Tuesday's Tots and Wee Ones: Our Little Friend, Lucy

Hi Friends,

Please welcome our guest blogger today from Roses, Rosemary, and Lavender.  Thanks for joining us, Rosemary and Lucy!

If you would like to guest blog with us, we would love to have you.  Just leave a comment below or email us at madmaxandfamily (at) gmail.

Hello Mad Max and Sadie Lovers!

Lucy and I are so honored that Tara asked us to write a guest post again while she and Sadie are getting all settled in.  Even though it seems like yesterday, Lucy was born 6 months ago on April 25. We thought we would share some moments from Lucy's first week during Sadie's recent time home.  We can't wait to see pictures of Sweet Sadie!

Image Credit: Roses, Rosemary, and Lavender

This is Lucy's first day home when she was 3 days old.  She's all bundled up in her purple and white coming home outfit.  I can still smell her new baby scent.  There's nothing quite like it, is there?

Image Credit: Roses, Rosemary, and Lavender

Lucy quickly took to her swing.  This was a welcome break to us as new parents!  Miss Lucy has always loved to eat, and the first week the only break we got from feeding was when she would sleep.  She is still a big fan of the swing - thank God this one goes up to 30 lbs on the weight limit.  We want her to be a happy, swinging girl as long as she can.

Image Credit: Roses, Rosemary, and Lavender

Lucy's first flower delivery!  I love how her little feet are sticking out of her Marc Ecko gown.  Even in her first week, she was a little fashionista!

Image Credit: Roses, Rosemary, and Lavender

This is Lucy after one of her first pediatrician appointments.  There are so many appointments in the first 2 weeks of life.  We love this Dr. Seuss sleeper we found and hope that a little brother or sister will wear it one day!

Image Credit: Roses, Rosemary, and Lavender

This is one of our all time favorite Lucy pics.  Her personality was already starting to come out!  She still gives me the same look when she's telling me what she thinks about something!

Image Credit: Roses, Rosemary, and Lavender

And last, but not least, Lucy meeting Marley, our dog.  Marley was our first baby, so we let her give her approval to the new member of our pack ........

Image Credit: Roses, Rosemary, and Lavender

........ And of course she did!  Our two girls get along famously now!

Sadie, Lucy and I are anxious to see pictures of you and of your big brother Mad Max!  We wish you a very happy first week, and we hope you let your Mom and Dad get some rest.

Hugs and Love from Tennessee!

Thursday's Kids and T(w)eens: "Grape" Snacks

Hi Friends,

How are you?

Finally, *almost* the weekend!  Are you looking forward to the weekend like we are ... ??  Although once we hit the weekend we will be three weeks away from my baby sister's birthday!  Mommy is getting a bit busy with all of her preparation (at school and at home).  Hang in there, Mommy.  Only three weeks left!

And what are you up to this week?

Have you enjoyed our Grape Adventure and our focus on health this week?  If you missed it, be sure to check out our blogs from Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

Today we would like to bring you a snack idea for your older ones.  As you know, this past weekend we went on an organic Grape Adventure at Whole Foods Market, and one of Daddy's favorite ways to enjoy grapes is very simple - frozen!  Instant frozen popsicles.  What do you think?  We think your older ones will love this (be sure not to feed to the younger ones, they may choke).

How do you like to enjoy grapes or other fruits as snacks?  What about your kiddos?  Any creative ways you enjoy them?

Image Credit: Mad Max and Family / Tara J

Grapes in our freezer - yum!

Image Credit: Mad Max and Family / Tara J

Me ... Mad Max saying YUM to grapes above (but no, not the frozen ones, I'm a bit young).

Bloggers: Mommy is starting to help me prepare and schedule some blogs ahead of time for the first two weeks of Sadie's arrival (10/22 C-Section).  I will be a very busy big brother for those two weeks (and beyond).

We are going to focus on newborns the first week and siblings the second week.  We would love to have you guest post, if you are interested in joining us!  Leave a comment on our blog, or you can reach us at madmaxandfamily (at) gmail.

Thanks for considering!  We will post this message again, in case you miss it.

-Mad Max

PS: You can also find us on Mad About Town.

Fun Friday: Welcome to the Candy Shop

Hi Friends,

Sadie here!

I have a Fun Friday blog for you today.  With our focus on food this week, we (of course) can't leave out the sweets!

Image Credit: Neha P. Photography

Houstonians: Train Wreck Mommy's ol' buddy from high school, Neha Patel (Neha P. Photography), is partnering with Bows by Karly (clothing designer) for a Candy Shop themed photo session.

From Neha P. Photography: "We are so excited about the Candy Shop themed photo shoot.  Bows by Karly and I wanted to come up with something for all age groups, for boys and girls and something fun and colorful.  This would be a great picture to end the summer with and begin the new school year!"

See the image above for detailed information, and enjoy the photos below!  More photos can be found on Neha P. Photography.  We can't get over how cute this theme is and the photos are wonderful!

All: How often do you take professional photos of your kids or family?  Do you like to include fun or special props?

We've had professional photos on the brain lately because Mommy is preparing some ideas for my (Sadie's) newborn photo shoot.  What ideas do you have for us?

In case you missed it ... Guest Blog: check us out on schue love this week. Thanks for having us!

Houstonians: Leave one comment on our Whole Foods "Back-to-School" Giveaway posting for your chance to win the awesome prize pack.  More ways to win on the blog posting.  Super Simple, says Mad Max!  You have until Sunday evening to enter the Giveaway.

-Sadie of Mad Max and Family

You can also visit us on Mad About Town.

Thursday's Kids and Tweens: Cooking Classes

Hi Friends,

Do you have a little (or big) chef in the house?  Or have you thought about cooking classes for your kiddos?

My (Mad Max's) extent of cooking so far is playing with the Tupperware (which is one of my favorite hobbies) and smelling all of Dada's spices (so basically yes, I am a future chef in training!).  If you have ideas for how to get Super Tots involved with cooking, let us know!

In the meantime, what about your older ones?  We found a few cooking class options in Houston you may want to check out!  If you are outside of Houston, do you know of ones in your area you can share with us?

Sur La Table (which is in other cities too) offers cooking classes for kids at the River Oaks and City Centre location.

I didn't see Cooking Classes geared towards kids at River Oaks this Fall, but they had many options this past summer (such as World's Best Food: Kids).  Be sure to check them out for future opportunities!

The City Centre location is listing classes this Fall that involved Parents and Kids (ages 8 - 12 years) such as Baking With Your Kids: Tricks and Treats.  Be sure to check their calendar page for other available classes!

And if you are in the Houston area, check out the Young Chef's Academy for your little chefs (Sugarland, TX).

Do share with us other ideas for Cooking Classes!

Image Credit: Mad Max and Family / Tara J

Photo Above: Here I am training to be a future chef by learning how to eat my corn on the cob like a big boy.

In case you missed it ... Guest Blog: check us out on schue love this week.  Thanks for having us!

Houstonians: Leave one comment on our Whole Foods "Back-to-School" Giveaway posting for your chance to win the awesome prize pack.  More ways to win on the blog posting.  Super Simple, says Mad Max!  You have until Sunday evening to enter the Giveaway.

-Mad Max

You can also visit us on Mad About Town.

next stop: Restaurant Week

Hi Friends,

What is your next stop this weekend with your family?

Houstonians: Have you been to Houston’s Restaurant Week?  

Or if you are outside of Houston, does your city have a Restaurant Week you participate in?  Did you include your kiddos? 

Image Credit: Mad Max and Family / Tara J

The Houston Restaurant “Week” was extended until Labor Day.  There are many restaurants that participate, and you can see a full list here.  My … (Mad Max’s) favorite is Max’s Wine Dive.  But the best part of the Houston Restaurant Week is that it is dining for a good cause.  Houston Food Bank donations are made by the participating restaurants based upon how many lunches and dinners they sold during the event. 

So do you plan on taking your kids to Houston Restaurant Week?  Or perhaps you can create your OWN “Restaurant Week.”  Wouldn’t that be fun!?  How would you design your “Restaurant Week”?  I think if we were to create our own “Restaurant Week” we would pick two or three restaurants we’ve never been to … and try food maybe I never tried or don’t eat too often (so Tex-Mex is out).

You also could enhance your own personal “Restaurant Week” experience by learning about the culture for the food you will be trying prior to your visit. And the next week, you could try to make your own dish with your family (as inspired by your restaurant visit).

What is your next stop when it comes to food with your family? 

In case you missed it ... Guest Blog: check us out on schue love this week. Thanks for having us!

Houstonians: Leave one comment on our Whole Foods "Back-to-School" Giveaway posting for your chance to win the awesome prize pack.  More ways to win on the blog posting.  Super Simple, says Mad Max!  You have until Sunday evening to enter the Giveaway.

-Mad Max

You can also visit us on Mad About Town.

Tuesday's Tots and Wee Ones: Nom Nom Nom and WHOLE FOODS GIVEAWAY

Hi Friends,

In case you missed it ... Guest Blog: check us out on schue love this week.  Thanks for having us!

Houstonians: Leave one comment on our Whole Foods "Back-to-School" Giveaway posting for your chance to win the awesome prize pack.  More ways to win on the blog posting.  Super Simple, says Mad Max!

Image Credit: Whole Foods Market

What are some of your "go to" foods to feed your Wee Ones and Tots?  Are you struggling with anything as it relates to food?  Did you have to give up any foods because of food allergies?  We've had the "giving up foods" conversations with several friends and bloggers.  I'm (Mad Max!) plant-strong so I'm happy to help those of you that need ideas when giving up dairy, etc!

At this point, I'm not really served anything different than Mommy and Daddy - I eat what they eat.  But all kiddos love grilled "cheese", right (even big kids - adults)?  Even plant-strong kiddos can have grilled cheese!

Image Credit: Mad Max and Family / Tara J

So this is a photo of Mommy's plate, but mine would just be smaller portions.

The Happy Herbivore: Grilled Cheeze

Makes 2 Sandwiches

1/2 c nutritional yeast

1/2 c nondairy milk

2 tbsp white whole-wheat flour

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp ketchup 

2 tsp yellow mustard

1 tsp onion powder (granulated)

1 tsp garlic powder (granulated) 

1/4 tsp dried dill

4 slices of toast

Whisk all, except toast, together in a saucepan and heat over high heat, stirring constantly until really thick (it will get lumpy).  Smear "cheeze" on toast and serve.  

You can of course add some greens to your "grilled cheeze" and a side of your choosing!  Check out The Happy Herbivore for more plant-strong ideas for your family.

What are you cooking tonight?

-Mad Max

Mad for Monday (Max's Weekend Update): Whole Foods Back-to-School GIVEAWAY

Hi Friends,

How was your weekend?  What did you do?

We are going to take a break from our regular "Weekend Update" post today to share an exciting Whole Foods GIVEAWAY for Houstonians and ... to share our guest post on one of our favorite blogs, Schue Love.

You can read our regular Weekend Update on our Houston Chronicle blog: Mad About Town.

Whole Foods "Back-to-School" GIVEAWAY

Houstonians: Are you gearing up for the back-to-school season with your kiddos (small or big)?  School supplies aren't complete without some lunch / snack treats and gear.

As many of you know, Whole Foods is our food destination of choice to refuel for the new school year.  We are very excited to partner with them for a Super "Back-to-School" GIVEAWAY.  I think even "big kids" (adults) would be excited to win this gift pack.

Image Credit: Whole Foods Market

From Whole Foods: 

Whole Foods Market is taking school lunches to the next level!  From our eco-friendly lunchboxes to our lunchbox-ready staples with no artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners, we have just what you need to help your kiddos start the school year on the right foot.  We have incorporated a few of our favorite back-to-school products in this giveaway!

Want to build a better lunchbox? Check out our Weekday Lunch Planner. 

Image Credit: Mad Max and Family / Tara J

Here I am above (Mad Max) on a recent trip to Whole Foods.  Monk (see: the monkey) and I are picking out some apples.

Whole Foods "Back-to-School" GIVEAWAY: HOW TO ENTER (9 number of ways to win!)

1) Visit the Whole Foods Market (Montrose) page and leave a comment below (simple!).

Or for extra entries (easy!):

2) "Like" Mad Max and Family's Facebook page (be sure to let us know by commenting on this blog post).
3) "Follow" Mad Max and Family's Twitter page (be sure to let us know by commenting on this blog post).
4) Post a comment on this blog post.
5) Comment on our Mad About Town (Houston Chronicle) blog (be sure to let us know by commenting on this blog post).
6) "Like" the Whole Foods Market Houston Facebook page (be sure to let us know by commenting on this blog post).
7) "Follow" Whole Food Houston's Twitter page (be sure to let us know by commenting on this blog post).
8) and 9) Post about this giveaway on Facebook, and / or Tweet about it on Twitter (providing the blog link) (be sure to let us know by commenting on this blog post).  This can be worth two entries!

Remember, you must comment in this blog post for EACH entry (up to 9 comments) because each entry / comment counts.  Be sure to leave a way I can contact you in case you win!  You can also email us at madmaxandfamily (at) gmail with your info.

You have from now until Sunday, August 26th, 2012 at 9 pm (CST) to comment and be entered for a chance to win.  The winner will be chosen at random using random.org and will be announced on Monday, August 27th, 2012 by 7 am (CST).  No purchase or payment necessary to enter.  You must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Open to those in the Houston, TX area since the Whole Foods Market Giveaway package will be picked up at the Whole Foods Montrose location.

Good luck!

Guest Blog: Mad Max and Family is on Schue Love today / Monday!  Be sure to visit one of our favorite blogs, Schue Love, today.  Natasha, thank you for having us over for a guest blog while you enjoy time with Super Baby Ethan!

-Mad Max and Family

Fun Friday: GUEST POST from Roses, Rosemary, and Lavender

Hi Family, Friends, and Fans,

Sadie here!  We are so happy that Rosemary (and Lucy!) of Roses, Rosemary, and Lavender is joining us today for a guest blog.  Enjoy!  Also be sure to read through the entire post for an update on me (Sadie!) and a reminder about our GIVEAWAY.

Hello to all of the Mad Max and soon to be Sadie fans!  I am so honored to be guest blogging for you this week.  (All Image Credits: Roses, Rosemary, and Lavender).

I had my own baby girl, Lucy, 3 months ago, and I am so excited that Tara is having sweet Sadie.  One of the most exciting parts of having a little girl for me is all of the clothes and shoes.  I have a feeling there is a lot more dressing up and primping with a little girl than there is with a boy.  My husband actually clutched his wallet and groaned when we found out we were having a little girl.

This adorable flamingo swimsuit was one of Lucy's first gifts!  How fantastic is that?  I can't wait to break it out for swimming in her private kiddie pool this Summer.

Here is my Little Diva on her 1 month birthday!  I love the red, black, and white combination for myself and I must say, Lucy pulls it off as well.  Plus she is uber chic in her matching white sunglasses. It's all about the accessories.

Miss Lucy is as cute as a bug in her outfit.  She was meeting our neighbors for the first time and wanted to look good.  Her socks are made to look like little ballet slippers!  I wish I could walk around in socks that looked like shoes.

Here we are on our way to meet a new cousin.  (We are Italian, so there are plenty!)  Lucy is showing off a "group effort" outfit.  Her headband, dress, and socks all come from different, loving friends!  It takes a village to make a diva.

Here we have Miss Lucy in a beautiful black and white ensemble that a high school friend of mine sent.  We went to the mall that day, and Lucy got so many compliments.  I have found that the number one gift choice for little girls is clothing.  It seems that everyone loves to shop for little girls!

And last but not least, we have Lucy's shoe collection.  This 3 month old already has 12 pairs of shoes not including knee high boots and two pair of crochet booties.  And the sad thing is her foot is too small for all but 2 pairs!  She takes after me with both the small feet and abundance of shoes!

Tara, we hope you're ready for a full closet and an ongoing fashion show.  Sadie is sure to be one stylish baby girl!

Sadie here ... thank you Rosemary for bringing us a guest post today!  Lucy's wardrobe is a lot for me to live up to, but I have confidence in Train Wreck Mommy.

So what do you think ... do you have girls?  Do you love buying things for their wardrobe?

My (Sadie's) Current Stats:

Age: 26 Weeks

Height: 14 inches

Weight: 1 lb and 2/3

Fruit / Veggie Size: Cucumber!

Fun Facts: I can hear EVERYTHING, and I'm practicing breathing (which is hard to do underwater!).

What do I enjoy most right now?: I enjoy waking up and dancing around 9 pm.  Don't you?

Don't forget to enter our The Mommie Series-Houston GIVEAWAY.  Click on the GIVEAWAY link to read about the contest and enter!  It's super easy to enter.  Be sure to spread the word.

-Sadie of Mad Max and Family / Mad About Town