla cake pops adorned with blue & green bowties and coordinating sprinkles.

The party was held at a darling park shelter with a playground right outside incase of restless children. Timing for first birthday parties are very important. If the large majority of guests are bringing their children think about nap times. Keeping the party short and sweet makes for a more enjoyable time for you and your guests. If you’re are going to be crunched for time skip gift opening. This Lil Man Party had more than 60 guests. Think about how long it would take to help a one year old get through all his presents. Stick to a few of the main ones from grandparents and great grandparents.

Signage: For added effect create a few signs that help carry your theme all the way through.

Gift bags consisted of darling little token reminders of the party’s theme in natural brown bags secured with a paper necktie.

baby boy first birthday | little man party is a post from: Happy Hour Mom

Yellow is the color of happiness, friendship and sunshine. What a better way to celebrate a summer milestone than with a yellow party? Whether you are in charge of planning a birthday party, bridal or baby shower having a simple overarching theme gives you the flexibility to incorporate so many different elements. Many items you may already have in your possession leaving your budget more room to include special touches like designer cupcakes, a banner from Etsy or custom stationary.

Here’s a list of  Yellow things to pull inspiration from or add into your next Yellow Party:

Tulips

Lemonade

Lemons

Sun

Pineapple

Mango

Lemon syrups

Sunflowers

Bananas

Daffodils

Deviled Eggs

Roses

Lights

Poms

Bumble Bees

Balloons

Ribbon

Custard

Cabs

Butter

Corn

Chicks

Ducks

Squash

Butterflies

Pencils

School Bus

Photo credit:

napkin bows

tablescape

sweet love chevron table

yellow party bags

yellow pirate birthday party

yellow decor

balloons

50 shades of yellow | party is a post from: Happy Hour Mom

Whether our husband’s like to admit it or not, when it comes to buying for the family, us women hold a lot of power. It only makes sense…we typically have better taste, more time patience (and a greater desire) to shop, and apart from those impulsive purchases, we have the inherent need to know everything about a product before we purchase it–especially when it comes to our kids. For example, we wouldn’t go out and buy a car seat without asking a few questions or doing a couple Google searches to make sure we are getting a harness with high safety ratings and positive customer feedback. After all, the safety of our baby is at stake. Sometimes us moms don’t even realize it, but we pick up on certain buzzwords that influence our buying habits. You know the words…green, BPA-free, organic, natural, etc. Why do we do this? Because we want to give our kids the best, and these words remind us of the “best.” They tell us that a conscious effort was made to make a product better. Well, I have a new buzzword for you…”Free.” As in, Nike Free technology.

During my recent trip to the Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, I saw firsthand just how much care and research goes into every Nike product. During our time in the Nike Sports Research Lab with Jeff Pisciotta, and our Q & A with Tobie Hatfield, I realized that shoes are much more than a cute accessory. In fact, I realized that buying a pair of shoes for my children is no different than buying a car seat. They deserve nothing but the best!

I have been wearing my NIKE FREE RUN+ 3, Women’s Running Shoe over the past couple weeks, and there are a few things I have noticed:

1) I receive a compliment EVERY time I wear them. Neon colors are totally in this season, and I love that I can see meet feet nearly glowing out of the corner of my eye when I walk

2) The reflective swoosh is totally awesome, and totally…reflective. They are so bright, I have been asked twice if they have batteries!

3) Comfort – Pure. Comfort. I feel like they were absolutely made for my feet.

4) Flexibility – I can wiggle my toes and move my foot around with ease.

My daughter has a pair as well, and she LOVES them! Her friends all want a pair, and she thinks the bright colors look really cool when she runs–she’s convinced they make it look like she’s running faster. They look amazing, they feel great, and they are actually great for your feet. I seriously have never worn such a light-weight shoe, nor have I seen a shoe that you can bend in half and it is actually supposed to be that way! Nike hit the mark on this one….

Here are some of the fabulous pictures, taken throughout the day…Enjoy!

Take a peek at the video below to see all of us blogging ladies sporting our newest Nike shoes and gear, and look at what a blast our kiddos are having!

Kids Nike FREE Run: If your feet flex, shouldn’t your shoes flex too? Must-have flexibility for young feet.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Nike via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Nike

we are a nike free family! #nikekids is a post from: Happy Hour Mom

Father’s Day is quickly approaching, and Mixbook has launched the Dad’s Got Talent Contest to honor your favorite dads.  We are personal fan of Mixbook, and were thrilled when asked to be one of five judges for this year’s contest. HHM will help choose five first place dad photos to win $50 gift cards to Amazon.com. We are looking forward to seeing the awesome dads in your life, and I can’t wait to see the silly, embarrassing, and sweet pictures you all have to share.

Not only is Mixbook giving away $250 for Amazon.com, but they are also offering 5 free Mixbooks on Twitter to entrants who share their photo on Twitter using hashtag #mixbookdad, and one Grand Prize winner will receive $1,500 to spend at Best Buy for receiving the most online votes. It is a lot to take in, so here is the breakdown on how it works (starting May 15th through June 17th):

• Find or take a picture of dear old dad that highlights his hidden talent
• Go to Contest Page: https://www.facebook.com/mixbook?sk=app_226105637428999&app_data=Dads-Got-Talent-Contest and upload photo
• Share with friends and family and get them to vote for your photo
• Once a week, participants who have tweeted that week with hashtag #mixbookdad will be selected at random for the weekly prizes from Mixbook
• Judges will choose the top 5 First Place winners after June 17th
  • 1 Grand Prize: $1,500 Gift Card to Best Buy – Most Votes!
  • 5 First Place Prizes: 5 $50 Gift Cards to Amazon.com – Judges’ Choice!
  • 5 Twitter Prizes: 5 free Mixbook photo books – Tweets with hashtag!
• Winners will be notified no later than June 20th, 2012

enter mixbook’s dad’s got talent contest 2012 #mixbookdad is a post from: Happy Hour Mom