Mothers Returning to Work: Kate and Hattie

Kate works as a middle school English teacher. She lives in SE Portland with her husband and her daughter Hattie and now their son, Sawyer. At the time of this interview, Kate was getting ready to have her second child, and reflecting on her journey to life as a working mom. Her answers below are honest, personal and inspiring. 

Montessori Mondays: Start with the Basics

During one of my Alt for Everyone classes, a group of women in the chat were complaining that they "hate primary color themed toys" and "those boring Montessori black, white and red toys." Well, I hate to break it to you, people, but you've gotta start with the basics. Read on to understand how children's minds are developing impressions of the world, formulating broad, basic categories of classification and beginning to understand the broad, complex world around them.

The weekend is already here!?

Oh my goodness, I had such great plans for the blog this past week, but I came down with a strange malady that ended with the most disturbing, full-body rash of positively biblical proportions, that somehow it all went out the window! Now, armed with an Epi-Pen, new allergy medication and a bunch of supplements, Coco and I are getting all our stuff ready for our trip to Ibiza Sunday night. It's hard to believe that we are going! I am SO excited. We have our fingers crossed for sun, because the weather in Zurich has been so gloomy. Grey days still outnumber the sunny ones and we are losing hope that spring will ever come. It's very sad. :( A couple weeks ago we met J after work and we walked home along the lake. Coco was spellbound by the buskers and took putting coins onto their little stool very seriously. We were so relieved that she only put coins IN! ;)

Here's what caught my eye this past week: 

Let's reclaim childhood play for our kids!

Pants for moms that don't look like pants for moms. ;)

Pancake lens

Beautiful advice for those postpartum weeks.

Amazing graphic design resources.

Princesses, move over!

Another reason to love white wine.

Cracked me up!

No ADHD in France?! (Four months is too young for sleep training, though. Just my disclaimer. ;)

My vacation reading.

I hope you all have an amazing weekend and may it be sunny where you are! Please follow along next week on Instagram and I do have a few posts lined up so it won't be completely quiet. I'll do my best to do a few mobile posts from the iPad, too. Wish me luck on the flight! xo

Intimate Restaurant Seating

See all those people at that long table? They are not together. They're parties of two, seated across from each other - and right next to someone else!

Happy Mother's Day Weekend

What are you doing to celebrate your mom this weekend? It's hard to believe that Coco and I leave for Ibiza in 9 days! I consider that trip my real mother's day present, but J has some nice surprises planned for Sunday and we picked out a gorgeous bouquet of pink roses today. I'm giving my mom a gift certificate for a pedicure at the Aveda Salon where she lives. She will love it! 

I absolutely adore this photo of the little girl holding onto her mother's hand. The story is that she just came out of a birthday party and took her mother's hand against her face for comfort. I could look at it for hours. It makes me think of being a child and feeling that way with my own mother, and the little girl's full cheeks remind me of Coco. It's crazy to think that she feels that way about my hand, and my presence, that I am her mother in that sense. It's so precious. 

Here are a few things that caught my eye this week:

Old Finnish people with things on their heads.

Currently working on this beautiful book of our wedding photos.

Tight shoulders? DIY relief.

Awesome toddler/child scooter on our summer wish list for Coco.

Bravo to this judge! Teachers have a rough job that requires venting some days. :)

Terribly sad moment captured in Bangladesh.

When moms text. (You may cry laughing; I did! ;)

Best lip gloss for summer.

When we move back to the States, this bike shall be mine.

Handy weekly cleaning checklist from Martha.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and celebrate all the moms in your life. If you're a mom, I hope you get lots of love and pampering - and a nap! See you back here Monday. xo

(Photo via The Telegraph)

Shopping in Switzerland

Last week, I ordered these adorable Saltwater Sandals for Coco for the summer, and our upcoming trip to Ibiza! I really hope they'll get here in time because I am waaaaay behind in getting her summer sandals in Switzerland. A friend of mine went to a few children's shoe stores to get her daughter sandals for the Holy Mama retreat and all of the stores laughed at her when she asked if they'd be getting more sizes in. Apparently, the Swiss all bought their sandals three or four months ago and now the stores are onto receiving all the winter boots! Can you believe that?! 

Two other weird quirks about shopping in the land of cheese and chocolate after the jump.

Neti Pot for Allergy Relief

Wouldn't it be magnificent to walk this flower canopied street in Bonn, Germany? If your answer is a resounding "NO!" then you're an allergy sufferer like me. ;) It's terrible to have allergies, because after a long, cold, grey winter, what could be better than blooms and greenery all around us? Not itching and sneezing and wheezing is what. ;)

Because I'm still breastfeeding Coco, I don't want to load up on heavy duty drugs as usual. This year I've tried homeopathic nose sprays, local honey, lots of different eye drops and finally succumbed to taking Claritin. Even with the Claritin, I still have a reaction. :( But my suffering has been greatly reduced by a couple of simple habits. I use the Neti Pot once I get home for the day and shower before bed. 

Using a Neti Pot is a little strange at first. You fill it with lukewarm salt water and then pour the water up into one nostril and breathe through your mouth patiently until it streams out the other nostril. The little spout on the Neti Pot is smooth and just the right size and shape to make a nice seal against your nostril so that you can pour the water in there. It is unbelievable! All of the pollen and dust from the day are rinsed away and your nose is clear and refreshed feeling. I really love it!

Have you ever used a Neti Pot? This depiction cracked me up! ;)

(photo by Adas Meliauskas)

Montessori Mondays: Concentration

Last week we took Coco on a boat ride on Lake Zurich and something she did caught me completely by surprise!

Have a serene weekend.

Our computer is back and like new again! I am so relieved to say that we didn't lose any of our data (thank you Time Machine) and that the repairs were inexpensive and quick (thank you Genuis Bar). I am determined to order some iPhoto albums ASAP. The thought of losing all of our photos is positively sickening. I also resolve to edit and print more frequently. Like regularly.

I am officially obsessed with hardwood floors painted white. Swoon! And, here are a few things that caught my eye around the web this week:

One photo every year, for 36 years.

Gorgeous Norwegian home tour.

We are loving this album. 

All the more reason to use organic baby toiletries. (So scary.) 

I just registered for this online blogging conference. Can't wait to learn some new tricks of the trade! ;)

Coffee could be pleasurable again someday...?!

Creepy things children say. (Gave me an asthma attack from laughing!)

I am loving my new bike. 

Well folks, that's all I've got. It was a light week on the internet surfing, but now that we've got our computer back, next week should be a full one. :) I hope you have a great weekend and see you back here for a really good Montessori Mondays post on Monday! xo

(photo via Et møblert hjem)

Mothers Returning to Work: Tanya and Josh

Tanya Foley moved from Vancouver, B.C. to Switzerland in early 2011 as the International Ice Hockey Federation Women's Program Manager. A few weeks later, she discovered that at her 'advanced age' in her late 30's (she only looks 20! ;) she would be having her adorable son Josh just 8 months later! The following is her adventure of becoming a mother completely by surprise in a foreign country.