We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day here in Cincinnati to be celebrating Mother’s Day! My mom had some unexpected errands to run in the morning, so Sarah and I took advantage of the extra time and prepared her a delicious surprise brunch…
Sarah made these loaves of pumpkin and cranberry bread – both so delicious. I ate several slices piping hot and straight from the oven!
I was in change of fluffy scrambled eggs…
And delicious fruit salad – strawberries, grapes, and pineapple. My three favorites – YUM!
Mom’s favorite – fresh tulips!
And no brunch is complete without a pitcher of orange juice.
After brunch, it was time for pedicures. I treated Sarah and mom to an hour of relaxing in massage chairs, reading magazines, and having our legs scrubbed and massaged – heaven.
First pedicure since…February? My feet were in serious need.
Can you guess which ones are mine?
The mothers day fun didn’t stop there. After pedicures, we took mom to one of our favorite local spots – the Cincinnati Museum Center.
Sarah and I are both OBSESSED with the Omnimax films they show there. It’s sort of like IMAX, but 100 times cooler. The are usually nerdy or scientific documentaries, which we absolutely love. Today’s feature was called Tornado Alley, and it was intense!
After an hour of watching raging tornados, we stepped back outside to discover sunny Cincinnati at its finest.
As much as I have really missed Casey and the road-trip caravan, I’m really glad I got to spend this extra time here with my family. Time together is so rare and precious these days.
I think my mom had a wonderful day, which is all I had hoped for. She makes every day so special for us, and it feels good to get to remind her how grateful we are for all that she does all year long.
It was interesting watching the tornado film, and thinking about the storms that rolled across our country just a few weeks ago. So many people lost so much, and are still struggling to get by. But the timing of the film was perfect, because even though it was sad to see the devastation, there IS something we can do about it today!
The always generous and adorably sweet Callie from Wannabe Athlete asked me to be part of her Blogger Baby Shower! Callie’s sister lives in Tuscaloosa, one of the areas that was hardest hit by the storm. Her sister has shared that the area down there is so devastated, donations of cash aren’t even always usable, as stores and resources are completely depleted. So instead of asking for cash donations, Callie has set up an online baby registry to benefit the victims of the Tuscaloosa tornados..
How can you help? Simply visit the baby registry and purchase any item – big or small, every purchase makes a big impact. The items will be shipped directly to a church in Tuscaloosa, and will be handed out to the families who need them most.
And since no baby shower is complete without the opportunity to win a prize. As a little extra incentive to help out, everyone who purchases an item off the registry will be automatically entered to win a $50 HomeGoods gift certificate from The Inspired Housewife or a $25 gift certificate from At The Picket Fence. (Amazon keeps track of everyone who makes a purchase from the registry and we will randomly select the winners from that list.)
Thank you for anything – big or small – that you can do! I personally am going to buy diapers, because I can’t imagine having a diaper-less baby – eeek!
Up at 4am so I can catch a plane bound for the West coast. See you in SEATTLE!
46 Comments so far
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What a lovely post on your day with your mom :)
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What a great way to help the residents of Tuscaloosa! I drove to Tuscaloosa tonight from Atlanta to volunteer this week, working around my work schedule (thankfully I can work from anywhere with an internet connection).
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Have a safe trip to Seattle! We’ll be neighbors! Let us know if you ever come through Spokane,WA.
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That brunch looks like the perfect spread! And your toes are definitely the coral/orange ones. I could tell by your shoes :)
And I LOVE the Cincinnati Museum!!! I remember always going on field trips there and loving their cave exhibit and the omnimaxes! I haven’t been back since I was 12, and I really need to visit it again. It’s definitely one of the most beautiful museums out there.
Have a safe flight!
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What a sweet and lovely day with Mom :)
I think I’ve seen an Omnimax film ages ago but one about tornadoes would be SO intense and probably pretty terrifying. I’d love to see it though!
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I have a whole new level of respect for mother nature since the tornadoes/flash flooding that happened in Arkansas over the past two weeks. I’m pretty sure I would have lost it watching that film. :/
I can’t wait to start reading your posts about Seattle, although I am sorry I never got to DC in time for a meetup! Good luck tomorrow!
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hey – I am heading to Seattle tomorrow aswell (and then further to Amsterdam and Hamburg) – and I hope you will be having a wonderful flight, and a wonderful first night in your new city!
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Happy Mother’s Day! It looks like you had the picture perfect day to celebrate. :) I’m totally craving a fruit salad now too!
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Looks like a lovely day! Happy Mother’s Day to YOU, you must be getting especially excited on days like this one!
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WEST COAST = You’re coming to my time zone!!
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I love the idea of the Blogger Baby Shower! I will definitely be buying something & passing the information on to others who might help out. Thanks for sharing the details, Emily! Good luck on your travels to the west coast ;)
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Happy Mother’s Day, I love Mother’s Day brunch! I was unable to be with my mom back in MI, but had a cousin travelling through Seattle on her way home to Kodiak. I had her family over for brunch and got to play with her adorable 4 month old. It was so much fun to be a part of her first mother’s day!:)
Best wishes for safe travels!
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That is such a great idea!
Glad you had a great mother’s day. :)
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What a great idea!!! Thanks for sharing.
Oh I last time I was in Cincinnati I went to the SAME spot for pedicures with my girlfriends. haha. I didn’t see the Tornado Omnimax though which I would love! Maybe I’ll get back there before it’s gone. :)
Can’t wait to hear about Seattle… safe flying!
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glad you had such a lovely mother’s day! have a safe trip to seattle!
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Happy Mother’s Day – you and your momma deserved those pedicures… especailly after all you’ve been doing. And you do have a growing babe in that tummy too! Pamper those feet!
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What a fabulous, idyllic day!
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Thank you for such enjoyable posts and for having such a great spirit! Happy (day after) Mother’s Day to you!
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What a lovely day of celebration for your mom! It looks so fun and relaxing. You deserved that time too, since you are technically a mom now too. ;)
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Looks like your mom had a very special and fun mother’s day! The brunch you prepared her looks delicious!
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Happy mother’s day to YOU too! Yur mom looks like she had a great day!
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safe travels today!!
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Happy Mothers Day, Emily!!! Hope you had fun, too! Mothers-To-Be count!
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Happy Mothers day!!!
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Have a great flight to Seattle!
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Our mom’s think alike! Every year we help my mom clean out our basement for mother’s day!
Good luck with the move, can’t wait for all of your new adventures in Seattle!
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That breakfast looks delicious! Fun day with your mom. And thanks for letting us in on the way to give back – we can always do more!
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I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Museum Center! Haven’t been there in a long time, so I think it’s gonna have to go on my must do list. Good luck with the move!!
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What a nice day with your mom. Good luck with the last part of your move today!
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What an awesome way to help! Thank you for sharing this opportunity with us.
Good luck in your travels today!
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What a great way to spend Mother’s Day. So lovely that you were able to get get together before you head out West!
Best wishes for the rest of your trip! :)
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Safe travels today!
And many thanks for sharing the baby shower with us — I found a few things to donate and passed the information on to others who might be interested. What a great opportunity to help out no matter where you are!
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That movie is at the St. Louis Omnimax right now too and I’ve been wanting to see it. Tornadoes are such a hot / sad topic right now. Would you recommend it?
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Emily Malone Reply:
May 17th, 2011 at 4:28 pm
Sorry so late – YES to recommend it. Sad to watch, but still amazing to see.
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Thank you so much for acknowledging the tornado devastation! It;s been pretty rough everywhere, even Georgia. I love how specific this benefit is too so you know exactly how you are helping. Thanks again :)
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I read about the Blogger Baby Shower at HTP, and I think it’s a wonderful idea. I live in Birmingham, AL, near some of the hardest-hit areas. My apartment building was not hit, but so many homes in the surrounding areas have just been reduced to piles of bricks. I volunteered this past Saturday, and it was heartbreaking. It’s nice to know that so many people across the web are reaching out to those affected by the storms and tornadoes, not just in Alabama but all across the South.
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I’ve forwarded the Baby Shower information to everyone I can think of. Hopefully they will score some supplies. Myself I am going to go with sending formula as I don’t want anyone to starve especially those who are so small and innocent :)
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It has been way too long since I’ve had fresh pineapple!!
Hope you have a safe trip today!
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Those loaves of bread look simply delicious! I want to make pumpkin bread so badly but I haven’t found the time or energy lately! Sometime soon (:
Looks like it was a wonderful day! Brunches are always so fun. I haven’t had a pedicure since my senior pictures almost two years ago… Maybe I’m due?! (;
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This looks like such a fun day! It’s so awesome you got to spend extra time with your family!
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What a lovely Mother’s day!
Thanks so much to Callie for setting up that fund/registry! They really need the help. It’s pretty bad in some areas around me too (Huntsville, AL). So cool of her to do that :)
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I’m heading through Seattle on my way East to Asheville for a week, maybe I’ll see you in the airport! Check out the main terminal as you exit if you can, it’s beautiful. Love, love Seattle!
OMG, beautiful Mother’s Day brunch, but what got me was the Stanglware!!!!! The Thistle! My Mother grew up in Phili and bought it at the factory, closeouts when she was young. I have a fee pieces I’ve been collecting everywhere I find it. It’s delicate, not like fine bone china, but ooh so special in my book!
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Such a great idea for the shower! I am from Nirth Alabama and the areas around us were hit hard. I helped in a distribution center on Saturday and I can tell you that the need is great. Also remember that you can go to the American Red Cross website to donate and earmark those funds to go specifically to Alabama.
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I bought a pack of diapers – what a great and easy way to help those in need!
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The Blogger Baby Shower is such a great idea – I’m sharing it with everyone.
I wish your Mother’s Day breakfast was my every day breakfast. That looks delicious!
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[...] Last year on Mother’s Day, I was in Cincinnati celebrating with my own mom. I was 17-weeks pregnant at the time, but I didn’t really feel like a mom yet. Instead, I celebrated the wonderful woman who has given me so much. [...]
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