Things to do when you aren't chasing toddlers ...

1. Learn a new language. Taking up a foreign language is fun and enriching, whether or not you have plans to travel to another country; and it’s easier than ever right now, thanks to language learning apps. Download Babbel or Duolingo and pick up some new words and phrases while you hang out at home.
2. Learn to knit online. Knitting is definitely not just for grandmas anymore. Sign up for online classes with Craftsy and learn how to make yourself some cute sweaters and socks to show off next semester.
3. Channel your inner chef with cooking videos. Let’s be honest: Lots of us spend our winter breaks eating plenty. But how many of us can say we spend them cooking plenty, too? Subscribe to Bon Appétit’s cooking video series and learn to whip up meals like the pros.4. Actually print some photos. It can be overwhelming to sort through your thousands of digital photos and actually do something with them besides post on social media. But, if you’re bored, now is the perfect time to change that. Make and order a 2017 photo calendar from Artifact Uprising, create a book of your Instagram pics with Chatbooks, or have your best shots professionally framed through Framebridge’s online service. 5. Clear out your closet for a good cause. Take a good look through your closet, and consider whether or not you’re ever going to wear all those close you deemed not good enough to take to school. If the answer is no, consider donating them to Schoola, a company that sells secondhand clothing and donates proceeds to schools around the country, as well as organizations like the Malala Fund. 6. Start planning your kids Spring Break. Spring Break will be here before you know it, so if you’re hoping to take a trip and haven’t started planning it yet, now is the time. Consider an organized group trip through a company like Topdeck, or a volunteer trip through companies like Projects Abroad or Fathom. 7. Have digital pow-wows with your friends. If you really miss your school friends and just need to feel connected to them before actually going back to campus, schedule a few group video chats through the app Houseparty, which is like Facetime, except you can have as many as eight people on a call at once. 8. Learn how to monetize your social media. Sign up with Flatlay to build collections of your favorite fashion and lifestyle products, share them on your social media pages, and link back to your own virtual store. You’ll get credits to spend on other Flatlay stores every time another user buys something from one of your collections. 9. Volunteer with and donate to organizations championing those threatened by a Trump presidency. There’s no time like now to take action and devote your time and energy to helping organizations that are fighting the good fight in the face of Donald Trump’s presidency.

Courtesy of http://www.teenvogue.com/story/10-things-to-do-over-winter-break

Sample Stay at Home Mom Schedule with Multiple Kids

Schedule: A breastfeeding stay-at-home mom of a 4-month-old and a toddler

Editor's note: This schedule is a combination of mom-led and baby-led elements (from babycenter.com)

7 a.m.: Wake up, nurse, get dressed. Amaya (the infant) plays with Mom while her older brother (the toddler) watches Sesame Street.

8:30 a.m.: Amaya is down for her morning nap except when her brother has preschool.

10 a.m.: Wake from nap, nurse, and we leave for some activity.

12 p.m.: Come home. Amaya has tummy time while her brother eats lunch.

1 p.m.: Get her brother ready for nap, read lots of stories.

1:30 p.m.: Amaya nurses, then naps.

2:00pm - 4:00pm - Everyone is sleeping.

4 p.m.: Everyone is up, although Amaya typically wakes up earlier. She nurses and we either go to the gym or to the playground.

6 p.m.: Daddy comes home. He plays with our son or Amaya so each child has some one-on-one time with a parent.

6:30 p.m.: Family dinner. (I do most of the prep work during nap time, so it's easy to make.)

7 p.m.: Bath time, stories, bed. Amaya nurses.

She still wakes up somewhere between 2 and 4 a.m. to nurse. Also, if she takes a short afternoon nap, she may close her eyes for a nap sometime in the late afternoon.

Black History Month 2016!

It is with great joy that we are finally in Black History Month! While I deeply believe that Black History IS American History and cannot be separated, we need this special time to fully indulge in learning about women and men who look like us and held our interests high in history. Grab the kids and spouse and make some memories! Join my family at the Charles H. Wright Museum for FREE on Sunday Feb. 13th at 1pm! Can't make it? Here are 8 other places to explore! ENJOY!

Black History Month at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit

• When: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 1-5 p.m. Sundays, Feb. 1-29
• Where: 315 E. Warren Ave., Detroit
• Cost: $8/adults, $5/seniors, $5/kids
• More: 313-494-5800, TheWright.org

February is always momentous for the Wright Museum. Open daily (including Mondays in February only), it boasts family activities at noon Saturdays. Visit Sunday Feb. 7, too, for the 5th annual Dilla Youth Day, which explores beat making and DIY Hip Hop Culture in honor of the late Detroit music producer J Dilla.

Black History Month at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn

• When: 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 3-7, 10-14, 17-21, 24-28
• Where: 20900 Oakwood Blvd., Dearborn
• Cost: $21/adults, $19/seniors, $15.75/kids, free/4 and under; $6/parking
• More: 313-982-6001, TheHenryFord.org

For 20 days, the Henry Ford Museum explores different aspects of Black history, from the northern migration and the civil rights era, all the way to present-day issues. Activities will take place throughout the museum, including in the Michigan Café, which will feature African-American-inspired recipes.

African American History Day at the Detroit Historical Museum

• When: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday Feb. 6
• Where: 5401 Woodward Ave., Detroit
• Cost: Free (general)
• More: 313-833-1805, DetroitHistorical.org

The Detroit Historical Museum hosts their annual free day to honor Black History. In addition to make-and-take crafts lead by the Peace Baptist Church Quilters, there will also be games, readings and other giveaways. Special performances include storyteller Ivory D. Williams, The Alnur African Drum and Dance group and performances by the Detroit Association of Black Storytellers.

Oh Ananse! at PuppetART Detroit Puppet Theater and Puppet Center

• When: 2 p.m. Feb. 6, 13, 20, 27 and 28 (Saturdays and Sundays); 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 18
• Where: Detroit Puppet Theater, 25 E. Grand River Ave.
• Cost: $10/adults, $5/kids; $8/puppet-making workshop after the show
• More: 313-961-7777, PuppetART.org

A little spider must earn the right to spin all the stories in the world from Nyame, the sky god, in PuppetART's popular annual hip-hop-flavored take on a West African story.

Ypsilanti as an African American City at Ann Arbor District Library Downtown Location

• When: 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10
• Where: 343 South Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor
• Cost: Free (general)
• More: 313-833-1805, AADL.org

Did you know Ypsilanti was Michigan’s most populous Black city by percentage between the Civil War and the 1920s? Local Historian Matt Siegfried will lead this discussion, looking at racism in the city, the rise of Jim Crow and more discussions of black life in Ypsilanti, throughout history and today. (Recommended for grades 6 and up).

The Raisin Cycle at Wayne State University in Detroit

• When: Times vary, Feb. 12-April 2
• Where: 3424 Woodward Ave. and 4743 Cass Ave., Detroit
• Cost: $15-$20
• More: 313-577-3508, DetroitRaisinCycle.com

Lead by a production of Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, Wayne State’s Department of Theatre and Dance will also  present productions of two other spin-off plays: Beneatha’s Place by Kwame Kwei-Armah and Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris. All  three plays tackle topics including race relations, urban renewal and gentrification. 

Black Girl Linguistic Play at the Power Center in Ann Arbor

• When:  8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13
• Where: 121 Fletcher St., Ann Arbor
• Cost: $26-$48
• More: 734-764-2538, UMS.org

Artistic director and choreographer Camille A. Brown and her dancers perform Black Girl-Linguistic Play. The performance explores Black female identity in an urban American culture.​

The Dance Theatre of Harlem at the Detroit Opera House

• When: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 12-13, 2:30 p.m. Feb. 14
• Where: 1526 Broadway St., Detroit
• Cost: $25-$89
• More: 313-237-7464, MichiganOpera.org

The iconic Dance Theatre of Harlem makes a stop in Detroit, bringing their talent from New York’s Apollo Theater in New York. The racially diverse company is well known around the world for its thrilling performances celebrating African American culture.

Super Bowl With the KIDS!

Enjoy this Sunday with your loved ones of all ages by involving them in the fun! These cute ideas will make the day even more exciting and tasty for everyone.

Touchdown Cookies

Give your team a little good luck by making these touchdown cookies from Taste of Home. Roll out butter cookie dough and cut in the shape of mouth-sized footballs. Cover each baked cookie with a cocoa-based glaze. Make the threads of each cookie football with white icing.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cream Pies

Oatmeal fan? Then craft these chocolate oatmeal cream pies from Shugary Sweets into football shapes. You’ll need one cookie as the base and another as the top. In between, whip up a filling made from marshmallow fluff. These chewy cookies will keep you energized for the whole game!

Football Cake Pops

Have you ever made cake pops before? They’re like a cake captured on the tip of a lollipop. Bake up a box of store-bought cake mix. Stir prepared frosting into the cake. Form into football shapes and place a Popsicle stick into each one. Dip the cake balls into melted candy coating. For more instructions, see all the directions and details for these football cake pops at Party City.

Grasshopper Cake

This minty grasshopper cake from Martha Stewart begins with a dense brownie-like crust with milk, sour cream, butter and a big helping of cocoa. The next layer is whipped egg whites with butter, crème de menthe and vanilla extract. Once cooked, have your kids make footballs to add as a final step. The footballs are made from Andes Crème de Menthe candies.

Cake Batter Dip Dessert Snackadium

This cake batter dip dessert snackadium from Crazy for Crust is fun to make with your kiddos! Create the “snackadium” using unrolled pizza crust. Place aluminum foil over an inverted Bundt pan, coat with baking spray and then top with the crust. Bake. Create two dips to use inside the snackadium – one using chocolate cake batter and the other with white cake mix. Serve with pretzels and cookies for dipping.

Game Day Chocolate Cake

Here’s another cheer-worthy dessert for your football fans – game day chocolate cake from the Food Network. First, make a 9-by13-inch chocolate cake. Frost with chocolate icing all around, then cover with green icing to look like the football field. Cover with football-shaped cookies and use purchased plastic goal posts to complete the look.

- Sources (Metro Parent, Taste of Home, Party City)

Valentine's Day Crafts

The Metro Parent does a great job highlighting some awesome crafts for Valentine's Day! Show the love with your child. Make it special :)

Click HERE for ideas

Quiet Boxes

While scrolling through my Pinterest, I saw this picture and it stuck with me! I was so excited because as my daughter gets older, she is less and less excited about taking a nap. However, it is apparent that she needs some down time in the day. After a bright and early 7am wake up, I'm sure her body is tired by noon, but her brain won't let her nap. The attached article suggests putting activities and things in the book that are new and exciting but can be done independently by your child. Also the authors suggest switching the items out monthly. Next, designate a regular and consistent time each day for the quiet boxes to be used. 

Exclusively Pumping - A sample schedule and system

To make pumping exclusively work for you, you must initially dedicate yourself to pumping every three hours, with some possible variation at night. During the first week or two, sticking to the schedule is very important. Which should be easy, because you're probably on maternity leave and everyone's still helping you out around the house, so you have a chance to stick to the schedule. After the first couple of weeks you can vary the number of times you pump in the day and still get a pretty good amount of milk for your supply and your back up supply. This is a guide based on my day and my supply, all results may vary but I hope this can help someone. 

What you'll need: 

Fridge milk storage bottles (4-6 and may vary later) 

Freeze milk storage bags (hundreds, lol)

Enough bottles for 12 hours of feedings (this varies)

Step one: the first time you get your milk to come down, take that milk and put it into baby feeding bottles. Usually the first bottles are about 2-3 ounces max. Keep pumping every 3 hours and filling feeding bottles until you have filled enough bottles to last you 12 hours. I have 5 bottles on deck for every 12 hours. 

Step two: after you have filled all the bottles you will need for 12 hours of feedings, you can start filling your fridge storage bottles. I recommend enough fridge storage for an entire 24 hour day of feedings. Depending on how much your baby eats, this can initially be about 4-6, 5-6 ounce storage bottles. This number may grow as the baby grows, but if you pump regularly and drink plenty of water, your supply will also grow and the increase will not be intimidating. I keep about 36 ounces of fridge storage on deck. 

Step three: when all bottles have been filled for the day and all fridge storage has been filled, I move on to freezer storage. I aim to fill at least one 6 ounce bag per day for the deep freezer. 

The system: here is a sample of my day to see how it all works in motion. 

9am - pump 9 ounces, put 3 ounces in each feeding bottle, place in fridge

12pm- pump 9 ounces, put 3 ounces in remaining feeding bottles, put 3 ounces in fridge storage bottle, place all in fridge

3pm-pump 9 ounces, put all in fridge storage bottles, place in fridge

6pm-pump 9 ounces, put all in fridge storage bottles, place in fridge

9pm- pump 9 ounces, use this time to evaluate the feeding bottles, use the fridge storage milk to make sure there are 5 full bottles to go into the night feedings, any fresh milk pumped at this time is bagged and frozen 

12am- pump 9 ounces, refill any fridge storage bottles used earlier (9pm) to create feeding bottles 

I get really lazy about late night pumping, I MAY get one in between midnight and 9am, but essentially my day ends here. I hope this helps!