“I am who I say I am”
This mantra can remind us that we create our own stories. We have the power to change our self-image which will allow us to change the way the rest of the world interacts with us. Read more
Review: “Strengths Finder 2.0” by Tom Rath
What a concept Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath has! Let’s change our way of thinking, the American way of thinking, into something more productive and less degrading. Let’s focus on maximizing our natural strengths rather than devoting hours/days/weeks of our lives trying to improve our weaknesses. I read this book and took this test as a team building exercise at work but I highly recommend this book for everyone in the world, not just the work world. Use this knowledge to help build relationships with your significant other and coworkers, even parents and children (if they can understand the questions). Read more
Mama Mantra of the Moment: “I have balance.”
“I have balance.”
Balance is a feeling. It’s a feeling of calm, the opposite of anxiety. To have balance is to feel balance. Read more
Things I’ve Found in the Toilet: Episode One
My husband plays board games with a group of guys at a friend’s house once a month, leaving me home with the kids for a night after a long day of, well, being at home with the kids. This is typically a Friday night, and, in most months, this night of solo parenting seems to coincide with the end of a week of insanity … but that’s not surprising since most weeks are weeks of insanity at our house with three kids age 6 and under plus another on the way! Read more
The Dreaded C Word
Our Crunchy Granola Mama Doc Emily Pike takes on the c word.
No, not *that* “C” word! This one has five letters, not four, and brings fear to the hearts of new parents everywhere.
COLIC.
Now, this is not a label that should be applied lightly. The official definition goes beyond just gassiness or fussiness. Read more
Breast Milk and Booze
Boobs and breast milk. Stop pumping and dumping for the love of Gold!
Here’s what you need to know about breastfeeding and drinking to make your own informed decision.
This article is intended for the responsible social drinker. If you think you have a problem with alcohol please contact your physician or local Alcoholics Anonymous group.
1. When drinking (and sobering up), your breast milk alcohol content (BMAC) is pretty much the same as your blood alcohol content (BAC). Blood filters most toxins out of your body and feeds nutrients to your milk ducts. So if your BAC is .08, BMAC is .08. Read more
Mama Mantra of the Moment: “I touch everyone around me.”
“I touch everyone around me.”
We can use this mantra to remind ourselves that we matter and that every one of our interactions has the power to spread love. Read more
How to Make an Old Plastic Sandbox Like New
As I wrote last week, big, outdoor toys like picnic tables and sandboxes are a ton of fun — and crazy expensive. In this article, I take on an old, faded lady-bug sandbox and make it into a like-new play space, thanks to a good scrubbing and a coat of paint! Read more
Review: Little Partners Learning Tower
Sometimes I wonder how we survived before we had a Learning Tower. I cannot say enough good things about this product to explain just what a game-changer it has been in our home! I was inspired to get one after seeing a friend from California post a picture of her daughter standing on one while helping in the kitchen. It looked so sturdy and safe compared to standing on a chair, which is just what my 18-month-old monkey had learned how to do, nearly giving me at least one heart attack per day … and usually more. (Even the knife block in the far back corner of the kitchen counter wasn’t safe from his reach!) Read more
12 Real-Talk Steps for Choosing Your Child’s Halloween Costume
Outfitting your kids for Trick-or-Treating can be intensely stressful. There’s nothing like putting 40 hours into a lovingly-crafted costume, only to have your child turn around and refuse to wear anything but the same store-bought Elsa dress as all her other classmates, or trying to figure out how to fulfill your toddler’s request for a tiger-Batman-unicorn. While there’s no way to actually child-proof the process, I hope the following tips can take some of the pain away and help everyone get more fun out of the season. Read more