Our trip to Disneyland (AND a giveaway for a free night at Country Inn & Suites hotels!)

Country Inn & Suites is celebrating because they've opened a new hotel right within walking distance to Disneyland! Check out our visit to Disneyland and read all the way through to learn how you can enter to win a free nights stay at any Country Inn & Suites location!

I'm sure that most of us growing up, Disneyland was the ultimate dream vacation for any child. My biggest excitement was seeing my favorite Disney movie characters in real life, in their environments and getting to truly interact with them. The second most important thing I looked forward to were all the different amusement rides. It was a great mix of thrill or adventure.

My family of origin took us to Disneyland once during my childhood and the rest of our family vacations were mostly road trips around the Western US, sprinkled with a few visits to our family in Poland. My husband's family, on the other hand, visited Disneyland almost annually as their budget for family trips. So when I married into his family, the love of Disney was set in quite early.

It's a perfect day! #MickeyMouselovesPierogies

A photo posted by Bianca @ The Pierogie Mama (@thepierogiemama) on Nov 7, 2016 at 11:07am PST

My husband and I took two trips to Disneyland before having children. What a different experience it is go to to Disneyland and experiencing it as an adult! We got to zoom through the park, not a care in the world how long the wait lines were, stay up late for the fireworks show and didn't worry about character signatures and rode the coolest rides.

Then, my sister-in-love moved to the San Diego area this year and the whole family collectively gasped - we can go to Disneyland when we visit her! This past November the four of us flew down to visit her family and play at the park for 3 days, which we spread out over a week. Now getting to experience the magic of Disneyland through our daughter's eyes (aged 4 and 2) was something my husband and I will never forget. This time the priorities were very different; find our favorite characters to get signatures, ride only a few of the age appropriate rides and just simply look to soak it all in. There is so much to see in the details at Disneyland if you aren't distracted by rides! Pirated of the Caribbean is one of my favorite things to see at Disneyland because they have done such a great job at temporarily making you forget where and when you are. It's easy to get swept up in that creaky boat in the Louisiana bayou, duck your head in the midst of a drunken pirate canon ball brawl and yo-ho-ho with Jack Sparrow.

Some of our favorite memories were watching Penny and Ruby meet Elena of Avalor. It's a relatively new show and that day happened to be Princess Elena's first debut in meeting her friends at Disneyland. We also got to see an extended preview of the upcoming movie Moana (in the old Bug's Life theatre, so there were ocean sprays, smells and wind gusts!) and we had a caricature done of the girls at Fisherman's Warf. One night my husband and I left the kids with their grandparents and we went back for some night time roller coaster rides on the Matterhorn and Big Thunder.

As I mentioned before, Country Inn & Suites just opened up a brand new hotel that is within walking distance to Disneyland! With 174 gorgeous rooms that have family friendly open floor plans, spa-inspired bathrooms (for mama to relax after a day of chasing kiddos, duh), a 24/7 gym, free breakfast and an outdoor pool with views of the Disneyland fireworks, it's an easy sell for me! By saving a little bit of extra cash on transportation, parking and one meal of the day being covered, you now can shamelessly indulge in those delicious Dole Whips outside of the Tiki Room! Not going to lie, I had at least 3 a day while we were there because I was 8 weeks pregnant with #3 and that was about all I could stomach at the time!

And when I talk about saving a little bit of cash, how does one night free at any Country Inn & Suites location sound to you? That would put a little extra change in your pocket for your next vacay, right? So here's the deal - follow the rules at the bottom and you'll have your chance to be one of my readers to win this awesome prize!

To enter the giveaway:
1. Watch this short video on the all new Country Inn & Suites in Anaheim location and leave a comment below telling me one interesting thing that she said. Include your email address so that I can contact you if you win!
2. For a second entry (first option must be completed!), visit the Country Inn & Suites website and tell me in a separate comment which location you would stay at if you won.

2/1/17: The winner is comment #47, which is Sheila P! Check your email!

Giveaway rules: This giveaway is sponsored by Country Inn & Suites, not by The Pierogie Mama. The contest is open until 1/31/17 and the winner will be contacted via email only. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email in order to claim their prize, otherwise a new winner will be chosen. No purchase is necessary to win, but if you do want to enter you have to play by the rules described above. The comments must be relevant to the question, otherwise they won't count. If you don't provide an email address, I don't have a way to contact you. Good luck and I can't wait to see who wins!

Wrapsody Breeze Haumea - 6 thumbs up for hot weather babywearing!

After reading the review, pop over and see how

this simple little snack

gives your toddler a power pack protein, fiber & Vitamin E in a single serving!

It was February - my sister in love was 7 months pregnant with baby #3 and she was relocating from Washington State to sunny San Diego due to her husband's impending deployment. Besides all of the normal things that would plague a mom's mind during that time (where will I deliver? where will my kids go to school? how are we going to adapt while Daddy is on deployment, living 1,200 miles away from family?), there was definitely one thing that I knew that I could help mama out with. How is she going to wear this brand new baby in unbelievably hot weather??

I got on the task and started asking around on social media - hot weather moms: what do you recommend for babywearing in hot weather?? <- You can find the answers to this question on my guest post on the Wrapsody Baby blog!

One thing was abundantly clear; she needed a wrap that behaved completely differently than what she and I would have used in Washington. This is how the Wrapsody Haumea came to live at her house.

Then early April came. I flew in to San Diego with the intention of being with the family for the birth of baby, being that there was no family living close by and I was brimming with excitement. My two girls (Penny is 4, Ruby is 2) and I set aside 2 weeks to spend in SD and I was just praying for this baby to hold out until I got there. It would just make everything smooth for mama and daddy. I arrive, and my SIL is definitely smuggling a beachball under her shirt. Whew, ok baby - you can come out now. Auntie made it. Oh, and the fun part? We wouldn't know the gender of this baby until birth!

So Wrapsody Haumea arrives, while we eagerly guarded the front door in anticipation for this very special fluffymail. It was exceptionally meaningful to my SIL because she is a Labor & Delivery Nurse, helping babies and mamas is her job and passion. The name, Haumea, is for the Hawaiian Goddess of fertility and childbirth. Really, how much more perfect can that be for a professional in the birthing field and for a woman just about to become a mama.

We quickly started to break Haumea in, and prayed for her birthy vibes to welcome baby soon.

The Wrapsody Haumea is here! Is it serendipidous to receive a wrap named after the Hawaiian Godess of Birth and Motherhood while we await the birth of my sister in law's 3rd baby? Hoping for some lovely birthing vibes and sleepy dust from this gorgeous wrap. #wrapsodybaby #wrapsodyhaumea #babywearing #wovenwrap

A photo posted by Bianca @ The Pierogie Mama (@thepierogiemama) on Apr 6, 2016 at 4:29pm PDT

It took a week. We're not going to dwell on that. Instead we are going to show you some serious Haumea love instead!

The Wrapsody Breeze Haumea was a tricky wrap to love at first. As with all of the wraps in the Breeze line, it is a very thin, but very strong, gauze wrap that comes deceivingly "rough" at first. I will admit, it was a bit of a shock. But I knew that the work would be worth it with this wrap! So with the help of 4 kids, we broke Haumea in lightning fast with many hours of wrap hammocks, braiding, snuggling and of course - belly wrapping.

The pain that you have been feeling will not compare to the joy that is to come. Romans 8:18 #birthaffirmations #wrapsodyhaumea #wrapsodyfamily #wrapsodybaby #bellywrapping #theresawrapsodyforthat

A photo posted by Bianca @ The Pierogie Mama (@thepierogiemama) on Apr 9, 2016 at 7:00pm PDT

Three days after this photo was taken, little "DJ" came into the world! I became the proud auntie of my 5th nephew!

I got to spend another week with the family, filled with a visit to Disneyland, fun trips to the park and aquarium, late night board games and a little bit of time with our childrens' Nana. And then I had to go home :(

Haumea took a little bit of a break during the first month of DJ's life; mama was finding a lot more ease of use with a ring sling. But after about 5 weeks, his mama started sending me a few pictures and updates. Being a newbie wrapper it was hard at first to find the right amount of pull to give the wrap for it to hold tightly and last. Because the wrap is somewhat comparably "rough" to other cotton wraps, it doesn't slide around too much and holds quite well.

Mama really got to loving it.

This wrap has become her go-to in the already hot San Diego summer, and she's learned how to pull on it just right to get the perfect wrap and support where she and DJ need it.

But do you know who loves it the most? DJ's 8 year old big sister. Mama says that the wrap is a little more narrow than her other wraps so it fits her daughter better. It is easier and neater to wrap than her others!

"My favorite is when he falls asleep and I get to snuggle him."

Haumea definitely gets 6 thumbs up (from mama, big sis and DJ, of course!) from us.

Let me take a minute to just drool over the beautiful artisan work on this wrap too. Did you know that Wrapsody Breeze wraps are hand dyed in Bali Batik style for Wrapsody Baby by a family in Bali? 

While breaking in Haumea, I washed and ironed her many times. It truly became a labor of love to get this wrap broken in and ready for DJ and mama. The family laughed whenever they heard the creak of the ironing board open - "Bianca's at it again - she's ironing the wrap!" I loved ironing it because it gave me extra time to really take a close look at the hand painted hibiscus flowers and the extremely unique gradient of sunset colors throughout the length of the wrap. It's truly a one of a kind wrap, you won't find two Haumeas that look exactly alike; just how every labor, every child, and every season of motherhood is different.

Head over here to find out who won the 
Wrapsody Breeze giveaway!

Which Wrapsody Breeze wrap do you love the most?

Disclosure: All photography and opinions are 100% The Pierogie Mama's.  This giveaway is in no way associated with, sponsored, administered, or endorsed by Facebook, Twitter, Google, Pinterest or any other social media network. Participating bloggers are not responsible for prize fulfillment. Please contact Bianca via email: thepierogiemama@gmail.com if you have any questions or would like your product to be featured in a future post.  

Visiting Didymos in Ludwigsburg!

This story about our trip to Germany is a little bit out of order, but I really need to tell you this story because it was really one of the highlights of my journey as a mother and blogger. Having the opportunity of visiting the Didymos Store in Ludwigsburg Germany was such a special event for me.

It all started about a year ago when I told my friend Gretchen that I'll be going to Germany over Christmas the following year. She asked "Are you going to visit Didymos?" Wow- I guess I hadn't thought about that!

I've been a babywearing mama from the very start, but mostly with knitted wraps, ring slings and soft structured carriers. Now that my second daughter is now a toddler and my "someday baby #3" is on the horizon, I knew that I would love to start getting into wrapping with a woven wrap. So I started doing my research on finding a Didymos woven wrap that I fell in love with. I finally did - Indio Sole Occidente.

I will tell you with full honesty that I dreamed about this wrap, many times. I was excited to see it in person and actually feel my first Didymos wrap. So time passed and I waited. We spent our vacation in Germany and saved our visit to Stuttgart and Ludwigsburg for last.

In preparation for our trip I contacted Didymos to see if I can set up an appointment to chat with someone about the wraps, a little bit about the company and maybe get some babywearing tips from the source. I was honored and *so* excited to learn that Anna Hoffman, an owner and one of Erika Hoffman's children would be meeting with me. I mean, really - an owner of Didymos made time to see me?!



We arrived at Didymos and somehow I was expecting this gallery of wraps, a museum of babywearing history and assistants just waiting to help parents learn about babywearing. Babywearing Heaven, really. What I found was a colorful store that had about 2 dozen wraps on display and a direct focus on organic and quality made children's clothing and accessories. It wasn't quite what I was expecting, but a nice surprise.

Anna welcomed me into her store and we talked about the wrap that I had chosen for myself, Indio Sole Occidente, as well as a few other wraps that friends had begged pleaded asked me to pick up. I quickly drooled over my new wrap and she asked if I would like to have a tour of their office. Uhm, YES PLEASE.

Behind the original Didymos shop is a larger building that houses the offices. We walked into their shipping room where all the Didy wraps we love come from. Literally, walls and walls and walls of wraps in their boxes. "And this isn't even our largest room," Anna joked.

As we walked through the building, and Anna showed me things that she made me promise not to talk to anyone about, we talked about the legacy of the wrap. She spoke about her wrap that she used on her son, now 18 years old, and it is as precious to her as a symbol of her relationship with her son as perhaps my wedding ring is as a symbol of my relationship with my husband. Her description invoked images of all the things that a wrap does for us as mothers and for our children, and really that it isn't something that needs to be tucked away when the child outgrows it. She likes to use her wrap as a table cloth, a scarf or stole, anything really - to bring it out and enjoy the memories it's given her. She's saving it as an heirloom for when she becomes a grandmother one day. What a wonderful thought! It totally revised how I will think of mine.

Although Didymos is one of the most well known names in the woven wrap industry, not only for their beautiful colors and amazing handiwork, but really for the commitment to quality. Anna's mother, Erika Hoffman, the creator of Didymos and whom I would credit as bringing modern day babywearing to the western world, started wrapping simply out of necessity with her twins. As a mom who had her second child a week after her first child's second birthday, I can absolutely agree and wholeheartedly thank Ms. Hoffman for coming to this revelation almost 15 years before my own birth. I credit so much of my attachment parenting style and motherhood capability for the ability to wear my children. I've worn them through the house to do chores, through the zoo to give them a better peek up, closer to my chest when they are sick and need snuggles, and across the world and through large crowds to keep them safe.

But the need to find a solution to a problem isn't where Ms. Hoffman ended. Her strict requirements for the materials and labor that go into the wraps also is evident in her work. Didymos adheres to incomparable standards in quality of material. Didymos has always received high marks for compliance in Öko-Test and Eco Institute. All components of the wrap making process are controlled and even the ingredients to the dyes used are limited to being the most natural available. This truly makes a big difference to me, when I consider how much time my children might spend in a Didymos wrap.  It was truly one of the highlights of my trip to Germany and I am so thankful that Anna Hoffman took the time to speak with me!

I managed to bring home a 

Didymos stowaway!!
Check out the absolutely gorgeous 
Indio Ruby Red giveaway

Follow on facebook & instagram to get the latest updates.

A photo posted by Bianca @ The Pierogie Mama (@thepierogiemama) on Jan 13, 2016 at 2:34pm PST

More posts on our trip to Germany

Further Didymos reading:  http://issuu.com/didymos_das_babytragetuch/docs/didymos_jubilaeumsbuch_en_ansicht

Visiting Eindhoven, The Netherlands

During our trip to Germany, my husband took a side business trip to Eindhoven, The Netherlands. We decided to turn this into a date trip, leaving our daughters to stay with my parents in Germany for 4 days.

While hubby met and worked with his Dutch counterpart, I explored the city.

I've always had a fascination with cathedrals. My family of origin are first generation Polish immigrants and I traveled back to Poland several times as a minor. My interest in history piqued in high school and since then I've always specifically visited old churches whenever I am travelling.

When we arrived in Eindhoven I found two old churches that I would like to visit; St George's and St Catherine's. Both are beautiful but actually relatively young when it comes to old churches, as they were both completed in the mid to late 1800's. St. Catherine's, however, has an incredibly unique history that I couldn't help but do a ton of internet research  after leaving there!

I set out for a walk in the afternoon, without any real plans on where I would go. I ended up in this plaza in the medieval town center of Eindhoven and found St. Catherine's Church (Sint Catharinakerk). The beautiful church had a large plaza with several benches, so I took the opportunity to sit, be still and look. Not an opportunity I get too often with two little girls! The construction of the version that we see today began in 1861 and was completed in 1867. It is in the same location as the original St Catherine Church, which was mentioned as early as 1232. Throughout history the original church was the target of several acts of war and the new one replaced it.

As I walked around the plaza I noticed that the pavement stones were modern. I found an outdoor exhibition that talked about the archaeological significance of this plaza. In 2002 the city began replacing the plaza stones to lay the new ones we see today. They found that the entire plaza around the church was a forgotten graveyard, where Eindhoven residents had been buried over the course of 600 years. At some point in history the graveyard was abandoned and paved over and forgotten. This grave site includes higher nobility Eindhoven Black Plague victims. The archaeologists are currently working on an amazing study to link the DNA from these skeletons to aid in HIV research. Individuals with Northern Europe descent posses a DNA variant that has been found to be HIV resistant. Those who possess this variant have been found to have a 70% lower risk of of HIV infection vs those who do not have it. Using the preserved DNA (which by all accounts should not even be present due to the acidity of the soil) researchers are trying to find a connection.

Amazing, unexpected story, right? Even though it was the first large church that I visited during our travels it still remains my favorite. I spent hours inside the church just looking at all the statues, gorgeous stained glass and reading on the archaeological exhibition.

I also unexpectedly found St. George's Church while walking around. St. George was built between 1884-1885 but unfortunately I wasn't able to find any other history in English.

The following day I visited the Phillips Museum. Phillips; as in Phillips light bulbs, radios, anything you can plug in. Including my electric toothbrush. This humongous company started in little Eindhoven and they have a great museum that includes housing part of the original factory. 

As I checked in that morning I asked if there were headphones or an iPad available in English, as there wasn't any information about a tour. The front desk attendant smiled and said "wait here a minute," and a few moments later a older gentleman came over to give me a private tour! Part of me thinks he just wanted to practice his (excellent) English. He walked me through the whole museum, chatting about all the innovations and history of Phillips. Let me tell ya - I think that the museum is definitely a must visit and was very interactive and had a lot of cool technology to show off - but having a real person tell me the story of the Phillips family and their incredible impact on the world was truly an experience to remember. Visiting the museum and seeing first hand how far technology has come in a relatively short amount of time really humbled me and made me extra thankful for the ease of what it's brought to my life!

On our final day we visited the DAF Museum. DAF Trucks are a part of PACCAR Inc, the company that my husband works for, and the reason why we visited The Netherlands. DAF too had been founded in Eindhoven and the museum is attached to the original machine shop where the company began. My husband loves all things automotive; it's his job, so visiting this museum took on a whole different flavor than Phillips. This time my own husband toured me around and gave me tidbits of information on different trucks. Watching him analyze ancient engines and essentially geek out over all these trucks as amusing to say the least. 

This trip will always be special to me because it was the first time since Penny was born in 2012 that I had been away from either child for more than 36 hours. We were gone for 4 days and I had prepared myself for the great likelihood of Ruby weaning during my absence. Her sister had weaned when we went for our babymoon at Sleeping Lady Resort right around that same age. But -- spoiler alert -- Ruby didn't and even through all of the other 2 to 4 day trips that we took for the remainder of our time in Europe, she still didn't! Woop woop, way to go girl! 

And there's plenty more where that came from! We are just scratching the surface of our 5 week trip to Germany. Stay tuned for more posts on our trip.

Sources:
Information from the posted archaelogical exhibition in the plaza
History of the church filled in with information from the archaeological exhibition, Wikipedia and the official church website

What to pack in your bag for sight seeing

While we were in Germany we took a few days trips that were just my husband and I. It was a great re-connection as a couple and we got to experience museums and other places that would have been difficult with the children. One of our favorite things to do as soon as we got into a new city was to link up with a local tour group that offers city tours.

Sight seeing for a day and not having easy access to all of your travel belongings means packing your day bag efficiently and keeping it light. Here's a list of things that I made sure to keep handy throughout our travels:

Shoes are quite obviously going to be your best or worst friend. I made the mistake of wearing my very adorable, normally comfortable, flats on a whole day of walking. It only took a few hours for blisters and sores to start up and it really slowed us down. My best shoes were my sneakers that coincidentally had coordinating laces to my jacket!

For those of us who made the mistake of wearing the wrong shoes - keep a few squares of moleskin in your bag. Moleskin attaches itself to your skin easily and creates a great barrier to prevent any further irritation.

Another mistake that I realized too late - even though I got a lovely pedicure the week before, my toenails were a little too long for the hours and miles of walking that we did. My toes were so sore! Keep a toenail clipper in your bag in case you find yourself needing to trim up.

This addition to my bag would have caused me to blush uncontrollably had someone mentioned this to me as being a reality of mommyhood a few years ago. Did you know that 1 out of 3 women experience LBL, or "light bladder leakage," usually associated with childbirth? I can tell ya - this became a serious reality after my second child. I quickly realized that even though I was doing my pelvic floor exercises things are different now and that's ok. But that doesn't mean that I have to limit myself in fear of embarrassment! So I keep a couple panty liners in my bag for those long travel days - because walking up stairs or laughing at a hilarious joke from the tour guide shouldn't cause hesitation on whether I should do it or not. Poise panty liners are thinner and stay 3X drier than other liners and don't feel uncomfortable or show. Whether you are worried about light leaks or heavier accidents, Poise has a product for you. The Maximum Pads are 40% more absorbent than Poise Moderate Pads, for more protection when you need it.

 Don't miss this! Save $4-7 on a pack of Poise Liners!

We learned that German businesses prefer to accept payment in cash, which is the opposite of the norm in the US. We had to get over the hump of being uncomfortable with keeping more than €20 cash on us, but in all honesty we never had any reason to regret it. In fact, at the end of our stay at a hotel we were told that their credit card machine was out of order and that we would need to pay with cash for our 2 night stay. Most Americans do not keep several hundred dollars in cash on them, so this was a very interesting situation to traverse!

A scarf is great to keep around all through out the year. During the winter it can help keep your face and neck warm and in the summer it can help shade your face as well. If you're like me - I dress with purpose when I travel. My good jeans, good shoes, layered shirts and my handy Columbia jacket. It's not terribly stylish but it protects me from the elements. When we go inside for lunch in a cafe or later for dinner it's nice to have a bit of pop in a scarf that can help dress you up a little bit from the outdoors.

I always keep a pair of gloves in the pockets of my jacket, I *hate* cold, chapped hands. Smart phone friendly gloves are pretty affordable these days too! Keep a packet of tissues in there too.

Chapstick is my best friend. Nothing ruins my day worse than chapped lips because it very quickly leads to cold sores. As I prepare myself for the day I slide my favorite chapstick into my pocket, so that it's always on me. These days I've been discovering the world of lip color so I've started keeping a tube of lipstick on hand as well! It's another way to class yourself up from the outdoors when you go indoors.

I personally think city maps are a little ostentatious and a big beacon for I'M A TOURIST, but they truly do come in handy. Just keep it tucked away when you're not using it ;) At the end of our city tours I would pull it out and ask our tour guide to circle a few areas of interest or to direct us to the closest bier hall.

On the topic of ostentatious big red flags for being a tourist and sometimes just plain embarrassing, you gotta do it - get a selfie stick. My friend bought one for me before we left and my husband VOWED that he would not appear in a photo taken by a cell phone on a stick. Well folks - here's a couple examples where not only did he break this vow but he also found it to be of good use to get some cool angles on cars at the BMW Museum in Munich. But do please practice proper selfie stick ettiquette. Consider those around you, don't walk down the stairs using it and don't take selfies in places where selfies just aren't appropriate - as my tour guide for Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial said - "If I see you taking selfies here, I take that stick from you and send you on the bus home." I'm only exaggerating a little bit. Or am I?

Finally, where will all of this stuff go? An aunt once told me that on the topic of cars and purses - no matter what size you have you will always fill it. I find this to be enormously true. But consider downsizing your day bag and opting for a messenger style strap. It's harder to tear off of you, which can be a problem in touristy areas.

There you have it! Packing for a day of sight seeing can be as complicated or as easy as you want it to be. What would you add?

Disclosure: All opinions are my own. This giveaway is funded by The Pierogie Mama and is not associated with any other entity, including but not limited to Sam's Club, Poise, Facebook, Google, Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest. Please see giveaway for full rules and eligibility. 

Guest Post: German Christkindlmarkt History and 3 Recommended Markets in Bavaria

Guess who is guest posting on the blog today? The Pierogie Vovo! I hear ya - oh great, another weird Polish word that I don't understand. Au contraire, Vovo is the affectionate term for grandfather in Portuguese. What could be a better topic to write about, while we are visiting Germany during Christmas time, are the world famous Christkindlmarkts found all across the country?

____________

The history of Christmas markets in Germany has roots dating back to the late middle-ages in the
German-speaking parts of Europe and as well in many parts of the Holy Roman Empire. The Christkindlmarkt (German language literal meaning “Christ child market”) is a street market that’s associted with the celebration of Christmas during the 4 weeks of Advent. Opening nights are generally celebrated by onlookers with the arrival of “The Christkind”, a young child often depicted as an angel-like girl and acted out by a locally selected child. This selection is considered a prestigious honor for the child and her family. There will be 35 main markets and hundreds of smaller markets throughout Germany; creating 25k jobs and generating revenue in excess of 200 million Euro.

Christkindlmarkt in Efurt

German Christmas markets bring the holiday season to you as only they can with the aromas of spiced glühwine, sausages, Lebkuchen (gingerbread), potato pancakes with applesauce (my fave) and of course roasted chestnuts on an open fire. My wife and I live on the eastern side of Germany in the Bavarian Oberpfalz region and there are three markets that I'd recommend for you to visit in this region:

Schloss Guteneck:  Open only on weekends, this market is considered the “romantic market”. Situated within the beautiful Castle Guteneck, there are medieval markets, jugglers, minstrels and the continuing procession of era grabbed individuals providing the feel and atmosphere of that time. Combined with live nativity scenes, advent celebrations, fire-dancing and also camel and sheep rides for the kids making this a special market not replicated anywhere in Germany. There’s also a private wine area set on a hilltop for adults who want to relax and overlook the market place and all its lighting.

Nuremburg:  Our personal favorite. Overlooking the majestic Alps to the south, this is considered one of the smaller markets in the big pool but offers every bit what the larger ones do. The must have food at this market is the Nuremberg sausages (no less than 3!), packed into a fresh brotchen roll and smothered in German mustard. This is truly the best sausage we’ve tasted in Germany. There are over 180 stalls decorated in red and white cloth with only authentic hand crafted wares sold. No mass-produced goods are allowed to be sold at this market and is strictly policed and enforced.

Rothenburg:  Home of the Christmas Museum and surrounded by medieval city walls and steep gabled houses, this market is illuminated with thousands of twinkling lights, providing a Disneyesque kind of atmosphere. Rothenburg is the best standing example of a Medieval city in Germany. During economic troubles after the 30-years war the city was frozen in time until it was discovered by romantics and poets in the 1800's and became a vacation spot because of it's beauty, which is well deserved. Christmas pastries are the specialty of this market with the Schneeball (snow ball) being the must try item. I’ve tried them and boy are they sweet. The market's unusual name comes from the legend of the Rothenberg Rider once believed to float through the skies with the souls of the dead. Haven’t seen him though. ;) Driving to the markets is tricky because European parking is very hard to find. We highly recommend taking the train or buses if you attend. Children are more than welcome, but I’d again recommend attending during the weekdays and not late into the night because crowds get bigger as the night goes on. Also, babywear versus using strollers where ever possible. Most markets are shoulder-to-shoulder people and little room to navigate strollers through the crowds. 

Christkindlmarkt in Efurt

I enjoyed taking you through some of the German Christmas Market history and locations and look forward to see you. Auf Wiedersehen!

Get to know The Pierogie Vovo:  Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area
        Wife w/3 children and a dog some of the time
        Worked w/the DoD for 35 years (20 yrs. w/US Army)
               Have lived in 5 countries, for a total of 9 years, during those 35 years
               Enjoy working on my fitness, sports, music and traveling
               Will retire in 2016 and return to college for enjoyment classes

What I am packing in my carry on luggage for international travel with a toddler and a preschooler

We are preparing for our first international flight with kids - and even though my husband and I are seasoned travelers; let me tell ya - I'm a little scared. A little anxious. Really excited for our destination. Catching the extra zzzz's while I can. Trying not to overpack. But I probably did and I can't say that I will be too sorry about it.

Our upcoming trip to Germany has been greatly anticipated and over the last few months we've been talking more with Penny, our preschooler, about what to expect on this long plane ride and how we are so excited to see Babcia and Vovo (her maternal grandparents) once we land. But truly, even though we talk all about this and she is on the cusp of becoming a rational 4 year old, we have no idea what we can expect from her and her little sister, Ruby, who is 19 months old. 17 hours of travel is extremely wearing on adults, and it will be much moreso for our children. The longest flight that we have taken as a family of four has been a five hour jaunt, which was only a few months ago. Here's hoping that both of them, especially the toddler, will have a few memories of that experience so that it doesn't throw them off too much.

Can I pause for a moment and make a comment about how I can't believe that I have a toddler and a preschooler?? It was only last year that I had a toddler and a baby...

While it's very easy and temping to completely over pack and bring EVERYTHING with us as a carry on, my husband and I are opting to trim down as much as we can due to the fact that we will be hauling 3 large pieces of luggage, our carry ons, two small children and their car seats.


So without further adieu, here is what we packed into our carry on luggage for our international flight with a 3 1/2 year old and 19 month old!

• Diapers and wipes (recommended 1 diaper per hour of travel)
• A small spritzer of OnGuard essential oil
• Brand new Usborne books, we are very excited to use the new flashlight book!
• Our new Kindle Fire tablets; perfect for both parent and kid use. We also bought child ear phones and pre-loaded the tablets with a ton of apps that they got to practice with for a week ahead of the trip. 
• 2 changes of clothes for the kids and one for each parent, each set in a gallon sized Ziploc bag (which can also be used to seal smelly accidents)
• Token "lovies" that will help comfort the child and provide the scent of home in an unfamiliar space
• Travel sized toothbrushes that are preloaded with toothpast
• Coloring books with crayons
• Norwex Enviro cloth to wipe down plane trays - thanks for the idea Erin, who will be writing a guest post here in the very near future!
• Small, inexpensive toys and craft items from the Dollar Store that can provide entertainment but are easily disposed of. 
• Our two soft structured carriers for ease of transport through security and to help lull them to sleep on the airplane. 

I wrapped each and every single item in wrapping paper, including the diapers. This turns it into an activity that can be either a distraction or celebration. Because my kids can't read yet, I labelled their contents so that we can quickly grab what we feel is the best item for that moment.  <-- hack="" mama="" nbsp="" p="">

I filled at least a dozen Frozen themed ziplock baggies with an assortment of healthy pop corn, cheerios, yogurt covered raisins, trail mix, granola bars, a "treat" (usually a chocolate ball or a few marshmallows) and included different themed stickers, sticky notes, crayons, or other small time occupiers. I also made a specific "take off" bag that was place mats that they color on (like you get at a restaurant), a couple suckers for their ears.

But what is really going to save me are the diapers! I've flown many a time where at the end I've been covered in all sorts of bodily fluids and it's not fun. So here's to hoping that these will stand the test of a long international flight and keep both my baby and ME happy!

What do you pack for flying with your kids? 

Disclosure: All opinions are my own. This giveaway is funded by The Pierogie Mama and is not associated with any other entity, including but not limited to Sam's Club, Huggies, Facebook, Google, Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest. Please see giveaway for full rules and eligibility. 

Win a Tula!

I'm kicking off my fabulous travel to Germany by working with Elia at Conservamom and other bloggers to give away a Tula Standard Carrier - in "Travel Bug" print! It couldn't be a better fit, right? As you know, babywearing saves my life on a daily basis and during my travels is no different. I have found that getting through the airport is easier, less stressful for a quick transfer and getting screen at TSA is more streamlined. It keeps my children close and secure in an unfamiliar area.

While I have yet to try on my own Tula, the brand has an amazing following and great reviews. Check out what Elia has to say below and enter to win!

Welcome to the Tula Baby Carrier Giveaway

Hosted by Conservamom

We all know how wildly popular Tula Baby Carriers are! From the beautiful prints to the versatility in carrying.

Here's your chance to win one of these beauties for your self!

Each Tula Ergonomic Baby Carrier:

• can be used in both front and back carries
• can be used from 15-45 pounds (toddler carrier is approved for 25-50 lbs)
• can be used from birth with the use of the revolutionary Tula Infant Insert (not included), and into toddlerhood with Tula Free to Grow Extenders (not included)
• is easy to use and comfortable
• provides an ergonomic M-position seat supporting optimal development for baby’s body
• is easy to care for and machine washable
• is made by hand from 100% Öko-Tex Standard 100 certified cotton
• is made with the highest quality Duraflex buckles available
• includes features such as dual-adjustment straps to allow for the perfect fit, additional leg-opening and shoulder padding, and a large pocket on the contouring hip belt
• includes a removable hood to support baby’s head while asleep, protect from sun or wind, and allow for comfortable breastfeeding

Have you been wanting to own one? Here’s your chance! One lucky winner will get the chance to win one of these beautiful baby carriers in Travel Bug print.

So head below for your chance to win! Giveaway open to US & CA and ends on 1/6at 11:59 pm EST.

Entry-Form

Feeling lucky? 

Enter to win $20 PayPal cash from 

The Pierogie Mama after you enter the Tula Giveaway!

Disclosure: All opinions are 100% mine. This giveaway is in no way associated with, sponsored, administered, or endorsed by Facebook, Twitter, Google, Pinterest or any other social media network.All opinions and experiences are Conservamom‘s. Open to US & CA residents only , must be 18+. Confirmed Winner(s) will be contacted through email and have 48 hours to respond before a new winner will be drawn. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. The sponsor will be responsible for product fulfillment to winner(s) of the giveaway. The disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. For questions or to see your product featured in an Event you can contact Elia At Conservamom

MommyCon came to Seattle...and I went!

Get your ticket for Mommy Con 2016 early! They always sell out, and here's a $5 code to get you started!

For the last few years my blogging bestie, That Mama Gretchen, and I have been pining away for a conference that we can attend together and to piggyback a mom's night out on. It's not easy, you know, when you've got two mamas who are on alternating years for pregnancies and birthing babies! But the fates aligned; MommyCon was coming to Seattle and even though Gretchen was in the final stages of her pregnancy with Baby #3 and I had not yet taken a night away from Ruby, we did it. We did it!

We split a hotel room at Motif, where the conference was to be held the following morning. After battling Friday evening Seattle traffic we checked and quickly made our way down to Frolick for an evening snack and a drink for me. There's something about a friendship that allows you to pick up and catch up with each other's lives, without missing a beat, even though it's been almost a year since we last saw each other in person. Well, keeping up with each other's blogs and social media kind of helps that.

Neither of us knew what to expect from MommyCon, even though we had heard great reviews. We stayed up late, talking about woven wraps, birth stories (one of our favorite repeat conversations), blogging life and real life. It was well after 1am before I shut my eyes and I couldn't wait for the following morning.

So what can I say about MommyCon? I was completely unprepared for exactly how great of a day that I would have. All of the vendors - spot on. I loved chatting with each business and met some people I had chatted with online and met new favorites. The brands ranged from cloth diapers, breast feeding support, babywearing, mama cloth, natural products for children and mama and so much more.

Between checking out the booths I attended several great talks - Cloth Diapering led by Jennifer Labit (owner of Cotton Babies), Wrapping 101, Co-sleeping and Beyond (so my life right now), Sex After Baby and Boobs and Bottles (both by Jessica Martin-Weber, AKA The Leaky Boob). I was so thankful that they were spaced out throughout the day because if I had to choose between any of those I'm sure my heart would have broken. Each of the vendors were so helpful and not pushy at all, which just makes everything so much better. I also was the lucky winner of a Cassiope Woven wrap that was a MommyCon exclusive - more about that later - but the excitement of their scavenger hunt was a fun addition to the day.

MommyCon is more than just a conference; it was a rejuvenation of what it means to be a mama. There were so many examples of a mother there, whether they breastfeed, bottlefeed, wore their baby in a soft structured carrier, wrapped them methodically, pushed them in a stroller or what was covering their bottom. It didn't matter if she had spikey rainbow hair or wore her business casual suit to attend. We were all there for the same reason - to gain community in this great journey of life and to better ourselves. For the first time in a very long time I was in a room with hundreds of other women and rather than worrying about the Mommy Wars, we all came together as we are.

Get $5 off your 2016 ticket by using promocode PierogieMama16!

Did you go to any of the MommyCon conferences?

Tell me about your favorite part!

Don't miss That Mama Gretchen's 7 favorite things about MommyCon post too!

Disclosure: I attended MommyCon Seattle 2015 as a media member and received a complimentary ticket. But seriously, I am so glad that I went and I plan on going any other time that this awesome event comes to my local area. And you should too!

Visiting the Dallas Zoo

In May we took a week long family trip to Dallas as a piggyback on my husband's business travel. One of my favorite things to do with my daughters is visit the zoo, so I've made it a fun goal to visit different zoos across the country when the opportunity presents itself.

We actually ended up visiting the Dallas Zoo two days in a row. This was in part because of my sprained ankle that happened the day before our flight and because I spent most of first day in the Zoo North part of the park, only realizing at the very end that the Wilds of Africa part was worthy of an additional day as well. Luckily I have an annual membership at our local zoo which granted me discounted tickets to any AZA accredited zoo, so it was totally affordable to go twice!

It's kind of fun getting to seeing a different zoo that is across the country because animals behave differently based on the climate. Seattle is very temperate and you don't get a lot of extreme weather, but I'm sure that the warm climate creatures missing their natural sunshine. For the time we spent in Dallas it was in the mid 80's, fairly humid with scattered thunder showers. It was amusing to see what thunder showers mean to Texans versus what it means to a Washingtonian. In Western Washington we really don't get a whole lot of thunder storms. But when the thunder started rolling at the Dallas Zoo, I quickly saw the umbrellas and ponchos get broken out. Then it started to rain...and it was warm. Yes, the stereotype is mostly true, it rains a lot in Washington but a girl gets used to it. But warm rain, on a hot day, was actually nice! It was funny to notice that difference.

At the age of 3, Penny is really into dinosaurs. We even had a fairy-dinosaur joint birthday party for per and Ruby back in March. So imagine this girl's glee when we walk into the park and she spots something very peculiar on the ground..

Nope, we definitely don't have these in Seattle!

It was awesome witnessing her reaction to seeing "real" dinosaurs; as most of these were animatronic and fairly realistic, even to an adult.

She also had to make sure that each dinosaur was appropriately roared at.

Onward we went and discovered The Steam, which was a play area designed to look like a stream for children (and their parents) to cool off in. We spent a lot of time here, wading through the water, Penny jumping from different rock features and Ruby testing the waters as she toddled around.

But the part of the zoo that has me raving about is the Wilds of Africa portion. It was truly impressive because of the truly open layout of the savannah that momentarily takes you away from a zoo in Texas to actually seeing what it looks like in nature. As a matter of fact, this was the first exhibit in North America to combine elephants with zebras, giraffes, impalas, ostriches and guinea fowl in the same habitat!  

The Woodland Park Zoo recently transitioned their elephant herd to the Tulsa Zoo and it was incredibly surprising to see how many elephants the Dallas Zoo has; at one point I photographed 5 in the same picture.

Penny enjoyed the giraffe exhibit as well - the giraffe heads were at eye level with us so we were able to get pretty close to them. Sadly we just learned that the little baby in the herd died last week because of an injury.

Stay tuned for more of our adventures in Dallas, Texas!
Part 1: Getting there and staying at The Omni

Have you visited the Dallas Zoo? 

Tell me about your favorite exhibit!

Catch up on my other zoo trips across North America!

Family Camp 2015

A quick word about something close to my heart - fundraising for cancer research.
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This past week my family and I took off for the Great White North and attended DVM Bible Camp in the Canadian Okanagan. My husband's family has been attending this camp since the very beginning, 49 years ago, and it's been a wonderful tradition that gets us together and replenish our souls and faith together.

DVM Bible Camp was started by my husband's great uncle and his son. The land was homesteaded upon for several years (the main lodge was built in 1924) and in the 1960's it was bought by the family. It was ranched upon and later converted as a campground and the owners invited the local church to come out in the summer for "family camp." My husband's mother grew up going to this camp every year, subsequently taking her family and children throughout their lives too. This was the third time that I've attended.

The camp runs rich with family history. Each time I've gone up there I discover a memory of a family member who had been there years before. A quilt, displayed on the wall. Photo albums filled with pictures of my husband as an awkward teen (so great!). The best yet - the welcoming arms of distant in-laws so treat me like a cousin, even though we may have not met or seen each other in several years.

Walking through this camp for a week makes me think of what a time capsule it is. It's about 15 miles from the nearest town, and 40 miles until you can get some wifi. It wasn't until fairly recently that they harnessed the hydro-electric power that they can gain from the creek flowing through the property that gives the lodge consistent lighting and hot showers for everyone. Chapel and classes are held in the old lean to that was the cattle stable when it was a working ranch. There are several other original buildings on the property that were clearly hand chopped log houses. Each year that I've visited I sneak a Laura Ingalls Wilder book from their library and dive myself into the pioneer days with this view above my book.

Each day has two chapels (worship and a message) and there is a morning class. Throughout the day there are different family activities available; from "killer" croquet to gold panning, agate hunting, a ropes course or swimming in the lake. The best part is that you just let your kids run free. This is an age where disconnecting is sometimes harder for children than the adults, where many haven't ever truly experienced what it's like to play outside and imagine for yourself what to do. Heading out to camp every year is a a reprieve for all of us.

Oh - and you betcha that I cloth diapered for a whole week while camping!