Motherhood on the Rocks™ | Motherhood on the Rocks™

ALOHA FRIDAY

18. May 2012 · Categories: Other Nonesense · Tags: aloha friday, hawaii, SUP'ing, surfing

Two Surfers SUP'ing at Sunset (captured from our honeymoon lanai)

It’s Aloha Friday again. In the spirit of Hawaii’s laid back lifestyle, Aloha Friday calls for a short entry that allows the readers (you!) to have a voice by answering a question – although I’d love for you to comment every day!

This week’s question centers around potty training, since my daughter is giving me so much trouble (she’s so much like her daddy). She will sit as long as I allow her, but she holds it until her diaper goes back on. So tell me mommas (and papas), what are your top potty training tips?

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SUMMER BEAUTY TRENDS

15. May 2012 · Categories: Other Nonesense

Thanks to Walgreens for underwriting this post. I was paid as a member of the Clever Girls Collective, but the content is all mine. Visit http://www.discoverbeautywithin.com/.

The diva "swimming" last summer

In 37 days, summer will have officially arrived, but if you ask most moms, the season starts with the first day of no-school summer vacation. Since my 20-month-old is still a few years away from kindergarten, my seasonal clock is still tuned to end of June.

Regardless when summer starts for you, warm-weather skin care and sun protection (for you and your little ones) should be a top priority. Here are a few tips to make sure you stay UV-free this summer, while still maintaining that bronzed, youthful glow:

THREE LITTLE LETTERS: S-P-F

SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. When it comes to protecting your skin, the higher the better, but anything is better than nothing. Personally, I use an SPF 50 face lotion even when it’s cloudy and even in the fall and winter.

Choose a sunscreen with UVA/UVB protection (a.k.a. “broad spectrum”) to shield yourself from all potentially damaging rays. Also, just like most celebrity romances, sunscreen only lasts about a year, so use the start of summer as a cue to replace any SPF products you may have in your beach bag. While you’re in the bag, throw in a sun hat for you and the kids. Another layer never hurts.

THREE MORE LITTLE LETTERS: T-A-N

Now I know what you’re probably thinking: “If I slather on all that SPF, how am I supposed to get that summer tan I need before heading to the pool with the kids?” Good question. I’m fare skinned myself, so I can relate to your worries about not wanting to blind the lifeguard with your thighs.

Today, there are more sunless tanning products than ever, and they’ve come a long way from the products used by our parents (and Jersey Shore stars) to achieve that Oompa-Loompa-like orange glow. I use a lightly tinted skin moisturizer instead of heavy foundation on my face. There are also plenty of sunless tanning lotions to choose from. You might also consider tanning sprays (dries fast and lasts several days) or tanning towelettes.

So there you have it. A few tips to protect your skin and a few more to make it glow! I could go on and on about summertime beauty tips, but I more interested in your ideas. What skin care or beauty secrets will you be using this summer?

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PAPA DON’T PREACH: LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER

13. May 2012 · Categories: Papa Don't Preach · Tags: mother's day

Today’s “Papa Don’t Preach” is in honor of Mother’s Day, a pretty important holiday, because none of us would be here without a mother. With that in mind, make sure you give a little extra love to all the mothers in your life – today, tomorrow and throughout the year.

Our little one is 21 months old (only three months until we can stop counting her age in months!). As she gets older, she’s beginning to develop her own very unique personality. But for all of her unique features, I’m also able to see the many aspects of her personality and physical appearance that she’s gained from her mom. That’s a good thing, because her mom is pretty awesome.

The following are just a few of the many similarities I’ve observed.

A fiery disposition – It’s good to be fiery now and then, and I’ve been on the receiving end of that fire from both mommy and mini-mommy many times.
An overwhelming curiosity – Sure, curiosity can get you into trouble sometimes (just ask the cat), but more often than not, it leads you to fantastic discoveries.
An infectious laugh – Make either mommy or mini-mommy laugh and you can’t help but laugh, too.
A thirst for knowledge – Just like her mommy, mini-mommy is wickedly smart and loves to learn.
A caring tenderness – Mommy has it and so does mini-mommy. I see it in the way they both look at me sometimes … and in the way they pet our cat.
A beauty like no other – As if inheriting her mom’s best personality traits wasn’t reward enough, our little one snagged her mom’s beauty, too. I told you she was smart.

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MY TOP 10 MOTHER’S DAY WISHES

11. May 2012 · Categories: Trying to Figure it Out · Tags: mother's day, motherhood, wish list

This past Christmas, I wrote a nice letter to Santa with my very modest wish list (you might have seen it on my personal blog). No matter how many times I had thought my head was gonna explode, I allowed the diva to watch Mickey Mouse. No matter how many times the dog slobbered all over the floor, I resisted the temptation to put him in the front yard with a “free” sign around his neck. And no matter how many times I really could’ve used a margarita, I’d remind myself that although it’s 5:00 somewhere, it’s only 10 a.m. here. As you can clearly see, I had been such a good girl last year and was hoping for a little reprieve. But, lo and behold, that fat bastard didn’t come through for me. So here is my (slightly modified) Christmas wish list that I’m hoping will be fulfilled on Mother’s Day (take note Papa Don’t Preach!).

A whole day without stepping on a cheerio, wiping milk off the couch or cleaning up dog slobber.
To not hear “no” when I say things like “eat your dinner,” “let’s brush your teeth,” or “nap time.”
Quicker, more graceful reflexes so I can for once stop the diva from performing acrobatics on the couch, without breaking my toes on the coffee table.
An instantaneous potty training program.
For the diva to understand that an appropriate response to “no climbing in the windowsill” is not fake crying.
A time machine so I can kick Eric Carle’s ass right after he wrote Brown Bear, Brown Bear.
A day without smelling cheese, bad doggy breath or poo.
To not have to pull paper, cords or a piece of “eww, what is that?!” out of the diva’s mouth.
The ability to read minds so I can finally figure out what the diva wants when she points at the floor and screams.
To not have to wipe markers and paint off the floor, walls and cat.

What’s on your Mother’s Day wish list?

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LINK UP WITH LINK’N BLOGS

08. May 2012 · Categories: Link'n Blogs

Welcome to Link’n blogs!

The six of us initially met during Cheap Sally’s tumultuous Bring Home the Bacon competition. After competing for the $100,000 blogging job (we didn’t win), we became allies in this crazy bloggy world and forged friendships. Every Tuesday we’ll post this link up so you can find more amazing bloggers and make some bloggy friends too.

Please visit the six hosts (listed below) and like them on Facebook, and of course visit any other bloggers who are link’n up! If you’d like, you can also grab the code below to post the link up on your blog.

Cheers!