April 2009

Spotted: New Mom!

Today’s Spotted New Mom: Stephanie from Adventures in Baby Wearing. Stephanie provides all sorts of tips and tricks on natural and eco-friendly parenting. Adventures in Baby Wearing offers advice on everything from cloth diapers to vaccines. It truly is a great blog for all Moms out there 🙂

New moms, just like “old” moms, come in every imaginable shape, size, temperament, etc. One thing is for sure, they all have one thing in common: their world has just been turned inside out and upside down. And that’s a good thing!! It’s been awhile since I was a New Mom. My first born, my son Shane, just turned 30 (how is that even possible). While some things never change, the world and the way we live in it are very different today. I thought it would be interesting to talk to a New Mom and see how things compare. I didn’t have to go too far since my niece Erin gave birth to her first child, Abigail, a few months ago. Next week, I will also feature Erin’s mom, Marylou, as a Mom of a Mom. It has been a pleasure to see the changes that Abigail has brought into their lives and their relationship. I am happy to share a little slice of Erin’s New Mom life with you and thousands of the other Moms out there.

Orchid and Candle Centerpiece

As we end our On-the-Go Mom stay-cation, I have one more On-the-Go Mom I’d like to recognize. Emily from Busy-Mommy.com: You’ve Been Spotted! Busy-Mommy.com provides helpful hints and tricks aimed at making Mom’s life a little easier. Emily posts everything from quick and easy recipes to the best sites for online shopping. If you are an On-the-Go Mom, make sure you visit her blog!

To top off your stay-cation tablescape – here is a VERY easy centerpiece you can create. Teak is a great wood to use when trying to create a tropical feeling to a tabletop. For the orchid and candle centerpiece, I used the salad bowls from a teak bowl set that I picked up in a vintage store near my home in Florida. I also found a great piece of vintage tropical fabric that you see in the shot in the same store (it was a good day!).

How to:

Cut a piece of floral foam, so that it fills the bowl, but does not go over the top. Then cut a hole it in the middle of the floral foam that is the size of your candle.
Add water to the bowl until the foam is totally saturated.
Remove the single cymbidium orchids from the main stem. You can just “snap” the single bloom off of the main stem.
Insert the single bloom stems into the wet floral foam until you have gone all the way around the candle.

Done! Now you have a great centerpiece to share with your friends and family.

Don’t forget to enter a Mom you know in the Spotlight a Mom contest. Stop by on Monday for a great gift idea for a New Mom.

Spotted: Floral Lei How-To

Erin from Queen of Spain – You’ve Been Spotted! Erin is an award-winning journalist, contributing editor, avid blogger, and a non-stop on-the-go mom.

Erin is definitely an on-the-go mom who may be in need of a stay-cation. Below are the step-by-step instructions on how-to make the perfect floral lei.

What you need to make a floral lei:

5 stems of dendrobium orchids (approx. 35 blooms)
Monofilament or fishing line
Large needle

How to make a floral lei

Cut a piece of fishing line to the length you want your lei to be, plus 6 inches. Remember: The lei should be long enough to fit over the head.
Thread the needle with the cut fishing line. Tie a knot about 3 inches from the end of the line.
Remove all the dendrobium orchid blooms from the stem. Remove the small piece of stem that is still attached to the flower.
Insert the needle through the base of the flower and slide the flower down the length of the fishing line, stopping at the knot.
Continue this process, “sitting” each bloom within the one previously put on the line until you are about 3 inches from the end of the line.
Tie a double knot with the two ends of the fishing line.

Now you have a beautiful floral lei perfect for a stay-cation!

Relax and Have a Stay-cation! Spotted: NY City Mama

Don’t you wish your On-the-Go Mom would slow down enough to take a really nice tropical vacation? And if she could don’t you wish you could afford to take her on one?! Well you could give her a one-day tropical stay-cation right in your own backyard or terrace. It can be so much fun. Get the whole family involved in the planning. Remember all of the senses – sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. You can download Hawaiian music or the soundtrack from South Pacific, use tropical scented candles, and create your very own version of a Zombie cocktail. It would be so cute to have the kids dress up and be the servers and give a hula dance performance!

Here are a few photos to give you some inspiration. Some of the materials I used to capture that South Pacific feel are:

Orchids – Cymbidiums, Dendrobiums, and Phalenopsis
Tropical Calathea Leaves
Bamboo and Teak
Raffia
Vintage tropical fabric

Your On-the-Go Mom will be talking “Happy Talk” faster than you can say Bali. And just in case you’d like to sing along check out the lyrics!

An On-the-Go Mom I know who deserves a tropical stay-cation is Carol from NY City Mama. Carol – You’ve Been Spotted! NY City Mama shares exciting stories of her family’s adventures in the big apple. Her life is never boring with three boys in tow. Check her blog out and tell me what you think 🙂

Stop by tomorrow for more stay-cation how-to’s! Also, don’t forget to share a Moms story at www.spotlightamom.com – for a chance to win a Beaches Vacation!

Spot a Mom Campaign Launch

On Thursday, April 9, 2009, the staff at 1-800-FLOWERS.COM officially launched the “Spot A Mom” movement with a wonderful party for mommy bloggers and the NYC media in a beautiful penthouse of the Buckingham Hotel in midtown Manhattan, just steps away from Central Park.

Mommy bloggers were able to mingle with Jim McCann, Chris McCann and Julie Mulligan, while eating delicious food.

Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate the launch of the Spot a Mom movement!

Spotted: Every On-The-Go Mom Needs a Cup of Joe!

Is there a mom who isn’t an On-the-Go Mom? Whether you are a stay at home mom or have another job too, there never seems to be enough time in the day!

I’m spotting Katja from Skimbaco Lifestyle as today’s On-the-Go Mom. Skimbaco Lifestyle is run by an On-the-Go Mom who provides tips from fashion to vacation spots. This busy Mom’s blog is perfect for On-the-Go Moms who want to stay in the know about hip new trends.

One thing that definitely needs to be done when you are an On-the-Go Mom is hydration. Drinks are hardly ever consumed sitting down and relaxed. Surprise your On-the-Go Mom with a bouquet of fresh tulips that are stunning in their simplicity, blooming from within an on-the-go beverage container. Top it off with a gift card for her morning “Joe” and it doesn’t get much better than that. The reusable container not only looks so much cooler, but it is eco-friendly.

If you know an On-the-Go Mom and you want to share her story, be sure to visit www.spotlightamom.com. She could win a Beaches Vacation! 🙂

Spotted: Confessions of a Craft Addict

Congrats! Mary from Confessions of a Craft Addict, you’ve been spotted as a DIY Mom. I see that beading is just one of your many mediums (I can so relate!), so I thought you would appreciate this stunning beaded vase. It’s really easy to do and a great project to do together with your children. You can really get creative with the choice of beads and the different colors and textures. Enjoy!

Measure and cut elastic thread to a length that will encircle glass, plus several inches to tie off. Thread first group of beads on elastic thread, test for fit and tie off. Now you can pre-cut a number of pieces of thread and continue threading until vase is completely covered.

Fill vase two-thirds full with water and floral preservative. Cut stems of flowers (here I used lisianthus) to correct length so that the flowers sit just at the top of the rim of the glass. Continue until the vase is full.

Spotted: A Craft Lover

You’ve been spotted! Marie from Make and Takes is today’s DIY Mom. This blog is great for the craft lover. Make and Takes showcases creative and fun craft ideas for moms and children everywhere. Visit Makes and Takes and tell me what you think.

I pick up pretty things just about everyday – some things just call out to me. I know that some day that book, wooden box, or vintage sewing basket will be exactly what I need to create a meaningful gift that will let someone know how I feel about them and their place in my heart. A few stems of soft pink roses and sprigs of ivy made this precious basket the perfect gift for a dear friend of mine. Long ago she taught me the valuable skill of sewing, which seems to have become a lost art. However, it is one that I believe we will be embracing once again as we start to simplify our lives and our spending habits! Remember – a stitch in time saves nine!

Do you know a DIY Mom? If you do, share her story at www.spotlightamom.com and she could win a Beaches Vacation!

Spotted: A Toolbox Full of Creativity

Laurie from Tip Junkie: You’ve Been Spotted! Laurie is the perfect example of a DIY Mom. Tip Junkie is a non-profit blog that promotes women and their creative ideas. Laurie’s mission is to improve women’s lives with unique, fun and fabulous ideas, from games for the kids to organizing your home. Check her out!

To be a DIY Mom means to think outside of the box. And don’t forget, when it comes to flowers that might mean thinking outside of the vase too! Whether you are giving a gift to a DIY Mom or just creating something beautiful and meaningful as a gift for yourself to enjoy, why not start where most projects begin – with the toolbox. Only this time use the toolbox as your vessel for a breathtaking display of garden blooms. This arrangement speaks to your heart and your soul!

If you want to think outside of the house, try planting a beautiful lilac plant to add not only beauty, but a lovely aroma to your garden. Monrovia’s Miss Kim Korean Lilac is a perfect tool for your toolbox of creativity.

Do you know a DIY Mom? If you do, make sure you tell her story and she could win a Beaches Vacation!