Pregnant: Am I Doing It Right?

During my pregnancy I’ve felt a couple times like I wasn’t “doing it right.”  Not that I wasn’t taking care of my body or baby properly, but that I didn’t care enough, and that meant I wasn’t going to be very good at this whole mothering thing.  I didn’t feel that way in response to serious events, or in the face of friends with children, or anything like that. It started when I was asked “what’s your countdown?”  I had no idea what the person was talking about.  Apparently it meant how many days left until my due date.  I … Continue reading

How to Be a Hero Mom on a Budget

Sometimes I don’t feel like a hero mom. Such as yesterday. It was very late, and my tween and I were in the grocery section of Target looking to pick up just a couple of food items to help us make it through a long week, since we missed our scheduled food shopping.  As we passed the frozen case on our way to hunt down cheese, my child asked me if we could get ice cream. Apparently he and his siblings already went through the one gallon container, the one quart container, and the box of ice cream sandwiches that … Continue reading

Affordable Pampering for Mom

Moms, grandmas, aunts, or beloved female friends; no gal is going to turn down a gift that promotes relaxation especially when life is so stressful.  Sadly, indulging in a day of pampering doesn’t always come cheap.  A trip to a professional spa can run upwards of $200 depending on the number of services rendered. Paying for luxurious privileges is no fun even if it’s a Mother’s Day gift.  Fortunately, there is a way to enjoy treating mom to a day of decadence without breaking the bank.  Here’s how: DIY Neck Wrap Materials: Fabric Dry, uncooked rice Dried lavender or rosemary … Continue reading

When Other Moms Are the Enemy

You know how they say we can be our own worst enemy?  When it comes to parenting, I think we can have two enemies—not only ourselves but other moms. Ever notice how men don’t compare their fathering skills to one another.  But women do? Of course, get a group of men together and it’s highly unlikely they are going to be discussing their children anyway.  Their conversations tend to swirl around work, sports and the latest home project. But put a group of women together and their children tend to pop up in the conversation.  And unless it’s a group … Continue reading

Protecting Your Children from Online Scammers

We live in an age driven by technology. Children are more technologically advanced than ever before. My four year old is no exception. He can work an Ipad much better than I can. He knows how to get into all his favorite games, how to get to the Dinsey Channel, and just about anything else he sets his mind to. I think kids these days are just born that way. While technology can be an amazing educational tool for our children, it can also be a very dangerous place, as we all know. More and more predators are out there … Continue reading

Blowing Off Steam

Having an ex adds a lot of undue stress in your life; have children with that ex and the stress multiplies by about a hundred…thousand…ok, it’s more like an infinite amount of stress that never ends with the signing of the decree. You’d think it get easier now that you’re not together, but it’s actually a lot harder when neither one of you is trying to make things work anymore. My ex and I try to keep things as civil as possible when it comes to Logan. I don’t want him to ever feel caught in the middle of his … Continue reading

Homeschool Mom Devotion: Taming the Tongue

Homeschooling can challenge you in different areas of your life.  One challenge for many is taming the tongue.  Cranky children, clogged toilets, curriculum failure can spike your stress levels.  When you are stressed you have more of a tendency to allow your flesh to control your tongue.  Taming the tongue is my most difficult challenge and I am far from victory.  Yet, as homeschooling moms we are a constant influence on our children.  They see how we react in all situations and sometimes our reactions are not ones that shine.  I think we all have been there.  When you feel … Continue reading

Advice from a Military Mom

Maybe you know a military mom.  She could be someone in your family, a friend, a co-worker or an acquaintance.  If you do, I have some important advice to give. Granted, there is some selfishness behind my advice.  In fact, I am seriously considering emailing this blog to certain persons.  But in the end, I will probably restrain myself and be content with helping others to understand a thing or two about what it’s like to be a military mom. It’s not that I’m attempting to put non-military moms in my shoes.  And contrary to what some might assume, it’s … Continue reading

Mother Writes Lovely Blog About her Preemie

Every once in a while, it is nice to read a lovely blog that a mother has written about her child. There is a blog called Micro-Preemie to Miracle that mom Sarah Bollinger started about her son, Everett, who was born at 15 weeks premature. He’s come a long way! I always find stories about preemies to be very interesting. There is something fascinating about the story of a teeny, tiny, baby that struggles to grow and thrive. Often, their stories are uplifting and inspiring. It is nice to read something positive! Last December, I wrote about a preemie named … Continue reading

Happiness in the Moment

I dread the holidays all year long, not because I don’t like them, but because they inevitably bring confrontation as my ex and I struggle to decide who gets Logan and who doesn’t. No matter what someone is missing their little boy and it tends to be a touchy subject for both of us. Believe it or not I’ve actually been dreading it since about the day after Christmas last year. I worried and fretted about it and wondered what would happen as we tried to coordinate everyone’s schedules so that Logan was able to see as much of his … Continue reading