So this is actually happening...

I know almost all of my recent blogs start with, "sorry I'm such a shitty poster these days but, I'm so busy with Jagger..." and so on and so forth. However, this time my reasoning goes beyond the fact that I have a demanding 2 year old (yes he's 2!!! and I gave him no FB love- bad mommy), that we're renovating a new apartment and I'm 7 1/2 months pregnant. This time it's legit....Liat and I are BEYOND excited to announce we will be opening the Upper  East Side's newest playspace The Playroom NYC!!!!  Ahhhh it feels so good to finally be able to put it out there :)

Before I share what exactly this means I'd like to tell you how this all began. In case you didn't know, between the two of us we have 3 very active boys ranging from 22 months to 4 years old. While we are very lucky we live next door to one another, literally steps away and our kids have each other to play with, we found we were always bored with no where to go and nothing to do. Yes there are classes and some even offer open play, but they almost never work with our kids schedules. The allocated times often conflict with lunch time, nap time or bath time.

We took our desire to find something to do and decided over a year ago that we wanted to make a business out of it. Yes, this has been a year in the making!

We agreed it should be on the UES as it's not only kid central but we would have the luxury of going to work and our kids could come see us anytime. We found the perfect location on a ground floor on 1st avenue between 75&76th and couldn't believe it when we signed the lease. This was really happening!!

Our business model is "All play all day" because we don't want to put time restrictions on when you can play. Maybe you have an hour to kill before your kid's haircut or you don't feel like hosting 5 mommys for a play date at your apartment. Whatever the reason or time, we want you to come play at us!

We will be offering limited memberships, play packs, or you can purchase single visits...whatever works for YOU. We will also have an awesome party room for birthday parties, events and classes. If you would like to be kept up on what's going on please subscribe on our website www.theplayroomnyc.com.

We hope you're as excited as we are and would love any feedback or ideas you may have.

Ps- Who the hell ever thought the “Haddad” sisters would actually follow through and do something…certainly not me!!

Follow @theplayroomnyc 

Let's get real

The other night I was with a group of girls with kids ranging from 6 months to 22 months. We were gathered around laughing about what it's really like to have a new baby and how no one talks about. I remember when Jagger was born I gave a pretty honest depiction of what motherhood was like but I'm afraid you all need a refresher course. For those of you who are pregnant now, I am not trying to scare you. In actuality, I'm trying to prepare you for what lies ahead so you don't have to feel how so many of us felt when we went through it...like a miserable, psychotic bitch who wants to shove their baby right back up their vagina.

So I'd to break it down as simply as possible.

Months 0-3 are the absolute hardest. Your days and nights are filled with diaper changes, feeding, burping, crying and googling. While you feel an overwhelming sense of love for your new baby you are also frequently thinking to yourself, why the fuck did I do this. Once you finally get yourself and baby out the door (a task that can easily take 2 hours to do) you see childless people out to lunch, a gorgeous toned girl out for a jog or a carefree couple in love and you realize how easy your life was before and how at that moment, you selfishly want it back.

Around 3 months baby starts sleeping through the night and let me tell you, it is a total game changer!! It is actually frightening what sleep deprivation can do to you and I can guarantee you had way to many stupid fights with your husband that now seem ridiculous. Baby starts to notice you more and starts giving you some feedback. They smile when they see you and may even start to giggle. It’s that moment you realize your baby needs you and your heart starts to melt just a little bit. You still take an hour to get out the house but you now remember everything you need and start to feel a bit more confident. You look at moms with newborns and feel sorry for them that they are only beginning.

At 6-12 months things start to get a bit more fun. Baby is now eating solid foods and you can actually take them to a restaurant. If you forget their bottle it doesn’t matter because they can order off a menu. They enjoy going on the swings, going to zoo and playing with friends. They start crawling and walking and are turning into little people. They still don’t speak so they cry a lot out of frustration and its pretty freakin annoying. You start to look at moms with older kids and are envious that they can sit at a restaurant and actually eat their food in peace. You also wish your kid could communicate with words rather than tears and temper tantrums. Baby starts giving hugs and getting more and more attached to you and the obsession truly begins.

At your child’s first birthday you take a step back and think what the past year has been like. You don’t remember the sleepless nights, you don’t remember the fights you had with your spouse and you don’t remember every little thing feeling stressful. You only remember the smiles, the laughter and incredible joy your baby has brought to your life. You count your blessings and shed a tear (or in my case many) that you made it through the first year in one piece. You feel a sense of love that you have never felt in your life and the fun truly begins.

Now you get to the place where I’m at. Jagger is now almost 21 months and I swear I feel like I have a teenager. From the second that kid comes out of his crib he does not shut up. He tells me what he dreamt about ( Ty Ty and A, Liats nickname) what he wants for breakfast (pakackes and buh, peanut butter) and what he wants to do that day (park and wings, swings). He literally makes me laugh all day and is madly in love with me. I’m sure that fact that I tell him I’m his girlfriend all day contributes to that. Don’t get me wrong; we still have our moments where he’s cranky or whiney and they are certainly not fun but I realize its part of the territory. He obsessed with the word NO and makes it very clear when he’s not interested in doing something. He’s also very stubborn like his mama and will not shut up about something until he gets it. Like every time we walk past an ice cream truck he BEGS for a blue pop (no idea where the hell he got that from) and is relentless. Sometimes I cave and give in but often I have to stick to my guns and teach him he can’t always get what he wants. Some days are definitely better than others but every single night when I’m holding him and singing to him in the dark, he squeezes me extra tight, gives me the biggest open mouth kiss and I know I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. Being Jagger’s mom is seriously the most amazing experience I’ve ever had and I wouldn’t change it for the world. My heart feels like it’s going to explode with all the love I have for him and he is the reason I’m crazy enough to do this all over again with baby #2. I promise ladies, there is light at the end of the tunnel and you will get there before you know it.

Here we go again...

So for those of you who didn’t get the memo…I’m pregnant again! It feels like yesterday that I was writing about my pregnancy with Jagger and now two years later I’m going for round 2. Everyone keeps asking me how I found out, was I trying, am I finding out the gender and so on so I figured lets just put it all out there once because I’m just too tired to repeat myself over and over J Lets start from the beginning. Shai and I had always said we want our kids to be close in age so I never even went back on the pill after Jagger. I’m kind of surprised it took even this long for it to happen but needless to say we weren’t trying, we weren’t not trying. I personally think this is best way to get pregnant because there is less stress and anxiety and it happens when it’s supposed to. I’m personally not down with scheduled sex but if it works for you, awesome.

I had a bunch of times I was sure I was pregnant but all were false alarms. However one night I looked at Shai and told him I’m totally pregnant but this time for real. He brushed me off because I got that feeling way too many times. The next day the craziest thing happened, I went into J’s room when he woke up and before I could even take him out of the crib he looked at me, smiled and said baby. Now this kid was an early talker but I know every word he’s ever said (don’t believe me, check Shais excel doc…seriously) and baby certainly wasn’t one of them. I ran into our room with him in tow and he said it again and kissed my stomach. We started to bug out a little but thought there is no way this kid is a psychic. I immediately called Dr Kim and went in that day for blood work…the next day I got the call, I was pregnant!

Side note- apparently Jagger isn’t a genius or a psychic because this is pretty common with kids because they are so connected with their mommy’s- don’t believe me, Google it.

When I found out I was just shy of 5 weeks, which in my books is way too early to find out. Its actually torture because you cant tell everyone and in my case I was already showing! My doctor swears its normal but I’ve never seen anything like this. We started telling our family and close friends and everyone seemed excited but don’t be offended if they’re not jumping up and down about the 2^nd baby, I guess they’re already getting neglected and their still inside you, poor thing. 

Everyone keeps asking me what we are having and I hate to break it to you all but we are not finding out with this one either. I know I know were psycho but I have to say when I gave birth to Jagger and I heard the words meet your son I almost died and I want that feeling again. Although I am pretty sure it’s a girl this time. Why you ask, because I have already gained 9 pounds in 14 weeks! Yes you heard right, 9 lbs.! Only a girl would torment her mama like this ;) Aside from the weight gain, this entire pregnancy feels different. My first trimester with Jagger I was full of energy, at the gym for hours every day and felt nauseous one time. This time around I felt like I was gonna vom pretty much all day (but never did) and could pass out at any given time. I went to the gym a few days a week but would mostly just stand on the precore and pretend I was moving (probably the explanation for my 9lb weight gain!) Believe it or not, I don’t actually have a preference of one over the other. A boy would definitely be easier as I have all the clothes and toys and I already know the difference between a digger an excavator and a combine harvester. But between Jagger, Tyler and Ryder we certainly don’t have a shortage of penises running around! It would also be fun to have a hot pink nursery and braid my daughters hair and have tea parties but then they grow up and turn in bitches and I’m not sure I can handle that J In all seriousness I just want a healthy happy baby…that looks like Jagger.

You owe me...

In the midst of my accupuncture session this morning I had a moment of clarity and a thought popped into my head, "what is your purpose Tali"? I may sound crazy but there's not much else to do but think while lying under a heat lamp with 40 needles in you attempting to center and balance your crazy ass.

Anyway, I had a full blown conversation with myself and told my inner voice that I am a full time working mother (you don't need a desk job to be working- stop judging) a devoted wife and a half ass blogger. While this should be enough to keep my days full I find that I have a little void in my life. I have attempted to start multiple businesses that have all failed. Actually I should correct myself, I never followed through to actually start them but in essence they have failed. I have been a make up artist, a granola maker, a dessert baker and the list goes on. But none of these things are my PASSION. What is it I feel strongly about you ask...scoring a steal. I literally get high off a bargain. For those of you who know me well you know I don't buy cereal without a sale ($7 for a box is just not ok! I don't care how much money you have!), and I have no shame bringing a coupon to Walgreens with me. While my dream is to be an extreme couponer unfortunately I'm not smart enough to do that. If you don't believe me watch the show, they are all math geniuses! My obsession with deals is also seen in the most important place in my apartment, my closet. Now don't get me wrong, I have no problem spending an obscene amount of money on a great pair of shoes but the bulk of my wardrobe is cheap cheap cheap. I love nothing more than spending hours in forever 21 and H&M and walking out with a new wardrobe for $300. And the truth is, I never get compliments on my high end items because everyone and their mother has them. However when I'm wearing a tribal boyfriend cardigan from forever, everyone goes nuts for it.

So here is my latest idea. I'm simply going to post my recent scores on a new Instagram page called Scoop my style and you can all reap the benefits from my discount shopping obsession. While this won't bring any income or anything it will give me something more interesting to do on Instagram than stalk random people that don't even know I exist. You're all smiling because you do the same thing! You're all probably wondering what the fuck is the point of this if you're not getting anything out of it but I disagree. I feel good about myself when I share good finds. I hate nothing more than those bitchy ass girls who keep things like this to themselves. If you know something great is out there in the universe share the wealth!!

Now I'm not saying I'm about to revolutionize the fashion or social media world but every style account I find is super high end. While I give major props for all the amazing outfits these people put together I also feel any asshole can walk into Barney's and buy something sick. No offense.  So here it is ladies...my gift to you!

Follow me on Instagram @scoopmystyle

PS- Now when I come home with lots of yellow bags I can feel like I’m not just shopping, I’m working!

And I'm back...

It’s hard to believe what a few months, a kick in the ass and a solid support system can do. My life today is in a completely different place that it was when I wrote my last blog. It is now very obvious I was dealing with some post partum depression  ( I HATE that word!), which is apparently very common when your baby turns 1, as your hormones finally level out from pregnancy. Unfortunately no one had told me this. I was pretty much in panic mode wondering why I had no energy to preform day-to-day tasks, why I would cry at the drop of the hat and why my weight plummeted to a frightening number. Well I am proud to say I’m reporting from the other side and it feels fuckin good! Things that used to stress me out like dealing with a squirming child during a diaper change or a picky eater is now a thing of the past. I have come to realize that every day, actually every minute brings along a new challenge and the only thing to do is smile through it...Or you will lose your shit like I did. I specifically remember Jagger going through a crazy food strike. I would seriously make him 7 different dinners and night after night all he finally ate was a peanut butter sandwich. After weeks of stressing I finally realized I needed to stop trying to force him to eat chicken and meatballs and what not and just give him the damn sandwich first. Well after a few days it was a thing of the past and he now inhales “mamas meatballs”, kale smoothies and pretty much anything I give him. At the time of the strike it felt like the end of the world but If I would have just stopped being so stubborn and listen to my son my nights would have been a lot easier. This rule goes into almost every aspect of his life now. I listen to his needs and wants and stop trying to mold him into what I think he should be. I just don’t budge with sleep, he’s in his crib at 645pm and his little ass isn’t coming out till 7am J

I think part of the problem is that almost all of us go into motherhood with the misconception of what it really means. We believe our kids will adapt to our lives, play by themselves and let us sleep in when we are hung over. Sadly this isn’t the case and a baby is not an accessory, a Chanel bag is. Once you have accepted that your life will never be the same, you have conquered half the battle. I truly think anyone who is considering getting pregnant or has a baby on the way should do an apartment swap with a friend who has a kid for the weekend. Its truly the only way to get an idea of what you are really about to take on. This past weekend Liat and Kevin (my sister and her husband) had a wedding in Delaware. Our usual babysitters stayed at their apt for the weekend to watch Tyler (3.5) and Ryder (14 months) with the help of Shai and I. They are the same girls who have been watching our kids for years and are young and full of energy. They did an incredible job but by the time Sunday rolled around they could hardly move and repeatedly told me how much respect they have for Liat and I that we do this everyday! They usually just see the kids for 3 hours at a time and had no idea what it means to be “on” 24/7. They both agreed it was the best birth control and they no longer feel like they neeeeeeeeed to get married and have kids tomorrow. Shocker ;) Something for you all to consider!

Now as hard and exhausting as being a mother is, there is absolutely nothing else in life I would rather be doing. It is the most amazing feeling to hear my son wake up and call out Mama and Dada and see the enormous smile on his face when we come in. I am in awe of the fact that he is always so excited to see me and greets me with me a huge hug and a delicious kiss on the lips as if he hasn’t seen me in years. He never ceases to amaze me with all the knowledge he absorbs and how every day I am able to teach him new words, animal sounds and actions. Babies are truly remarkable like that. He knows how to hail a cab and call out taxi, he can’t help but dance when music comes on and he is always feeding and kissing his stuffed animals and books. He is seriously just the sweetest little boy in the world. We have so many inside jokes and he thinks I’m the funniest person alive. He is truly so smart and such a fast learner, however I’m pretty sure he will be crawling down the aisle at his wedding! No Jagger isn’t walking yet and I don’t think it’s going to happen anytime too soon. He walks all along furniture and stands alone in the bath but the kids got no balls to just let go and walk.  Can’t win em all. Jagger is truly the light of my life and I am so glad I am finally able to enjoy every little moment with him. I am constantly asked when I’m going to go for baby #2 but I honestly don’t think I can love another child they way I love Jagger, my heart feels like its going to explode every day.