Pottery Time: Moms night out

Something wonderful happened!

I, Pink Haired Momma, left the house ALONE, left H4L in charge of Baby DIVA, whilst I went out with my gals from the HoustonAreaMommies! Oh the joy! Oh the silence...well silent except for my radio jammin' in the car on my way to meet the ladies for Moms Night out. Each month HAM offers at least one event in which the kids stay home and the moms get to go out in play. I have found it can be quite difficult to get myself out of the house, so having the support of fellow hammies demanding I take a much needed break and join them is a life saver.

This month we moms hit Ceramics By Tess . It was so much fun. I have never been to an event like this, so not only did I get a night out but I was introduced to a totally new skill: Pottery Painting! So what is this Ceramics By Tess, well besides this moms secret hideaway for a few hours? Have a look at the following taken from Ceramics by Tess's website:

Ceramics by Tess is a full service ceramic shop. We have a selection of thousands of unique ceramic pieces that we make in which you can create your own masterpiece. Personal instruction, for the beginner or experienced, is always free. At our place, there is no fee for time, no fees for returning to finish an item, and no limit on color choices. Paints, glazes, supplies, greenware, specialty classes and kiln firing services are also available.

On Thursday nights from 7pm until 11pm Ceramics By Tess opens it doors to ADULTS only. NO KIDS! FREEDOM! They offer a variety of snacks and non alcoholic beverages for purchase, but also encourage you to BYOB. Wine, paint and pottery...this could get ugly! So we moms marched right on in to our little kingdom of freedom and us HAM's kept it clean, this time, and sipped lightly as we chatted with one another while painting our respective pieces of pottery.

I was in awe of the choices Ceramics By Tess has for the individual, like myself, to choose from when deciding just what type of pottery to work with. Statues, plates, wine caddy's, ornaments. The choices are endless; and that doesn't even include the vast array of colors, painting techniques, stencils and more that can then alter the basic design of any piece of pottery you choose. Its a hands on persons mecca of creation!

I opted for a simple bank. A sweet little Tiara that I could embellish with my own love and personality and then give to my darling Baby DIVA to save her nickels for college in. I initially wanted to paint this lovely bank a pink color and detail it in black, but I am not too gifted. I ultimately went and got a fatter brush and covered the entire thing in black paint and then touched the tiny details with pink. But no one really has to know that right? I will just pretend that was my initial plan all along. Don't tell anyone, okay?

Once completed I signed my name and date to the bottom of my piece and went to the desk and paid for my art. Less than $20 for a night out with the gals, a cool little gift for my Baby DIVA and some uninterrupted peace and quiet! You can not beat that. 7 days later you can return to Ceramics By Tess and pick up your fabulous Black Tiara or rather whatever piece you have made, glistening with hints of pink after it has been cooked to its pristine shine. All in all a fabulous night out for me!


**I have been unable to go and pick up my fabulous piece due to Baby DIVA's foot, hand and mouth outbreak! Sorry no picture to accompany this post**

Disney on Ice Let's Celebrate

This past Wednesday night, Baby DIVA, my SIL, my Niece and myself loaded up into the fammobile and headed toward Reliant Stadium for a fun filled evening courtesy of the Houston Area Mommies . I was given the privilege of attending the fabulous Disney on Ice through a contest hosted on HAM . WOWSERS! I was stoked to have the opportunity to attend this event; but I was even more excited to share this fabulous festivity with my niece who just happen to have a big 7th birthday this week.

My Niece and Baby DIVA before the show


Me and Baby DIVA

We arrived in splendid fashion only moments before the show was to begin, something I do suggest to all parents toting a 16 month old to a big event like this. Although fun and exciting, they are 16 month olds and therefore any minimizing of "downtime" is highly recommended. Back to our arrival, we waltzed into Reliant Stadium with great ease, found our proper seats, and were delighted as the lights began to dim and the show began to come alive.

Opening festivities

Star sighting

The theme of this particualr fabulous event is "Lets Celebrate". A synopsis from the Disney website describes it best:

"It's one colossal party on ice, with all your favorite Disney friends! Join Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse as they celebrate a Very Merry Unbirthday Party with Alice and the Mad Hatter; a Royal Valentine's Day Ball with the Disney Princesses, including Cinderella, Ariel and Tiana; a Hawaiian luau with Lilo & Stitch; a winter wonderland with Woody and Buzz Lightyear from Disney/Pixar's Toy Story; a Halloween haunt with the Disney Villains and more in a magical medley of holidays, celebrations and festivals from around the globe."

The show was amazing. It is very interactive and stimulating for kids of all ages. As I looked around I saw almost every child in the facility staring with pure enjoyment, suspense and excitement down at the ice stage waiting with intense emotions waiting for the next Disney character to appear before their very eyes. I found that the high energy and vivid use of recognizable visual stimuli, for all ages, was a wonderful entertaining technique mastered by Disney. I was awe struck by the OH's and AH's not only from the children I might add, as each new character from the Disney collection made their presence known to the crowd. The creativity used to transition from scene to scene and to master the delivery of new characters really captivated my attention as a Disney lover and a critic. It was performed flawlessly.

Disney brought in EVERYONE!

Baby DIVA, being only 16 months old, and not too familiar with television shows and movies found the popcorn container to be the most delightful intriguing event of the night. She also rather enjoyed the full length mirror in the sizable bathroom facility.

My 7 year old niece shared with me her thoughts on the performance as we left Reliant Stadium , "That was the bestest ever". Her words summed up the entire performance and the entire evening. The satisfaction and enjoyment that oozed from my nieces character as we walked away from the stadium and talked was definitely awesome. Worth all the time in the world and every penny, if you ask me. I also found Reliant Stadium to fantastically accommodating to the family circuit, the Disney on Ice performance was spectacular and provided a wealth of entertainment for all ages, and the smile and happiness on my daughters (for the popcorn container) and nieces faces were priceless. I highly recommend this family adventure to anyone with children. Tickets range in price from $16 to $90, lending affordability to almost any budget. Parking is a mere $8 and can be cheaper with proper planning. Have dinner at home before heading to the show and this fun event can definitely be a cheap and exciting outing for just about every family around.


**I am not affiliated with Disney in any way. I was not compensated monetarily or by any other means for this review. All opinions are of my own thoughts and experiences at the event.

I was on the news!

That's right! Pink Haired Momma and Baby DIVA made a news appearance today promoting the absolutely fabulous Houston Area Mommies. You have heard me ramble on and on about how much I enjoy this group and what an awesome support system we provide each other. From the weekly playdates to the moms night out events and also the amazing friendships, H.A.M provides me with the sanity I need to be a fabulous mom. Now is your chance to see us in action. Have a watch of our Good Friday Playdate at Discovery Green , and then come on over to the site and join us!

Pink Haired Momma promotes HAM on the news

Video

And if you are not from the Houston Area, no worries, our parent mommy group, The Mommies Network has chapters all over the country, look for one near you now.

Houston Area Mommies hit the Zoo

This past weekend on a gorgeous Sunday morning, H4L, Baby DIVA and myself loaded up into the Fammobile, and headed off for a fun filled day at the Houston Zoo with many of the fabulous Houston Area Mommies and their splendid kiddos.

We arrived at a few minutes before 10 am to find the parking lot beginning to fill up rather quickly. Lucky for us we snagged a great spot and began to "unpack" the car for our day long journey. Now at this point I made a GIANT mommy mistake. My Pink Haired silly self did not check the zoo website in reference to coolers being brought into the facility. If I had taken that extra moment to verify the information, the yummy ham and cheese quiche, spinach salad and drinks would have joined us on this unpacking adventure and would have been consumed for lunch at the zoo, instead of dinner at home! Oops. Note to anyone heading to the Houston Zoo , YOU CAN BRING YOUR COOLER INSIDE THE FACILITY.

The Reflecting Pool just inside the zoo entrance. Amazing!

Moving on past the one and only mistake I made. We made our way to the Zoo entrance and with no trouble found our fellow Houston Area Mommies , went right through the ticket purchase process and VOILA, we were in. First up, several moms rented the available wagon/strollers the zoo offers. We all know even the toughest tots will need a lift at some point during a long outdoor day! We, the Houston Area Mommies , loaded up and headed off, first of course posing for a group photo!

We were in luck on this particular day because Shanti, one of the Asian Elephants at the Houston Zoo was having her BABY SHOWER. Yep, that right! We were fortunate enough to be "invited" to such an important event. We even had the honor of seeing Shanti's baby kick her. I cant not even begin to imagine what that must feel like. AHHHHH! The "baby shower" was awesome. Lots of fun activities for the kids like a giant card for Shanti for everyone to sign, a table for gifts, and several craft stations. The kids loved it!

WE signed the card for Shanti!

Goofing off with Daddy!

The rest of the time we roamed around looking at all the various animals, soaking in the spring sun and air and chatting with all the other Houston Area Mommies members and kids. Goofing off and enjoying our fabulous day at the zoo. Although we were unable to ride the train around Hermann Park, where the Zoo is located, or take a ride in a paddle boat in the lake by the zoo due to the snoozed Baby DIVA, we have made plans to return this spring and do just such.

I really love that not only do you get to see fabulous animals at the zoo, but every exhibit offers an interactive learning exercise too!

The Zoo is a marvelous place for a family outing. Its is rather inexpensive to enter, you can bring your own food, there is tons of walking and looking which is fabulously stimulating for kids and adults alike. And there is even a kids area, again we did not spend much time at as Baby DIVA was snoozed in her stroller. Fresh air does it every time!

Would you like more information about how to join the Houston Area Mommies? Follow the link and sign up, Tell them Pink Haired Momma sent you. We would love for you to come join us and experience all the fun and support moms and kids need!

Houston Area Mommies

I know I have readers from all over the world and I think that is fabulous. I love the momma bloggin has connected me with such a diverse geographical group of people. It makes me so excited.

Today I want to share some information that is for my local readers. I am a member of a completely fabulous mom group here in the Houston area. Seriously this group is phenomenal. The women I have met in this organization are like sisters to me. We can chat about anything from recipes to how to beat PPD to catching our backyard grills on fire. Oh and we talk about our kids too. We also get together on a regular basis for playdates, moms night out, family days, book clubs, charity events, you name it. It is really wonderful to have a group of women with like minds, ie motherhood, that I can go to and talk to, have fun with and be friends with.

Now that I have gushed like a hormonal woman about how much I love this group, I would like to invite all Houston Area Moms to come and join this incredibly fantastic group. We have a community website. You are welcome to come have a look and see if we are a great fit. Check us out at http://www.houstonareamommies.com/. You wont regret it!

And for all of you fabulous readers out there that are not in the Houston Area, I have a little something for you too. My fabulous mom group is just one branch of a huge organization! It just might be that there is a group in your city too! Have a look and see http://www.themommiesnetwork.org/!

The Circus is coming! The Circus is coming!!!

Lions, Tigers and Bears! Oh My!!!

The Circus is coming to town! Woohoo!! My totally fabulous and fun mommy group, HAM, has engineered a way for you and your family to attend this lovely event Free of charge. Wanna know how? Simply check out the forums at Houston Area Mommies, for your chance to win a family 4 pack to the circus on July 15th!


Come on by and see how you can get your family to the circus for FREE!!

Bittersweet Wednesday Recap

Yesterday we had a day full of bittersweet emotions!

I just love the look on Baby DIVA's face!

Umm whatever with your kisses Mom!

First we had a totally fabulous lunch with a new and exciting friend, a fellow mommy blogger!! Woohoo!! Lovetoshopmom and her little Diva(who is so dang cute!) met myself, the Pink Haired Momma and Baby DIVA at the yummy 11th street cafe in the Heights for a fun and fabulous lunch. The DIVA's discussed the exchanging of chupy's and how to be divalicious while they dined on sippy cups at the cafe. Us moms chatted and enjoyed each others company. It was so awesome to not only meet another mommyblogger and fellow Houston Area Mommy member but to meet a new friend and mom to a DIVA. We are an elite breed! LOL

Mommy Bloggers and Baby DIVA's!!!!!!

The prizes I won from Lovetoshopmom's Birthday Blog giveaway!!!

The afternoon unfolded into a less than desirable situation. As you know Baby DIVA and I spend several days a week with Granny, my Great Grandmother, Baby DIVA's Great Great Grandmother. Well Granny has a cat named Squeaky who is a lovely elderly gentlecat. Yesterday afternoon Squeaky's age finally caught up to his perky pesky little body. His health has been in decline in recent months and we had to take him to his doctor with the quickness. As of now it does not look good for this gentlecat, Squeaky. His kidney's are failing and his health is in a downward spiral. His doctor's are doing what they can but we are braced for the worst. After the Vet run, we had to share this news with my great grandmother. Sqeaky is her pride and joy, next to Baby DIVA of course. So it was not a lovely afternoon to say the least.

Baby DIVA and Squeaky chillin

Wednesday evening found us at my Brother-in-law to be's home celebrating his fabulous 29th birthday!! Yippee Uncle Nightstick!! Happy Big Birthday to you.You are catching up with Pink Haired Momma, the thirties are looming for ya boy!!! Baby DIVA was so excited to play with her cousins and see her family. Her other Uncle Diamond is in town too, so she was pleased to cuddle with him too!!

So we completed our bittersweet day with two totally fabulous happenings and one less than happy or desirable situation. Today may be another bittersweet day as actions may need to be addressed and consoling of Great Grandmothers are in order!! But it is also a fabulous day because baby DIVA is 7 months old, is currently napping and Hubbs-to-be is home all day to celebrate!! Woohoo!!!

Baby Signs

Pink Haired Momma is going to teach Baby DIVA a new trick!
Sign Language!!
Totally RAD!

I was hanging out in one of my favorite sites on the net, HAM, when another momma posted a question in regards to Baby Sign language. She was interested in hearing some stories of other moms who had been active participants in this adventure with their kiddos! As other mommas begin to share their tips and secrets, my Pink Haired influenced mind began a turning.
And off I went to research this subject.
I found out some really informative information about this sign language method and how it is quite beneficial for infant to learn. I have decided to pursue this wonderful and exciting method of communication with baby DIVA for the following absolutely positively glorious reasons.
First of all sign language develops a communication of emotions!
Hmmm isn’t that spiffy? Now Baby DIVA will be able to sign to me what exactly she means when she is grunting and turning red and stiffening her little body! Oh wait! That is already a form of communication. Baby DIVA has learned to clear a room with that lovely communication strategy! See this is a no brainer! Baby DIVA will get this sign language communication with great ease.
Second, it may increase the IQ levels and promotes creativity!
Well Hot Diggity Dog! Baby DIVA is already the smartest baby on the planet, now with the new added skill of sign language she will surpass even the brainiest of humans here on this earth! Yippee I spawned a super genius! And she will have a great sense of creativity too. Wow I mean you can’t get much more creative than that gorgeous masterpiece she designed the other day all over her crib while we were changing that diaper (see previous benefit for explanation).
A third benefit is that sign language engages baby in the learning process of starting and participating in a real conversation.
Okay well let me tell you what Baby DIVA scored the leading lady role in every conversation since she burst into this world. If she is not actively making her voice heard through the background to the conversation then this little DIVA is the topic of conversation! Ha! Sign language will just add another dimension for her to be all up in Pink Haired Momma’s business!

Indoor Play Lands ROCK!!!

Baby DIVA is getting out and about! We had our first official PLAY DATE today. Pink Haired Momma and Baby DIVA joined the ladies of HAM and the kiddos at a fabulous indoor play area and got goofy. The kiddos played and had a good old time. Baby DIVA watched as her new pal J-man crawled across the floor. She admired his leg movements so much that upon arrival to Great Great Granny's this evening Little Miss Baby DIVA attempted her first real crawl. She tried so hard but just could not quite get herself going as good as J-man! Unbelievable! Woohoo!!

Baby DIVA also had a wonderful time meeting Miss K-cutie who has the most gorgeous blue eyes!! The girls shared notes on sippy cups and came to the conclusion that PINK rocks! The babes tootled about the wonderful play area and laughed and giggled.

Baby DIVA and J-man

Whats up girl!

I agree K-cutie, Pink sippy cups ROCK!!!

Check out all the kids in this pic!!!

Super fun time!

Totally fabulous time. Great kids! Super wonderful ladies! If you wanna have fun like this you should check out the HAM site and see what exciting adventures are coming up next!!!