I love the library! I was just browsing and happened across The Rookie Mom’s Handbook by Heather Gibbs Flett and Whitney Moss (check out their blog), and thought it had some great Home Made Modern-ish ideas in it. The book offers 250 activities to do with and without your baby in his or her first year of life. Even though Olivia’s 18 months now, I still found some ideas we could try out. But more importantly, I related to the whole premise: that life doesn’t end after having a baby, and that you can still maintain your individuality despite the demands of motherhood. Here are my favorite ideas from the book–not suprisingly, they’re the ones that tie in with my own goal to make everyday things special for me and my family:
#7 Increase your calcium the fun way–The authors list a few ideas for enjoying a dairy-delicious treat as a nice break in the day. Here’s my own smoothie recipe:
Peach Cobbler Smoothie
Blend 1 c. frozen peaches with 1/2 c. yogurt and 1/4 c. apple juice. Add a dash each of cinnamon and nutmeg and pulse once more.
#14 Make a time capsule–The book suggests ways to preserve “life as you know it” in baby’s early days, such as taking pictures of things around the house and the family car, and throwing in the front page of the newspaper and some clippings from fashion magazines.
#47 Brainstorm the things you like to do–The authors challenge you to come up with a list of 50 things you like to do, which is harder than you might think. Then they ask you to think about how many of those things can still be accomplished with a baby in tow. I think this is a great piece of advice for those struggling with an identity crisis. Excerpts from my list:
Taking pictures
Baking
Reading
Taking walks
Getting my toes done
Falling asleep in a patch of sun streaming into the window
Browsing bookstores
Meeting Eric for “apps” and drinks over happy hour
Organizing stuff
I can do about all of this with Olivia by my side, as long as I’m engaging her in the process. See?! You can still have your life!
#51 Engineer a food train–This basically entails making one meal for you and a few other families one night a month. The favor gets returned to you when it’s someone else’s turn. I love this because it encourages home made cooking!
#60 Design your own baby clothes–I’m definitely going to try this. The authors suggest just printing designs onto iron-on transfer paper and ironing them onto onesies, or whatever. What a great idea for crafty moms who want a quick project! I’ll take pictures and let you know how they turn out. These could be great gifts, too, which is the Home Made Modern way, ya know.
#63 Bake cookies one at a time–Make up some cookie dough, drop the spoonfuls onto a baking sheet, and freeze. A few hours later, dump all the dough balls into a freezer bag and keep in the freezer for a freshly-baked treat during a much-deserved break. Since Eric doesn’t eat sweets (what’s WRONG with him?), I usually have to freeze all of our baked goods in portions anyway so I can pull out a few at a time for me .
#86 Share the spotlight–Set aside time for a photo shoot with you and your baby using the auto-timer function on your camera. It’s true that most of our pictures are of Olivia, or Olivia and her daddy, because I’m always behind the lens! This is a great bonding experience for you and your baby, and you may just get some shots good enough to frame.
#181 Finger paint–Before your baby gets nutty with the paint, dip his or her little hands in the paint and make handprints on plain paper. Then scan the image to be used for notecards or wrapping paper.
#206 Turn on your blender and get salty–Invite your playgroup mamas and their babies over for a margarita party in the back yard. Just be sure to slather the kids with sunscreen before putting them in the kiddie pool. Then dip your toes in, sip your cocktail, and enjoy! Who says moms can’t have fun? I don’t think there’s anything wrong with a little indulgence every once in awhile.
#247 Bring out the alpha in your baby–And last, but not least, my favorite idea of them all! Photograph things starting with the first letter of your baby’s name, then make a collage out of them. OR, take pictures of your baby with items that begin with each letter of the alphabet, from A-Z. Make these pictures into a personalized photo book (Snapfish is a great site for this) that will help baby learn his ABCs.
Clearly, there are tons of engaging things you can do with your baby throughout the day that fill the hours, and the coolest thing is, you can benefit, too! Home Made Modern believes that moms shouldn’t deprive themselves. This book does a great job of convincing SAHMs who might be feeling bored, uninspired or claustrophobic that you can still have a life while creating an enriched world for your baby. Isn’t it true that the more active, involved and stimulated YOU are, the more active, involved and stimulated your baby will be? I think so.
Thank you for finding our book and telling others about it! It makes me so happy when people “get it”.