Have your cake and eat it too!

Do you love homemade cake? I do. And I've found a place that makes rich, buttery cakes in an assortment of flavors in a chic environment. Washington, D.C.'s own Cake Love.

My personal favorite is the Strawbery Shortcake. It is a buttery vanilla cake layered with fresh strawberries and sweetened whipped cream. They give a nice big slice and it's seriously yummy!!!

What is cool about Love Cafe, the trendy cafe version of cakelove, is that you can sit, have your cake and nice cup of coffee or tea or chicken salad sandwich and feel like you have just treated yourself to something delicious.

There are a couple of locations around the area, one in DC at 1501 U street and the other in Silver Spring.

Mommies with Style

There is a another fabulous blog of note that I love to frequent... Mommies with Style and the title gives all the good news about the goodies for mommy and baby to be found. There are tips on sales, new products and interesting finds. I'm sure that you will love the quick blurbs and fun resources.

Click the link above for access to the site or visit www.mommieswithstyle.com

Cute Stuff from Children's Place

Recently, my little girl was gifted with the some really adorable threads from the Children's Place .
She received a great cardigan with bright embroidered flowers and a hoodie to match a little girl yoga outfit. What I have to say most is that I love the generous cut and quality of the clothes. They have survived my washing abilities and still look great.

The Children's Place has a great email list that sends out fun perks and several local locations. Even better news, is a good sale and one is on right now. Check them out at www.childrensplace.com

EVENT:Local World Breastfeeding Week Celebration Sept. 16

Come celebrate with the La Leche League of Maryland, Delaware and District of Columbia on September 16, 2006 at 4:00pm in honor of World Breastfeeding Week. There will be a silent auction that begins on September 5, 2006, a picnic and just good times with other families at Clark Elioak Petting Farm near Columbia, Maryland.

For more information or how to contribute to this awesome cause, contact Ann at 410-309-4940 or their site at http://www.lllofmd-de-dc.org/columbiaii.shtml

Saucy, saucy and bit of inner sexy too

As a still nursing new mom, sometimes its a little easy (probably easier than I like to admit) to feel a little less than fabulous and more like a walking milk machine. You know that semi-frumpy feeling.

I was needing a little spice, a dash of sass and more than a little touch with my inner kitten. Some where between wife and mother and all around supermom, I had lost some of that pizzazz that I was known for. Then I saw it at Barnes and Noble, Sheila Kelley's The S Factor, Strip Workouts for Every Woman. It seemed a little naughty, a bit impractical, a little racy, and just like what I was looking for. Something just for me, something sexy and something personal.

I have been doing the workouts, minus the pole work in the safety of my own living room for about a month and half now and I have seen a difference. I'm not real consistent with my workout length, sometimes its fifteen minutes, and other times, I have the luxury of a full thirty minutes. But it works. And I would recommend it to anyone looking for a little sass and a little saucy break in a day filled with naps and rice cereal.

Check out their site, www.sfactor.com. It is full of tips, encouragement, and makes for a little extra fun. You can also purchase the book on site too. Because at the heart of every mother is a woman in need of a little personal pleasure.

Simply Adorable

Today, I was scanning the web for fabulous baby finds and I stumbled upon some of the most adorable baby jewelry. Baby Emi Jewelry. Beautiful, little bracelets for beautiful little girls.

It is the first time that I have lusted for jewels for my Z. Sterling silver, Swarovski crystals, semi-precious stones, pearls and glass beads. Ah, adorable. The site labels them as "glamour for pint-sized people" and if the pictures are any indicator, that is so right.

Check them out at the link above.

DC Baby - a great resource for this area

In this resource-laden area, it's comforting to know that there are some geared to the needs of parents in this area. Recently, I was refered to an awesome site, DC Baby

It is packed chock full of resources, tips and local kid friendly events. Written by fellow ex-Texan and DC area transplant Sarah Masterson, DC Baby is a site and accompanying book that you are sure to love.

PS... be sure to check out the summer shopper section. (Because who doesn't love a good deal?)

Treat yourself

Last year at an Urban Divas event, I was pleasantly surprised to find a local crafter of beautiful, unique jewelry. I found the most beautiful pair of beaded pearl earrings made by bakana. They sparkle and shine and add a touch of elegance to just about any outfit, which is a special treat to a new mom.

I have received dozen of compliments on them and know that you will love their quality, beauty and timeless sort of style.

The Great Diaper Challenge

Okay Moms, I'm on a quest for the best diaper in America. Right now, we are on size 4 Luvs. They are relatively cute, thin (which is nice for the summer - not so much super sweaty butt), have a nice Blue's Clues motif, a blue leakproof core that really works, fit nicely around her little chubby thighs and are reasonably priced. $10.99 at Target. They have a "Love them or your money back" guarentee.

They have survived the stinky poop, kept the poop from coming up the back and even worked pretty nicely under clothes. The only complaint is that the tabs stick. They are kind of hard to get pulled out and fastened to the cloth-like tab holder.

But I would still say that in the whole grand scheme of diapers, they are minor super-stars in our book.

Check them out at www.luvs.com

August 13: Dollar Sundaes for a good cause

Come support the Down's Syndome Assocation of Northern Virginia with $1 Sundaes at Whole Foods Market on Wilson Boulevard at Clarendon.

World Breastfeeding Week August 1- August 7

Welcome to World Breastfeeding Week 2006 sponsored by the La Leche League. It is a celebration in support of the art of breastfeeding.

This special celebration is more like a five month celebration, ending on September 30, with an emphasis on awareness, the benefit to mother and child and promotion of positive practices to ensure that mothers that chose to breastfeed can.

For more information, contact www.lllusa.org/wbw/

Keep posted for more information about local fundraising opportunities.

Kindess is ....

This weekend, my family did something a little different than our normal Sunday routine. We attended a different church, ate at a brand-new resturaunt and went on a all together new adventure, half-way hoping to find something different than we saw every other Sunday. After church, we saw this man. His eyes shone with happiness even though his dress showed he had seen better days. He took a moment to greet us with a smile and a kind word. It did more for my day than most other events.

What I found is that goodwill is all around and sometimes the most unexpected circumstances test what we're made of and eventually bring even greater joy into your life.

Feed your movie hankering

Reel Moms is a fabulous idea. Z and I will be taking in this treat. Several area AMC Theatres are participating in the event. Once or twice a month, first run movies, like The Ant Bully, Click and My Super Ex-Girlfriend, are shown specially for Moms and Dads with infants. Admission is regular price for adults and doors open a few minutes early for socializing and getting situated time. Check the local times out at http://www.moviewatcher.com/jsp/reelmoms.jsp

Capitol Moms launch party coming soon!!!!

Stay tuned for Capitol Moms - Mom's Night Out Launch Party News

Maternity Clothes for women who love clothes

Isabella Oliver. It sounds like a pretty baby girl, right? But it's more than that. It is a line of beautiful clothes in quality fabrics. It almost makes you long for that baby belly again ... almost. Check them out at www.isabellaoliver.com

To Nurse or Not to Nurse....

In this month's BabyTalk Magazine, www.babytalk.com , there is an interesting article about breastfeeding. It discusses the reasons why mothers don't breastfeed longer and interesting statistics that might be fascinating reading for other mothers (and people in general).

In my case, I have been blessed to have support for this gift in my home and social circles, but other moms aren't so lucky. Below are some tools that I have found helpful in my quest to successfully nurse my daughter.

1. A great comfortable nursing bra. The anytime bralet from Bella Materna is my bra of choice. It is comfy, quick drying and fabulous. www.bellamaterna.com

2. An easy breast pump. I use the manual pump from Medela. It is easy to use, highly portable and easy to clean. www.selfexpressions.com

3. A great coverup. I use a luscious teal blue paisley silk poncho that I got from Mimi Maternity. I know after you have the baby, you want nothing to do with maternity clothes, but this is an awesome piece that works while pregnant, into transition and after. www.mimimaternity.com

FREE EVENT: Usborne Story Time and Trunk Show on July 22 10am -1pm

Cosmo Tots at Clarendon presents Usborne Books Story Time and Trunk Show on Saturday, July 22, 2006.

"Usborne Books is an award-winning British publisher that produces non-fiction books" that inspire children to love reading and other cultural arts.

For more information, contact Juliette at Cosmo-Tots, 2729 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, 703-812-8687. www.cosmo-tots.com

FREE EVENT: Baby Signs on July 22

Bailey's Crossroads Babies "R" Us presents Baby Signs with Laura on Saturday, July 22 from 1pm-2pm. It is a free introductory class for children.

For more information contact: Babies "R" Us - Falls Church, 5700 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, 703-575-9542

Kiddie tables at a great price

The other day Z and I made a trip to the mega-giant IKEA. It was a daunting experience that I was kind of avoiding, but I was pleasantly suprised. It was so much fun!

Even though there were a truckload or three of people there (we went on Saturday morning), it was a great experience. There is a baby room with comfy chairs for nursing, a light with dimmer, a changing table, a little table for other little ones that might be just plain running out of steam and even diapers, in case you forget. There is also an impressive snack bar that serves everything from Swedish meatballs to poached salmom with asparagus and new potatoes and little jars of baby food.

While we were there I found some of the most adorable European inspired little things including this children's bedside table that is pictured above. It is part of the Mammut collection and retails for $24.99, comes in red and blue and has matching chairs that retail for $14.99 each.
www.ikea.com

Spreading Post Day 1

Yesterday's exercise in spreading the love went well. It was a hot day here in Washington and we went out to Alexandria to do a little shopping in the heat. Needless to say, the adventure was short lived. We also took the time to spread the love to five people and I have to admit. It made our day go better and the smiles that we were given made the heat seem not so bad.