Motherhood and the Changing Tides of Friendship

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Welcome to our first Friends You Love Blog Hop!


This month is about building friendships and making our existing friendships stronger...


We challenge you to dig into your "followers" list and find a follower you don't know well (someone who doesn't comment regularly) and reach out to them and ask them to do a guest post on YOUR blog. Link up with your guest post and have your new friend (guest poster) link up as well!


We will be running this blog hop every Monday this month, so spread the word, spread the love, and darn it, go make some new friends!


This week I begged pleaded asked a new favorite blogger, Daniele from Mama Views, to write a post. Daniele is a stay at home mama to two little girls ages 1 and 3. Her writing is beautiful, her photographs are nothing short of gorgeous. I am honored to have her write on my blog--and I hope you will go and check out her blog as well! She's a fabulous, fun blogger...you will totally love her. So kick back, grab a mug of hot coffee and relax. For now you will be enjoying her writing, her truths, her words...

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Do you remember your relationships with friends P.C. (pre-children)? Back when friendships were based on shared interests, hobbies, passions, love of the same booze...the important things.


Flash forward to the moment you became a mama. Everything in the world looks different once your bundle of joy is placed in your arms, and that includes your friends. It is inevitable that your friendships change once you become a mother. Whether your friends are moms too, trying for their first, or have no kids and never will- you see them in a different light.


After I had my first daughter one of my coworkers came to visit us in the hospital. We had been 3rd grade teachers together with rooms right next door to each other, and she had been my mentor and my best friend for the previous few years. She didn't have any children and was never going to. I remember thinking as she  loved on my newborn, Oh my gosh. She has no clue how this feels. To suddenly have your heart living outside of your body. I felt disconnect. I couldn't believe that I was her even just the day before...before my life was changed forever by this baby. Let's face it, you think you know how it's going to feel to be a mom but you don't really know till you become one.


One of my next visitors at the hospital was one of my oldest friends from grade school and a mom of three herself. I also saw her in a completely different light. I was in awe! I was only on day two of the 24/7, soul-exhausting newborn care and I just kept thinking as she snuggled my girl, How has she done this THREE times?! And how gracefully! I'm a hot mess already! I had a new found love and respect for her.

During those initial few months after my first baby was born and I was settling into life as a stay-at-home-mom, anyone with a baby within a year of my girl could have been my new bff. I just felt this very strong camaraderie with other new moms...probably something akin to new soldiers as they finish boot camp together. You only know how it is once you've been there and you will always have that bond.


I even joined a playgroup when my daughter was 9-months-old (and let's just say that I wouldn't have been pegged as a playgroup type of gal P.C.) and made several new mommy friends that I still see today, though that playgroup isn't around anymore.


Now that I'm a few years and two kids into motherhood, I have a completely renewed and deepened appreciation for all of my friends. I feel no disconnect with any of them. My friends who don't have children remind me to not abandon who I was before. Often in the all-consuming whirlwind of parenthood you never even think of the life you had before kids. All I need is a quick get-together with one of those friends to get me back to that place. You need those friends just as much as you need the ones who can dish about spit-up and potty training for two hours straight.


My friends who are on the parenting ride along with me or who are just beginning on the journey to try for their first baby remind me that parenthood creates some of the strongest bonds that can ever be made. And while friendships post-kids can change and be different, they are still, or even more so rooted in what is important in life: Mutual passions and interests, support, love, a bottle of wine...the good stuff.

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Link up your posts below and hop around and meet some new friends! Maybe the blog you land on will be a new one for you or maybe their guest poster will be. It's all about making new friends!

Getting to Know Me...

So, it's Sunday again which means it is time for another round of Getting to Know You from MannLand5. I love this meme--it's easy, fun, and I've discovered some fabulous blogs on the way!

1. If you had to choose a country to live in besides USA (or the country you live in), which would it be?  Hm. That's a tough one...I would love to live somewhere tropical--maybe somewhere in the Bahamas? I may need to do a tropical island tour and then I'll know for sure where I would want to live, ha!



2. Which would be worse, wearing flip flops in the snow or wearing gloves in the summer?  That one is so easy for me to answer...the gloves in the summer. My skin is crawling just imagining that one!


3. Fried or Bake and why?  Baked. I'm not really a fried type of girl...



4. If you were an entertainment reporter, which celeb would you love to interview and why?  Ellen DeGeneres! I LOVE her--and she cracks me up--I think it would be a fabulous interview!


5. What was your favorite book as a preteen/teenager?  I loved Babysitters Club, Sweet Valley High, Nancy Drew, Sleepover Club and who knows what else. I loved {and still do!} to read!


6. List your top 3 guilty pleasure television shows.  Big Brother, Glee and Pretty Little Liars.


7. What bumper sticker slogan best describes you/your attitude/your life?  "Sarcasm: the body's natural defense against stupid." I'm pretty sarcastic so I love this!


8. If you were to join a circus - what performer would you be?  A trapeze artist! Although I am afraid of heights, so I'm not sure how that would all play out...



Have a fabulous Sunday! And if you want to see a tasty treat that I blogged about, go and and visit Marvelous Mommy--I think you'll like it...

Guest Post: To Dad's Health!

Hi everyone! My name is Marjorie and I blog at the soon-to-be-renamed 2010mysd.com. Stop by and say hello ! I'm a mother of a nearly 16-year-old son, wife, and jack-of-all-trades living in Northeast Florida (and sweltering at the moment!). I'm thrilled to be guest blogging today at The Winey Mommy, although I wouldn't mind being on vacation now myself.

"Recognizing and preventing men's health problems is not just a man's issue. Because of its impact on wives, mothers, daughters, and sisters, men's health is truly a family issue."

-Congressman Bill Richardson (Congressional Record, H3905-H3906, May 24, 1994)

Friday is usually "Fitness Friday" on my blog. Since this week is National Men's Health Week and Sunday is Father's Day, what better topic to discuss than the health of the men in our lives.

I swear it's genetic: men naturally have an aversion to anything medical. I take the preventative approach to health. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. My dear hubby, on the other hand, will not go to the doc unless something is wrong. I love him dearly, but this drives me batty!

Enter Men’s Health Week. The goal is to encourage men to get regular medical advice and to improve their lifestyle, wellbeing and all aspects of their physical, mental, emotional and sexual health. It’s never too early to get boys and young men in the driver's seat when it comes to their health. Empowering our sons to make healthy lifestyle choices is one of the best gifts we can give them.

These are three ways you can steer Dad in the right direction when it comes to his health:

1. Give him a Father's Day card with a doctor's appointment as a gift. Tell him it’s already paid for. That way he won’t say no. If your husband is like mine, he hates wasting money so he’ll keep the appointment!
   
2. Go for a walk or bike ride after dinner. Why not make it a family activity and bring the kids along. Even though he’s a teenager, my son and I often go walking at night. We enjoy spending time together and it sets a good example for him. My husband and I have started riding our bikes together on the weekends. It's a nice way for us to be alone together and get exercise at the same time.
3. Send him a Health-e-Card. These ecards are geared towards men and are appropriate for any occasion, including Father's Day.

Because Sunday is Father’s Day, I thought I’d share these freebies just for dads!

• Take Dad to TCBY for a free cup or cone on Father's Day. (participating locations only)
• Dad can munch on a small breakfast and coffee at IKEA for free!
• Treat Dad to dinner and a tournament at Medieval Times June 18-20 free with one full-price adult admission. Use code DFWEB10.
• Dad gets a free ice cream float 6/20 - 6/27 when you spend at least $2 at Denny's. You have to make him a card on Facebook to get this deal.
• Dad eats dinner free at Smokey Bones if you have a Bones Club card. You can get a Club card at the restaurant or online.
  
• Head to Spaghetti Warehouse and Dad can choose between the original recipe pasta and the 15-layer lasagna free!
• Dad can get any model or make cell phone of his choice free at T-Mobile. This deal is only available on Saturday, June 19 starting at 8:00 a.m. As with all cell phones, there is a catch. You have to sign up for a 2-year contract. Taxes and "fees" also apply.
• Take dad to one of the 147 National Parks this weekend, when admission is free.

OK, I know what you're thinking. Some of these freebies aren't healthy. But dad is allowed a treat every now and then, particularly on his special day. Unless noted, these deals are only available on Father's Day, June 20.

Have a wonderful Father’s Day weekend! And, thank you for taking time to read my guest post. I hope you enjoyed it!