Bunny Giveaway

Calling all Laughing Bellies Fans.

Boy oh boy do I have a GREAT giveaway for you.

Marion's Boutique has graciously offered to give one lucky reader,

this Adorable Bunny giveaway.

One Laughing Bellies reader will have the chance to win:

 one of my very favorite books Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

along with the softest, cutest bunny I have ever laid my eyes on.

This is sure to be a hit with that special little bunny in your life,

or for you. 

I must admit I am having a hard time letting this little guy go.

TO ENTER:

1. If you haven't already, "like" Laughing Bellies Facebook Page

2. leave a comment on the facebook page sharing your Favorite Easter Tradition.

3. Share the link to this post with one friend on facebook.

The lucky winner will be announced April 4th. 

 

And the Winner is...

Congratulations to

Jessica Millsaps.

You are the lucky winner of the musical giveaway! 

Thank you for being a loyal reader to Laughing Bellies.

 

Baby Boot Camp

Fitness. 

I have always had a love, hate relationship with it. 

In my single days, 

when looking good was more important than getting a good nights rest I was all about it. 

But ever since I found myself married, 

and especially now with a new baby that I can't bear the thought of leaving home for more than an hour,

I avoid the gym like the bubonic plaque. 

That was until I gave Baby Boot Camp a try. 

Baby boot camp is a workout program designed for both new moms and veteran moms alike. After my first few classes, I really started looking forward to my morning workouts; a place where no one cared if I smelled of spit up, had circles under my eyes, or if my outfit matched. I was just impressed that I actually made it out of the house and somewhere on time!

I recently had the opportunity to interview Christie Bruner, the national fitness coordinator for the baby boot camp company, as well as the owner of the St. Petersburg Baby boot camp franchise. 

Talk about inspiration!

Christie has an Exercise Science degree and swam competitively her entire life. At the time she had her first daughter, she was a Program Director for a kids gymnastics program but feeling fed up with a long drive and having to leave her daughter in daycare, 

she looked into other options.

 Little did she know, it would be the beginning to something great. 

After giving Baby boot camp a try in Tampa, she decided to bridge the gap and bring this innovative workout to St. Petersburg. 

I can assure you that many moms are glad she did. 

If you aren’t the workout type, don’t fret. 

Baby boot camp is truly a class for all fitness levels. 

When asking Christie who can benefit,

 she assured me that the program is a come one, come all type approach.

 “At any given time, we could have a mom who is seven months pregnant, 

a new mom with a two year old, a former collegiate runner, 

and a mom who has never worked out a day in her life”.   

I can attest that I am not the collegiate runner and I fit in just fine.

If your wondering what to expect here’s what Christie had to say: 

“We begin class with a five minute warm up.  It’s always okay if moms are a bit late; 

(Mom's she said a bit late, don't push it) 

sometimes it’s a chore just to get out of the house! 

cardio and strength segments. 

 We will walk or jog with the strollers to a station, 

a short distance away from our warm up area.  

 Then, the moms perform a few strength-training activities with the resistance tubing. 

We also sing some songs and include the kids in the exercise. 

 Next, it’s off to another station for more strength moves. 

 We continue this interval type training throughout the next 50 minutes around the park.  

 The class finishes up with the moms and kids, out on blankets or mats for core work".

 

So what are you waiting for? 

Hop on over to the official baby boot camp website to get more information.  
It is truly a great way to meet new friends, get in shape, and it’s never too early to set an example for your wee ones.

Guest Blogging

Good morning sunshine friends.

Happy Hump day.

Today I am guest blogging on Karen & Company, 

the blog to an amazing swaddle product called the Woombie. 

Hop on over to check it out.

Today's topic: Surviving the 4th trimester.

Toyland

I'm always on the lookout for fun, interesting and unique toys,

so when my husband and I came across Deglingos on our recent summer trip to Spain,

we thought we hit the jackpot.

I have always loved pigs,

(ironic that I married someone who comes from Spain where they only eat pork),

and this little guy, Jambones, stole our hearts, so off he went to America.

We proudly displayed him in our daughters nursery,

and although we intended for him to be an only Deglingos child,

things changed when we stumbled upon his siblings at one of our favorite local boutiques, Marion's. 

They now entertain our tiny every day.

Marion's is a lovely boutique where you can find everything from jewlery and clothing, 

to home goods and children's gifts, and most importantly, deglingos.

Hop on over to get yours today...unless we beat you to it.

A Musical Giveaway

I grew up playing the piano, dancing, and constantly listening to music.

Our house was always overflowing with tunes,

and I'm pretty sure I knew every word to Don Henley and Milli Vanilli's albums, circa 1988.

I can only hope that we can give our tiny an appreciation of music like I had.

In honor of these fond memories, 

I have decided to have Laughing Bellies very first musical giveaway.

One lucky winner will receive a pair of these adorable musical instruments by Sassafras.

These are the perfect addition to any Easter basket,
or to simply have on hand for an impromptu jam session.
To enter simply "like" Laughing Bellies facebook page.
The winner will be announced at drawn at random on Friday so stay tuned and good luck.
*instruments may vary in color*

Milestones

Today my tiny turns 4 months,

and it seems that each time we celebrate another successful month,

I become oh so nostalgic.

Just yesterday as I was rocking my little lady to sleep,

I caught myself staring with delight at the first picture ever taken of her, moments after she arrived.

I can't help but wonder how much she will change, or what the future will hold.

I sometimes feel like I'm having a constant battle with time,

 wanting it to go back, stop and fast forward.

Today however, I am going to focus on the moment 

and celebrate how far these 4 little months have taken us.

Rolls

I always said "I hope I don't have a big baby",
only for the fact that I am a smaller person.
But as the saying goes...be careful what you wish for.
My tiny (or not so tiny) is covered in head to toe with rolls.
Healthy, porker, and chubby are just some of the names people have called her.
At first, I wondered if I was to blame,
and my hubs joked that I needed to produced 2% milk,
but as time has passed I have come to adore her rolls.
This picture, courtesy of Pinterest, had me "rolling" with laughter.
Happy Friday.

Thanks

Today I am feeling very thankful.
Thankful that our tiny slept 7 hours straight last night.
Thankful that my hubs has some time off.
Thankful that this is the life God has blessed me with.
Thankful that you take the time to read my blog.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.

The Perfect Recipe

I love being a mother,

but it is the true definition of a full time job.

I wouldn't trade it for anything and I can't imagine my life without my tiny,

but spending the night under the stars with my hubs was just what this new mama needed.

We talked about all the demands life puts on us,

how we want to give the best to our daughter,

and who our American Idol favorites are (it can't all be serious).

It was the perfect recipe to soothe my tired soul,

 and it felt oh so good to have some QAT (quality adult time) with my original main squeeze.

And of course with modern technology, our tiny is never too far.

Can I still use a monitor when she goes off to college? 

Little Miss Sunshine

 This past weekend was filled with many firsts.

A first St. Patty's day, A first glimpse at Lucia's high pitched voice, and a first trip to the sandy shore.

 Firsts can sometimes be scary.

 But a few love nudges from Papa,

and Yaya...

 and this frown was turned upside down.

Little miss sunshine.

She lights up our lives.

(Although I believe those chunky thighs,

 and gummy smile could light up any one's world).

Lady Granola

Somewhere along the way I proudly got the name granola among my friends.

I suppose it's because I'm a wanna be hippy.

I love all things natural, healthy, and holistic, 

so when I came across this lactation granola recipe at a recent mommy's group,

I couldn't wait to give it a try...and wow is it worth it.

It's seriously the easiest thing to make and it makes your home smell delicious.

*don't let the name fool you, even if you are not breast feeding, it is worth making*

 Begin with your ingredients. The fun part is creating your own.

 I added chocolate chips to satisfy my elephant sized sweet tooth.

 Mix the dry ingredients together, then add the honey and olive oil.

 Pop it in the oven at 275 for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Store in a container and impress all of your friends.

Just be careful not to eat too much at a time, it is loaded with fiber.

Below I have listed the recipe in its entirety. 

ENJOY granola friends.

Granola Recipe

 4 cups old fashion oatmeal

1/2 cup wheat germ

1/2-1 cup almonds or favorite nuts

1 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1-2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup olive oil

Mix all dry ingredients together in a large flat pan

 (I used a jelly roll pan and it kept everything in place nicely).

Once mixed well, pour honey and oil over top and mix in until mostly coated.

Bake at 275 for 18-20 minutes or until light golden brown.

Cool on pan then crumble and place in an air tight container.

 If you are making a large batch, place it in the refrigerator if keeping more than a few days.

*side note: I do NOT recommend using aluminum foil. I had a very hard time getting the granola off of it. Learn from my mistakes!*

Luck

St. Patrick's day is always plagued by those pesky little leprechauns.

They must have been feeling extra nice this year,

because instead of making a mess,

they brought me this.

Luck is definitely on my side this year.

Happy St. Patrick's day.

Friday Funny

Funny how things change.

I used to sleep in late, now I'm an early bird special kinda gal.

I used to drive a sporty little car, now I drive an SUV.

I used to buy myself clothes, now I run on autopilot to the baby clothing section.
I used to eat meals with two hands, now I'm a pro at one handed eating.
I used to drink green beer on St. Patrick's day, this year I will be at 2 year old's birthday party.
Funny how things change,
but I wouldn't change it for anything.

 Happy Friday.

The Simple Things

Some days it's the simple things that matter.

A walk through the neighborhood.

 

A snapshot with my tiny.

 A curious, growing mind.

and the sweetest smile.

This is how we create memories,

one simple day at a time.

Morning Sunshine

I have never (and I mean like since kindergarten kind of never) been a morning person.

I have always struggled to get out of bed,

and God protect the person who is waking me up.

But babies don't care. 

They wake you up without asking.

My pre baby days would have growled at you for this,

but those days are long gone,

and I could care less to ever go back. 

(OK I lied, there have been a few mornings that I wished I could go back)

 It's amazing how much I suddenly enjoy mornings.

This face is my morning sunshine and I couldn't be happier.

Good morning sunshine.

A Cushy Tushy

I received a package in the mail yesterday,

 filled with something I thought I would NEVER get excited about.

Diapers.

We have decided to give cloth diapering a try,

and to be honest I'm excited...who knew diapers could do such a thing.

It's not that our little love's bum is too good for disposables, 

and we aren't saying we will never use them,

but if I can avoid adding to the already over polluted landfills full of diapers,

then at least I feel like I'm trying to help.

I know, I know,

you are probably thinking why in the world would anyone want to attempt this

BUT...I promise they have come a long way.

We decided on using an All-in-one system by BumGenius (or AIO in cloth diaper lingo).

The system is quite simple and aside from being slightly more padded than a disposable,

the theory is the same. 

Baby does its business, you wipe the baby down, dispose of the diaper, and start fresh.

Except this system requires washing the diaper instead of throwing them out.

At first I thought, YIKES that's a lot of laundry,

 but then I actually had my tiny and realized I was already doing laundry nearly every day,

so why not throw some diapers in there too?

And if nothing else, they make for the cutest bum I have EVER seen.

Sleepy Time

I have never really been able to wrap my head around daylight savings.

I suppose since us humans created time, we think we can take it away,

I woke up thinking that last nights glass of wine really did me in,

and then I realized someone had stolen an hour from me.

How. dare. them.

Today however, instead of being bitter that an hour of my day has vanished,

I'm going to relish in the sleepy snuggles from my tiny.

I hope you can do the same.

Friday Funny

I made it my own personal rule to avoid certain baby clothes.

Baby clothes adorned with sayings such as "cutie" or 'I love my daddy" aren't really my style.

But some rules are made to be broken.

Check out these clever onesies from bad mouth baby.

*warning, some are a bit offensive*

They had me in serious chuckles.

A few of my faves include:

Happy Friday.

Together

I L-O-V-E being a Mother.

I love knowing that my tiny needs me, 

that she looks to me for guidance, protection and love.

(when she's not looking at me for food).

But I have noticed,

 there is something so special about her relationship with her Papa.

He lights up her day.

They take walks together.

They snuggle up together.

They share special moments together (She's wearing his baptism outfit).

They share story time together.

Together they are learning exactly what "daddy's girl" means.

He has stolen her heart, 

and she completes his.

The Great Debate

I confess, I enjoy watching TV.

 I don't consider myself a couch potato, 

but sometimes the mesmerizing sounds and colors lure me in.

Hook. Line. And sinker.

Yet I find myself torn over this great invention of our modern times. 

My little lady is now 3 months old and as she explores her new world,

I often find her gazing in awe at the TV when it is on.

I suppose after spending 9 months in a quiet dark environment,

the television would catch my attention too. 

After doing much research though, I am still at a loss for the "right" answer.

There have been recent studies stating that watching TV at a young age increases ADHD,

but don't they say that for everything now?

And thinking back my friends and I all watched TV,

and not to toot my own horn but I think I turned out just fine.

So in the end, I'm not exactly sure what the answer is. 

I believe moderation is the key.

And as long as there is laughter, love and dancing involved in each day,

then I call it success.

Baby Wisdom

It's no secret that I loved being pregnant.

I loved my bump and feeling life grow inside,

and once it was gone, it took some getting used to my old self again.

I missed my Buddha belly dearly.

But now I have my very own Buddha baby.

  

This Buddha belly is wearing 100% organic cotton from the sweetest company, sweet spud.

Not only are their products eco-friendly and perfect for babies,

but they also spread the most beautiful messages.

A few of my favorites include:

Sleep is the best meditation-the Dalai Lama

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step-Lao Tzu

 

You already possess everything necessary to become great-Native America

With our thoughts, we make the world-Buddha

Spreading baby wisdom one Buddha belly at a time.