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Mother’s Day

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Baby Boot Camp is a fitness, nutrition, and social resource designed for mothers. Baby Boot Camp Baby Boot Camp franchises can be found across the United States including  three Portland-area franchises Portland-area franchises covering several area locations. I was provided classes with purpose to review my experience.  All opinions are my own. You can get your own first class free by scheduling your first class!

Baby Bootcamp in Beaverton Oregon | A Well Crafted Party

Each mother is as unique as the kids she raises. As unique as they are, there is one thing that many—most even— have in common, they often put their kids before them in all things. For example, my sons both have been to the dentist every six months since their teeth all came in. Me? I haven’t been to the dentist in 10 YEARS. (No flack…scheduling appointment now.)

After some pretty rough bouts of postpartum depression I have truly been working—with the help of my partner in parenting—to spend some time focusing on ME a bit more than I have done in the past. I work a lot, and I love my work, and that is where the majority of my “me-time” is devoted. What I haven’t made time for is exercise. I have a gym membership at my work, but after working 8 hours a day and being gone with the commute, I just want to be home and spend some time with my kids before bed time and time for me to open up my computer to work some more.

Signing up for Baby Bootcamp was an opportunity for me to spend an hour on some serious self-care while still entertaining and engaging with my kiddo. I liked that he and the other babies were able to watch from the strollers and laugh at the mommies doing silly moves. It was much better than the guilt I’ve felt so many times when I get home late because I took an hour to go to the gym after work.

 

Baby Bootcamp in Beaverton Oregon | A Well Crafted Party

My Baby Boot Camp Experience

I’ve got to admit… I was NERVOUS about saying ‘yes’ to this experience. My fitness level is less than ideal at this moment in my life. I was not looking forward to being in a class with women who were at a fitness level much higher than my own. Honestly, if there were a ‘slow and fat getting back at it’ class out there then I’d sign up much more willingly than I did with this class. That said… I am SO glad I did say yes in the end. Not only was everyone super friendly and welcoming, the instructor gave options for different fitness levels. She also gave options for people who had wrist issues which was AMAZING because of past carpal tunnel issues my wrists really can’t handle my entire weight at this moment in time. I was thrilled to have options that still allowed me to get in a full workout without risking injury.

Someday I’ll be able to do the below… but, until then, I sure was glad to have a less stressful move!

Baby Bootcamp in Beaverton Oregon | A Well Crafted Party

What to expect from Baby Bootcamp

Baby Bootcamp here in Beaverton moves venues throughout the season so that they can really take advantage of the good weather in Beaverton when the summer comes around. I went during the early Spring and was able to do my workout both indoors and out. Here are a few things to expect if you join Baby Bootcamp:

  • You’ll meet other moms with fitness goals. I am always super hesitant meeting new people, but these moms were super nice and all focused on achieving their own goals more than they seemed worried about what the next lady was doing. I didn’t feel uncomfortable doing the modified moves because there were other women that used modified moves as needed.
  • You’ll want to bring your jogging stroller. The kiddos stayed in the strollers the entire time that I went. At times we worked out with the strollers and at other times the kiddos hung out chatting with each other and watching the moms workout. I’m sure another type of stroller would also work, but the jogging stroller was sure handy.
  • Most all of the exercises are using your own body power and not any fitness tools. Nearly the entire workout was a set of moves that could be done without any additional equipment which was awesome because I was in turn able to bring those moves home! We did use a yoga mat to help cushion the floor when we did moves that were on the ground. We also used resistance bands for a few moves.
  • You will feel it. I felt GREAT after the first class. I was so excited that I made it through and I had so much energy afterwards. However, the next day, I was sore. It was the first time in a long time that I had done a full workout and my body knew it. I think I started feeling normal again about two days before the second class began!
  • Classes to fit your needs. There were a few different class types available including Stroller Fit (which I did) and Restore the Core. There was even a 5K training course available.
  • Enrollment Fee & Affordable Plan Pricing. You can get your first class free. After that there is an enrollment fee of $59 that pays for all the equipment you will need. There are several different plans at affordable prices for the classes.

Baby Bootcamp in Beaverton Oregon | A Well Crafted Party

 

There are several different Baby Bootcamps across the US. The Beaverton class was not even the only one in the Portland area! Many classes were available throughout the week, but as a working mom there was only one class that would fit for my schedule. The Saturday class offered free attendance to significant others as well.

Overall I hope to continue using the skills I learned in the class and plan to attend more Baby Bootcamp classes in the future! If you are on the fence right now about devoting a little time to yourself and your fitness goals then please think about giving yourself a very much deserved Mother’s Day gift of classes with Baby Bootcamp!

Portland-Area Mommas: Join Baby Boot Camp’s Free Mother’s Day Event on Saturday, May 12th at 9 AM at THPRD Athletic Center in Beaverton. Hosted by Baby Boot Camp Beaverton. The first 80 moms in attendance get a SWAG Bag!

 

This past week I got to celebrate Mother’s Day with a cheeky Mother’s Day picnic. The really cool thing about being a blogger, especially a blogger that loves celebrations, is that I get the opportunity to celebrate many holidays multiple times. Posting about my Mother’s Day celebrations after the fact will not allow for any one to use any of the fun ideas. The really interesting thing about being a mother is, well, things don’t always go to plan.

 

I received complimentary paper goods from Cheeky to use in my blog featured events. Additional product was purchased by me because I love it. Designs were inspired by the Cheeky Home product line. 

 

Cheeky Mother's Day Picnic - A Well Crafted Party

 

We planned a nice picnic outdoors with wine, cheese, bread, assorted snacks and, of course, chocolate after the kids went to bed and before the sun went down. Everything was ready to go, the blanket sat by the door along with my basket of goodies and my camera. (I’m a blogger after all.) Big kiddo went to bed with no problems. Baby on the other hand hit his witching hour with gusto and did. not. stop. crying.

Once we realized that we lost the light we nearly decided to stop and wait for another day but—after an hour (off and on) of trying to calm a fussy baby— the wine and chocolate was calling our names. In-door picnic it was! Baby hung out with us as we enjoy a little snack and a relaxing glass of wine. There was at least fifteen minutes of pure bliss. And, thanks to Cheeky sending me cute paper goods, I didn’t have to wash a single dish afterwards!

I created some free printable designs to help make the Mother’s Day picnic just a little more special and a lot more “cheeky.” Tongue-in-cheek says and fun little quips cover these free printables that coordinate with the Cheeky paper goods.

 

Cheeky Mother's Day Picnic - A Well Crafted Party

Cheeky Mother's Day Picnic - A Well Crafted Party

 

Ingredients of a cheeky Mother’s Day picnic:

These ingredients can be mixed and matched to make the perfect picnic for the mom you are celebrating in your life. This picnic was definitely perfect for me!

  • Cheeky paper plates, napkins, plasticware and cups. The cups were from the recent DesignLoveFest collaboration while the rest was from their party ware. I found the cups in the section of Target with the paper towels and boring paper plates.
  • Oh Snap! pickles – First time having these and they were AMAZING.
  • Harvest Snaps Snapea Crisps
  • Tillamook cheese slices individually wrapped
  • French Bread
  • Sparkling Water
  • Canned Pinot Noir wine (Union Wine Company – an Oregon wine!)
  • Moonstruck Dark Chocolate with Almonds and Sea Salt (Moonstruck is my favorite chocolate.)
  • Cutting board and knife
  • cheeky Mother’s Day free printables
  • Basket

Nearly all of the items I got were from Target… not because Target sponsored me in any way, but because I shop their weekly.

 

Cheeky Mother's Day Picnic Printables- A Well Crafted Party Cheeky Mother's Day Picnic Printables- A Well Crafted Party

 

Included in the Cheeky Mother’s Day printables:

 

  • Circle Tags— to affix to gift (Happy Mother’s Day), wine (Wine is better than Whine), Pickle Package (Mom, You’re the Real Dill), Snap Pea Snacks (Ah snap mom, you’re the best!), paper plates (Mom, I’ve got the dishes today), cups (Drinks on me, ma!), and cheese (Call me cheesy, but I love you!).
  • Bread label — Long label to be cut, wrapped around bread and affixed with tape.
  • Chocolate Wrapper — Wrapper to be cut out and wrapped around a chocolate bar then affixed by tape.
  • Wine or Sparkling Water Tags— Tags to be cut out, folded and hung on a bottle of wine or sparkling water

A Well Crafted Party free printables are for personal use only.

Click here for your free Mother’s Day Picnic Printables

And, just in case you were wondering… this is what we looked like at our Mother’s Day picnic. Just a tad tired, hanging with a needy baby and enjoying some wine. It was one of those funny and happy moments in parenthood.

When baby interrupts your Mother's Day Picnic

 

More about Cheeky: Cheeky is a paper goods brand that is committed to fun designs for every day products such as paper plates, plasticware, cups, napkins and travel coffee cups. The coolest thing about Cheeky? And, no, I’m not talking about the awesome partnership with Design Love Fest. The coolest thing about Cheeky is that with each purchase the company donates a meal with the Feeding America Network. Learn more about Cheeky on their website: www.cheekyhome.com and shop for Cheeky at your local Target.

I received complimentary paper goods from Cheeky Home to use in my blog featured events. I also purchased a few Cheeky products that I had been eyeing at Target along with some tasty snacks. The Cheeky products inspired my free printable set of Mother’s Day printables. All opinions, photos and designs are my own. To learn more about my policies visit my policy page. Thanks for reading A Well Crafted Party and supporting the companies that support this blog! 

 

Have you ever planned a celebration to have to change things up at the last minute? Tell me about it below!

Mother’s Day is around the corner! Writing about all of these amazing working mothers has certainly got me thinking about Mother’s Day a little more than I normally would. It has made me want to tell my mother and mother-in-law just how much I appreciate them. Makes me want to snuggle up with the two boys who made me a momma. These DIY Mother’s Day Flower Arrangement tips make giving flowers easy and inexpensive.

Flowers are such a beautiful way to say that you are thinking about someone. But, with prices starting at $50 for a nice small Mother’s Day flower arrangement it is fairly cost prohibitive to many. I typically love giving flowers in addition to a small item that will last for some time or be a sweet treat for that person. Often spending $50 or more on flowers is just out of my budget. Thankfully, I know a few tricks to make a DIY Mother’s Day flower arrangement look like a million bucks.

Tips for DIY Mother’s Day Flowers:

Simple Flower Arrangement

Keep it simple!

Use one flower (or one color scheme) in a low vase to make a simple, but beautiful, flower arrangement. It doesn’t take much time to  make an incredibly easy flower arrangement. Your mom will love it, I promise!

 

Floating Flowers make great impact in an easy DIY flower arrangement - A Well Crafted Party
Photo by Katherine McLoskey Photography

Float your flowers for high impact and low cost.

Floating one or two stems or buds of flowers in water is a cost effective way to make a statement. These don’t last as long as some flower arrangements, but they are beautiful! The photo above shows a beautiful black lily floating with the bud of a white rose and some lily grass. If you would like some sparkle, try putting some sequins in your vase as well!

 

Use Unexpected Vessels in Creating Fun DIY Floral Centerpieces - A Well Crafted Party
Photo by West Impressions

 

Use unexpected vessels for your DIY flower arrangement instead of vases.

 

I love using unexpected vessels for flowers. Use bottles, cans, baskets, or boxes to house your arrangement. (You may need to put a small vase or jar in to hold the flowers with water, but the outer vessel can be anything really!) Get a beautiful serving bowl for a gift and put the flowers in it! Two gifts in one. We used picnic boxes for flowers on the tables at my sister’s cheery Summer Wedding. Guests received their lunches in the same boxes so it was a lot of fun seeing them all together.

 

Sprinkle your tea table with flower buds - A Well Crafted Party

 

Sprinkle your table with flower buds!

 

Last year we had a little Mother’s Day tea on the coffee tables in our living room. I simply sprinkled the tables with the buds from a few flowers that I picked up at the store and snipped out of my yard. The table looked festive throughout the entire tea party. The buds do get a bit wilted over a long period of time. But, this was a short tea party so I was able to make a small, low arrangement in a jam jar after the party that I was able to enjoy for a few more days.

 

Want to make some flowers that will last a little longer? Check out the posts below:

 

DIY Cherry Blossom Branches - A Well Crafted Party
Photo by Aubrie Legault – First featured on Hostess with the Mostess

DIY Cherry Blossom Branches

These DIY Cherry Blossom Branches will last for years and are so pretty to look at! A large vase with these sticking out would be a stunning gift.

Mix up your Mother's Day Flower Arrangement by adding in some paper flowers and leaves with real, inexpensive blooms. - A Well Crafted Party

Use Paper Leaves and Flowers to Fill in Real Blooms

I love real flowers. Sometimes when wanting to create a fun, whimsical look and to save money I’ll combine paper flowers and leaves along with inexpensive real blooms.

Make Mom a Tissue Paper Flower Arrangement - A Well Crafted Party

 

Make a Tissue Paper Flower Arrangement for Mom

 

Tissue paper flowers are easy to make, inexpensive and a lot of fun. Plus, they don’t die!

 

What do you like giving mom for Mother’s Day?