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mother’s day

The Love Affair Of Motherhood {Uberkate Giveaway}

April 1, 2015 / Family, Giveaway / 23 Comments

When I think about how to sum up what motherhood means to me, I keep coming back to “it’s a love affair”. Not the same kind that I have with by husband, but a relationship of the heart nonetheless. Let me explain.

It all started when I was trying to get pregnant. The hope of a new person to love and be loved by was an ache in my heart that I didn’t know how badly I wanted until it seemed like I couldn’t have it. The idea of a brand new love that I could nurture and grow was a dream that just wouldn’t go away.

Dearest child, I loved you before you even existed.

And then, I was pregnant. The anticipation of starting our lives together as a family of three was too exciting to have to wait those nine months to begin.

When you were born, we started what felt like dating. Getting to know each other slowly, through good times and bad. Through sleepless nights and gurgley smiles. There were days when you felt like a stranger who had been left on my doorstep, and I wasn’t sure that this motherhood thing was going to work out. There were absolutely days when I wanted us to break up so I could go back to just being me. But we didn’t break up. I didn’t give up.

You were getting to know me too. Seeing if I would care for you and love you no matter what. As a baby, you were up all night long for many months, giving me such sleep deprivation that I’m pretty sure I was hallucinating half the time.

As a toddler you pushed my buttons to see how I’d respond. Testing my parenting skills and commitment to being as good a mum as I badly wanted to be. Through tantrums and food throwing and hitting-in-the-face, I stuck it out, knowing that being your mum was worth it. I think I passed the test because here we are today, seriously in love.

Our days are filled with comfortable companionship – the kind that comes with knowing the other person’s heart as well as your own. We hold hands and walk together, picking flowers, singing songs and fluttering our pretend wings. I paint your toenails blue and braid your hair like Elsa. You tell me I’m your best friend and that you love me. The feeling’s mutual, kid.

Darling girl, you’ll always be, along with your dad, the loves of my life. The best, biggest, most amazing love that a woman could hope for.

MOTHER’S DAY GIVEAWAY WITH UBERKATE

With Mother’s Day just a few weeks away, I’ve teamed up with the wonderful Uberkate to give one lucky reader the chance to celebrate their own family love affair with a piece of Uberkate custom jewellery. I absolutely love my own Uberkate Expression Pendant because it lets me keep my family close to my heart.

One reader will win their own bespoke Uberkate Expression Pendant piece worth $255, customisable with names of their choosing. The Expression Pendant is a flat, embossed solid sterling silver pendant 3.3cm long x 2.2cm wide and 1.5mm thick. Includes 45cm sterling silver curb chain. Below you can see my customised piece with our names on it, written in my husband Alec’s handwriting. For the chance to win your own Uberkate Expression Pendant, enter via the form below.

Entry open to Australian residents only. The most creative answer will win. This is not a game of chance. Competition is open Wednesday April 8th 2015 to 11:59pm Tues April 21st 2015.

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Thanks to Uberkate for my beautiful Expression Pendant. All opinions are, as always, my own.

Opening image by Saving Grace Photography.

Linking up with Grace.

Mother’s Day 2014 at the New York Botanical Garden

May 12, 2014 / Cheese, Family, New York Life / 2 Comments

Finally gorgeous weather after seven months of freezing cold. What better way to spend the day with my loves than in the gorgeous New York Botanical Garden? The gardens are way up in the Bronx, so makes it a good day trip for us. They are extremely relaxed at the gardens, happy for visitors to lounge anywhere and really enjoy the gardens (in contrast to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens where they won’t let you sit on the lawn!), so we always pack a blanket and picnic food so we can hopefully spread out under a tree at some stage and enjoy the serenity.

Mother's Day at the New York Botanical Gardens

The gardens are so easy to get to by train. The B, D or 4 are all nearby, and it’s a short walk from the station to the garden. The gardens are MASSIVE. There is a tram to get around, but we always walk and haven’t found it too large for strolling between each area. Mother’s Day weekend is the perfect time to visit the garden – the tulips and daffodils were just past peak bloom, but the cherry blossom trees and azaleas were in full bloom and absolutely stunning.

Mother's Day at the New York Botanical Gardens

The gardens put on a special Mother’s Day garden party, with a live jazz band, old school lawn games like croquet, kites, and arts for the kids like making cards, baskets for (pretend) bird eggs, and water colour paintings. We grabbed lunch from a food truck (grilled cheese!) and set up under a perfectly flowering cherry blossom tree. Cheese quickly found toddlers nearby to play with, and merrily entertained herself with a little boy the same age collecting and building a house out of sticks.

We stopped to listen to the band – Cheese wanted to dance, and so we did! Nothing like dancing to a real vintage jazz band among the gorgeous trees and flowers.

Mother's Day at the New York Botanical Gardens

A stroll around the gardens after lunch for the Cheese to nap brought us to the exact same spot we paused for a picnic two years ago when we first visited the garden. After the little lady woke up and saw our picnic spread, she proclaimed it “the best picnic ever!” (from Peppa Pig perhaps?). It was the perfect Mother’s Day with my dearest loves, in one of my absolute favourite places in the city I also love.

Mother's Day at the New York Botanical Gardens

The only thing that could have made the way better was to be celebrating my own mother in person as well. I miss spending time with my parents, particularly on special days like today. Happy Mother’s Day to my amazing mum, and all the wonderful mums in my life and in yours!

Mother's Day Traditions to Inspire You

May 6, 2014 / New York Food / 0 comment

Rejoice! It is almost Mother’s Day! The Brunch With My Baby team hopes that you’ll be spoiled rotten by your family, and get to enjoy some quality time with your loved ones.

Haven’t decided on where to go yet? We asked some of our favorite blogger friends for their Mother’s Day plans to give you some last-minute ideas.

Kristin Strange of My Strange Family
This year I will be celebrating my 4th Mothers Day. Every year, my Mother’s Day is divided between “me” time and “family” time. We always have a nice brunch at The Harrison restaurant in Tribeca (which we originally picked because it is my son’s name). After brunch we make our way tonearby Washington Market Park for some running-out-the-crazies and slide time. During nap-time on Mother’s Day, I usually sneak out of the house and have a nice spa afternoon at the Langham Place Spa in Midtown. It is a perfect mix of activities for a perfect day of celebrating me as a mom. (The photo is from last year at Washington Market Park, when Kristin was 8+ months pregnant!)

#mothersday #traditions via brunchwithmybaby.com

Allison Cooper of Project Motherhood
For our family, Mother’s Day (and Father’s Day!) have become days that we always spend together as a family, but the rule is that my husband and son are in charge of planning something they know I will enjoy (we do the same for Father’s Day, but with me as the planner). Last year, we spent a wonderfully sunny day at Prospect Park Zoo, which we love because it’s so intimate and friendly. We also do small gifts, which is always fun to look forward to. As my son gets older, many of the gifts become homemade treasures that I value more than anything!

An Interview with #Brianne Manz from #strollerinthecity - brunchwithmybaby.com

Brianne Manz of Stroller In The City

My absolutely favorite thing to do in NYC on Mothers Day is to go to a wonderful brunch with my family! It’s so important to me to spend the day with my 3 children and husband. This year we are actually heading to Langham Place for a fun, family-friendly sing along. I think the kids (and us parents) will have an absolute blast!

Jory Lieber of Teeny Tiny Foodie
For Mother’s Day, I like to go out for a nice meal with my husband and daughter and enjoy time outside if the weather permits. The restaurants we like (with the perk of outdoor seating) are Du Jour Bakery and Stone Park Cafe. However, I also like to celebrate by taking a little time for myself and getting a manicure and pedicure too! We love the JJ Byrne Playground in Park Slope for outdoor fun, and we also like to go to the Prospect Park Zoo or just for a neighborhood walk.

#mothersday #traditions from @foodballfoodandmotherhood via brunchwithmybaby.com

Stephanie Barnhart of Football Food and Motherhood
It’s become tradition for us to go to Freeport in Long Island for Mother’s Day — they have the nautical mile which is lined with outdoor ocean/seafood restaurants. You can sit outside on the harbor and have a cold beer and fresh seafood. This year however, we are opting against it since Maximo is so wild and will probably fall off the dock. Stay tuned to see how that plays out! Typically we eat at Otto’s Sea Grill or Rachel’s Waterside Grill. (Check out Stephanie and Maximo last Mother’s Day at Freeport in the pic above!). The Freeport area was significantly damaged during 2012’s hurricane and only re-opened late last year, so the businesses would love your support!

#mothersday #traditions to inspire you via brunchwithmybaby.com

Serena Norr, Managing Editor of Momtrends and The Shopping Mama
With all of the busyness in my life, I love Mother’s Day as a time to spend time with family. Since I grew up in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, we usually go there to meet my mom and my sister for an early dinner and to visit to the local parks afterward. I also love waking up to the sweet and precious handmade cards that my girls usually make me. There is nothing better (to me) on Mother’s Day then the simplicity of shutting off, eating great food and being with my family.

If these ideas don’t inspire you, here are some of our fave restaurant and outing picks:

Lunch at DUMBO’s Superfine and something sweet from Jacques Torres

Fancy SoHo lunch at Mercer Kitchen

People-watching while dining al fresco at Isabella’s on the Upper West Side

A walk around Union Square and lunch at the Blue Water Grill

Playing in Washington Market and brunch at Sarabeth’s

A day trip to Blue Hill Farm

Touring the gardens at The Cloisters and lunch at New Leaf Restaurant

Enjoy!!!

Mother’s Day 2013

May 14, 2013 / Family, Kids, New York Life / 0 comment

I don’t feel like I’m honest enough about how hard being a parent to a toddler is on a day-to-day basis. I post pretty pictures on Facebook and Instagram, and tweet cute or funny things that Eloise says or does. The reality is I love my baby girl with every ounce of my being – but some days are just. so. incredibly. hard. Physically exhausting. Mentally draining. Emotionally destroying. The good days and bad days mix with no rhyme or reason, and just when you think you’ve got everything under control and you’re in the clear, whammo, another bad day floors you to your knees.

I’m prefacing my post with this because Mother’s Day was one of those days. Alec went above and beyond to organise the perfect weekend for me. A cupcake from my favourite bakery. A surprise massage. Home-cooked lunch, and a surprise dinner at a vegan restaurant I’ve been dying to try. And then Eloise’s two-year molars started to come in – at least, that’s what we’re guessing is going on. Now we’re back to a whingy, not-sleeping, screaming bundle of toddler.

My Mother’s Day was filled with the humbling reminder that my enjoyment of life is – for the moment at least – highly dependant on the happiness of my child. Sad baby = no-one enjoys the day.

We still tried to make the most out of it. Got out in the sun, went to a few parks, had a wonderful dinner together after Eloise went to bed. It was not the Mother’s Day I would have wanted, but, then again, that’s not the toddler I was given.

So here are my carefully edited photos that tell a different story about my Mother’s Day.

20 takes later, this was the best shot. Notice she’s trying to escape?

Bounce up and down like an idiot, and eventually you’ll get a cranky toddler to smile

The other way to get an angry toddler to smile – let them do what they want. “Walk, walk walk!” You got it, baby!

To all the mothers out there!

May 12, 2013 / News / 0 comment

Happy Mother’s Day!

The Brunch With My Baby team wishes you a beautiful day with your families. We hope you’re going somewhere sweet (or savoury!) for brunch!

Christine and her mum. — Christine and her mum, Kay.

Love,

Christine + Alexis

First Mother’s Day, 2012

May 14, 2012 / Family, Kids, New York Life / 0 comment

I have to admit I was insanely excited about my first mother’s day this year. Alec was so amazing and planned a gorgeous day out for us. We started with lunch at Cafe Blossom in the West Village, followed by a shopping trip to my fave store, Anthropologie, and then a walk home via the waterfront. Dinner, pizza and wine. Total bliss.

It also feels like a good day to reflect on how my life has changed since becoming a mother. Apart from the obvious (ummmm, I have a baby attached to me 24/7), I’ve been thinking a lot this week on how having a baby has changed me in more permanent ways. Hopefully for the better.

Three lessons I’ve learned from my 8mth baby girl:

1. Acceptance – everything happens when it happens. Or not. The amount of times I’ve missed things, been late, etc, because of a sleeping/needing to feed/needing to sleep but won’t sleep baby I just can’t count. I’m getting better at accepting that things are either meant to be or not, and to not get as hung up on my plans coming to fruition as I had wanted.
2. Unconditional love. I thought I had known this before Eloise came along, but I was wrong. The love I feel for this baby is all consuming. Pre baby – I didn’t want to give up my life/career/goals for a baby. Post baby – I’d do anything for her, don’t want to go back to work incase I miss a minute of her life, and have shelved all my goals in favour of the sole dream to see Eloise grow up and achieve her dreams.
3. Finding joy in the small things. Nothing makes Eloise laugh like playing silly games with her, and nothing makes me happier than hearing her tiny little laugh.

Mother’s day, 2012.

Mother’s Day!

May 10, 2010 / Family / 0 comment

My mum’s pretty great. I know I’m lucky to have such a wonderful mum, so I like to spoil her on Mother’s Day. This year I took my parents to lunch at my favourite local cafe, Not Bread Alone, and then went for a drive to Middle Head Harbour to check out the historical area and the amazing view.

It was perfect Sydney weather – stunning bright blue sky and amazing warm sun. We wandered around for a while, then checked out the nearby cafe, Burnt Orange. I had tried to book us in here for lunch, but it was booked out, so instead we went for afternoon tea when it was a bit quieter.

Happy Mother’s Day Mum!

xox

Mother’s Day

May 10, 2009 / Family / 0 comment

The Mother’s Day extravaganza rolled around again. We had an insane weekend – Star Trek Gold Class on Friday night with my parents, puppy play time on Saturday, driving to Newcastle for dinner with Alec’s dad on Saturday evening, followed by a full-on Sunday serving lunch to less fortunate people and then lunch for ourselves with Alec’s mum. We arrived home late Sunday evening, completely exhausted!

Mother’s Day

May 11, 2008 / Family, Sydney Food / 0 comment

I love my mum a lot. She’s pretty awesome, so I was looking forward to spending the day with her and my dad.

We decided to go for a drive down to the Southern Highlands, to a few places we used to drive to frequently when I was young.

We had lunch at our first stop, Bowrel at The Grand Bar and Brasserie. The old hotel had a great vegetarian menu so it was perfect for me, as well as having lots of old favourites like fish and chips for my dad.

The damper garlic bread was divine.

My vege tasting plate – with broccoli tempura, honey carrots, sweet potato chips, asparagus and beans.

Mum’s vege omelette with tomato salsa.

Dad’s fish and chips.

The area had a lot of beautiful autumn trees. The colours were amazing!

Nina’s chocolate shop – lots of sweets from all over the world as well as these handmade chocolates – made in Sydney, and really delicious.

This was a really quirky antiques store.

After Bowrel we drove to Berrima which is about 15 mins away. Berrima is a bit more touristy than Bowrel but also has more galleries and cafes. I do love Bowrel though as it has amazing tulips in October every year.

We went to some markets at the public school in Berrima an came away with homemade food and second-hand books. Awesome bargains.

Afternoon tea in the Southern Highlands is always Devonshire tea. The alpaca centre has a great little cafe in it that looks quite plain from the outside but is really cosy on the inside. It also has really lovely scones.

Mmmmm!

With Mum.

Tasty caramel slice from the markets.

Yummu chocolates.