Freezer Meals for the New (or recurring) Mom

Welcome back to the Sisterhood! If you're wondering where we've been, well, it's been that kind of winter. I, personally, just recently had our third child, so I've been a little busy. But thanks to my dear sister and an idea we're going to share with you today, I'm actually finding myself with more free time than I imagined. So if you know someone who is about to have a baby (maybe someone in your church, a good friend, a sister, a daughter, etc.), I'm going to strongly recommend that you consider being a HUGE blessing in their soon-to-be crazy lives by providing them with a freezer full of make-ahead-and-dump-in-the-crockpot meals. 

Tonight's dinner

As I type this, I'm currently enjoying the aroma of "Italian chicken with potatoes and green beans" that's cooking in my crockpot. My sister (bless her heart) came to visit us a few weeks after my delivery. And besides caring for my high-maintenance 4 & 2 year-olds, she spent the entire week preparing almost 30 bags of meals and snacks (like this peanut butter granola and these yogurt freezie pops for the kids) that store in my freezer. My favorite part is that these aren't just meals for supper. She also put together some snacks, 3 bags of "breakfast muffins" (think omelets in the shape of a muffin that you can warm up in 30 seconds), 2 bags of french toast sticks, and 2 bags of pre-made, non-processed breakfast sandwiches. These have been awesome to have since most mornings I am really dragging (after middle-of-the-night feedings) and can barely feed myself let alone my other kids.

We have available now a PDF copy of all of the recipes she used. So if you are interested in getting a copy, just send us an email at albright.sisterhood@gmail.com and we'll send it right back to you to use in whatever way you want (you can certainly make these for yourself as well if you are needing to "stock up"). And again, as a new-again mom, I can't encourage you enough, if you have the time and means, to do this for someone. It has been a wonderful gift that has blessed our whole family the past few weeks. Thanks for reading, and enjoy! 

Tomorrow night's dinner, thawing in the
refrigerator - can't wait! 

Megan for the Sisterhood

SisterSurveySays: Baby Shower Ideas

(c) Microsoft 2013

And here's part 2 of our shower ideas posts (click here for part 1 on Wedding Showers). Obviously there's no set "season" for baby showers, but for whatever reason, we at least seem to encounter more showers in the summertime. So hopefully these ideas will help if you are looking for some new or more helpful ways to shower your next Mom-to-be (MTB). 

(c) Amazon.com

CHANGING PAD CLUTCH - Jill received one of these for her little guy and absolutely loves it. Not only does it unfold into a changing pad, but the end pocket is large enough for diapers, wipes, and even a few tubes of rash cream. The clutch is also small enough, when folded, to fit into a medium-to-large purse as well as a diaper bag. If you don't need a changing pad, I'm sure Jill would be happy to make you a simple diaper & wipes case from her etsy shop. :-)

Ever seen this before? That's right, it's
one of CreativeSeams' caddies.
Great for diaper holding. 

ORGANIZING CADDY OR SMALL TOY BIN FULL OF DIAPERS/WIPES - We know. Diapers are not nearly as cute or interesting as those little baby outfits (with the matching jackets and hats). But (now that we're all moms) we also know that nobody is going to complain about having too many diapers - they do all eventually get used up. So if you're leaning towards the practical side, why not dress it up a bit? You can fill a really cute caddy (like this one here) with these essentials. And then maybe you'll still get the "awwww. how cute!" exclamation that accompanies that adorable Carter's outfit. 

BABY SHOES WITH A GIFT CARD - Of course a gift card can always be a huge blessing to a MTB. So if you want a fun way to "dress it up" a little bit (and give the MTB something to open besides a card), why not attach it to a pair of shoes? Cute shoes will also qualify you for the "awwww" factor. Our newest mom, Julie, loves to do this. And if you're wondering if babies even need shoes before they're walking, the answer is YES! They help hold their socks on! (So now you know. Practical AND visual). 

3-year-old trying out his
new towel from Aunt Joanne

HOMEMADE HOODED TOWELS - We mentioned this idea with our Holiday Gift Guide, but the idea originated for us when Joanne was given one of these hooded towels at her baby shower. She has since made them for the rest of our children, and we all agree: we LOVE them! I've personally used them on both my 6-month-old and my 3-year old. If you would rather put a personal touch and have the time to make these (and they don't take long), they really do make great gifts. (Tutorial for making these found here.)

Enjoying our first trip to the American Girl store -
Moby Wrap included (for both of our comforts).

MOBY WRAP - I can't conclude a post on Baby shower gifts without a plug for the Moby wrap. I realize there are a number of "carrier" and sling options out there - and the moby wrap is not necessarily the cheapest or easiest option to slip on. HOWEVER, I have yet to meet someone who owns a moby wrap and DOESN'T like it. So now, if I can go in together on a gift for someone (if the MTB doesn't already have one), I try to get her a moby. You can usually find the best deal for them here on Amazon.com (in a plethora of colors too). They are fantastic for getting fussy babies to sleep or calmed down. And they are by far the best feeling on the back (something about being ergonomical, etc.). Okay, advertisement over. 

(c) carseatcanopy.com

CARSEAT COVER/BOPPY PILLOW/NURSING COVER - I'm not sure of the overall company name, but whoever they are, you can get coupon codes regularly for free carseat covers, boppy pillows & covers, and nursing covers. Many of these codes are in the Pregnancy magazines in your doctor's office. And once you purchase one, they start emailing you more codes for other items. The catch is that you have to pay shipping, which is usually around $12. But that's not a bad deal for these very handy items. (Note: right now, almost every new mom in our church has a Carseat Canopy). So to get you started, here's a code [MOTHERHOOD13] I have for a Carseat Cover (which should lead you to other free things if you order, etc.). I have these and have kept ordering them to use as gifts for people. They really are great! Lots of gender-neutral colors & designs. 

That's all for now. We'd love to hear some of your ideas as well, so feel free to comment and add to the creativity. 

Megan for The Sisterhood

SisterSurveySays: Wedding shower ideas

If you haven't noticed yet, wedding season is in crazy full gear. We're probably even a little behind in posting this. But if you are still scratching the creative side of your brain hoping to give a special friend or family member something besides a spatula at their wedding shower, well, we're here for you! We did a quick SisterSurvey on our favorite Wedding Shower gifts to give AND receive.

(c) Microsoft 2013

LAUNDRY BASKET FULL OF CLEANING GOODIES - We've seen many varieties along this idea. But the gist is, get some kind of laundry basket or cleaning bucket and fill it with cleaning supplies or household goods that the Bride-to-be (henceforth called BTB) will need - probably sooner rather than later. Especially if she's moving into a new dwelling place, she will probably need to do some cleaning ASAP. Some of our favorites can be found here. 

This bamboo recipe box from Target 

has a small ledge inside for displaying

a recipe card in-use

RECIPE BOX WITH RECIPES FROM FRIENDS - This is an idea that someone gave me at my shower that I have benefited from seven-fold. So recently, when I saw that a BTB had a nice recipe box from Target on her registry, I remembered this idea! I asked several friends to write out their top 3-5 go-to recipes (and provided them with nice cards), and we put them all in the box. It adds a nice personal touch - and from experience, it's nice to have those resources as a newlywed. 

My handywoman hammer 

with an assortment of screw-

drivers tucked inside

THE HANDYWOMAN BASKET - Another fantastic idea (that is totally stolen from someone else) is to put together a handywoman kit - with everything a girl needs for those little fix-it projects, loose screws, and, most importantly, picture hanging! This kit usually includes some sort of small hammer, screw driver, and a small box of picture hanging necessities (like little screws/nails, wire, etc.). The hammer pictured here is one that I have used over and over again. It's like they took one of those stackable dolls and made it useful! 

Love this set from the Republic of Tea

TEAPOT WITH INFUSER & LOOSE LEAF TEA OF CHOICE - Now obviously, not everyone out there is a tea fanatic like Jill or a tea snob like me. But if you have a BTB who enjoys the occasional (or frequent) nice cup of tea, finding a nice tea pot with an infuser and coupling it with some loose leaf tea (a favorite of my guests has been this Ginger Peach Tea from The Republic of Tea) could be the perfect blend of practical and classy. 

Whatever you end up doing, be it gift card, spatula, or some other crazy-creative idea, have fun showering your BTBs with your favorite things! We'd love to hear some of your ideas as well. Hope you enjoyed!

Megan at The Sisterhood

ps. Stay tuned for an upcoming post on our favorite Baby Shower ideas!