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The Long Goodbye

We do this terrible thing in my house called sneakin’.  It started innocently enough — before we had kids, we’d go over to our friends’ house after their kids went to bed to play board games and have child-free fun.  We knew the little ones would be heartbroken to know that the grown-ups were having fun without them, so we kept our fun quiet — there it began,  the idea of sneakin’.

Somehow, this action  seems to be permeating our own  lives as parents as well.  Sneakin’ is what we call it when one parent has to leave the house, but does it without calling attention to him or herself or saying goodbye to the kidlets.  While this used to be an occasional practice, this tactic is coming into play more and more frequently.  We use it on all of the kids…even the teenagers (sometimes I just want to go to the grocery store without three hungry adolescent boys throwing packages of cookies into the cart!).  Primarily though, we use it because goodbyes involving our small fries are totally painful.  It doesn’t matter who is leaving, or where he or she is going, or for how long.  I can be going off to work for the day or around the corner for juice.  Either way, there’s a good chance that one of my toddlers will totally flip out as soon as the door opens and it is hard on everyone.  Shrieking, crying, wailing, clinging to me for dear life … it’s just unbearable, and so we sneak.

I have the impulse to sneak now.  The time has come for me to say goodbye to this blog, and while I don’t flatter myself to the point of thinking that you, dear readers, will throw a tantrum, I’m still tempted to try and flee unnoticed.  I just don’t know what to say — an incredibly uncomfortable feeling for a writer.

I suppose I could say that though I have loved chronicling my journey through motherhood with the support and encouragement of my favorite community of mamas, I’ve found myself too deep in the journey to step outside of it to write.  I suppose I could also say that though I would love nothing more than to spend my mornings and/or afternoons perusing the racks of the Goose and obsessing over new products, instead I’m working full time (and then some) at the school my big kids attend, throwing myself wholly into the task of getting them to graduate from high school.  I suppose I could say that though I’m sure I still have lots to write, it has just become impossible for me to write it.

I will always be grateful to the Mama Goose team for cushioning the various blows that young motherhood dealt me.  I cannot imagine life without the amazing mamas I’ve met because of the Goose.  I might be working at the shop on some summer Sundays, and I definitely will continue to pop by to visit my lovely fellow goslings (once a gosling, always a gosling!) and, of course, do a little shopping on the side.  I will also probably continue to write blog posts in my head, wishing I had a moment to put a parenting question to a poll, or share a great picture with the Goose community at large, and I will most definitely miss you all.

From Kelly:

Boo hoo! We love Meryl! As an employer, I know that most Mama Goose Goslings will fly away eventually.  In fact, Casey the Assistant Manager for the Goose also had to spread her wings  and fly from our nest (another big boo!).  It has always been important to me that our goslings  feel that being here works for them and their families.   The tight-knit fold of Mama Goose is not easy to leave, but sometimes it is just necessary.   I certainly respect those decisions when they are made, and I wish Meryl (and Casey!) all the best.  And of course, I do hope to see them here “picking up a few things”  regularly because they will just miss us so much!

When Meryl said that she is “too deep in the journey of parenting/working” that she couldn’t step back and write about it, I found that really resonated with me. I have had so many things I have wanted to do with this blog, but with two businesses, two kids and so much more on my plate, I just haven’t been able to find the time.  I have definitely found that my creative juices flow when I do have time to step back.  I have probably driven Meryl crazy with numerous emails from me on my days off. “I just cooked a great dish –here’s a picture!”.  “You know what we should do next? …”.  But, alas, this isn’t the way I should spend my few days off and we all know, Meryl doesn’t take any days off!

This is all a long-winded way of saying that I am going to put the blog on hiatus.  As we travel on, I would love to consider the feasibility of a small team of Mamas/Papas writing about different stages of parenting. I also feel like some of you may be interested in hearing more about the nuts and bolts of running a business.  In the short-term, I’d like to play around with more Mimi’s Attic posts which will be brief and focused on the home.  If you are a writer and would like to be involved in Mama Goose or Mimi’s Attic blogging sometime in the future  please feel free to email me. I will tuck away your contact information to contemplate later when that magical day off happens and inspiration finds me…

Until then, see you in person at Mimi’s and The Goose!

-Meryl and Kelly at the Goose

Mother’s Day for Peace

Mama Goose customers are an incredible bunch.  When they’re not combing our racks for awesome deals, they’re off in the community doing interesting and amazing work.  This week, a particular customer project came to our attention.

Mamas for Peace is an organization committed to making Mother’s Day about something more than cards and flowers.  By going back to the original roots of the holiday, these mamas are declaring today a time to celebrate the political engagement of women with society.

What a thing to celebrate  — as women, we’ve all been part of conversations in which, flippantly or not, someone remarked on how much better the world would run if controlled by our gender.  Just this week, after averting a crisis together with two of my favorite mamas (Happy Mother’s Day, Dawn & Heather!)  one of them declared, “That’s right!  With us around, stuff [she may have used a more colorful word with one less letter] gets DONE!”

I relish the chance to celebrate the positive impact women have on our community and society at large, and I urge you to do the same.  While words like “political engagement” and “activism” may feel like terms that don’t apply to the day-to-day business of maintaining a family, I believe that mothering well IS activism.  Nurturing is activism.  Raising a generation of people who are going to treat each other and our planet with respect is activism of the highest order, and I’d like to thank Mamas for Peace for reminding us to embrace that.

Happy Mother’s Day.

-Meryl at the Goose

Red Ribbons on the Bad Mommy Hanger

I’ve had a long day.  A long day, after a long week, after a long winter, and I am bone-shatteringly tired.  I barely survived the half mile drive to buy Ibuprofen at Wegman’s, and once I arrived, I plunked the kiddo down at WKids and hid myself away in the upstairs cafe section until I could handle the idea of traversing the aisles.  By the time we finally pulled up in front of our house, the thought of cooking dinner was more than I could bear, and then I remembered these:

Mmm..mmm... good?

Purchased in a fit of nostalgia (my mom used to keep a stack of these in the freezer) with a bit of prescience mixed in, I tossed these frozen dinners into my shopping cart ages ago for just this very kind of evening.  After 8 minutes of microwaving, my children sat happily on the couch, in front of the television, eating preservative-laden food on a stick.  Definitely not my finest parenting moment.

My mom always calls events like this red ribbons on the bad mommy hanger.  I have no idea where it came from, though I’m sure Bubbe Margie will be happy to tell us all in the comments.  (Ever the supportive mama, she’s an avid reader of this blog.)  Whatever the origin, I like the image.  Perfect parenting is unattainable, and we’re all bound to make mildly shameful moves from time to time.  The bad mommy hanger gives us a place to put all of these little bits of shame.  Fed your kids crap for dinner?  There’s one red ribbon.  Lost your temper when they were arguing in the car?  Another neat little bow.  Sent your preschooler off to school wearing mismatched socks for the fourth day in a row?  Tie one more on.  Then you get to put the hanger away, in the back of the closet, give yourself a break, and move on with your day.

Anyone else out there starting a nice red ribbon collection?  Tell me all about it in the comments.

-Meryl at the Goose

Shoes!

Cute and comfy Teva flip flops for women help your feet say, "Hello, summer!"

Many moons ago, before my husband was my husband, we were co-teachers in the toddler room of a summer preschool program, and the youngest of our teeny weeny campers was a not-yet-two-year-old named Dominique who only said one word:  “Shoes.”  We thought this was hilarious, and unique, and then promptly forgot all about it.  It only came up again this year, when we had a speech-delayed almost-two-year-old of our own whose limited vocabulary also managed to include the “s-h” word.

I’ve mentioned Corrina’s love of shoes before, but I’m not sure I’ve told you that it’s actually a family-wide infatuation.  Back in the many moons ago story setting of the paragraph above, I claimed that leaving 20 pairs of shoes scattered across our apartment living room was my way of neutralizing the masculine decor.  Now, my shoe collection is completely shamed by the one belonging to my sneakerhead teenager — the boy loves to spend an evening explaining to you exactly why he needs four different pairs of navy blue and white Nikes.  And since little brothers love everything their big brothers do, we’ve now got a four-year-old with a burgeoning obsession of his own.  In fact, we were at the Goose last week, picking up some new Livie & Lucas for Rina (the cream peacock mary janes — beyond cute), and the following conversation occurred:

Ray:  But I need new shoes!

Me:  But we just got you new shoes yesterday. (We had, indeed, purchased new shoes for him at the Goose the day before.  The return trip was because I ran out of time to select spring shoes for the other small one.)

Ray:  But now I need NEW new shoes, today.

Me:  No, you do not.

Ray: Right.  New shoes tomorrow?

And on and on we went, giving me ample time to peruse the incredible shoe selection at the Goose, which leads me (finally) to the point of this post:

It’s Teva time again!  With the weather finally warming up and months of fantastic Ithacan summer fun ahead of us, it’s time to start thinking about proper footwear for you and yours.  I myself am all set — I’ve got two pairs of Teva flip flops purchased from the Goose last year that are totally ready for a second season (except for some small puppy bites on the brown pair, but we’re just going to ignore those.)  These flip flops strike the exact right balance between sporty and stylish — great with a sundress, and great when you’re running in that sundress through goose poop in Stewart Park trying to prevent your fearless (and non-swimming) toddler from diving headfirst into the lake.

The kids’ styles are just as versatile — from the traditional sandals my dad wears with knee socks (the Hurricane) to the more full-coverage Omnium, this line of adorable footwear will last your kids the whole season through, from creek walking to camping or canoeing or whatever activity the warm weather brings.  Plus, if you can somehow magically your child’s pedestrial growth, these shoes could definitely take you into a second summer.  At the very least, they’ll make great hand-me-downs OR resale nicely back at the Goose once the first wearer moves on.

Teal Teva Hurricanes... here I am, rock me like one of those.

If you’re like me, this back and forth spring weather is painful.  I need a visual reminder that eventually, even somewhat soon, summer will indeed arrive.  A box of Tevas in a child’s closet does wonders as a visual aid.  Stop by the Goose and pick yours up today.

-Meryl at the Goose

Mama Vendor Profile: Amber Alley Siepel

Name: Amber Alley Siepel

Featured Product at the Goose: Fabric Baskets and Beanbag Sets by Shagbark Studio

The Family: Husband Adam, Kids Ella, 8 and Charlie, 5

On Herself as an Artist:

“You know, I never really identified as an artist. That was my mom’s thing-she was the artist. But growing up surrounded by artistic people and handmade things, I acquired a love for art and a sense of importance about it. I just love fabric and fibers so much and as I’ve begun and continued my work with them, I’ve found myself wondering, “What am I, besides mommy?” I finally decided, “Ok, I’m an artist.”

All about the Products: “I really started out making handmade birthday gifts. I’d have my kids pick out a fabric they liked, and then do a pencil roll with a matching drawstring bag. They have gone over really well with the recipients. Then I started making the beanbags, and needed something to put them in. I remembered that when my little girl was about two she loved carrying things around, bringing them from room to room and picking things up and taking them out and putting them back in, and that’s how the baskets came to be. I was originally inspired by this tutorial on Maya*made, which I’ve now made my own. The baskets are great to make because they’re fun and quick and crafty but when I’m in the mood they can become a bit more artistic by using multiple fabrics and fancy stitching. I also do wine bags, pillows, sachets and pencil rolls, which are for sale at Terra Rosa. Another thing I love to do is fabric canvases, which I think of as sort of a moveable quilt. So far they are very simple, but I’d like to start doing some applique and fiber collage on the canvases. Currently I have canvases on display at Bev & Co. in Community Corners.  I also sell a few things at French Lavender flower shop.”

About the Materials: “I use a Babylock Grace sewing machine, which I bought from Quilter’sCorner, which is also where I get a lot of my fabric. They have an incredible selection, and provide terrific support for anyone who purchases one of their machines. I also buy fabric from Homespun, which has really good stuff, and although I usually prefer to support local businesses, I do find the occasional lovely fabric at JoAnn’s. I also love to repurpose vintage linens (they make great sachets and pillow covers). I can’t stay away from the gorgeous new fabrics that are available, but there are so many reasons to recycle, repurpose, reinvent, etc., and I need to do more of this.”

On Being a WAHM (Work-at-Home-Mama): I have a studio in our home, but I do much of my work there while the kids are at school … I’m the kind of person who needs to have a certain amount of uninterrupted work time. Unfortunately, I get pretty crabby when I’m really in creative mode. Once I’ve got a project planned out and pieces cut, pressed, pinned, etc., I do sometimes let one of the kids work quietly in my studio while I put it all together, but mostly, if my children are home, I’m spending time with them or doing things that don’t require as much concentration. Ella and I have done a few sewing projects together, including a quilt that began as a fabric collage she made at art camp, lavender sachets we made for her teachers as holiday gifts, and felt brooches for party favors. Charlie has also shown some interest and one of my goals is to get him stitching with us more often.”

How do you balance art and parenting? Honestly, I don’t, really! I’m always striving for balance-it’s so hard! I usually feel like I’m neglecting something (doesn’t everyone?). I do have a nice community of women with whom I can talk about juggling art and parenting, both in the real world and online through Etsy and Facebook. Check out the online homes of some of my favorite ladies: Dee Hay Designs, Mrs. McPuppet, Quince and Quire, Chickadee Shop and ZenCrafting.

Some Shagbark Studio goodies all ready for delivery.

 

Amber's daughter Ella (dressed head-to-toe in Goose wear!) shows off the quilt that she and her mother from a fabric collage begun at art camp.

 

Ella and Amber made these brooches as favors for Ella's last birthday party. Best goodie bag ever!

 

You can learn more about Amber and her work at www.shagbarkstudio.com or on her Etsy site, or you can stop by the Goose to check it out in person.  Amber also accepts custom orders, so feel free to contact her with fabric requests!

-Meryl at the Goose

A Cure for the Common Cold

I feel like my household brings home a disproportionate amount of illness.  It comes with the territory of having four kids at three different schools and three different age groups — we’re jumping into the germ pool from all sides.  Why I didn’t write this blog appeal for help ages ago is anybody’s guess.  Seriously, check out the pathetic faces of sickness that have shown up over the past few cold and flu seasons:

Right now in my house, I can count one sinus infection, three runny noses, two fevers (one low-grade, one high) and one soul-shaking cough.  Nothing I do seems to help … we get by on baby Tylenol and fluids, but neither seems to make a dent in the giant pile of agony that builds up in the den of sickness.

What do you do for your sick kids when they’re stricken by the dreaded cough and cold?  How do you keep the mucus monster at bay?  I’m desperate for your suggestions … this family may not make it through another snot-infested day.

-Meryl at the Goose

The Mama Goose Guide to Gift Giving

 

Does it seem to anyone else that spring brings with it an unusually large number of celebratory gatherings —  birthday parties, baby showers, and the like?  It’s not that the number of new babies and old babies aging is actually greater in this season (in fact, August is typically the month in which the most babies are born, let no one say this blog never taught you anything.)  Maye it’s just that winter makes it hard to gather together to be festive, what with everyone stuck indoors, and so it’s only when spring comes around that people are really in the partying mood.

Whatever the reason for the season, this is the time of year when customer after customer comes running into the Goose looking for a gift.  Just in case you wanted to do a little prep work in advance, may I present the Complete Goose Gift Giving Guide.

For the New Mama & Baby: The Baby Shower Gift

There are two general options for gift giving at the Goose.  You can either select one big item as a present, or put together an assortment of smaller items.  If you want to go (really) big, may we suggest our cloth diapering sample pack.  Perfect for the mama-to-be planning to try cloth diapering for the first time, our sampler package ($130) includes 6 Chinese prefold diapers, 2 Bummis covers, 1 Motherease diaper cover, 1 6-pack of wipes or 1 package of flushable liners, 1 colored Motherease fitted diaper, 2 Motherease unbleached cotton fitted diapers, 1 Made@Home fleece diaper cover, and 2 Motherease all-in-one diapers.  Or, there’s always the Ergo.

If you’re not looking to go quite as big, we suggest assembling a few of the items below in one of our complimentary gift bags or a Shagbark Studio fabric basket (pictured above, mama vendor profile to come later this week.)

*Bamboo washcloths by Punkinbutt, the softest things ever made in the history of the world.  They’re so wonderful that we buy a batch every time a new kid comes to stay.  Plus, as I discovered last summer, they are excellent for soaking up all kinds of bodily fluids (not only the diaper-changing variety, but the my-toddler-split-her-head-open-and-is-gushing-blood variety.)  They’re at the Goose in packages of 3 for $7.98.

*Organic cotton toys by Under the Nile. These are great shower gifts because they’re adorable in the way that new babies are adorable, eliciting automatic gushes and exclamations of “awww!”  Also, they are perfect for wee ones as they start grasping and then teething since they can go from baby’s mouth to the washing machine and then right back to baby.  My littlest  spent much of her first year grasping an Under the Nile banana, but my new favorites are the Harmony Dolls, pictured at right.

*Nuzzle Me Strap Covers. Locally made by papa vendor Tim, these strap covers come in bright and engaging prints to fit a variety of baby carriers and give baby something to chew on that can be easily removed and then cleaned before baby’s next outing.  Are we detecting a washable theme here?  At the Goose, we believe that easy to clean is a new mama’s dream.  (At least, I do.  I just made that up.  I’ll have to poll the rest of the goslings to see if they’re on board with the mantra.)

*Charlie’s Soap. Although at first pass laundry soap may seem too dull for a baby shower gift, I can guarantee you that the recipient will thank you several months down the road, when it’s three in the morning and he or she is completely out of burp cloths or blankets or diapers and hasn’t had time or ener gy to leave the house in two days and finally discovers the bag of Charlie’s Soap that you included with your shower gift.

*Cloth Wipes. These are a fun and colorful addition to any gift basket.  Locally made and environmentally friendly, the Goose sells these wipes in packs of 12 for $12.98.

*Naaci Cloth Diapers. Our newest made at home cloth diaper, these are each one-of-a-kind and made from reclaimed fabrics.  One of these makes a great gift even if you don’t know the new mama’s diapering plans.

For Big (and Not so Big) Kids: The Birthday Party Gift

I’m rarely at the Goose pre-party with enough time to spare to assemble a gift bag, so I’ve become a one-piece-gift kind of girl.   My personal favorites are locally made capes by Made@home mama or SewingMommy, or aprons by Sparks (aka our amazing manager Larkin.)  Cooperative games by Family Pastimes, Elaine Griffin tutus, and Barbara Engstrom dance skirts are also huge hits.  Someday, though, when I magically get my life together and am not running around like a mama chicken missing her proverbial head, I’ll put together a thoughtful gift bag with some of the items below, just like this amazing customer:

Mama Moreen, giver of gifts extraordinaire

Moreen began with a Shagbark Studios basket and filled it with:

*North Star Toys. Moreen selected a wooden rattle, car, and the popular “3 Men in a Tub” by this New Mexico-based company.  We also carry North Star magic wands and helicopters and some other fun things.

Some other great options for a birthday basket:

*Country Kids socks. Although socks are not ordinarily an exciting birthday gift, these are not your ordinary socks.  With great designs from stripes to rocket ships, these are exactly the kind of socks kids like to see on their feet.

*Magic Shoe laces. On sale for $.98, these brightly-colored shoe laces will jazz up any old pair of shoes.  They also go great with the socks mentioned above.

*Ouchie Sacks and Pillows by Sparks. These rice-filled bags (handmade with love by our lovely Larkin) are designed to soothe the boo-boos of birthday boys and girls all year round.  A big step up from your regular old ice pack.

*Twig Crayons. People love our twig crayons (2 for $1.98) as a last minute addition to an everyday purchase, and they’re just that much better when thrown in with a gift.

*Wild Apple Toys. Locally made in Trumansburg, these wooden toys range from snakes on wheels to whale piggy banks and pull-string winged dragons.

Pick up a handmade card (we carry designs by two local mamas) at the register, and your gift is ready to go.  Shopping season made easy, just for you!  Now let’s all  go have some cake.

-Meryl at the Goose

World on Fire

Where it all began...

Sometimes being a grown-up, pardon the expression, just sucks.  For Mr. Blogling and myself,  this weekend was one of those sucky times.  Friday afternoon found us with four firetrucks in front of our house and our own little act of God in the basement (a fire and a flood! how does that even happen?)  The culprit was a busted water heater, and it led to one unexpected night in a hotel, 8 hours of husband-labor installing a new water heater, 55 hours and counting without heat, spotty electricity, and the expenditure of many, many, many dollars.  Overall:  SUCKY.

Plus, my little family disaster interrupted my regularly scheduled blog programming by forcing me to flake on a long-overdue interview with mama vendor Amber Siepel.  (I’m so sorry, Amber!  I’ll make it up to you.)  But, it does give me the opportunity to encourage some whining from you, dear readers.  I want to hear about things that burst, broke, bled … anything.  Misery loves company, so please — tell me about your own natural family disasters.  Stories of your suffering will keep me warm at night.  Goodness knows these space heaters aren’t doing the trick.

-Meryl at the Goose

P.S.  There is a picture floating around somewhere of a night last winter when the entire Moreland family slept at The Goose to monitor some frozen sprinkler pipes.  As soon as Kelly and I locate this photographic evidence, it will be yours for the viewing.

A Few of My Favorite Things: A Contest

One of my favorite women in the world is on her way to being a mama — twice over, in fact — she’s carrying twins.  Ever the pragmatist, she sent out an e-mail seeking advice in navigating the world of prenatal shopping.  She wrote:

Dear Mommies I Know,

I would love to know what 5-10 items of clothing, furniture, accessories, toys, etc. you most valued during your baby’s first year of life. There is just so much crap out there, and I want to rifle through your brains to avoid getting the crap!

Now, that’s a demand for a blog contest if ever I’ve heard one!  Check out my top 5 list, and then submit your own in the comments. One lucky commenter will win $5 in Goose cash just for contributing, and the rest of you can remain satisfied that you’ve helped a soon-to-be mama avoid the pitfalls of capitalism.  Everybody wins.

Without further adieu, here are my favorite five:

1)  Cloth diapers.

The cloth diaper decision and discussion is an involved one.  We’ve devoted several blog posts to the subject, and there are entire websites out there as well.  I personally was a fan of the pocket diaper, like the red one pictured above — an adjustable outer shell used in conjunction with a removable inner pad.  For me, these seemed to provide the best leak protection. were manageable to launder, and looked super cute on my summer baby when worn with just a t-shirt and the occasional pair of leg warmers (see #5.)

2) The Moby Wrap

If the search for the perfect diaper doesn’t kill you, the search for the perfect baby carrier will.  The secret to both of these searches is trial and error — what works for your best friend may not work for you, and that’s okay.  I loved my Moby Wrap (actually, the Moby D) for the first 10 months of Corrina’s life. She tagged along to my third year of law school, which would have been much harder had I not been able to strap her to my body with this incredible piece of fabric.  (Also invaluable was an awesome team of classmate babysitters who came to my rescue all year.  Thanks, ladies!) 

3)  Robeez

There’s a reason these soft soled shoes are everywhere babies want to be — they’re perfect for a baby’s perfect little feet.  The elastic keeps the slipper secure without pinching while the leather keeps baby’s feet warm without overheating.  Plus, they come in an insane variety of adorable styles — Corrina came home from the hospital in a pair of pink ones with brown guitars, like the little rock star that she is.

4)  Swaddling

This is a word I’d never given a second thought until I was the parent of a newborn, and then all of a sudden it became absolutely essential.  The Happiest Baby On the Block was my go-to swaddling guide, and we could not have survived without Kiddpotamous swaddlers.  On more than one occasion, I found myself awake at 3 in the morning, giving Rina a bottle with one hand and ordering extra swaddlers from Amazon.com with the other.  That was before I was a Goose aficionado, of course.  Had I know then what I know now, I would have just gone to the Goose swaddler bin, where many of my fave brand of these magical tools currently reside.  Ahh, the naivete of first time mothers.

5)  Legwarmers

That’s right, baby legwarmers are a real thing, and they’re fantastic.  When I bought the first pair, I stashed them secretly in the diaper bag, ashamed to tell my husband that I’d bought our child such a frivolous, ridiculous accessory.  But then one day in late August, we found ourselves at an outdoor wedding with an ever-so-slight chill in the air.  I whipped out those bad boys, tossed them on my baby’s chubby legs, and voila!  Adorable AND practical.

I could probably go on and on, but I’m going to stop at my fave five and give you all a chance to weigh in.  Get listing!

-Meryl at the Goose