Mother's Day 2008

Among us are mamas who are celebrating their first mother's day as a mama this year.  Among us are also mamas who are celebrating their umpteenth mother's day as a mama this year.  I get a bit wistful re-reading about our Mother's Day thoughts and celebrations from yesteryear, from Mother's Day 2007 to the uber urbanMamas Day in 2006.  Year after year, there are plenty of great mama's day thoughts to go around.

As Mother's Day approaches this year (Sunday, May 11th, for those of us who aren't counting...), is there something special that you are determined to do for your day?  Have you planned out activities for yourself or have you left all the planning to someone else?  Are there traditions that are emerging, something you and your family may do each year?  Will this be your first Mother's Day as a mama?  What about your own mama or mama-figures?  How are you celebrating her?

Easter Festivities, 2008?

Wow, is Easter less than a week away?  Do you have plans for egg hunting or brunch?  Melissa emails:

We are taking my in-laws out for Easter Brunch, with my 2 year old. Whats good?  How much does it cost?  Does anyone have any good Easter Egg Hunt recommendations while we're at it?

Happy Heart Day, Mamas!

Back in the day, I think I hated Valentine's Day.  A day for Hallmark to capitalize on all of America!  A day for overpriced chocolate and roses!  A day that had been bastardized as time had gone by, symbolized by this completely symmetrical figure that had little resemblance to a real human heart.  Did anyone tell Hallmark that a human heart wasn't symmetrical?

That was then, this is now.  My husband and I now have two little people who symbolize our love for one another.  We love to celebrate this holiday of love.

We know that not all of us will be celebrating anything special today.  But, if you are -- We urbanMamas want to know how you are hearting all those loved ones around you.  What does your day entail today?

Valentine's Day Suggestions

It has been 2 years since we talked Valentine.  The holiday is coming up again, and -- if an urbanPapa asked for ideas to celebrate with his beloved -- what would you suggest?  An urbanPapa emails:

I have known my lovely, wonderful wife for almost ten years, this means ten years of birthdays, Christmases, anniversaries, and...wait for it....Valentine's Day. Over the years, I have tried to stay away from more routine ideas on these days - giving flowers and chocolates for instance. Coming up with new and unique ways to show my adoration was pretty easy in the early years, became harder once children arrived on the scene, and now I find myself a little tapped out on ideas. So please help me urbanMamas! I need some creative ideas for celebrating Valentine's Day.

C'mon urbanMamas, help an urbanPapa out....

Is anyone traveling?

Have you noticed that many of us here at urbanMamas have been busy?  A few of us are busy getting the families ready for travels to see family over the winter break.  We know quite a few families who are packing up their things, getting ready to go.  We also know quite a few families who are staying local, or perhaps renting a cabin up in the snow for a night or two.

We thought it'd be a good time to highlight a few travel posts that could be handy for the traveling folk:

• Traveling with Tots
• Car Rentals & Car Seats
• Have Car Seat, Will it Fly?
• A car seat in a cab?

For those who are staying closer to home, perhaps we can share some snowy fun ideas?

• Playing in the snow
• Fun on the mountains
• Snowshoeing away the winter blues
• Ski Bunny: Her First Time

So, will your family be stay close to Portland for the winter break?  Are you heading out of town to visit with family and friends, or have you already gone?  Do share!  We'd love to hear what you are up to....

Your gifting strategy this season?

We're in full swing now in our assorted holiday seasons.  However we celebrate, gifts around this time are common and abundant.  What are some ideas to put more meaning into the stuff we give?  Make it local!  Make it green!

Eco-Mama does a nice little run-down on gifting green and features some great (new) local merchants that now takes Chinook Book coupons.  Serena posted some great ideas last year in "A tightwad shops local."  Or, maybe make a donation to the Environmental Working Group of at least $135 and get a great gift bag that includes a shopping bag, a cast-iron pan, a Klean Kanteen water bottle, recycled paper note pad, organic chocoate and more....

One of our personal favorite spots for getting gifts, year after year, is at Our Children's Store.  Formerly at the Galleria Mall downton and now at the Lloyd Center, "100% of the profits from sales are distributed to over 40 local children's organizations."  Its a great concept and we always find plenty of unique gifts there.

We'd love to hear more about gifting strategy this season.  Are you baking or knitting or making?  Are you shopping online?  Visiting local shops on some of our favorite retail strips like NW 23rd, Hawthorne, NE Alberta, or N Mississippi?

Is the Santa secret safe?

We're all about chatting about the holidays of late, and this household has been wondering: (for those of us whose children believe in Santa) how long does the magic of Santa last?  When does the secret get spoiled?

We have made up all sorts of stories about how there's only one Santa, and how all the other ones are just elves dressed up as the jolly old fellow so they can spread the cheer more efficiently.  We have also told tales of a helipad on top of the downtown Nordstrom where the sleigh parks with all the raindeer waiting.  We write letters and Santa is always sure to leave a note back along with a couple of treats.  We are sure to only use special Santa wrapping paper (and never the same paper we wrap our other gifts with!).

Do you play out the Santa fantasy in your household?  Is the Santa secret still safe?

Holiday Cards: What's Your Tradition?

In previous years, I would coerce my husband into making the hike out to some spot up in the mountains to snap a picture of our family.  As the family photographer and videographer, we've got plenty of pictures of the kids, solo, with each other, with each parent, with other families and friends.  However, in the mix of the hundreds of pictures we take over the year, we can never get it together to take a picture of our family.  And if we do, inevitably, somebody is caught not looking, with their eyes closed, or not smiling.  The first year, when my son was about 9 months old, we spent Thanksgiving in the Wallowa Mountains.  We trekked our way on snowshoes into some remote area of "Little Switzerland" and somehow as our digital camera teetered precariously on some rock, we managed to capture this fantastic photo.  This year, we decided to go the route to get some professional help from Dimples Photography.  Though the pictures turned out fantastic, we have probably missed our deadline to send out holiday cards by the end of the year! Oh well, but as I reminisce on our little adventure to Eastern Oregon, I am inspired to DIY a good family picture in the new year for the next holiday season.  Do you partake in the holiday card sending / giving tradition? Do you do-it-yourself, or do use the services of a professional photographer?  I'm also curious if anyone sends out electronic holiday cards, or is that too impersonal?

Holiday Cookies: Share Some of Your Favorites

The other day, my husband gently nudged me to host a cookie exchange so he could dust off his rolling pin.  When we would spend the holidays with our families in the Midwest, we would indulge in the once-a-year favorites such as Baklava and Banket. I'm not sure of the tradition of baklava, but Banket is one of those tasty Dutch pastries that my mother-in-law loves to bake.  His grandparents were Dutch immigrants.  It was also that time of the year to make Peanut Butter Kisses, Sugar Cookies, and of course the Gingerbread People. 

Since I'm right on schedule (sent out the email invite four days ago, and the exchange is tomorrow) I need some ideas on some great holiday cookies.  I got the ix-nay on the Pecan Sandies - they didn't quite meet holiday muster according to the resident cookie authority. Biscotti was also met with a lukewarm response.  Do you have suggestions for terrific holiday cookies that would pass the scrutiny of our family cookie-snob?  Do you have any family favorites and ethnic cookie recipes?  Lastly, as I'm always looking for ways to streamline the cookie exchange, how do you go about hosting yours?

Where's Your Tree?

Every year, there's lots of options for Christmas trees from fake, going to your neighborhood lot, to the "living tree" option to getting a permit to cut down one in the woods or at a tree farm.  Debi has a specific request for suggestions on farms.  But where you typically get yours?  Do you make it a tradition and go back to the same place each year?

My family and I want to go to a Christmas tree farm this year where we can pick out and cut our tree. We live in NE Portland/almost Gresham and would like to know if anyone knows of a good place to go for this. I figure we might have to go out to outer Gresham, Boring or Sandy but would love any suggestions.