Before I had my first baby, I had a corporate job, complete with cubicles, bureaucracy and a never-ending supply of donuts and half-finished cakes calling to me from the break room. I didn’t grieve any of that when I left my job to go on maternity leave. Not the stray, half-eaten sweets that always seemed […]
5 Tips for Parenting through the Storm
Updated February 2017: Since the new year is turning out to be just as intense as 2016, I updated this article and added one extra tip. OK, 2016 is proving itself to be a pretty intense year… and it isn’t even over yet. News from around the world has been bleak. With multiple mass shootings […]
You Are Entering The Baby Time Zone
Ever notice how young children measure time with holidays and seasons? Ask a child about the calendar and they’ll tell you the special occasion they’re looking forward to next and what kind of fun and sweets will accompany it. They determine seasons by what is thrown on them as they walk out the door — […]
Postpartum Survival Guide :: Wednesday Wisdom
This invaluable list of suggestions for new parents was originally posted on the Austin Born Blog. We loved it so much, we asked if we could share it with our followers. The list was compiled by a group of new mothers who were attending The Circle, a postpartum group offered for when motherhood is not […]
Laugh and Laugh Often :: Tuesday Tip
When my newborn son and I were still figuring out breastfeeding, I realized that I was going to be spending a lot of time awake… in the middle of the night… by myself… in the dark. At first, I tried to fight through my sleepiness while I made sure that my new baby’s latch was […]
A Workout for Busy Moms :: Wednesday Wisdom
Meet Allison Lambert. She is an ACE certified personal trainer, former psychology teacher and college athlete. Her desire to help women get healthy lead her to create The Fit Tutor, an online fitness service for women. Some personal trainers wear camo pants, yell a lot, or show off their six-packs to motivate their clients. Not Allison. She […]
Mommy Posture and Other Signs of Martyrdom :: Monday Musing
“Did you know that bass means butt, Mom?” (insert Beavis-and-Butthead-style snickers) And that is how the latest “out of the mouths of babes” conversation began with my 6-year-old son a few weeks ago. He was referring to Meghan Trainor’s song, “All About That Bass”, the women’s empowerment anthem that is currently playing every hour, on […]
Cuz That’s the Way I Like It – Saying ‘Yes’ to Your Own Holiday Traditions :: Monday Musing
Kirsten’s recent tip on “just saying no” to holiday stress raised this question for me: why is it so hard to say no, especially to extended family, especially around the holidays? When J and I first married, we had to figure out how to share holidays with two families (we had it easy – some […]
A Crack In My Armor :: Monday Musing
You’re a real trooper. I love receiving that compliment and I’m known to frequently dole it out myself. Other versions of it go something like this: You’re a hoss. You’re super tough. You roll with the punches and keep on rolling. When I hear these affirmations, I envision a thick-skinned warrior woman, covered in armor. […]
3 Ways to Get Your Post-Natal Snap Back :: Tuesday Tip
About 6 months into my daughter’s life, I still felt tired, fried and puffy-eyed, while she thrived, rosy-cheeked, done with colic and ready to explore. She was sleeping through the night, and most nights I was too. We had breast feeding down, most of my anxiety had subsided and I had returned to work part-time. […]
4 Ways to Write Your Worries :: Tuesday Tip
Ever feel like you have so many things on your mind, your head is about to explode? I call them Linda Blair moments. I had one last week. I was standing in the middle of my kitchen and felt like my head was spinning out of control, Exorcist-style. I couldn’t figure out what to do […]
Emotionally Constipated? Repression’s Impact On Parenting :: Monday Musing
I know the movie “Frozen” has created a somewhat disturbing obsession, but bear with me. I resisted it for a long time, but when a blue-eyed five-year-old is begging you…. Luckily, she was on my lap and couldn’t see my intense emotional reactions. Contorted face, holding back big sobs. Seeing a female character, a cartoon […]
Delicious Laundry :: Tuesday Tip
Hang out with other mom and dad bloggers on Twitter for a day and you’ll pick up on an amusing theme. A noticeable percentage of tweets have to do with the subject of… wait for it… laundry. Piles of laundry, loads of laundry, drowning in laundry. Even Cheryl and I have penned a few 140 […]
Take A Breather :: Tuesday Tip
Cheryl and I perfected the art of “leaning in” long before Sheryl Sanberg coined the phrase. With newborns on our laps, we would lean in real close and pick the brain of any experienced parent we could find, in order to get pointers and advice on how to raise these crying little creatures. Our friend, […]
Make it Clear – 3 Reasons Why Moms Won’t Tell You What They Need :: Tuesday Tip
Have you ever whisper-screamed? If you’re thinking hard, you probably haven’t. Operating definition – the sound resulting from two opposing forces: the need to scream combined with the need to stifle. You are freaking out, but don’t want your neighbors to think you’re being murdered, don’t want to wake the baby, or know deep down […]