This week Naked Juice is part of the buy 10 save $5 sale at Kroger.  If you buy 10 of the items included in the sale, your Naked Juice will be $1.99 each. PLUS, if you “like” Naked Juice on Facebook, you can print a coupon for $1.00 off Naked Juice, making your total cost .99 cents.

Both hubby and I love these juices as “meals on the go” or as a pick me up when we’re not feeling so great.  Hope you enjoy getting Naked!

Thanks to Brandy at Brandy’s Big Bargains for the tip off on the coupon!

my first pregnancy

Along with the big belly and the aching back comes loss of sleep and the desire to “nest”.  This, of course, is training for the next phase in which an actual child gives us the aching back, loss of sleep, and the need, if not desire, to at least try and keep up with the never-ending cleanup jobs. But, that’s the part we all know about.

Perhaps you’ve read about the studies that show that women’s brains actually grow when they become mothers.  How can that be when the early stages of motherhood are more infamous for inducing that other kind of mommy brain?  So, our bodies change, our cognitive ability grows. Adapt. Adapt.

And then what happens? Our babies start doing tricks.  First they crawl, and then they walk. The messes get bigger.  The level of child-proofing increases (whether it be for the safety of your child or the protection of your belongings). We learn how to do everything one-handed. And then the talking starts. We become adept at toddler translation and we have to come up with answers to those time-honored questions that all kids ask.  The classic: Why is the sky blue?,  the embarrassing: Does that man have a baby in his belly?, and the relentless: Why, Why, Why….?

When we get used to being “mother of one” some of us keep it interesting by adding in a second child, and then, “What happens if we add a third?  a fourth?” Those are questions I still don’t even want to ask, but the simple answer is, we adapt.  We adapt, adapt, adapt, and then adapt some more.

At three and five, my kids are not that old, and I have a long way to go to reach full metamorphosis. But, the other day I was at an indoor playground letting my kids blow off some steam.  In the corner designed for babies and toddlers, there were three mothers gathered, lounging on the foam mats, helping their crawlers and new walkers navigate the small slide and activity stations.  I evesdropped as they discussed diapers, multiple outfit changes per day, favorite pacifiers, baby food flavors and more.  One mother said, “I can’t wait till she can talk!” I giggled to myself as the sounds of my own two children screaming at one another echoed down from the climbing tubes above.  It made me feel old and wise, and yet, it wasn’t that long ago that I was one of those mothers, so focused on naps, feedings, and play dates and wondering what my babies would be like when they weren’t babies any more.

When my kids were in preschool, I can recall lamenting the fact that there weren’t many moms with school-aged kids around.  Where were they all?  Why couldn’t I find a few to be friends with so they could give me tips and tricks and sage advice?  Now, my kids are school aged, and I know the answers to those questions. If the older me had been sitting there a few years ago with the younger me, this is what the older me would say:

We’re busy.  You might think that putting the kids in school will give you all kinds of extra free time, but it won’t. We’re not doing fun stuff ether.  We’re in the car for about 2 hours a day on average.  Never volunteer to be the room mom for both kids in the same year. We’re fundraising. We’re girl scouting, we’re gymnasticising, we’re sewing up waistlines and stitching on knee patches.  We’re cleaning the house more because bigger kids make bigger messes, we’re learning sight words, and letter sounds, and Spanish phrases, and all the names of all the other kids in class, and the names of the parents of the kids. And beyond all that, we’re trying to find stimulation for our own, now bigger, brain.  What’s more, we don’t have any advice for you, with your cute little preschoolers, because we don’t remember the details.  We don’t recall how we managed to potty train, what we paid for swim lessons, or which sippy cup worked best. You’ll figure it out.  Everyone does it differently.  You’ll adapt, adapt, and then adapt some more, and just when you think you’ve got it down, things will change again, so just get ready and enjoy where you’re at.

If you’re on Facebook at all, or you read blogs at all, you probably recently read the Don’t Carpe Diem post from Glennon at Momastery. (And if you haven’t, you really, really should.) Someday we’ll all be that little old lady in the grocery store, admiring those cute little kids.  I’m not sure, but I think I ran into my older self near the eggs yesterday morning.  I was worried at first, because she started out with, “You’re so lucky to have a little one…” but then she smiled and finished up with, “sometimes it’s hard, and they wear you out, but you’ll be so glad that you had them.”  I smiled back and thanked her, and as she moved on to the lunch meat, I tried to imagine what it will be like when I am a senior citizen and my children are grown and gone.  It was a little panic-inducing, so I just chanted to myself. “Adapt, adapt, adapt…”

• The Indoor Tubes at Rock Creek – A fun indoor playplace open to the public, complete with slides, climbing tubes, rope bridges, and more.
• The Indoor Play area at Arkansas Baptist – a small spot for fun on a cold day.
• Find a storytime or fun event at the Central Arkansas Library System branch nearest you!
• Check out Laman Library in North Little Rock for storytimes, craft sessions, and more
• Unity Martial Arts offers a free open gym every Friday from 9am-11am. Who doesn’t love a padded room?

This Week

Friday thru Sunday, Jan. 27-29 – Eagles Et Cetera @ DeGray Lake Resort State Park
This 33rd annual celebration of our nation’s symbol is the park’s signature special event. Programs featuring the American Bald Eagle and other birds of prey make the weekend fly by. Activities are scheduled throughout the weekend, including eagle-watching lake tours, guided bird walks, owl prowls, live bird demonstrations, slide presentations, games, and more. Call 501-865-5810 for more information.

Next Week

Wednesday, February 1 – Storytime @ Barnes & Noble in West Little Rock, 11:00am
Barnes & Noble staff will be reading Ten Grouchy Groundhogs by Katherine Helig and Deborah Hembrook.

If you have a free event that you’d like to share, please let me know!

Thursday, January 19 – Eagle Tour @ Lake Dardanelle State Park, 12:00pm
Lake Dardanelle State Park is proud to offer free winter lake cruises for the best chance of seeing our national symbol, the American bald eagle. Many other spectacular birds may also be in the area for viewing including American white pelicans, ducks, and snow geese. Please dress warmly as temperatures and winds can be more severe on the lake. Call the visitor center at (479) 967-5516  to reserve your seat. We will begin boarding 15 minutes before the tour, at the boat dock near the Fishing Tournament Weigh-In Facility. Also, in case of inclement weather, call 1 hour before tour time for possible cancellations.

Friday thru Sunday, Jan. 20-22 – Bald Eagle Bonanza @ Lake Catherine State Park.
Activities include lake tours, guided bird walks, guest speakers and live bird demonstrations. For more info, contact: 501-844-4176

Saturday, January 21 – GPS & Geocaching 101 @ Lake Ouachita State Park 9am-11am
This workshop will cover how a GPS works and ways you can use it. Whether you are traveling, hunting, fishing, or geocaching, a GPS can be of great use. By the end of the class, you will know how to enter a waypoint, track a route, determine a distance and find your way home. Bring a notebook and your questions for this free class. It includes classroom instruction and optional hands-on demonstrations outside, so dress appropriately for the weather and terrain. Space is limited, so register early by calling the park (501) 767-9366.

Saturday, January 21 – Central Arkansas First® LEGO® League Regional Tournament and Junior First® LEGO® League Expo @ The Clinton Center 9 a.m. – 5 p.m
Teams from all across the state compete to become the FLL® champion. This competition is designed to educate, promote, and highlight the scientific and technological aspects of solving problems in a fun, challenging and competitive arena. The competition is free and open to the public, but regular admission fees apply if individuals want to tour the exhibit.

Saturday, January 21 - Fancy Nancy: Design a Tiara & Storytime @ Michael’s Craft Store 10am-12pm
Imaginative fun for crafty little ladies. Make and Take your own fancy tiara while supplies last.  Ages 3 and up.

Saturday, January 21 – Archery on the Lawn at Witt Stephens Jr. Nature Center, 12pm-2pm
Ages 10 and up can test their archery skills by shooting compound bows at square targets. No experience necessary for this drop-in activity.

Saturday, January 21 – Kindersongs Concert @ CALS Main Library Branch, 10:30am
Come check out local children’s musicians Brian & Terri Kinder as they sing, dance, and entertain during a 45 minute concert for kids of all ages!

Saturday, January 21 – Yurt Dessert @ DeGray State Park, 2pm
Once used exclusively by nomadic herders, the yurt is finding new popularity in the United States. Join a park interpreter at Yurt #2 and learn how to cook a simple Dutch oven dessert while discovering the joys of yurt camping. Disposable bowls and utensils are available but supplies are limited; providing your own is greatly appreciated.

Go Here for events for Kids and Families at Central Arkansas Libraries.

Go Here for events for Kids and Families at William F. Laman Public Library System.

Next Week:

Friday thru Sunday, Jan. 27-29 – Eagles Et Cetera @ DeGray Lake Resort State Park
This 33rd annual celebration of our nation’s symbol is the park’s signature special event. Programs featuring the American Bald Eagle and other birds of prey make the weekend fly by. Activities are scheduled throughout the weekend, including eagle-watching lake tours, guided bird walks, owl prowls, live bird demonstrations, slide presentations, games, and more. Call 501-865-5810 for more information.

If you have a free event that you’d like to share, please let me know!

This deal ends at 11:59pm on January 13th.  Voucher’s promotional value of $20-$25 (depending on product chosen) ends on March 28th, after which the voucher’s value becomes $10 and expires January 12th, 2017.

Go Here to get this deal.

If you haven’t joined Living Social (a daily deal site similar to Groupon) yet, Go Here and get a $5 credit when you join!

You don’t have to have a Kindle reader to access these books.  There are Kindle apps available for PC, Mac, Tablet, and Phone!

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol
From Amazon: Source of legend and lyric, reference and conjecture, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderlandis for most children pure pleasure in prose. While adults try to decipher Lewis Carroll’s putative use of complex mathematical codes in the text, or debate his alleged use of opium, young readers simply dive with Alice through the rabbit hole, pursuing “The dream-child moving through a land / Of wonders wild and new.” There they encounter the White Rabbit, the Queen of Hearts, the Mock Turtle, and the Mad Hatter, among a multitude of other characters–extinct, fantastical, and commonplace creatures. Alice journeys through this Wonderland, trying to fathom the meaning of her strange experiences.–Emilie Coulter

Beauty and the Beast by Unknown
Tale as old as time…this might be a fun one to check out in celebration of the Disney film of the same name hitting theaters this weekend in 3D! Includes color photos.

Healthy Children’s Lunches by Mandy Francis
From Amazon: Whatever your children’s personal food preferences, Mandy’s advice and ideas will help you make sure that they get the best of both worlds and grow up with a healthy and balanced attitude to food – with a little inspiration from Healthy children’s lunches you’ll soon leave lunchtime-tantrums far behind!

Amazing Cakes by the Instructables Authors
From Amazon: Amazing Cakes gives you full step-by-step instructions for 27 inspiring cake designs. Learn how to make 3-D cakes, animated Halloween cakes, and even a working volcano! All projects come from Instructables.com, are written by home cake-decorating experts, and contain pictures for each step so you can easily do it yourself. Be prepared to impress!

Absolutely Organize Your Family by Debbie Lillard
From Amazon: Managing a family is no easy task. There are school projects to supervise, a constant deluge of laundry and toys to deal with, and after-school activities to drive to every night. It makes you wish you had an instruction manual to help you keep it all together—well, now you do! Absolutely Organize Your Family is full of practical and effective solutions for all of your family’s organizational challenges. Debbie Lillard, professional organizer, mother of three and author of the popular book Absolutely Organized, offers all new “Absolutes of Organizing Your Family” tips to help you gain and maintain order in three key areas of your family life: Schedules, belongings and spaces.

20 Decisions You Need to Make About Retirement Right Now by Ray LeVitre
From Amazon: Inside are twenty major financial decisions which could profoundly impact your lifestyle over the next forty years. For many retirees, these decisions come as a surprise and must be made hastily without proper consultation. But by reading the expert, commission-free advice in this book, you’ll learn how to manage your assets and prepare for the best possible retirement.

The post, Understanding Blog Stats, is a primer about blog statistics – where to find them, what to look for, and how to improve them.  So, if you’re a blogger, or are thinking about becoming one, come on over and check it out.

Last week I wrote about the Arkansas Women Bloggers’ NEW website.  I do hope you’ll come over and Join Us!

I invite you all to check out KIWI Magazine’s website, where you’ll find tons of great articles and tips for helping your family live more naturally and sustainably.

Sunday, January 8 – Free Programs @ Pinnacle Mountain State Park
Winter Waterfowl, 9am – Discover some of the different migratory birds that you may see at Pinnacle Mountain through this presentation. Afterwards, play a game called “Name that Waterfowl.”
East Quarry Hike, 1pm-4pm – the East Quarry peak is an interesting area for unique rocks, plants, animals, park and area history, and amazing vista landscapes. Join us for a mildly strenuous 2 1/2 mile hike. Please bring plenty of water and sturdy shoes; binoculars and cameras are recommended!
Nature Scavenger Hunt, 2pm – Can you find the tree with the scaly bark or the tree with thorns?  Meet a park interpreter and test your visual skills with a unique nature scavenger hunt activity.

Wednesday, January 11 – Wednesday Walk-About @ Pinnacle Mountain State Park 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Meet a park interpreter at the Visitor Center for an adventure through forest and field as we go off-trail and explore some of our favorite secluded spots. Wear sturdy shoes and natural colors of the forest for best results. These hikes tend to be moderately strenuous.  Binoculars and water are welcome and recommended! CONTACT: (501) 868-5806 pinnaclemountain@arkansas.com

Wednesday, January 11 – Eagle Tour @ Lake Dardanelle State Park, 2:00pm
Lake Dardanelle State Park is proud to offer free winter lake cruises for the best chance of seeing our national symbol, the American bald eagle. Many other spectacular birds may also be in the area for viewing including American white pelicans, ducks, and snow geese. Please dress warmly as temperatures and winds can be more severe on the lake. Call the visitor center at (479) 967-5516  to reserve your seat. We will begin boarding 15 minutes before the tour, at the boat dock near the Fishing Tournament Weigh-In Facility. Also, in case of inclement weather, call 1 hour before tour time for possible cancellations.

Thursday, January 12 – Live at Laman concert featuring The Salty Dogs @ Laman Library, 7:00pm
The Salty Dogs have incorporated hip sounds into their own blend of feel good country music. They won the 2003 Arkansas Times Musician’s Showcase for the “Best Original Band in Arkansas.” The Salty Dogs’ music has been featured on the TLC network hit show, Trading Spaces. The Salty Dogs have shared the stage with Willie Nelson, Kinky Friedman, Hank Williams Jr., Kelly Willis, Jim Dickinson, Old Crow Medicine Show, Tennessee 3, Moot Davis, Dwight Yoakam’s longtime producer/guitarist – Pete Anderson, The Gourds and Junior Brown. Their latest release, Brand New Reason. Brand New Reason was released on Max Recordings – January 26, 2010.

Saturday, January 14 – Lil’ Wild Ones @ Witt Stephens Jr. Nature Center, 2:00pm
This class for kids ages 4-8 is held on the second Saturday of each month through the school year. Kids will explore the wildlife and habitats in Arkansas through hands-on activities.

Saturday, January 14 – Eagle Tour @ Lake Dardanelle State Park, 2:00pm
See description on Wednesday, January 11th

Saturday & Sunday, Jan. 14-15 -  Eagle Awareness Weekend @ Petit Jean State Park
Come check out a variety of programs devoted the U.S. national symbol, and includes field trips to nearby Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge to look for wintering eagles and other birds. Contact the park at 501-727-5441 for a detailed schedule.

Sunday, January 15 – To Hill and Back Hike @ Pinnacle Mountain State Park, 2:00pm-4:30pm
Experience the adventure of an interpreter-guided hike to a nearby peak without a trail to mark the way.  Please wear sturdy shoes and bring plenty of water.  Moderately strenuous. Contact: 501) 868-5806 pinnaclemountain@arkansas.com

Go Here for events for Kids and Families at Central Arkansas Libraries.

Go Here for events for Kids and Families at William F. Laman Public Library System.

Next Week:

Thursday, January 19 – Eagle Tour @ Lake Dardanelle State Park, 12:00pm
See description on Wednesday, January 11th.

Friday thru Sunday, Jan. 20-22 – Bald Eagle Bonanza @ Lake Catherine State Park.
Activities include lake tours, guided bird walks, guest speakers and live bird demonstrations. For more info, contact: 501-844-4176

Saturday, January 21 – GPS & Geocaching 101 @ Lake Ouachita State Park 9am-11am
This workshop will cover how a GPS works and ways you can use it. Whether you are traveling, hunting, fishing, or geocaching, a GPS can be of great use. By the end of the class, you will know how to enter a waypoint, track a route, determine a distance and find your way home. Bring a notebook and your questions for this free class. It includes classroom instruction and optional hands-on demonstrations outside, so dress appropriately for the weather and terrain. Space is limited, so register early by calling the park (501) 767-9366.

Saturday, January 21 - Fancy Nancy: Design a Tiara & Storytime @ Michael’s Craft Store 10am-12pm
Imaginative fun for crafty little ladies. Make and Take your own fancy tiara while supplies last.  Ages 3 and up.

Saturday, January 21 – Archery on the Lawn at Witt Stephens Jr. Nature Center, 12pm-2pm
Ages 10 and up can test their archery skills by shooting compound bows at square targets. No experience necessary for this drop-in activity.

Saturday, January 21 – Kindersongs Concert @ CALS Main Library Branch, 10:30am
Come check out local children’s musicians Brian & Terri Kinder as they sing, dance, and entertain during a 45 minute concert for kids of all ages!

Saturday, January 21 – Yurt Dessert @ DeGray State Park, 2pm
Once used exclusively by nomadic herders, the yurt is finding new popularity in the United States. Join a park interpreter at Yurt #2 and learn how to cook a simple Dutch oven dessert while discovering the joys of yurt camping. Disposable bowls and utensils are available but supplies are limited; providing your own is greatly appreciated.

If you have a free event that you’d like to share, please let me know!

With a pair of two liter bottles, a few backpack straps and some screws – you can build your child a do-it-yourself Mentos and Diet-Coke working jetpack.  I would advise doing this in an open field otherwise you will be retrieving your child from the neighbor’s roof.

Conversely, here are the directions on how to build a pretend rocket backpack for any small child.  Spray plastic primer on a pair of empty two liter soda bottles.  They typically don’t have this at Wal-Mart, but you can get it at Lowe’s/Home Depot.  I screwed the bottles upside down into a cardboard box to keep them in place while I sprayed them.

After the primer dried, I sprayed it with some high gloss silver spray paint.  I used the same spray paint to paint a thin square piece of wood.  I removed some backpack straps from a discarded kids backpack.  Then I lined up all the parts up, drilled some holes and screwed it all together.  I cut off about four inches from the top of the bottles to make it look less like a pair of soda bottles.  And then attached some rocket flames made from scraps of orange felt and glitter tulle to the bolts inside the bottles.

Total construction time (not including paint drying time):  1 hour.

Total time child played with DIY Rocket Backpack:  3 minutes… awesome.

Acknowledgements:  I would like to thank our friends, Meredith N. and Anna R., for telling us that Callen “Totally needs this…” when they first saw the idea at http://pinnedit.blogspot.com/2011/09/jet-pack.html.