As you all know, Operation Shower, is near and dear to my heart. Throwing a baby shower for these deserving military moms is such an honor. Thoughts of how to make them feel special and appreciated are always at the forefront of what we do. So when it comes time for the actual showers themselves, we are now working hard to pump up the party and not just fill the boxes with amazing gifts. We want the entire experience to be amazing!

What do you notice when you are the guest? What makes one party stand out over another? Simple. It’s all in the details. Need some simple ideas on ways you can make your next event the talk of the neighborhood? Operation Shower Chief Event Planner, Amy Belle Isle, is borderline obsessive about the details. Just look at the mosaic above to get an idea of what I’m talking about and then visit her blog, Stem Parties, for much, much more.

I have to first confess that I know the subject of the book, the beautiful dog, Zeta.   Zeta was our friends’ dog and she is perfectly captured in this book.  You can learn more about the story-behind-the-story on The Big Black Dog and the Big Blue Sea’s Facebook page or website.

So part of the reason we love the book is because of the story behind it. My son loves seeing that someone has written a book based on a day — one simply glorious day. This has inspired him to write about his own days and perhaps view them as story-worthy.

But most of all, we love this book because it is beautifully written in rhyming prose that captures the spirit of the day.  And, the illustrations are so lovely and perfect for the book !

It is a book we have read over and over and which I will purchase for my friends and their children.

However, a word of warning:   if you do not yet have a dog, this will make your kids ache for one.

But maybe the book will be enough for awhile.

Operation Shower has been keeping me busy — we held two Mother’s Day showers — at Ft. Hood and at Scott AIr Force base and sent “showers in a box” to 65 deserving moms-to-be! It was so much fun and such an honor to meet the women for whom this organization was formed! Here is a picture, courtesy of Angela B Photography, of the wonderful group at Ft. Hood! 

I will be providing more pictures soon and information on the sponsors and the wonderful support we had !

Heres is a quick video to show you how it works (found at www.getelastic.com): 
 

 
Zappos Explore Demo from Elastic Path on Vimeo.

Let me know what you think!

The compilation picture below is from Apartment Therapy: 

Great Backyard Bird Count

As part of our version of the Happiness Project, we are trying to continue to “learn”  – anything we can.  I love it when I learn about new things to do in my town! 

I recently found the STL Free for All site written by a mom/journalist in St Louis.  It has really useful information on free or almost free activities to enjoy with your kids.  I love the Great Backyard Bird Count she featured this week — I may for the first time actually count birds.   

Amy seems to have a great grasp of what is going on in the city and what would actually be fun –anyone up for the The Cat in the Hat this week at Pottery Barn Kids ?

You have to check out this site — from Everyone.   It is the first site I have seen that helps you with the tedious task of buying a group gift.  The gifts they offer are gift cards from national retailers.  But, the best part is how easy the process is: First, you select a gift card from the popular brand-name stores. Next, you gather addresses and emails and invite contributors via the site’s email form.  Finally, you activate your group gift by making the initial contribution and you’re done. Then, on the designated day, after everyone has had time to donate, the gift is on its way. 

This article was written 2 years ago as I tried to learn to cook (or simply feed my child).   I still love the cookbook as a wonderful resource, and I am better at cooking and am still trying, but I have learned that it will never be my strength.  Tonight is pizza night. 

Ok, so I will never be able to call myself a chef, but I am trying to teach myself to cook.  Before my son was born almost 4 years ago, my diet consisted of Wendy’s burgers, ham and cheese sandwiches and the “special occasion dish” of chicken and rice.  I honestly had members of my family that expressed concern that my child would starve.  They had good reason to worry — I was worried as well.  But, my child is thriving, eats more than I do on most days, and we only have chicken and rice about once every 6 months.  

I am still working on this cooking thing — it is definitely trial and error, with lots of error.  But, I enjoy it and definitely feel a sense of accomplishment when, like last night, my little boy rubs his tummy and says yummm and my husband says, ”this was good” (this is the extent of his praise for food as he would just as soon have cereal as anything but eats my food to set a good example.)  

The biggest revelation for me was The Moms’ Guide to Meal Makeovers cookbook.   What I needed most before I could even begin to cook, was a makeover of my pantry and refrigerator. I had no idea what was considered healthy, what was deadly, and what was somewhere in between.  Everytime I started to cook something, I had about 1 out of the 10 ingredients required (usually the chicken).  This book really helped me understand what to put in my cabinets and fridge and now I am ready for anything (well, not really, but I am trying to be positive. ) I still have nights where everything ends up in the trash instead of on the table, but at least I’m trying, right?