ashleyd /

Mom’s Night Out

Sometimes you don’t know how much you need a night out until after it occurs. As you can imagine, I haven’t spent much time away from Katie recently, other than a quick manicure and a few errands. While I have a husband who often suggests I should take time for me, the mom guilt is very real. Anytime he says he’s happy to watch Katie, I always feel like I’d rather spend the time with them versus go get a manicure, massage, drinks with friends or take a nap.

Thanks to Momtrends, I spent two hours last week relaxing, meeting other mom bloggers, and toasting with bubbly while enjoying a night out and interacting with brands. It’s humorous to both Bo and me that it took a sponsored blog opportunity to get me out the door. Oh well, regardless of what finally convinced me to leave Katie with Bo for the evening, I have zero regrets even though I checked the NEST camera and texted him multiple times. In fact, he and Katie had such a wonderful evening, I’m tempted to enjoy more evenings out in the future.

The event, Mom’s Night Out 2.0, was an event organized and hosted by Momtrends and Meredith Publications (Parents, Fit Pregnancy, and FamilyFun magazines). For two hours, they hosted a lively group of NYC mom bloggers while providing the perfect opportunity to network and mingle with great brands (New Balance, Swaddle Me, Williamsburg, JIF and Munchkin) while sipping bubbly, enjoying hordourves as well as treats like foot massages and pampering!

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During the course of the event, we were able to not only mingle with brands but also interact with them through different events while catching up and getting to know other bloggers. It was so nice to meet and get to know so many different ladies while we talked about the woes of balancing life, children and the chaos that is New York City. Every person I met, including the brand representatives, were so welcoming to this new mom who was clearly away from my baby girl for the first time.

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I started the evening at the JIF table, where I was able to sample some of their delicious snacks as well as talk with the brand about their new campaign, Imagine If. We were each asked to write how we inspire our child on their boards which in turn, prompted some great conversations.

From there, I was able to learn about the Williamsburg region which includes Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown as well as the sights in that area. Growing up I visited Colonial Williamsburg twice but, it’s clear that in the past twenty years the area has grown and evolved a great deal. These days there is truly something for everyone ranging from craft breweries, spas, golf and of course, history.

Next, it was time to get a makeup touch-up from the experts at Glamsquad compliments of SwaddleMe. Their products, which help both baby and parents wake up feeling more refreshed, feature traditional swaddles, as well as more unique and innovative swaddles and products like the SwaddleMe Kicksie swaddle, which allows your baby to feel the comfort of a swaddle and the freedom to kick. Their new SwaddleMe® Footsie™ is a swaddle with pajama-like legs and footies, great for cooler weather and able to be used in a 3-point harness like our swing. I also loved checking out their 3 new gift sets, each of which would make great baby shower gifts for my friends who are expecting!  I’m going to talk more about our experience with these swaddles in a separate post, as they have been a game changer for Katie!

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They highlight of the evening was the New Balance station where we were treated to ten minute foot massages before sliding our feet into a new pair of New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi shoes. These stylish, breathable shoes provide all-day comfort whether you’re on the treadmill at the gym or running errands.

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Last but not least, Munchkin brand, gave us the opportunity to design our own lavendar and wildflower mason jar bouquets. These bouquets allowed each of us to bring freshness and beauty into our home.

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Thank you to Momtrends and these wonderful brands for treating me to a night of relaxation & laughter!

Your turn: What does your perfect night out include? 

This post is sponsored by Meredith Corp., Visit Williamsburg, New Balance, Swaddle Me, Jif, and Munchkin. While this is a sponsored post, as always, all opinions are my own.

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ashleyd /

My Return to Morning Workouts

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When the alarm went off at 5:15 this morning, I wanted to curl up and spend another hour in bed. Even though I’ve always been a “morning person”, recently the early morning workouts have been tough. I reached over and started to set my alarm for 6:45, allowing for an extra hour and a half of sleep. But, then I remembered that I was meeting three other Brooklyn moms for this morning’s run. I remembered that I’d pushed snooze on the alarm the past few mornings. I remembered the conversation Bo and I had regarding morning workouts and how important they are for my mental and emotional state. While many people don’t understand why I would wake up at 5:15 when Katie is sleeping until 7, these morning workouts are part of my transition from maternity leave to working mom mode.

In a month, when I return to work, early morning workouts will be the only opportunity I have to workout during the week.  In order to get back in the habit of working out before the sun rises, I needed a kick in the pants. I needed to remember how wonderful it feels to have my workout done by the time I’m sipping coffee and nursing Katie.

This morning, less than 43 minutes after meeting the fellow moms, I was back home preparing Katie’s bottle.

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I only spent 14 minutes running with the moms this morning, as I’m still building my endurance. But, the comraderie and acountability that came from meeting them at the corner and starting the run with them was exactly what I needed to help get me out of the door at “still dark early.”

While my return to workouts seems fast for some people, to me it has been a slow, gradual build. For the past few weeks, since getting clearance from my OB-GYN to return to workouts, I’ve been doing run/walk intervals. While I am starting to crave things like hill repeats, speed workout and longer distances, I know that slow and steady will help me return to running injury free.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve made it out the door two times per week for early morning runs – typically Thursday and Saturday. I’ve worked up to jogging fourteen minutes and then transitioning to intervals. Depending on how my body feels, the intervals have ranged from one to three minutes of jogging followed by walking until I complete that day’s distance goal, which has increased from 2.5 miles to 4 miles. Each time I run, I increase the initial jog distance by one minute. 

Right now, my goal is to increase morning workouts to four per week, but give myself the grace to realize that the stress of returning to work may mean that my body craves more rest. But, one thing is for sure, this momma is not going to sweat in the evening. These days, the only thing I want in the evening are cuddles with Katie and then a large glass of red wine and time in the kitchen with Bo.

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ashleyd /

Something Has to Change

I had a post drafted for today, sharing pictures and highlights from our weekend in Vermont. But, in light of the tragic event that occured during the night in Las Vegas, it doesn’t seem appropriate to share that post today.

Last night, for the first time in ages, Katie woke up around 2:30 AM.  When I grabbed my phone to check the time, I saw multiple New York Times news alerts on my phone. My heart dropped as I read the details. When I went into the nursery, I held Katie a little bit longer and a little bit tighter.

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Maybe it’s because I’ve gone to Las Vegas many times on business trips. Maybe it is because on two of those trips I stayed at Mandalay Bay. Maybe it’s because I’ve run through the Las Vegas strip and surrounding neighborhoods eleven times and have always been in awe of this city in the middle of the desert; which should have never been possible due to the lack of water sources.

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Maybe it’s because I have a daughter and want nothing more than for her to grow up safe and sound in this world. Maybe it is because I am so sad and overwhelmed by the horror that greets us multiple mornings throughout the year. There is very little we can do to prevent natural disasters like hurricanes, floods and tornadoes. But, I believe there are things that can be done to prevent what occured last night.

I do not have the answer, nor do I want to use this blog as a political platform. I am going to take time today to hug loved ones a little closer, take a few deep breaths, and learn more about the current gun laws in America.

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My prayers and thoughts are with everyone impacted by the tragic events as of late and, if you are in a position which allows you to donate to the victims, here is a link to the Las Vegas Victims’ Fund which was organized last night by Steve Sisolak, Clark County Commission Chair for Las Vegas.


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