These clothes were not designed soley for stick figures. In fact, Maurices has an entire plus sized section if I wanted to shop there. All I needed was some money that I could justify spending. Being the frugalista momma that I am, I made my way back to their clearance rack and scored a super cute skirt and dress for less than $25 and I am loving both of them. Basically Maurices is my new favorite store ever and I plan to continue shopping there indefinitely. It is just my kind of trendy but not too trendy and the prices are more than reasonable, clearance rack or no.

Want to see some of the clothing I’m currently drooling over while waiting to save up some more spending money?

Bag: Pinstripe Satchel Shoes: Gwen Buckle Flat

Top: Cinch Neck Leaf Print Top Bottom: Stud Pocket Stuffed Capris

Bag: Large Plaid Tote with Medallion Shoes: Buckled Peep Toe Platforms

Top: Burnout Crossover Tunic Bottom: Maurices Heavy Back Pocket Destructed Jeans

Bag: Bow Washed Bag Shoes: Silk Style Bow Flats

Top: Eyelet Peasant Tank Top Bottom: Knit Trim Pork Chop Pocket Shorts

Bag: Large Tonal Floral Print Tote Shoes: Annie Cork Wedge Sandals

Top: Smocked Bottom Peasant Top Bottom: Younique Tiered Denim Skirt

If you could win a fashion shopping spree anywhere, where would you want to go?

So when I saw an email this morning from MyHeritage promoting their new Baby Lookalike Meter I was very intrigued to try it out. You probably know MyHeritage for their Celebrity Lookalike Meters and family tree builders. I’ve always liked playing with their face recognition software and today was no exception. Their website is very intuitive and easy to navigate, in my opinion.

And now the results are in – which kid looks like which parent? Here’s what MyHeritage thought:

What do you think – do you agree with the results?

Who do your kids look like?

I just signed up for my first “mission” on smile.ly and I’m looking forward to many more. Anyone who hasn’t tried either of these websites, I highly recommend them.

A great book like Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah, Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert or Little Bee by Chris Cleave

There’s nothing like a cute bowl or coffee cup with “mom” inscribed on it – the classic mothers day present, right? I think this cute one from patspottery on Etsy is adorable – and it’s super affordable at just $38 for the set, but I’d be just as thrilled with something homemade by my kiddos. Really dads, you can’t go wrong with homemade – especially in this economy.

You might see similar family inspired sculptures at your local Halmark store and I know any mother would love those, too, but this wooden sculpture is sold at NOVICA – a company who has made it their mission to give artists and artisans around the world a global platform to express their true artistic talents and to spur their creativity. This sculpture was made by a Balinese man named Made Wirata. I love the idea of getting something really unique and beautiful from a real person who needs that money. We’ll be reviewing NOVICA in greater detail – check back for our review soon!

Like any avid reader of The Pioneer Woman, I am infatuated with Le Creuset cookware. I just saw on their website that they are selling these limited edition Mini Cocettes with a bonus cookbook. I would looooooove to own these so I could make some of the delicious recipes in the book like their Chocolate Cocettes with Molten Hearts or Lemon Meringue Custards. You can buy this set at Amazon.com right now for $79.95!

And for the truly lavish (read: unlikely but still awesome to dream about) present – I think what any mother would really want is a vacation! Lately my imaginary vacations have been involving tropical getaways and family friendly cruises like this 3 Night Cruise in the Bahamas on the Disney Cruise Lines (found at cruises.com). Disney Cruises get rave reviews for their kid friendly atmosphere that is still a ton of fun for the grown ups, too! I love that all their meals are included in the price tag (except for specialty drinks and alcoholic beverages).

In all seriousness, I think the best gifts are the ones you aren’t expecting – the ones you know came from the heart, regardless of price tags or size – but for anyone out there looking for just the right present, these are a few of my humble suggestions (and big dreaming ideas!).

So tell me mommas, what would you love to get for Mother’s Day? What would be your ultimate dream gift?

Momma Hen, thank you for being YOU.

I bumped into an old school chum who ran up to me staring at my stomach. She declared happily “So, are you having baby number three??” with the implying that I look like I had a bun in the oven.

At this question about ten responses went through my head.

1. “Nope, I’m just a little round around the middle.”
2. “Oh yes, I am having another… in five years”
3. “Yes, there is an alien baby inside of me that goes by the name of ‘Flab’, I’ve grown to love it.”
4. “Hmm.. guess I should have asked my husband this morning if this made my stomach look big, instead of my butt.” (and then laugh hysterically like it was so silly)
5. “Do I LOOK Pregnant, lady?”
6. “What time do you get off work, so I can kick your butt?”
7. “Try having two kids and see how skinny you are.”
8. “I’m trying out one of those pregnant belly’s because people treat me better.”
9. “Damn, maybe I am but don’t tell my husband because it wouldn’t be his.”
10. “No, lady, I’m just fat.”

*edited to add Papa Marc’s input*

11.  “I’m pregnant with your moms baby”

Instead I just smiled politely at this confidence destroyer and said “Oh, no, I’m not having any more children!”

I completely disregarded her insult and continued the conversation with her like nothing had been said. We laughed, and smiled. All the while I could see her eyes battering herself inside for asking me something like that. And all the while I thought to myself… “Dude, Andrea, you need to lose weight or burn that outfit. Or both.”

Have you ever been horrified like this before?

Here’s what we’ve ordered so far:

• Gerber Diaper Service Quality Prefolds – I went back and forth and hummed and hawed, but these got decent reviews and the price was, well, okay. I ordered two packs so we should have enough to get through one day – initially we’ll just fall back on disposables if we need more, but at some point if we like this, we’ll be buying more, not necessarily the same brand – I suppose that depends on their absorbency, etc.
• Thirsties Diaper Wraps in Mango and Rose – I know these covers have no reviews but Thirsties in general had wonderful reviews and I liked the look, price and idea of these.
• Mommy’s Touch Diaper Pail Liner – There are so many different options for wet bags but the reviews on this one seemed good, the price seemed fair and at some point you just have to make a decision. We almost waited on this until I pointed out to the reluctant dh, “Where do you propose we put the dirty diapers before washing them?” I want to pick up a trash can or bin to put the liner in as I’d hate to learn the hard way just how waterproof the bag is.
• Snappis – these seem to be a cloth diapering standard – I ordered two as I really can’t imagine needing more than two – one might have been sufficient, but what if it breaks?
• Flannel Baby Wipes – this was actually Dan’s suggestion as he pointed out that it would be easier to dispose of than a a nasty poop covered disposable with no diaper to hide in, cheaper in the long run and eco-friendly since we’re going that route. I’m planning to pick up a spray bottle and try the recipe for Homemade Diaper Wipe Solution that Simple Mom mentions at the bottom of this post.

If we like this, I will want to pick up more prefolds so I don’t have to do laundry every day and probably some extra diaper covers, etc. I’d also love to try these diaper liners but I agreed to wait on them for now. Any cloth diapering tips or suggestions for things to pick up or methods to try?

1. Mix 1 cup of water with a couple drops of food coloring
2. Add in 2 cups of corn starch and mix until combined
3. Add in extra corn starch or food coloring if desired
   

Dan found that our potato masher (click the link to see what ours looks like, as they are all different) worked the best for mixing this stuff – you want something fairly sturdy that can get in there and make sure all the corn starch gets mixed in. Once it’s all mixed in and colored to your liking, get your hands in there and get ooblecking!

So what is this oobleck stuff? Well, it’s a bit of a mystery mixture – it doesn’t seem to know if it’s a liquid or a solid – you can roll it into a ball in your hands but if you stop applying pressure it will ooze through your fingers. Punch the mixture and it will feel as hard as a brick wall (or so) or touch it gently with your finger and it will be as ooey gooey as it looks.

If your kid gets really messy (as they should) and it splatters on the table or you let it sit on your hands long enough, it will eventually dry to look something like glue. Crush that dry stuff with your finger and it will turn to dust. The dust can be vacuumed or swept up and thrown away – which makes for easy clean up. My husband also found that if you dip a tissue into the mixture (carefully) and remove it, the gooey oobleck will turn dry right away because all the moisture will be taken out of the mix. Science is fun!

• Want to store your oobleck for another day? Put it into a Ziplock bag and refrigerate. You might want to label it – I’d hate to be the person who tried to eat it – yuck!
• Word of warning: Do NOT dump your oobleck down the kitchen sink – it can clog the drain!

Anyway, I was eating my so sophisticated peanut butter and jelly flatbread wrap, trying to decide, “Is this healthier than if I’d just eaten it on bread?” And I’m not sure – but it definitely felt more special. I also like to make a nice healthy hummus and spinach wrap with these flatbread things. They have been my go to’s for lunch lately but I’m a bit worried that before long I’ll be sick of them, too. You see I am constantly trying to find some great, healthy, filling, delicious lunch that isn’t a pain in the butt to make. And I’m fickle – it won’t be too much longer before I get bored of this.

What is your favorite thing to make for lunch? Any great new things you’ve found in your grocery store lately that I should know about? What did YOU have for lunch today?

I know you don’t know a lot about me, you know what I feel about products. You know what my family says about the the things we review too. What you don’t know about is the Moms behind Mommas Review. I want to share with you my struggles, experiences and more. Over time you will see more of the Mommas coming through on our blog. This is one of those times.

This is common knowledge for those who know me in real life. I am overweight. I always have been the bigger girl, it seems. I remember being twelve and going to the beach and my sisters all getting belly buttons pierced, because that is what they did. They were skinny and fantastic in their bikini’s. That was the year my mom suggested I wear a one-piece bathing suit, and I agreed. She promised me that if I lost the weight that I could get my belly button pierced too. Well the fifteen extra pounds on my short frame never came off.  I tried Weight Watchers that year and lost ten pounds. It came back within a few months and then some.

At sixteen I weighed 155lbs, comfortably. I miss that size! I wasn’t overweight to the point that I felt like the “fat” girl whenever I walked into a room like I do now.  I got pregnant at a young age, after I had the baby I was amazed at how fast the weight came on. I went up 30lbs and quickly. I got tested for everything: thyroid, diabetes, and more. All I could ask for is something to blame my weight on. But they all came back okay, the only thing I could blame the size of my butt on is myself.

After much YoYo dieting, and even losing 20lbs during pregnancy (I weighed the same at labor that I was when I got pregnant, it came back full force within months). Now I sit just under the dreaded 200lb point. Oh, how I hate admitting this for the world to see. Though, I think it’s important that I admit my faults first.

When I received the EA Sports Active, I said to myself “Yes! Andrea, you can totally do this. Let’s start tomorrow” And that tommorrow was June 1st. Except I didn’t. I woke up that day and in all the stress and daily life I went to bed thinking “Ok, I will definitely start tomorrow!” Now it is a month later and I’ve only done it once.

Once.

I’ve been delaying on posting this, because it means that I will really be starting. I will begin the EA Sports Active challenge. By doing so I will workout with this Wii game at least three times in the week.  From Saturday to Saturday I will get up, turn on the Wii, put the leg band on and begin my challenge. I will tweet at each workout (@MommasReview) and I will need people pushing me. I will push right back if you need it. Accountability has always been my strong point. When I diet, I do it alone 90% of the time. I need to prove that I can actually do it this time.

For my first challenge week I will not be dieting. Only focusing on working out.

Goals Week One

1. Workout three times this week with EA Sports Active

Are you working out? What has been your experience with weight loss? Any tips or tricks? Would you like to join this journey with me?