Rockin' Mama

In a happy suburban neighborhood surrounded by white picket fences with flowering rose bushes, sits a black house with a dead lawn. Unbeknownst to the neighbors, hidden beneath this home is a vast secret hideout. Surrounded by a small army of minions, we discover Gru, planning the biggest heist in the history of the world. He is going to steal the moon. (Yes, the moon!) Gru delights in all things wicked. Armed with his arsenal of shrink rays, freeze rays, and battle-ready vehicles for land and air, he vanquishes all who stand in his way. Until the day he encounters the immense will of three little orphaned girls who look at him and see something that no one else has ever seen: a potential Dad. The world’s greatest villain has just met his greatest challenge: three little girls named Margo, Edith and Agnes.

If you'd like your chance at attending a special pre-release screening next Thursday in Buena Park, just leave a comment below before Wednesday, July 7 at 11:59 PM PST. We have 2 family 4-packs to give away. Tickets will be available for pick-up at the venue. Here is the screening info:

The weather is warming up and the days are getting longer!  Summer is almost here and I'm looking forward to beach trips and lazy days around our community pool.  Orange County offers much in the way of beaches, community pools and water parks.  And if you're looking for fabulously affordable outdoor toys and pool accessories, check out Sunnystuff.

Sunnystuff offers competitive pricing on everything from inflatable pools to sun protective clothing.  The Orange County based online store offers a large and diverse selection of items to help you make the most out of our warm summer days.  The company boasts quality products and superior customer service.  They have over 50 items priced under $5.

Because we primarily visit our community pool, I spent some time on their "inflatables" section.  Several of their adorable ride-on floats are priced between $10 and $15.  Many of their products include age recommendations which is beneficial, particularly for online shopping.

Whether you'll be spending your summer lounging by the pool or partying in your backyard, check out Sunnystuff for your outdoor needs.

For almost a year, I've suspected that my son is allergic to dairy. It may just be coincidence (or genetics), but after last year's flu season, he was no longer able to tolerate milk. Not wanting to believe what was staring us right in the face, we spent the last year "testing" my son (in essence alternating between giving and not giving him milk). Once we admitted to ourselves that he was reacting to cow's milk, we eliminated it entirely from his diet. Yet he continued to react. We finally decided to officially test him for allergies. And last week we received the official confirmation of his allergy to both cow's milk and eggs...which pretty much eliminates most packaged foods at conventional grocery stores. All we have to do is eliminate meat and he'd be a vegan.

Last week's adventure to the market was more like a science experiment. I pride myself on being an avid label reader. But when you're searching for things like casein, it gets a bit tricky. I'm no Martha Stewart, but I love to bake.  I even prefer baking from scratch versus baking from a box.  But when it comes to baking without eggs or milk, I prefer to leave that to companies who have perfected this art.

At the store this week, I picked up a couple boxes of cake and frosting mixes from Cherrybrook Kitchen.  The company was started by a mom who developed food allergies as an adult.  Their entire line of mixes are free from nuts (including peanuts), dairy, and eggs.  They also offer a selection of gluten-free mixes.

Since my son wasn't able to eat the cupcakes that arrived on our doorstep last week, we made a batch from Cherrybrook Kitchen's Yellow Cake Mix.  With only two ingredients (water and margarine...I use Earth Balance Buttery Spread), it was quick and easy to prepare (and bonus points for the ability to eat the batter since it's egg-free!).  In less than 30 minutes we had a dozen cupcakes my son could eat!

The cupcakes were moist and soft and resembled the consistency of a conventional cupcake (only a bit moister).  The frosting was smooth and sweet and spread as well as conventional frosting.  While the taste is pleasant and sweet, it's different than a conventional cupcake.  But your children, particularly if they're younger, won't notice the difference.

I'm an avid believer in giving children real foods.  I appreciate that the ingredient list is simple and mainly things you'd find in your own kitchen.  While the mixes cost a little more than conventional baking mixes, I think you'll be pleased with the Cherrybrook Kitchen's line of baking mixes designed for children with allergies.

Do you have a child with food allergies?  What palatable substitutes have you found?

Every morning, before the sun rises...before my husband's snoring ceases...before my toddler starts singing...before the baby stirs...I open my laptop in the quiet of dawn...excited to see what my inbox has in store for me.  It's my "You've Got Mail" moment.  Two years ago, I knew nothing about Twitter, Facebook, and Wordpress.  Today, it's my main source of communication with people all over the country.  I'm a digital mom.  Texting, tweeting, status updating, writing, and vlogging are all normal parts of my daily life.  Just like nursing, rocking, reading, playing, cooking, and cleaning.

It's amazing to me how much can be completed online.  I can pay bills, shop, order takeout, seek technical support, and a myriad of other tasks...all from the comfort of my pajamas.  But even more importantly, I get to connect with other moms, just like myself on everything from potty training to growing a business.

It used to be that men were the only ones deemed tech savvy.  Today's mom is influential, educated, creative, and proficient.  Her online presence is powerful.  And her success comes from the fact that she is transparent and trustworthy.  Ten years ago, moms would get together at the park, seeking advice about everything from how to potty train to what product was best for removing laundry stains.  That hasn't changed.  Moms are still seeking advice from other moms.  They've just gotten savvier about how it's done.

The online world has opened up many opportunities for relationships and networking among moms.  And whether the technology and resources available are used to effect change or simply be heard, the digital mom is here to stay.  Excuse me.  My smartphone just alerted me to a DM I received on Twitter.

What do new moms need more than anything, particularly in the first several weeks (besides sleep)?  Support...validation...reassurance that what they're going through is normal and that they can in fact do this thing called parenting.

As a NICU nurse with almost 10 years experience working with babies, I should have been a pro. But I had the same questions and concerns every new mom has.  One of the most challenging aspects of having a newborn was learning how to breastfeed.  It's supposed to come naturally for both mom and baby.  But it didnt...at least not for me.  After many sleepless nights and tears, my son and I managed to nurse for almost 15 months.  I was determined to nurse my son for a year and with support from a knowledgeable lactation consultant in my area and a breastfeeding resource center, I had the support I needed to persevere through the challenges we faced.

Last week I delivered our second child...a healthy baby girl.  The second child is definitely easier in so many ways.  Nursing came naturally for me (although there was still some initial discomfort) and I'm happy to say that at one week, we're doing well.  I needed a few things and since I didn't have a chance to visit the hospital lactation center, I decided to make a trip to Orange County's only breastfeeding boutique, located in Aliso Viejo.

Milkalicious was started by lactation consultant Jennifer Ritchie to provide long-term support for nursing moms. At first glance, it appears to be a quaint little boutique.  But inside is a wealth of resources available to the nursing mother.  One-on-one lactation consults (in store or at home), baby and breastfeeding classes, and free breastfeeding workshops.  And if you need to speak to someone at 3 am (because that's when I always had difficulties and questions), you can call their after-hours support line (949. 831.MILK).   The site itself is incredibly resourceful and you'll find information on topics such as colic, increasing your milk supply, thrush, and plugged ducts.

The store itself offers everything you would need to help you be successful and comfortable with nursing.  And for green mamas like myself, you can rest assured that every product sold in store is free from BPA (one less thing to have to worry about).  If you bring your child or your hubby into the store, they'll be entertained.  The store has a neat little play space I know my 2 year old would love.  And if you're an online shopper (like I am), check out their product demo videos.  I really like being able to see the products in use before purchasing them.

For more information check out their site.  They also have a Facebook page which lists their upcoming events. Right now you can buy one item and get the second for 50% off by using the code "milk".

27111 Aliso Creek Rd. Ste. 195
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
Tel: 949-831-MILK
email: info@milkalicious.org