A few weeks ago I took the girls down to our favorite walking area and as we got out of the car I noticed a new shop that wasn’t their last year. Cupcakes Couture of Manhattan Beach. Now typically I would distract my five year old by pointing at an imaginary bird in the sky so that we could pass by the Cupcakes quickly and whine free, but on this day I was the one who wanted to check it out. The name alone is alluring and the shop has the decor to match. Such a fun and inviting place, with employees who are so welcoming and friendly that they seem like they could be your girlfriends, and a display of the most inviting, extravagantly decorated cupcakes I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing (and now eating) personally. As if that weren’t enough to make my day, we had a blast making our own Couture Cupcakes. Check out the pictures below (thank goodness for high quality iPhone pictures!) to see the fun, and fancy cupcakes, my little princess decorated for us. She had a blast while my 1 1/2 year old was entertained by the books, activities and crafts that were available as well. Such a great playdate, birthday party, mommy-daughter day event. I wish we were going to be around for Kira’s birthday, this would be perfect for a bunch of 6 year olds! Not to mention the fact that they taste incredible. No joke, these cupcakes melt in your mouth, I have never had anything like it. The cake is so moist and full of flavor (I had the strawberry) the frosting is perfect (not too sweet), and the toppings were unbelievable. Okay, my mouth is now watering uncontrollably [slurp].

Make sure you check out the Cupcakes Couture of Manhattan Beach site for more details, upcoming events, and party package options. Also, you can learn more about the Cupcakes Couture of MB executive chef, Stephanie Franz…

Classically trained chef now creates cupcakes

Become a fan of Cupcakes Couture of Manhattan Beach on Facebook

[View with PicLens]

Thanks to Ali for helping us with the yummy cupcakes!

cupcakes couture of manhattan beach is a post from: Happy Hour Mom

A mother’s breast milk supply naturally varies from day to day, and even from hour to hour throughout any given day. Milk volume is not a constant. However, most fluctuations in milk supply are not large enough for mother or baby to notice. There may be a few additional feedings requested by the baby for a few days if the supply has dropped a bit, but otherwise, a small decrease will not even register on Mom’s radar. Likewise, it is often hard to detect when the supply is temporarily a bit higher than “normal” since the breasts can store varying amounts, and there are no “measuring cup” lines on our bodies to inform us of what’s there. Generally speaking, as long as baby is happy, mommy is happy. It’s when the fluctuations are greater than usual that a mother will take notice.

Certain circumstances can interfere with milk production, at least temporarily, and sometimes it is helpful to know what these barriers are, so that they can be avoided or at least minimized. For example, returning to work, for some women, means a gradual loss of milk supply. Knowing this does not mean a woman should avoid going to work, but instead that she may want to add additional feedings in her off-hours, and make sure she pumps the breasts well at work, at times which mimic baby’s feeding times. These strategies can reduce the impact that working may have on her production. Another common barrier is the maturing baby’s sudden ability to sleep longer stretches of time at night. While helpful to everyone’s feelings of being well-rested, this change in baby’s behavior may negatively affect milk supply over time. Some mothers seem more susceptible to losing milk volume from baby’s new sleep patterns than others. The advice is generally to add either a pumping or feeding at some point during the night to break up any stretch of time greater than 6 hours wherein the breasts would be unrelieved. Often, this is all that is needed to keep supply on track for extended breastfeeding. A third potential barrier to maintaining milk supply is the use of hormonal contraceptives. Whether oral or the injection format, there may be some negative impact on milk supply from many of the hormonal contraceptives, especially if they are initiated before the lactation hormones have stabilized at around 3 months. When the medication is given in shot form, there is no way to remove it from the mother’s body again, so one must wait until it “wears off” if the effect on milk supply was not desirable. In the meantime, the mother may try some strategies for building up supply like increased skin-to-skin time, pumping, or galactogogues, which are medications, herbs, or foods that may boost the lactation hormones in some women.

Some commonly known supply-boosters include the prescription medication metoclopramide, the herbs fenugreek and blessed thistle, and the healthy foods oatmeal and flax seed. While no galactogogue is effective by itself, sometimes, when these substances are combined with a plan of increased stimulation and skin-to-skin time with baby, the effect can be amazing. In order to be sure to follow a complete and well-designed plan, Fresno mothers should contact Tess Johnson Lactation Services.

tess | boosters and barriers: things that increase and decrease milk supply is a post from: Happy Hour Mom

Happy Hour Mom has the distinct honor or previewing one of the next big hits in the baby world! The TranStroller is the new revolution for parents with multiple children. We love, love, love double strollers to death. The tandems make for an easy fit through doors but make maneuverability tough for steering. Sport buggies are great for the outdoors and allow for a mega smooth ride, but have you ever tried to push one through a store? I’m guessing not because it’s barely possible without being a complete pain to everyone in your path. Now take a look at the TranStroller. When you are the brave family who has an infant and a toddler (plus even more children) you know how your tots are game for sitting in a stroller one second, then ready to explore the world on their own two feet the next second. Gray Matter Inventions took these realities into consideration while designing the TranStroller. The once side-by-side turns into a single in seconds.

Gray Matter Inventions

Side-By-Side Stroller Shrinks To Fit

When Ben and Adrainne Gray decided to take their two-year old daughter and infant son to the annual Japanese festival in Atlanta, they loaded up all the necessities: baby bag, money for treats and the double stroller.

Once at the outdoor festival, the Grays ran into an unexpected but worldwide situation–their toddler wanted to run around the 5-acre festival while their infant needed to stay in the stroller. The rub came when Ben needed to make his way through a cramped tent containing concessions and the stroller bumped everyone in its path.  Trying to maneuver a standard side-by-side stroller with one kid riding, Ben couldn’t believe he, the world-traveled photojournalist, was now the jerk with the obnoxious stroller.
That night the tranStroller was born. The now patented, transformable stroller that changes from a side-by-side to a single-wide in seconds was exactly what Ben needed in pursuit of a cold beverage.
“I call him my mad scientist,” Adrainne says about her then frustrated husband.  “He was like Frankenstein in our basement hacking apart strollers and re-using the parts.”

Two years and numerous refinements later, a patent issued on the design and the Grays took the kids and the tranStroller to the busy, crowded streets of Buenos Aires, Argentina (thanks to Adrainne’s flight privileges).  The tranStroller not only made it easy to navigate the narrow sidewalks, cobblestone streets and crowded subway system, but also proved sturdy enough to handle the rigors of international travel. Their tranStroller even allowed them to explore the city freely without having to return to their apartment every time their oldest threatened a melt-down due to exhaustion.

Gray Matter Inventions is now looking for a manufacturer interested in licensing and producing the tranStroller so other parents can benefit from Ben’s ground-breaking design.

“We see parents all the time at the zoo, at festivals and around town with dad (or mom) pushing through the crowd with a bulky double stroller sporting only one baby,” Ben said.  “The older child is out exploring most of the time, but parents need that second seat for when their kid tires out. The prototype I built was the perfect solution for us and I hate that other parents can’t experience this convenience until we find a company to help us bring the tranStroller to market.”

“Our vision is to see the tranStroller for sale within a couple years and with the help and support of other parents it will happen.”
more information at: graymatterinventions.com
Become a fan of our Facebook page

Interested in licensing, investing or partnering with the tranStroller?  Contact Ben Gray at 404-964-9686, or ben@graymatterinventions.com

Praise for the tranStroller
“I saw the video for the stroller. I want one…NOW! I live in Long Beach, NY and walk everywhere. When I drop my oldest son off at preschool, I’m always left with my youngest in the double. It is very difficult to fit through the doors of the older buildings. Also, this will be great when we take the train into the city. My oldest can hop out and walk up the subway steps, while the youngest stays put and we carry him and the stroller up the stairs. So, when will it be available for purchase?”
Jacque
Long Beach, NY
“Genius! Where can i buy and for how much?”
Amy
San Francisco, CA

“This looks very useful and practical. Having two children the same age, it was a pain lugging that big double wide stroller. Good solution.”
Doug
Atlanta, GA
“The tranStroller. Brilliant.”
pinkasphault.com
“This is a great idea! All the convenience with none of the weight and unwieldiness of regular double strollers. Although I have absolutely NO intentions of needing anymore strollers (unless my kids give me some grandchildren) if I did need a double, I’d be sure to give you a call.”
Lisa
Largo, MD

Adrainne Gray uses a prototype tranStroller in a Buenos Aires park as daughter Sylvia plays and son Everett rides.

we welcome you to the transtroller is a post from: Happy Hour Mom

We love love love our Butch & Harold Stickr products! We’ve taken them abroad, used them for perfect birthday party decor or just to spruce up a new area. You know when you move into a new place and the walls are perfectly smooth and untouched, and it almost breaks your heart to pound into them? Innovations in framing allow us to enjoy design and decor without the hassle.

For parties:

You can’t go to a wedding these days without a photo booth, or Polaroid snapshots of each guest. So why should a birthday be any different? It shouldn’t, that’s why you need to check out Butch and Harold to find the perfect backdrop for your next party theme. Not only do they add to the decor, they can be re-used around your home. Smokin’  designs, multi-functional, and re-usable–sounds like a recipe to success. Turn any party from drab to fab with one smooth stroke over your wall. Thank you Butch and Harold for a great backdrop for our party girl and her crew.

For temporary housing and fun:

While living overseas I try not to invest a whole lot of money into decor. Yet, when we stay in a place for the majority of the year it still has to have that “homey” feel. At a local store in Budapest, I ran across these reasonably priced contemporary wall frames. They gave no directions except peel and stick. While abroad they seemed to stick with ease, that wasn’t the case when I tried them at home. Butch and Harold use 3M quality technology and, as you can see, they are still holding strong.

If celebrities can use them why can’t you?

paula adbul loves butch & harold and so should you is a post from: Happy Hour Mom

“I don’t spank. One day when DD was being naughty I asked “Do you want a spanking?”(not intending to follow through with the threat). She said “yes!” thinking it was a treat or something of that nature. I am glad she doesn’t know what a real spanking is.”

“I hate milk. I worry that my daughter will notice that I never drink it and that she will reject it too. Maybe I’ll tell her I’m allergic to it.”

“I wonder when the last time was Michelle Duggar had a period.”

-www.truuconfessions.com

*please note that the “shocking confessions” series are not personal experiences of Shannon and Toni of happyhourmom.com. These are anonymous confessions of moms being brutally honest so that we can all feel a little bit better about ourselves (and then we realize that we can each relate to half of them…)

shocking confessions | happy hour mom is a post from: Happy Hour Mom

And so it begins. Up to this point (since the birth of our second child) I have been a stay-at-home mom. Apparently this implies that I am unemployed. However, I look at it as more of an unpaid position. Kind of like volunteer work for your local charity in the sense that it is highly rewarding, you are doing it by choice (hopefully), because it is your passion and you wouldn’t have it any other way, and your only payment is the rewarding time spent “volunteering,” in this case, as mom. Not to mention the fact that I feel like my so-called hobby, HappyHourMom.com, quickly became a full-time job for Toni and I.

So here I am, employed. Officially. Exciting, right? Absolutely. A whole new adventure? Definitely. I am now becoming the queen of time management, or giving it my best shot anyway. Before, I balanced my time between mommy time, play-with-kiddos time, and blogging. My newest job allows me to work primarily from home which I am finding to be a good and bad thing. On one hand it allows me to be home with my kids and save money on daycare, while on the other hand it leaves me struggling at times to find a balance. I tend to work longer hours when I work from home, mostly because I never really have to clock out. And work, like motherhood (as if there is a difference) is never done. So, bare with me over the next few weeks as I adjust to my new schedule and find ways to most efficiently manage my time. If you are in my shoes, please send your tips my way! I am excited to begin this journey, can’t wait to see how it goes…

working mommies here i come… is a post from: Happy Hour Mom

Do you find yourself on the phone while driving-whether chatting or texting? Any idea how dangerous it is? While traveling overseas, we’ve lived in places that have mafia affiliated governments, many cities who leave speed tracking completely up to a camera, and some that don’t stress about drinking and driving. Although many of these laws are just as, if not more, unsafe, international countries have been implementing rules against phone use while driving. I had my previous, old-school, flip phone for the past 4 years. I even had myself convinced that I was a professional texter, sometimes able to text without looking. After arriving home this time my family upgraded to new touch phones and my texting abilities are horrific. Don’t get me wrong, I know that I was still completely unsafe, but now I truly understand the dangers.

As if the marvelous Oprah hasn’t had a slew of amazingly helpful campaigns, she initiates the No Phone Zone, where you’d think government policies could have stepped in while all of our cellular technologies were advancing.

Take the pledge with almost 150,000 others {No Phone Zone Pledge}

In September 2008, a Los Angeles commuter train conductor missed a red light while sending and receiving more than 40 text messages. His packed train collided head-on with a freight train, injuring 135 people. The conductor and 24 others were killed, making it the second worst commuter train crash in U.S. history.

Weeks later, a school bus carrying 21 students was rear-ended by an 18-wheel semi-truck. The bus was pushed more than 200 feet before bursting into flames. Twenty students escaped, but 13-year-old Margay Schee was killed. The truck driver admitted he had been texting and hadn’t seen that the bus was stopped.

These accidents made national headlines, but so many others have been killed in communities just like yours. Nearly 500,000 people are injured and 6,000 are killed each year because drivers are talking, texting and e-mailing behind the wheel. “It is my prayer that this show, this day will be a seminal day in your life,” Oprah says. “Let it be the end, the end of you using a cell phone or sending a text message when you are behind the wheel of a moving vehicle. And until we as a nation decide we’re going to change that, those numbers are only going to go up.”

Most European countries ban the use of handheld cell phones while driving, but not all U.S. states have laws restricting texting and driving. So far, 19 states and the District of Columbia have banned texting while driving. In seven states and the District of Columbia, drivers can only use their cell phones if they are hands-free. Of�the states with these laws, Utah’s laws are among the strictest, due to one distracted driver and two grieving families.

oprah’s challenge | no phone zone is a post from: Happy Hour Mom

kushies 50% off funky flowers & lil aviator is a post from: Happy Hour Mom

I am a huge fan of Twitter. Yes, I am a tweet freak. A Tweet stalker. A Tweet lover. However you want to put it, I am a fan. One of the primary reasons is that I have found some great products, seen some incredible things, and met some wonderful people, simply from tweeting. A couple weeks ago I logged onto Twitter before shutting the computer and heading to bed, and after following a few tweets and re-tweets (RT) I ended up clicking a link that sent me to La Pomme’s Etsy store. I especially loved these twitterrific tweet birds. Wouldn’t these be great for a nursery? Here are more details and what our friend Apol had to say her designs:

"The small frames are a fun take on my embroidered wall art pieces.

The embroidery is done freehand with a regular sewing machine; I don't use any ready-made pattern nor an embroidery machine. It's a fun
technique, and makes for an all-original piece!

This piece is double-recycled. The idea for small art pieces came to me because I couldn't bear throw away the scraps I have from cutting the
recycled vintage cotton that I use for my pillows. I stretched the double-recycled vintage cotton over a wooden frame.

Measures 3.1 x 2.4 x 0.8 inches or 8 x 6 x 2 cm."

twitter find | happyhourmom.com hearts la pomme is a post from: Happy Hour Mom

“Thank God a hidden camera didn’t catch me… changing my tampon in my car.”

” I prayed to have kids because it took so long to get pregnant, but even now, when they’re eight and ten, I’m sad to admit that being a stay at hom mom doesn’t complete me.”

-Dirty Little Secret from Otherwise Perfect Moms

hhm: shocking confessions is a post from: Happy Hour Mom