Tiny Oranges – Fresh, fun blog for OC moms

Being a personalized stationery and paper product fanatic, I have been a HUGE Erin Condren fan for years. It all started with a thank you note.  It was there on my parent’s kitchen island and caught my eye.  It was SO CUTE and bright and colorful and happy.   It was a thank you for a baby gift my mom had given a neighbor and had both of the woman’s girls names personalized on the card in a darling pink and green combo. I immediately turned it over to see which company created such a cute card, which lead me to the website, and the rest is history.

If you are struggling with what to buy anyone this year, I guarantee any woman on your gift list will go crazy over her stuff!   A personalized gift in my opinion is one of the best gifts to give (and receive!) as it shows you went that extra step to make it personal. And, something like a personalized note card or calendar is something everyone can use!

One of my all time favorites are her gift labels.  Little colorful, personalized stickers that dress up a gift and serve the purpose in lieu of a card.  Practical and yet sometimes they get more attention than the actual gift!  They are THAT cute!  I just noticed they now have photo gift labels – can you imagine how the relatives would flip over those this holiday?!

Erin is doing my Christmas cards this year.  I am so excited to get them next week, I feel like Christmas is coming early!

** Use Erin Condren coupon code TINYORANGES and receive $20 off an order of $100 or more!   Perfect time to stock up on gifts and save!**

Hooray!  It’s a Tiny Giveaway!

Erin’s motto is “Make Every Day a Happy Day!” and she is about to give two LUCKY readers a VERY happy day with a $50 gift certificate to shop!    To enter, simply leave a comment below.  You can enter as many times as you like, just have your entries in by 5pm PST next Wednesday, 12/9/09.  I will post the winners on Thursday AM!  For fun, click HERE and browse around her products.  Tell me, which item/design do you love??

I recently had an invigorating post-pregnancy wake up call at ABC Pilates for my muscles.  They had been sleeping for um, the past year, and Amy Cady, owner and instructor extraordinaire, poured them one strong pot of coffee.  Figuratively of course!    WOW.   I felt muscles I forgot I had! And although it made walking slightly painful the next day, I have to say it felt really good!  It had been one long year.

If you are a first-timer to Pilates or an old (and by old I mean “experienced”) pro, ABC Pilates has something for everyone.   Located conveniently right off the 5 freeway in Laguna Niguel, this serene, zen-like studio is the type of place you walk in and feel like you can exhale and leave your crazy day at the door.    I forgot what it was like to take one whole hour to focus on myself.   That in itself is priceless.

Specializing in pre and post natal fitness, they are accustomed to working with woman in all stages of pregnancy and postpartum.   Amy, a mommy of two herself, has worked for the past 4 years to develop a series of exercises specifically designed for the pre and post-natal woman.

She wanted to know about my pregnancy and delivery and was incredibly knowledgeable.   One thing I learned:  when we carry those precious little babies in our belly, it causes the muscles to completely split in our abdomen,  called “diastisis recti,” or separation of the abdominis muscle.    When she pointed this out, I could actually see the divide in my tummy.   They are there to help bridge the divide and bring those muscles back together, one exercise at a time.

During our workout she had great ways to explain how to properly do the exercise in a way I could visualize.  She also had great tips on things to do at home and important tips on posture.   I had been walking around with that post pregnancy slump.  You know the one? Shoulders hunched, hips sort of swayed forward, and the belly hanging out in a “not so pretty” sort of way.   Since working out with her, she has made me think about my posture  every day since.

We did some floor exercises and then moved on to the  ”exo chair” with me.  It was pretty amazing.  It combines upper and lower body exercises.  Talk about “feeling the burn!”  That little chair was one powerful piece of equipment!        

They offer a great schedule of private and group classes.   If you are in any stage of pregnancy or beyond, or just looking for a great way to get in shape, I can’t more highly recommend ABC Pilates!

Special Tiny Oranges Offers!

* Mention Tiny Oranges and receive 3 private sessions for only $125 (normally $210!)

* Sign up for a privates package or 5-or-10-class group packages and get 10% off the package price

Hooray! It’s a Tiny Giveaway!

Email me at giveaways@tinyoranges.com and tell me:   Where did Amy get her certified training?  Hint: CLICK HERE to find out!  10 lucky winners will receive a FREE private session with one of their fabulous instructors.    I learned so much from doing a one-on-one workout, I guarantee you will too!

You can email all week, just have them in by next Friday, 11/20/09 at 3pm PST.

Happy Friday everyone!  Have a fabulous weekend!

My husband surprised me last Christmas with a beautiful Hot Mama Designs “EMMA” necklace that is one of my most treasured things I own.

Well, truth be told, surprise might be a stretch.  I might have been looking online at mommy jewelry, and I might have happened to forward him the www.hotmamadesigns.com website, and I might have happened to mention my favorite piece, but he DID surprise me by ordering it and having it under the tree on Christmas morning!   Hee hee…  God bless him, he is the greatest husband and father I could ever ask for, but the man does need some direction in the gift arena.

He recently added a “MORGAN” charm to my necklace and I just love, love, love it!     They have both their birthstones attached -  Emma’s is Moonstone for June and Morgan’s is a Ruby for July.  I get more compliments on this necklace than any other piece of jewelry.  It always inspires an “awwwww…” response.   It is just so sentimental.  More than anything, I just love wearing my girls close to my heart.

This is the PERFECT gift for any mother (or grandmother) for this holiday (or anytime)!   They are fairly reasonable, too, a simple design starts as low as $65.    Shop their necklaces, charm bracelets, even cufflinks, and more at www.hotmamadesigns.com.

**Special offer alert! Place an order from now until 11/16 and receive a FREE heart disc (symbolizing love & compassion) or a FREE lotus disc (symbolizing growth & renewal).  Mention which you would like in the “Special Instructions” box at check out.  You can see pics of these designs on their blog.**

**Tiny Oranges coupon code alert!  Use Hot Mama Designs Coupon Code “tiny” upon checkout and receive 10% off your order!”**

Hooray!  It’s a TINY GIVEAWAY!

Hot Mama Designs is giving away $100 towards a purchase on their website to ONE lucky winner!!!!!!!!!!!

To enter, do the following:

1. Simply leave a comment on this post

2. Mention “add my email address” to the Hot Mama e-Newsletter and receive an extra entry (make sure to leave your email address)

3.  Mention that you are a Tiny Oranges Facebook fan and receive an extra entry!

You can enter all week, have your entries in before 5pm PST on Sunday, 11/8.  I will post the winner next Monday.   GOOD LUCK!!!!!

“You’ve brought your new little one home, you’ve adjusted to Motherhood and just when you think you can relax… your little bundle of joy starts crawling! Ack! Are you ready for this? Have you crawled around on all fours and pretended you were looking through the eyes of your baby? Most likely not, but Kimberlee Mitchell, founder of Boo Boo Busters (www.BooBooBusters.com) has! You may have heard or read about Boo Boo Busters lately because of such high profile clients as “OctoMom” and Britney Spears among others. But did you know that the company is based right here in South Orange County? Kimberlee Mitchell lives in Ladera Ranch with her two children and husband.

I’m sure you’ve walked through your home a million times and not seen the hidden dangers that lurk around every corner. Did you know that plasma televisions improperly secured to the wall can easily fall off and injure your child? It’s one of many inexpensive fixes that can save your child. Kimberlee can come in and help you find these very easy safety fixes and give you the peace of mind you need as you baby transitions into a toddler!”

Katie is a Client Service Specialist at South County Law Group, mommy to two boys, 5 and 7, and lives in Ladera Ranch.

Did you know that the first week of August is World Breastfeeding Week? 

Michelle Barto is a Certified Lacatation Educator, founder of La Dolce Mama online breastfeeding boutique, and proud breastfeeding mama.  She recently welcomed her second child and wrote a few tips on things she wished she new about breastfeeding the first time around!  Click here to see Michelle’s other article on Tiny Oranges.  As a new breastfeeding mom myself, I also had some things to add at the end!

THINGS I WISHED I KNEW ABOUT BREASTFEEDING THE FIRST TIME AROUND

“Eat – Before I gave birth to my second child, I hard-boiled a dozen eggs, stocked up on Zone bars, and made sure I had plenty of water bottles. When you have a new baby, it’s really easy to forget to eat. Breastfeeding requires 500-800 extra calories a day and an additional 6-8 glasses of water. Having lots of healthy, convenient protein and iron rich foods handy will make it easier to keep going and give you the energy to actually make yourself lunch during those first weeks.

Shower – It sounds a little Miss America, but if I could give every new mom one thing, it would be a daily hot shower. Postpartum, your hormones are doing crazy things. You aren’t sleeping, you sweat a lot, and you are covered in breastmilk. It may seem impossible, but taking even a three minute shower will make you feel so much better. Not only will you no longer smell like Eau de Breastmilk – not my favorite perfume, especially after a couple of days – but you will also keep your chance of infection from poor hygiene to a minimum.

Nursing tank – Sexy nursing bra – check. Nursing tank? I discovered Glamourmom nursing tanks towards the end of my first nursing tour of duty. This time, I started wearing them from day one. Oh my, they are lifesavers. Finding a clean shirt and a clean bra can be really difficult some days. Nursing tanks and nursing tops ensure that you only have to find one clean piece of clothing and you don’t have to worry about your bra strap showing! I wore one almost every single day until my son was two months old.

Schedule-shmedule – As a first-time parent, I remember checking my watch to make sure it had been two hours since her last feeding. Babies should only eat every 2-3 hours, right? This time around, I feed when my son seems hungry. If I put my son to breast every 15 minutes and he is sucking so that his ear moves (the way they show you in breastfeeding class so you know they are eating) I don’t worry about it. Sure, it’s no fun feeding an infant from a sling and chasing after a toddler, but I would much rather my son eat during the day and sleep at night. Of course, this only works during maternity leave, but at three months a baby is mature enough to only need one night feeding at most anyway. You might even get lucky and have a baby that sleeps through the night!

Trust yourself – As a mother, you will always try to do the best for your child. With that in mind, relax. It may take a couple weeks and you may seek the advice of a lactation consultant, but you can do it. Sometimes, infants will get so worked up that all of a sudden, they will appear to fall asleep. This can be very frustrating when you are learning to breastfeed. What happens when your computer is overloaded? It freezes. So do infants. Take this time to take a deep breath, relax, and get a glass of water. Reposition yourself and in a few minutes junior will wake up hungry as ever. This time however, you will be calm and ready.”

Awesome tips Michelle! Going on 4 weeks of breastfeeding myself, this is all great advice.   Two more things that I wanted to add…

As soon as you are feeling up to it, pump maybe once a day or every other day just so you have a little back up supply in the freezer just in case.   When Morgan was 2 weeks old, I ended up in the Urgent Care without her due to abdominal pain that turned out to be kidney stones.  Oh so fun .  Since I didn’t want to expose my 2 week old to Urgent Care germs, we left her at home with my parents and I was so grateful to have some milk pumped for her.  

Also, do NOT hesitate to seek the assistance of a lactation consultant immediately if you are having any pain or problems.   I had to go see a lactation consultant with Morgan to help with her latch correctly.  It was a surprise to me since I nursed Emma without any issues. I sort of expected this time around to be a breeze.  Wrong-o!   It was going on 3 weeks, and I was still in a lot of pain on one side.  After one trip to a lactation consultant, within a day my pain started to subside.  However, do not wait 3 weeks!!! I wish I would have gone sooner!

Happy nursing .