For A Moment Photography

Desert Breeze Park

Our adventure for the week was a play date at Desert Breeze RR Park in Chandler.  With the current concern with the flu we decided an outdoor spot my be a wiser choice.  So Presley and I met her friend Logan and her Mommy at the park.  This park is a favorite of mine, it really has it all.  

The main attraction is the railroad that runs thru the park.  But there are tons of other things to do. I had not realized before today that they had a little splash area.  It was perfect, the area was small and shaded.  Presley and Logan had a great time running around, with clean restrooms near by!  There was a pond to feed ducks, a concession stand and carousel, (check website for hours)...  By the way, the splash area was not suppose to be open until later but a Mom asked one of the workers to open early, and he did! 

 We had spent 2 hrs there and the girls never got bored.  I would really recommend checking it out.  It's a great place to picnic and spend a few hours.

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A Natural Antibacterial Safe for Kids

Once I discovered the unlimited uses of Tea Tree Oil it's a must have in my home.  We use tea tree oil for everything, to clean counter tops, wash hands, bug repellant, cold sores and nail infections.  And believe me there are tons more you can use it for.  It's an antibacterial, germicide and antiseptic.  The link above will list more uses.

I first bought tea tree oil for a former boyfriend who would get cold soars often, the healing time was remarkable.  And it's been in my home ever since...  After having Presley I was on the hunt for a safe antibacterial and cleaning products and discovered I could use a mixture of tea tree oil and water... 

I now carry a small glass bottle of tea tree oil and water in my purse.  And I have a small bottle next to my kitchen sink.  You will need to buy a glass spray bottle for the mixture, plastic has a weird reaction to the solution.  I purchased mine online.  Just add 3 to 10 drops of tea tree oil to water, super easy, safe and inexpensive.  You can buy tea tree oil at most health food stores.

Update: 10.05.12

I now use the mixture on my sponges in the kitchen and cutting boards.  My next plan is to put a bottle in my gym bag...  Ummm, I bet it could be used in shoes for stinky feet too.  Presley refuses to wear socks.

www.foramomentphotography.com

Me as A Mommy

I never thought I would be the type of Mother that I am to my daughter.  I wanted to be a good Mom but that vision doesn't match the Mother that I am today.  Part of the reason is, I didn't know what being a Mother was going to be like.  I didn't know how much the experience would change what I viewed as being important.

Today, I was making a salad for Presley and I.  She went to the refrigerator and got out the hummus and asked for carrots.  We both sat (at her table) and had our meal.  She now will turn to me at any meal and ask, "So how was your day?"  I can't help but smile. 

Or today when I picked her up after a yoga workout, I could see her and hear her say to the child running past her, "That's my Mommy"...   

She makes me realize that the connections we make in life are what truly matters.

www.foramomentphotography.com

What every Mom needs in her car

I think it's a given all parents know things just don't always go as planned.  This was a difficult concept for me to grasp!  But I'm starting to be more accepting of that fact.  But my planning hasn't stopped.

I now plan for the unexpected.  In my car I have two baskets.  One basket has items such as wipes, sunblock, Presley's hat and sunglasses, homemade hand sanitizer, extra panties, diapers, a little (nonperishable) snack and a sheet.  These are all extra items.  I still pack a bag for her with milk and the regular items...  There have been times I've been out longer then expected, and now Presley needs a nap and a diaper, now I have it!  I have the sheet for those spur of the moment park trips.  The sheet is so easy to store and doesn't collect as much dirt as a blanket does...

 

The other basket has a few toys.  I only have a few.  Because this basket can also work well for collecting the toys Presley has accumulated thru out my car...  And there is nothing worst then having an unexpected passenger in my car and having it look like a dirty play room...  This basket is a new addition, I'm sure I will figure out if I need more or less over the next few weeks...  I put some bubbles in, I hope that's not a mistake...  Living in AZ crayons will not be in this basket...  Maybe colored pencils...

www.foramomentphotography.com

Homemade Snack Bags

Once I had a child I was bothered by how many plastic snack bags we went thru.  As a Mom who tries to be as green as possible this has been a problem.  I do reuse ziploc plastic bags when possible...  I've used reusable packaging, Laptop Lunches but I didn't like that it was still made out of plastic and bulky...  

Today I decided to sew Presley a few snack bags.  I used material that I had laying around.  I was able to  make the two bags photographed in about one hour...  The first one took a bit of time, figuring out a design and  the material I wanted to used...  Then the second one I had some help with Presley, I enjoyed her being so interested.  She helps to remind me it's about the journey not the destination...  

I found that thin cotton material works the best and I think it will work well with washing...  I have my eye on some old sheets we have for more bags but I want to make a dress and shirt (for Presley) first and use the extra for more baggies...  

Another fun project I used old sheets for was to make napkins for Presley.  I found our cloth dinner napkins are too big for her to use.  So I made little napkins just for her and she loves them!   Plus when I set her dinner table everything looks proportionate, which is always a good thing... 

P.S.

Here is a link to a free pattern for homemade snack bags.  I didn't use a pattern but if I were to do it again I would use this one.  

www.foramomentphotography.com

Sun n' Fun

Ok our little mishap yesterday threw a wrench in my plans for rest of the week.  Yesterday, I had planned on doing housework, laundry, dishes, the floor and maybe some shopping.  We all know that didn't happen, so this morning the house looked like it had been ransacked!

This morning I was able to get the laundry completed (well it's washed).  The house looks as if Moses was abducted and put up a struggle...  However, Presley and Mommy needed to go on an adventure.  After lunch we went to the gym for a swim.

We haven't been swimming other then swim class since last Sept.  Presley was so excited.  She loved the lack of structure today and spent most of the afternoon jumping in and out of the pool...  

Presley had been potty trained for months now but it just recently occurred to me that she doesn't need a swim diaper.  That revelation opened up new possibilities for swim wear.  She likes having a suit like Mommy's, she hasn't let me put a one piece on her in months (swam only in diaper).

I had to post this picture.  I love her hair in a bun.

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Lost and Found

Holy long day!  This morning I set out for some croissants and Jamba Juice.  Our property is gated and I decided I would let my boys (dogs) run the property (rather then stay in their run) this morning.  Today's temperature was going to be in the low 100's so I wanted them to get out as much this morning as possible...

When I got back home an hour and half later, Moses was missing.  He must have followed my car out the property...  He doesn't usually do this...  Most likely my fault, as I was leaving he went into the garage so I called to him to get him out.

About two hours into my search I called Mark to let him know what happened...  He canceled his appointments and he started looking too...  Presley was a dream today!  We spent the entire day in the car...  I noticed he was missing at 10:45AM and started looking then.  We drove all day and only stopped when Presley needed to use the restroom or eat.  She for the most part never made a peep.  And when she did she talked about Moses!

 

She wanted to find him, she told me he was pooping in the rocks and he was walking...  By 4:30 I decided to take Presley to swim class because poor thing needed some exercise today...  We had at this point already had flyers up and an ad on the internet and I didn't know if there was much else we could do.

At 6:45 I had a girl, I didn't even get her name call and tell me she had Moses!  She picked him up this morning just a half a block from our home.  She said he was just so pretty and knew he had to belong to someone.  She had seen one of the flyers and called me after she got out of school or work.  AHHH...  

I am so grateful to her.  The scary thoughts I had to try to keep out of my head all day were really wearing on me.  I wanted to believe Presley had some sense of his well being but living where we do (the center of town) the odds were not in his favor...

Well, I am completely drained and I'm happy to have Moses safe at home.

www.foramomentphotography.com

Tired Mommy

Motherhood is so much more then I ever imagined it would be.  I love her more then I've loved anyone.  I work harder then I ever have.  My life has changed in more ways then I ever imagined...  I have to say for the most part I'm pretty good with all of it to, it's all worth it.

My only real conundrum is the lack of sleep...  I never knew it could be like this...  Before I had Presley I had to have 8 solid hours of sleep.  I would never dream of trying to survive on 5 or 4 hours of sleep.  But that is now my sleep schedule...  Not sure how or if I can fix this one.  Part of the problem is once she is in bed I have a whole list of things I need to do.  She sleeps 10 to 11 hours a night, which is pretty good...   

As Moms we do a lot of juggling, it's just part of it.  Doing all that I do makes me happy.  And the times that I do pull it all off makes me feel pretty good...  And I now understand why my Mom had a hard time getting our names right all the time.

I guess the good (and the bad) news is it won't be like this for long...

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Pat Tillman

This weekend was a jammed pack weekend.  One thing we did do that I really enjoyed was going to the Pat Tillman race.  This event has been going on now for 5 years.  I have not always ran the race but I have always gone to the event.  Pat Tillman was a remarkable person and I admire how he lived his life that was so tragically taken away.

I am touched by many aspects of him and his life.  I remember him as a ASU football player, his long hair made him unmistakeable on the field.  I watched him play football as a Arizona Cardinal.   My brothers looked up to him and the stories they shared with me about him made AZ football more interesting for me (good note for you men out there).  The fact that he was easy on the eyes  helped a little...  

Going into the war he refused to talk about the decision publicly but a media frenzy was not continued...  He did not want to be treated any different then every other man putting their life on the line for this war...  This seemed like such a different personality trait that I had assumed professional athletes to have.  This really made had impact on me...

I still remember the morning the news came out that he was killed.  I was in shock, how could this happen to him?  I really didn't want to believe it, I hoped they were some how wrong...

Pat Tillman and I would have been the same age had he not died.  We both went to ASU business school and graduated with a degree in Marketing.  Those are the similarities however, his understanding of himself and what really mattered in life, I still am not anywhere close.

Everything I have read and heard about Pat Tillman reenforces the fact that he is a hero and his life is just one of thousands we have lost.  

Presley in her camouflage (in honor of Pat Tillman's service and sacrifice) on the field spinning after the race. 

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Finding My Way

This month marks four months since I have started my blog.  I have learned a lot and I have a lot more to learn.  This blog has been more work then I expected it to be and much more fun then I expected.  It's also forced me at making more connections with people, wanting to learn more about them and from them.  

When I first started blogging I wasn't really sure what direction I was going to go in, Iwasn't sure if I was  going to write about my home life, my photography and techniques or who to aim it towards...  I just tried to write about things that I cared about...  I'm still trying to find my writing style, but I feel like I have a much clearer picture on what that is.

 I know that I'm now going to focus on my daily life as a Mother and my photography but not so much my techniques (photoshop etc.).  I'm planning on writing about some of the Mothers I know and what their life is like.  Another idea I have is a weekly activities post.  The same day each week I'm going to plan an adventure (exciting right?) with Presley and write about it.  Hopefully this will be a source for a new idea or activities for you to do with your child...  

www.foramomentphotography.com