Peachy Find: Hobo Travel Bag

I used to love shopping for handbags before I was a mom. I'd have every other possible style, for my mood for the day. Back in those days, it was hard to resist any handbag sale.

But, now that I'm a mom, I've actually swung to the side of wanting to choose one good handbag and just use it until it dies. It just doesn't make sense to keep changing purses any more because there is too much toddler/mom related stuff to transfer over.

Initially, I fought the mom-i-fication of my handbags. I had one for going out shopping, another for going out on weekends for outings with hubby, and another one for weekday/everyday use. But, I soon found that the penalty for missing any item in the "transfer" from one bag to the other was just the pits.

For instance, one time I didn't reach far enough into the purse. I forgot that a few days ago, I was rushing after checking out books with TJ from the library. I didn't replace it in my wallet. Instead I just dropped it into my purse. Great. Next time we were at the library, I spent all this time picking out books for TJ, standing in line to check them out. When it came my turn, I crumbled at the sight of the missing slot for my library card.

Another time, I forgot to transfer TJ's fork in my purse. Yep, I keep a toddler sized fork in my purse. It's my "backup", in case of an impromtu eat out. Anywayz, we were out running an errand one morning, when we decided to eat out instead of eating lunch at home. Eric looked over at me to check, "Do we have everything we need for TJ?" "Yep", I answer going through my mental checklist: we have the booster seat in the car trunk - check. We have his sippy cup - check. But, once we were at the restaurant .. shoot! No fork!

Well, I asked Eric to watch TJ the next weekend, 'cuz I was a mom on a mission: to find a purse that was cool enough to use everyday and weekend-use. It had to be stylish and it had to be totally functional. And it can't be bulky. I said my prayers that morning before taking off and hit the stores.

God answered my prayer. I have found THE perfect handbag. It's the Hobo Travel Along bag. It has a flap on the outside with a magnetic clip, so that I don't have to unzip anything to get to the essentials: my cell phone, my wallet and pen. Once the flap goes up, there is an easy-to-unzip pocket to keep my wallet safe. Then, there is a separate compartment roomy enough for the Snack Trap, to whip out snacks anytime. Not to mention a bag of crayons, small notebook, and a small sippy cup. For playdates, I can even put travel sized wipes and two diapers, without being too bulky.

It's also practical, because the material is totally wipable with a damp cloth. TJ has wiped his grimy hands on it, squirted it with milk inadvertantly from his Horizon milk containers, and it's cleaned up really nicely.

Another neat thing is that women stop and ask me where I get my bag all the time. And they're not just moms! Now, you can't get more peachy than that!

Peachy Tip: Thank You Cards

Christmas wrappings have gone onto a better place, and the goodies inside them are now a part of TJ's daily playtime. The holidays are over and preschool classes have started up again. Yes, the time has come for thank-you cards.

I realize that according to Miss Manners, thank-you cards really should've gone in the mail the same week we received the gifts. But, I'm sure MM would agree, better late than never.

Up until a few months ago, I had been signing thank-you cards on behalf TJ since the little tike was born. But, after my first parent-teacher conference (can you believe it, this is for a two year old preschool class!), I got the idea to have TJ write his own thank-you letters.

You see, one of the two year "competencies" reported on is the ability to draw a straight line and a circle. The teacher tests each student by seating them and asking the child to draw a line and a circle. As the teacher explained that kids learn by observing first, and then imitating, I thought to myself, "Hey, even though TJ can't really write, he can learn by first pretending to write."

As I was driving back from the preschool, I was excited to go home and show TJ how to write thank-you cards.

First, I went back home and had a little talk with TJ. I said, "TJ, remember your birthday party?"

"Yes."

"Who was at your birthday party?" I wanted to bring to mind, the people we would be writing cards to. TJ started doing roll call of his friends. "That's right, Tyler, Hana, Avery, Aiden, Theo, ... and Jude were all at your birthday party. Remember, you got birthday gifts from your friends, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"And when we get a gift, what do we say?"

"Thank you!"

"Yes, that right. Well, we are going on a special trip now. I am going to take you to the card store. And we are going to pick out some cards to say, 'Thank you!" to you friends. Sound like fun?!"

Off we were to our nearby Hallmark store. When we were there, I explained to him the mission we were on, again. Then, we made our way to the kids birthday party invitations section and found thank you cards.

There on the shelves were Batman, Hello Kitty, Thomas Train, and Mickey Mouse. I took one of each package and asked TJ, "Here are the thank-you cards. Which one do you want to get?"

TJ had a hard time choosing between Thomas Train and Mickey Mouse. Finally, he settled on Mickey, and we returned back home.

While the whole idea was fresh in his mind, I unpackaged the cards and sat us down at the table. I asked him to watch me as I wrote on one side of the thank-you card.

"Okay, now your turn. You try." I pointed him to write on the side of the card that I hadn't written on. I was pretty impressed he was still interested and not off playing with his toys!

And the rest was history. TJ really got into "writing", and we had the assembly thank-you card line goin'! I would write the English version on one side, while TJ would write the Toddler version on the other side. I put the finishing touch on the card, by noting in parenthesis, "(translation) --->", bridging our two versions.

It definitely took longer, but I just thought it was neat. Other than playing cars and trucks, it was our first team effort at doing something. And it was "grown-up" stuff!

It was also one step towards training him, while he was still too young to object. I want TJ view writing thank-you cards as common place as having a snack, taking a bath, or playing with his toys.

Scribbling thank-you cards might seem trivial to some. To me, it was a hopeful sign of things to come. I hope my son grows up to be one of the guys I had always enjoyed dating, well mannered and appreciative of the littlest things. That would be just peachy!

Peachy Moment: Redefining Progress - The Genuine Progress Indicator

At my son's preschool, teachers stuff the latest glue and glitter creations along with school newsletters in cubby holes for each student. Last week, when I picked TJ up from his morning class, I noticed that his was packed full. Shoot! Because TJ's afternoon nap time is my break time, I tend to be in a rush, getting TJ in the car and whisked back home in time for lunch and down to catch a few zzz's.

I hate missing the occasional notes-to-parents or school newsletter. There have been too many times I sported the deer-in-the-headlights look when Mrs. Preschool Teacher asked for the whatever-you-call-it form.

So, as I'm stopped at a red light, I quickly scan the newsletter for any action items, when a line from the preschool director's letter catches my eye.

"You (parents) are in a season that requires you to do less of what you loved in order to be more for the ones who love you. I know it's difficult..."

The notion that being more for my family may require doing less of what I love in life really caught my attention. Is that really true? Do I have to choose one over the other?

It seems like it, just from a pure numbers perspective. There are only so many hours in a day. And taking care of TJ during this preschool season of life leaves me only slivers of time to do what I love. My days are taken up making sure practical requirements are met like foraging for food at grocery stores, coming up with meals to cook and staying on top of laundry and clutter before it overtakes our house. And so on and so on..

I know that my time will free up more when TJ starts kindergarten. But, that is many years away! Now, don't get me wrong, I love being mom to TJ and there are a gazillion magic moments I can't stop being thankful for. I wouldn't trade them for any amount of free time or corporate ladder climbing experience.

But, still. How am I to keep my personal happiness level at decent readings?

I don't have the answer, but in thinking through this question, I recall a PBS documentary about Silicon Valley I watched years ago, called "Time Frenzy". It's premise is provocative, that the fast lanes of Silicon Valley life causes a frantic pace of our daily life. Documentary maker, San Jose State University Professor Bob Gliner says that "consumed by a '24-seven lifestyle', we have become a culture who has embraced a constant franticness, where every moment is scheduled."

I think I may have fallen victim to this culture now, especially as a mom. I find myself using every minute of the day to either get something done or making sure something will get done. I have so little of my own time, that I when find myself with any "free" time, I feel like I have to make it count, so I spend it being productive.

This feeling of discontentment usually creeps up on me during the time of the month when my estrogen levels are high. I know a lot of it's hormonal, but I can feel the effects of being too productive. I feel I'm lacking contentment, without the ability to do things I love.

In the same vein, Jonathan Rowe, author of Redefining Progress, says that "Silicon Valley may be the time-deprivation capital of the United States, if not the world--which is a great irony, because all this technology was supposed to save time, and we've been saving time so rapidly that we have none left."

Great. I'm living in Silicon Valley, the apparently most toxic place for new moms like me who are already dealing with the many rites of passage into motherhood, like lack of sleep, potty training, terrible twos, and other trials and tribulations.

So, what am I to do? I googled Rowe and found a paper he wrote on "The Genuine Progress Indicator" (GPI). Instead of measuring the performance of the economy through the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which keeps track of how much money we spend on products, Rowe proposes that we measure our progress by our GPI, which keeps track of how well families, communities and the natural environment are doing.

Although the study was done a while back, it was staggering to find that although our purchasing power (GDP) had been climbing, our ability to enjoy life -- relationships and nature's resources (GPI) had been falling. One thing that really got my attention was learning that loss of leisure time drove down GPI.

Aha, maybe this is a direction that I can move towards as a mom. Rather than measuring my days by the CBI (Checked Boxes Indicator), I can choose to measure my GPI by the leisure time I spend with my son, my husband and community of friends.

In an effort to nudge myself further along this path, I hit Borders and got myself copies of "The Not So Big Life" by Sarah Susanka, "Night" by Elie Wiesel, and "Slow Is Beautiful" by Cecile Andrews for inspiration.

Now, all I need to do is find the time to read them. In the mean time, they won't get lost. They're still sitting stacked up, next to the stairs.

Cross-posted at Silicon Valley Moms Blog where Bonnie is a contributing writer.

Peachy Appetit: Whipped Cream, Please

So all you health conscious peachy mommas out there.. I am one of you. Really, I am. I only give my toddler water and milk as thirst quenchers. I avoid juice and offer fresh fruit instead. As I make my grocery shopping rounds, I read the nutrition labels on everything.

But, sometimes I do have to bend the rules a bit for the greater end goal of getting a good balance of foods in TJ's diet. So, although it may seem a bit of a guilty pleasure, I have been serving up berries with whipped cream for TJ.

Why? .. Some of you die hard, unadulterated-fruit-fanatics out there are gasping (I can hear you!). I've been serving whipped cream with berries because they aren't always sweet. To entice TJ, whipped cream has an element of fun, as I spray a small squirt onto his plate. I figured, hey, my pediatrician recommends that TJ continue with whole milk anyways, there isn't any fear of having some fat in whipped cream.

Plus, it's only a small squiggle of cream. It's not like I'm serving whipped cream with berries. It's berries with whipped cream.

Well, it worked. I first start off with some reverse psychology. I have some myself and pretend that it's off limits to TJ. Then, as he's pawing for it, I say, "Okay, you can try some." And for showmanship, I shake up the can, wide eyed, and go, "ooooohhh, berries and whipped cream." And voila, the little munchkin bites, literally.

TJ has a super sour face, but he laughs open wide, like a little kid who just got away with something awfully off limits. It turns out that the whipped cream really doesn't even stay on the berries as he dips them in, one at a time. TJ doesn't know how to scoop yet, so he ends up really eating the berries a la natural.

After a half a dozen days of serving this, TJ doesn't realize it, but his taste buds have acclimated to the tartness of berries. So, one day, I served it up without whipped cream. I held my breath, fearing I'd have to buy a 20 can case of whipped cream at Costco. (Exhale) The little cutie didn't even flinch. He just popped them in and gave me a big, peachy smile. Good job, buddy!

Peachy Find: Neat Freak Wanna-Be

Okay, so I want to say from the get go that I am not a neat freak. I used to think that I was, until I met my hubby Eric, who refuses to acknowledge this moniker ("when you label me, you negate me" Anybody out there who knows where Eric got this quote?).

On one of the earlier dates in our courtship, Eric invited me over to his place, to cook me dinner. Not only was I impressed by his culinary skills, I was a bit shaken up by how spotless his bathroom was. It was literally sparkling. Now, I kinda assumed the neat and clean layout of his living room and kitchen could be attributed to trying to make a good impression on me. But, the bathroom? .. That is usually the room that guys prioritize last.

Anyways, I digress.. Another story for another post. I have demoted myself to neat freak wanna-be. Why do I say that? Well, 'CUZ I AM A MOM of a toddler. Basically that means there is practically no way in the near future that I can keep my home up to be inspection ready.

But, it's a new year, and TJ is now 2 years old. Meaning, I could make some improvements in organizing my home and somehow return to some semblance of an uncluttered living space.

Rather than trying to solve world hunger, I made a list of small improvements in organizing our home for 2008. 3 "outs" (purging) and 3 "ins" (buying):

1. Out with 2007 toddler clothes. Clean out TJ's closet and drawers of clothes from 2007 he outgrew, box them up for storage. One quick trip to Target for plastic storage boxes and whew! It feels great to look in the closet and see organization!

2. Out with anything 2 years old (except TJ). Go through my closet and throw away anything I didn't touch since TJ was born two years ago. I figured if I haven't needed it so far, it's unlikely I'll need it anytime soon. This was SO hard, 'cuz I have saved a lot of stuff, in case I need it (like that circle cutter I used to cut out labels for my wedding favors). This was tougher job. It took a few days to sort through the junk from the keepers. But, after a few trips to Goodwill, I felt like a new woman!

3. Out with all toys in the living room. I originally wanted to use the family room as TJ's playroom and keep the living room a toy-free zone. But I caved in, just because I didn't want to be in that same room day after day, playing with TJ as a baby. Now that TJ is an active toddler, we spend a lot of our days outside at parks. Time to reclaim our living room. After the purge, the living room has become a nice hideaway for relaxing with a lit fire, reading, or snuggling up for movies.

4. Buy a shoe rack. I've been resisting getting one because they are usually so unsightly and cumbersome. I had preferred just having shoes lined up near the doorway. But, with a toddler, shoes often end up like his building blocks -- in a heap or scattered around.

I went to Ikea to check out the selection and stuck gold. The Portis Shoe Rack looks really sleek and modern and not clunky at all. I love it, 'cuz I've got TJ trained to use it. Alright, another step towards organization around here!

5. Buy a kitchen shelf. I had some of my shelves hijacked by all the baby and toddler eating plates, cups, bowls, sippy cups, and what-not. To make up for it, I have organized my pot and pans, along with recipe books using Ikea's Omar Kitchen Shelf. It's totally made my kitchen very gourmet. To go with my high end cuisine cookin' :). hee, hee. I later saw basically the exact type of kitchen shelf at the Container store, for more than quadrapule the price! Yes!

6. Buy a gift wrap organizer. I never would've guessed it, but I've now joined the community of parent chauffeurs who often making the birthday party rounds on weekends with the little tikes. That being the case, I like to have wrapping supplies ready to go. I was shocked at how much it costs to buy one of these things. They're just vinyl. But, before I changed my mind, I reminded my goal was to organize. Just do it, I told myself.

In the end, these small improvements have made a big difference. There are other areas to declutter, but with these projects tucked under my belt, I now have momentum. 2008 looks just peachy now!

Peachy Moment: An Incurable Romantic

A new year has crept up on me. And I couldn't be happier. Other than Christmas, there isn't a better time of the year for me. Not because of any great New Year Party I often hear about or see glammed up in the movies. Hey, I'm in bed by 10pm if I had it my way. Sleep trumps all else for this mom of a toddler. And it's not because I'm away on vacation somewhere far and away, like Paris or Hawaii.

No, the reason why my world suddenly becomes shiny and new during the month of January is because I'm a die-hard romantic. Now, I'm not talking about the Valentine's Day, hearts-and-boxes-of-chocolate type of romance. I call it Life Romanticism, where I fall in love with life and look for meaning behind every little moment and significance in any old thing. I don't believe in circumstance or randomness.

So, I thought I'd start the new year off with a confessional: I am an incurable romantic. Yep, I'm one of those people who (tries to) save every card I get, scrapbook pieces of wrapping paper from my baby/bridal showers, have a box full of letters from my childhood friends, and is often obsessed with finding reasons to celebrate (Hey, it's the first time I baked since TJ was a baby, yeah!).

But, being my version of Romantic Bonnie has gotten more difficult,as I get older each year. As I was writing Christmas cards this past holiday season, I came across the name of an old friend of mine. We had been great friends, up until we came across, what my Thomas Train-crazed toddler calls, "A Crack in the Track".

I had been married a year at the time, and sent out invitations to some girlfriends to get together at the one year mark of my bridal shower. I wanted to get together with the women who supported me during my single days and wedding planning, to enjoy some dessert and catch up on the past year. And return some of the generosity they had lavished on me at my shower.

Apparently, that was the straw that broke the camel's back, the mounting annoyance my friend had with my romanticism with life. She confessed to me that my idealized view of life was immature and had been grating on her for years. "Not everything in life is as romantic as you picture it, Bonnie!"

Embarrassed and hurt, I felt totally exposed and cut down to size. Was I just Alice in Wonderland, totally disconnected to the grown-up world of realism?

This rift in our friendship spiraled me into introspection and insecurity. Am I just out of touch with reality and distracting myself from the ugliness and commonplace of everyday life, by "making" up stuff to get excited about? Is my fascination with anything antique, the Hollywood Golden Era, baking and Hallmark stores out of sync with being a contemporary woman?

I became more reticent about my romantic views. A closeted romantic. I became conscious of trying to put my "best mature foot forward" by appearing pragmatic and more of a realist. Privately though, I enjoyed every bit of prose and poetry found in nature on my weekend hikes, in my writing as I journaled, and my thoughts, over conversations with friends over coffee.

TJ changed all that when I became a mom. As a mom, I couldn't hold myself back. I didn't have the energy to repress. The demands of taking care of baby and toddler intensified my need to connect with other women.

What I've suspected, has been confirmed in being mom to Toddler J: I love being a romantic. Defeated by no naps, stressed out beyond my limits with terrible two tantrums, and conflicted by my inconclusive decisions over being a working-mom, work-at-home mom, stay-at-home mom, part-time mom, or younameit-whatever-mom.. I realize that celebrating even the smallest, insignificant moments has given me the best memories.

Here they are. Some of my seemingly quaint, but wonderful moments as Mom in 2007:

1. TJ rides a pony and actually waves at me with a zillion watt smile.

2. TJ starts preschool and picks out his backpack at Target. He chooses Cars, which surprises me, because I thought he'd chose Elmo.

3. TJ "bakes" with me and actually made cut-out cookies for Christmas and sprinkles them,along with our dining table in the process.

4. TJ's first prayer for me when I was sick, "Dear God, Please help Mommy feel better."

5. TJ says, "I love you, Mommy." on his own. (I swear, I didn't ask him to say it!)

6. I find some "mom" girlfriends who want to start a playgroup together and passing the time much quickly together than alone.

7. Inviting friends over for brunch and enjoying waffles and pancakes made from scratch.

8. Hubby and I can watch a DVD in two sittings (one if we're lucky), and I don't have to pump.

9. We can actually sit in a coffee shop and sip our coffee, rather than ordering it to go and drinking it in the car, or gulping it because we need the caffeine, pushing the stroller.

10. Becoming a mom blogger and writing to my heart's content.

Don't get me wrong, I am no Pollyanna by any means. I'm not in denial of imperfection or the realities of life. But, finding the silver lining in my cloudy days have provided a balance to all that is hard and difficult in life.

I am happy to say that in my return to being an overt romantic, I have found a small circle of mom friends. They are not all romantics, but I guess they find me tolerable. I think, maybe even acceptable. And for that, I am truly grateful and appreciative. I am learning to accept myself, even though not everyone will like me. That's okay, I tell myself. I imagine learning this will help me empathize and encourage TJ as he learns this same life lesson.

Returning back to my romantic leanings also inspired me when I decided to start my own business. I wanted to pick a name that would reflect my sense of Life Romanticism, so I chose "Just Peachy Baby". On any given day, life could be just peachy, meaning it sucked (i.e. I am sick and want to just lie in bed, but TJ would tear up the place if I didn't go out). But, within that same day, something cool might've happened, like TJ crawling into my lap, and sweetly asking,"Read to me, Mommy, read to me". Ahhh, just peachy baby.. it's all good..

As for my friend and I.. Although there is a rift, I still believe we will be friends again someday. 'Cuz you know, I'm still a romantic. She can never be anything but my friend.

Cross-posted at Just Peachy Baby Blog where Bonnie writes about peachy moments, finds & tips as mom.

Peachy Find: Scrubber Suction Love

You wouldn't think I'd get ssssooo excited about something so small and seemingly common place. But, let me tell you. The Plastis Dishwashing Brush from Ikea is AWESOME! This was one of my top finds during this winter holiday break.

On a weekday morning with hubby taking time off for the holidays, we went to Ikea. Trust me, it's way better to go on the weekdays to avoid the crazy crowds on the weekends. If we do go on the weekends, we are there when the store opens at 10:00am. Not a problem for us, since TJ wakes up at 7am.

Anwayz, this amazing dishwashing brush has a suction that totally works. It's now suctioned right into my kitchen sink, right alongside the faucet, where I can easily grab it to scrape off food and stuff from dishes, before loading into the dishwasher. I love it because it no longer gets in the way of crowding out my sink area, and I no longer have to get frustrated as it falls off into the sink. But, most importantly, it's a great way to "store" the brush until next use, rather than having another contraption to hold it, which only would get gross and grimy 'cuz of water getting trapped in it.

This way, with it suctioned upright, it gets plenty of air time to dry out, and it's quick easy access.

Now the best part -- it's only $.99! At that price, I grabbed more than a couple and TJ had fun playing with them on the kitchen counter, suctioning and unsuctioning them. I figured I wanted to pass some on to mom friends of mine. And they come in great colors.

It's really not that often I find something that really helps make life easier that actually works. Especially for this mom, who spends a big chunk of my time at the kitchen sink, I just can't stop raving about it. Finding this brush was a great start to the post-season of getting our home clean, organized and setup for the new year. It's small, compact and just peachy perfect!

Peachy Tip: Markers Must Have

The other day, hubby and I were having coffee with a friend, "Uncle Dave" (In the Chinese culture, little kids call grown-up friends "Uncle" or "Auntie" as a form of respect). I noticed TJ finishing the last of his Goldfish crackers, and I started sweatin' it.

I was sweatin' it because I knew that TJ would want down from his booster seat soon once his snacks were depleted. Soon, he'd be running around a small cafe, inadvertently harrassing coffee drinkers trying to enjoy a sliver of solace. It also meant, I'd be following him around, chirping, "Now, don't touch that, TJ. No, no. That man is trying to have his coffee, he doesn't want to play." Not to mention, I would end up repeating, "Pardon us, 'scuse us, sorry 'bout that" by the time I circled him back to his chair.

We hadn't seen our friend for quite some time, so we really did want to catch up with him. But, it's hard to catch up in 20 min, about the time TJ starts getting the wiggles and he's done with his goodies. I searched my diaper bag and produced crayons for TJ, but he wasn't interested in coloring.

So then, out of desperation for a few more minutes, I got an idea. I glanced over and saw a coffee patron leaving with a tray of hot java drinks. Ah-ha! I ran over to grab a drink tray and dug up some washable Crayola markers and told Josh to go to town, decorating the tray. It worked!

First, I hardly ever let TJ use the markers because it tends to get EVERYWHERE. So, when he saw the markers, he had fun opening and closing the caps. Second, he usually doesn't get to mark up anything other than paper, so it really was a fun activity for him to make doodles on the tray. Soon, I was on a roll, asking for empty cups, so TJ was next customizing the cups.

By the time TJ got tired of doodling on all this stuff, we had about 20 more minutes, and that was more time to trade the latest scoop and happenings with Uncle Dave. Aaahhhh.. thank goodness for Crayola!

Peachy Tip: Little Baker's Corner

Baking with a little one has always been on my list of "things I'd love to do as a Mom". That was what I daydreamed of when I was pregnant with TJ, full of picturesque moments as I stood at the threshold of motherhood.

As soon as the real life with a toddler set in though, I realized that baking with TJ would need some calculated preparations, in order to avoid encountering a state of emergency in our kitchen.

Here are some of helpful tips that eased the stress for both TJ and I, as we attempted my first baking with a 2 year old toddler this past holiday season:

1. Time of Day. I chose Morning Time to bake since TJ is the freshest and happiest then. I made sure TJ had breakfast and some play time, since TJ loves to play first thing out of the gate at daybreak. Then, after our mid-morning snack, I knew TJ would be would be ready to try something new and wouldn't have the fussies from hunger.

2. Simple Recipe. I picked a simple recipe that was straightforward and quick. I avoided any recipes that required too many steps that would push me past 15-20 minutes or prep. I also photo copied the recipe from the cookbook, so that I wouldn't mind having it wet, crumpled or grabbed by the little munchkin (which he did, since he wanted to refer to "the recipe").

3. Measure Out the Ingredients Before Hand. While TJ was playing in the morning, I'd measure out all the ingredients for the recipe I selected before hand, so I didn't have to worry about miscounting the measurements with a toddler yelling, "I do it! I want to do it!" I'd have all my ingredients lined up in little bowls, ready for me to execute the recipe.

4. Prepare a "Little Baker's Corner". Since I had my big mixing bowl, with ingredients in little bowls all measured out, I knew TJ would lunge for them first thing once we got started. So, I took out a smaller mixing bowl, a small whisk, spatula, measuring spoons, and little bowls for him to transfer flour around. I also kept water and any wet ingredients far from his reach.

It worked like a charm. TJ loved keeping busy, pretending to bake, as he whisked the flour and transfered the flour to and from all the little bowls. I was able to finish all the steps of my recipe, as he finished his masterpiece toddler recipe.

5. Snack Contingency Plan. If TJ started getting restless before I finished my baking, I had some snacks ready in the cupboard. At one point, I did whip it out, because TJ wanted to take over my mixing bowl. It worked. Thank goodness.

6. TJ's Pre-Req: Playdoh Litmus Test. I told myself I wouldn't even think of trying to bake with TJ until we had a sane Playdoh session. That meant Playdoh was not thrown around like it was magic dust and playtime had to last longer than a few minutes. It also meant he was interested in cutting up Playdoh and watching me as I made things out of Playdoh. These indicators told me that TJ had a decent attention span and was interested in making something, rather than just making a mess.

7. Mommy's Pre-Req: Repeat "Messy is OK" Mantra. For me, my readiness test was a psychological checklist. Could I handle flour falling on the floor and all over my counter? Would I be willing to clean everything up? Including TJ's clothes and anywhere else on his little toddler body? I also braced myself with the mentality that "having fun" would be the goal, and not an actual baked good emerging from the oven. If push comes to shove, was I willing to scrap the baking and just play? Once I could answer YES! to all the above, I knew I was ready!

In the end, everything worked out - I got to bake and TJ got to play "baking with Mommy". Vacuuming the kitchen floor wasn't that bad, since the flour didn't get wet, so clean up was minimal. I tend to be messy myself baking anyways. What do ya know.. Everything came out just peachy this time! Whew!