Jill Amery is a mom of 2 small boys and the Publisher of UrbanMommies, a stylish digital lifestyle magazine filled with fitness, style, health, recipes and savvy mom advice to help you through pregnancy, birth, and raising your kids.
Aaah. Sweet Couscous. From: Babies and Toddlers – Good food – The Australian Women’s Weekly Cookbooks
This recipe is short but trust us, it’s sweet! It’s good for babies’ ages 9 months on.
Makes 1 serving
PMS IS NOT NATURAL…
Listen ladies .. (I know that this may shock you) but PMS and PSD are NOT NORMAL ways for the female human body to behave. It is tolerated and accepted but it is not natural. It is a sign that the body is in dire need of a spring clean and some TLC.
Stick to your healthy eating resolutions with this main course waldorf bulgur salad recipe that’s full of whole grain goodness. It’s a great use for any leftover roasted turkey you have, and packs easily for work lunches. Makes 6 main course servings.
I am often asked the question ”How do I choose the right car seat for my child?” With so many seats to choose from the short answer is “the one that fits your vehicle, your lifestyle and your budget”. The long answer however, is that buying a child seat is a significant purchase for parents and we all want to get it right.
Come on. As if I wasn’t in love with New Orleans enough. Now I’ve stayed at the Ritz and there is no possible way that I can be away from this enchanted city for more than a few months. Weeks. Hmm. Loving you, Ritz Carlton. And New Orleans. Where shall I begin? The doorman who read my Mom 2.0 conference nametag and had it memorized for the rest of the trip? The front desk staff (who were shocked that I didn’t do the ‘American thing’ and demand compensation because I tripped on the carpet in my room) and the housekeeper who organized my makeup by colour. THANK YOU. SO MUCH. (And for not knocking on my door at 8am like the other places I stayed in NOLA.) Yeah. The Ritz wins.
But really? Even if I weren’t staying at the hotel, I would be at the bar every night. It’s kind of like a wedding. You know – vibe, stylish dress, where you WANT to be. The courtyard is romantic and packed all the time (even at lunch. Especially when there’s an old-fashioned New Orleans Crawfish Boil). The bar though. OOOh. The bar. The Davenport Lounge (named after Jeremy Davenport, the enchanting “top 10 bachelors in the USA” trumpet player who lent his name to the space) is rife with swing dancers, stunning brides and chic patrons. But I actually didn’t pay much attention to the clientele. Even though I was there EVERY night. Because the jazz was So good. Davenport was suave and super-talented. And the band? Wow. I had the good fortune to befriend saxophonist Aaron Fletcher. He took my husband and I to a couple of authentic NOLA restaurants and shared incrediblr stories. Not only supremely talented (check his own show Sundays at Sweet Lorraines), but a down-to-earth, passionate man who loves the history of jazz almost as much as he loves his own city.
Right. Back to the Ritz. I had a chance on an earlier visit to taste the cuisine at M Bistro. Chef Matt Murphy (a father of 5) brilliantly combines creole flavours with the best ingredients and perfect technique. (Dear Matt – would you like to adopt me as a sixth?) The Bistro was authentic, innovative and perfect in every way. True New Orleans flavours and Matt’s penchant for ‘meet the farmers’ ingredients were clearly defined in the taste of the food. (Travel and Leisure ranked the Bistro one of the Top 10 Farm-to-Table Hotel Restaruants in America, January 2011). I should just live there.
The Spa? Unlike the Guerlian spa at the Roosevelt across the street, the Ritz had a more feminine, nurturing feel. The apothecary bar was super neat – you could choose ingredients for your own scrub. Staff maneuvered you through the space in a gentle, seamless way, and the fountain at the entrance alluded to the relaxation you’d soon experience. You also had the opportunity to shop for unbelievable stuff when you leave. But why would you ever want to?
What do I miss? Coffee in the lobby. The pillows. The ‘undefined’ customer assistants who seemed to be everywhere, anticipating my every whim. The amazing outfits you saw at the bar. The creole perfected my Matt. Free wireless. And the fresh flower arrangements EVERYWHERE that were nicer than those at my wedding. But I’m not bitter. I’m now planning a 10 year renewal of vows. (Which will be held at the Ritz Carlton New Orleans.)
www.ritzcarlton.com
921 Canal Street
(504) 524-1331
– Jill Amery is a sucker for beauty, gracious southern manners, soft sheets, world-class jazz, and the perfect cuisine. But she’s not picky.
It’s a beautiful sunny day, big marshmallowy clouds are floating by, waves are crashing and my kids are playing happily by the ocean. Sounds like malarky – I know, especially to a Calgarian (what, no snow?, its April!!) but this is how our spring vacation to Orange County California rolled out. We started our Californian adventure with a tour through the small town of Laguna Beach. Staying at the Pacific Edge Hotel, we had an ocean view room that even our kids found more interesting than the tv. With just a few quick steps past the restaurant and outdoor pool, we landed on the famous Laguna Beach – and, no word of a lie – dolphins swam past as if to greet us. My kids went bananas – so did my husband and I.
Eeny-meeny miney mo…which baby names are “best of show”? The names that people choose for their new bundles of joy are based on so many different factors. One of the top reasons that people give their child a particular name is due to the meaning of the name. From connotations like, “full of wisdom” and “strong, firm and impetuous” to meanings like “hollow” and “uncertain”, the name that you give your child carries some kind of significance in one light or another. Some parents feel like if they bestow their baby a name that transmits the implication that their child is “smart” or a “king”, that child will turn out to be what their name signifies and steer away from the names with negative connotations.
Some say that children can be the best birth control. Combine a long-term marriage and some kids and most couples hit that impact point when they are wondering exactly what happened to their sex life. Studies show, hands down, that a great sex life improves a relationship – and lack thereof can undermine it. Believe it or not, it really doesn’t take much to get your sex life back on track. Here are a few ideas to get you going in the right direction:
If feeding your children healthy snacks is high on your priority list, it’s time to start reading those labels – and if you haven’t been introduced to glucose, fructose, and the mixture of the two, you’ll definitely want to familiarize yourself. Glucose and fructose are both carbohydrates and simple sugars, AKA monosaccharides, which are found in most foods. They also happen to be the chief source of energy for the human body.
Are you ready to do the “Potty Training Dance”? Or, maybe the question is: is your toddler ready to do the “Potty Dance”? There is controversy on every step of potty training, from whether or not to use pull-ups to when your child is ready to start. Everyone has their own advice on how to potty train your child, however it is you, and essentially your child, who will make the decision on when, where and how the potty training process will happen.