Three Very Simple New Year’s Resolutions For Moms

1.) Get Truly Healthy. We all talk about this and for many of us we lack motivation. Let’s do it for our children. Let’s eat healthier and get fit. I’m not saying to diet and starve yourself - just make better choices.

2.) Do What You Love. Get a job you love. Start a new hobby that you love. Just make sure you take time for yourself and do what really makes you happy. If you want your own business for the new year or get a job at home like me, then visit Job For Stay at Home Moms

3. ) Be Happy and Laugh Often. Laughter really is the best medicine as so many people say. It makes you feel better and helps you be less stressed. While you may not be able to go completely stress-free in 2009 you can take steps to ensure your day is less stressful.Â

December 26, 2008 · Filed Under buzz, parenting

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Moms Here Are Ways To Save Money

Here is a great article about saving money that we added quite some time ago to our site and I’d love to share it here on the blog. Another great way to save money is to sign up for free stuff that way you don’t have to buy it. We have lots of free stuff over here that I have personally signed up for and receive myself.Â

Mom, Do You Need to Save Money? by Nicole Dean

I need to learn how to save more of our income. I’m not interested in starting a business or making money, but I do believe that a penny saved is a penny earned, so I’d like to hold onto more of my pennies. Thanks so much for any help you can offer! – Signed, Penny

Dear Penny,
Some of my favorite ways to save money are the easiest. Of course, we all like the easy things in life. I know I’m not the type to reuse a plastic sandwich bag, so I just buy plastic containers instead that can be used forever. Know yourself and your habits so you can pick and choose how to save money.

1. Have Meals on Hand
Freezer Cooking is my personal favorite way to save money. Instead of cooking one batch of food every night, you can double or even quadruple some of your favorite recipes and freeze the extra. That way, the next time you’re in a hurry and tempted to pick up the phone to order a $25 pizza delivery, instead you can go to your freezer and grab a container of lasagna and enjoy it for a fraction of the price.

Some meals that are easy to freeze are chili, most soups, rice casseroles, lasagna, and stir fry dishes. Always test a small batch before you invest too much time into a big cooking session just to make sure your favorite recipe freezes well.

2. Monthly money drain
Another way to save money is to look through your credit card bill and your monthly bank statement for recurring charges.

For instance, if you have the same cell phone you’ve had for more than a year, you might be able to find a cheaper plan. You may even be able to get enough minutes with enough coverage that you can cancel your landline phone and long distance and just pay your cell bill each month.

Or do you really need all those bells and whistles on your cable service? If you’re paying for HBO, then do you also need a subscription to a Movie club where you get movies in the mail? There’s definitely room for saving money here.

Cancel that book of the month club. On many of these plans, the cost of shipping costs more than picking up books at a bookstore. Or buy books and share them with friends. Then, when you’re done reading them, sell them on eBay or at a used book store to fund your book addiction.

Are you a beauty product junkie? Preach on! This is one of my main weaknesses. I love lotions, soaps, bath salts, etc. I’ve started making my own with a few simple recipes and am saving a lot of money each month. This could get addicting, though. But, I can’t go broke buying eggs for my face or baking soda for a soothing bath. I can always eat it if I don’t use it on my skin.

If you look around, you just might find some areas where you are wasting money. Between dining out, pizza delivery, cable bill, and beauty expenses, you’ll find ways to keep more money in your pockets.

Nicole Dean is the Mom behind http://www.showmomthemoney.com/StayAtHomeMom.aspÂ a free and fun resource helping moms in all areas of life. She recommends http://www.MyBeautyRecipes.com – her favorite resource for her beauty product addiction

September 4, 2008 · Filed Under buzz, parenting

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Ways To Keep A Toddler Entertained In Your Kitchen

Ten Ways To Keep A Toddler Entertained In The Kitchen by Teresa Kolvek

Anyone who has tried to cook a meal while watching a toddler knows how difficult a chore this can be. I know that if I don’t keep my little girl busy and entertained, she’s either off in another room scaling the furniture, clinging to my legs and screaming for attention, or grabbing for hot pots and kitchen shears. So, here are some ways I’ve found to keep her safe and happy while I get dinner ready.

1. I have a cabinet for her to explore. I keep the bottom three shelves of my pantry stocked with things like boxed (sealed) macaroni and cheese, cocoa mix, small canned goods, dry cereal - things she can take out, stack, rearrange, sort, etc. We even got her a little plastic grocery cart ($8.99 at Toys R Us), so she can shop in the pantry to her heart’s content.

2. I’ll set her up in a high chair with a big bowl of corn meal or oats, and some plastic measuring cups and spoons. She has a ball pouring, measuring, and stirring. Note - this can get messy but sweeps up fairly easily; or you could use a drop cloth if your floor is carpeted.

3. My daughter likes to play with refrigerator magnets. Toddler-safe magnets can be lots of fun and provide good entertainment. We bought her a barn magnet puzzle kit (as an alternative to potentially unsafe regular magnets) that plays songs when she matches the pieces; it’s cute and she enjoys it.

4. Stickers are always a good diversion, if you don’t mind peeling them off the cabinets!

5. We will sometimes give her a task that can be done on the floor or in a high chair, like “sorting” the mail. This makes her feel as though she is helping out.

6. I will occasionally get a step stool and let her stand at the counter and help to prepare the meal. She can do things like tear up lettuce, or place chopped vegetables into a bowl, or put shredded cheese on the lasagna.

7. I’ll position her on a stool at the sink and let her “wash” some plastic dishes.

8. I give her a kid-sized broom and let her sweep the kitchen floor (hopefully she‘ll still enjoy this type of thing when she gets older!).

9. We will often turn on the radio so she can sing and dance to the music. Note - this is much more fun (for both of you) if you join in, too!

10. If all else fails, and she doesn’t want to go along with any of these activities, I know it’s because she is hungry and I give her a light snack. You don’t want to spoil their appetite for the upcoming meal, so just be sure to make it something healthy and not too filling, like diced fruit.

Cooking with toddlers is a challenge and a half. Try some of these tips, and also remember to have fun! They’re only this age once.

Teresa Kolvek and her husband, Tony, are the proud parents of a beautiful and spirited toddler named Amelia. Visit Teresa’s website at http://www.toddlerdish.comÂ for great information, tips, and recipes for toddlers.

9 Easy Ways For Moms To Relax

Nine different ways for moms to relax

Mothers tend to unconsciously step into a super hero role, caring for family members and pushing their own needs aside. Research tells us that women’s health depends on laughter, playing, exercising, relaxing and enjoying pleasurable fun times. As mothers, we should take this information seriously and look at how we live our lives.

Guilt often plays a huge role in a mother’s decision-making process. If a mother feels guilty about leaving her child in the care of someone else for an hour while she goes to the gym to exercise, chances are she’ll stop going to the gym.

The truth is, instead of feeling guilty about doing something for ourselves, we should actually make it mandatory to take special time for ourselves on a regular basis. Making time to relax and recharge our batteries will make us better mothers. Replenishing on a regular basis will ensure that we have something to give back to our families.

Here are a few simple and quick ways for mothers to relax at home:

Light a candle. Lavender, vanilla, sandalwood and spearmint are soothing scents to look for when purchasing special candles.

Deep breathe. Inhale deeply through your nostrils then exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat several times until you begin to feel calm.

Five minutes of quiet time. Retreat to a room alone and close the door behind you. Sit comfortably in a chair, on a bed, or cross-legged on the floor and practice deep-breathing.

Simply taking five minutes to retreat to your own space can provide a calming effect.

Play relaxing music. There are many different kinds of CDs available today with soothing music and sounds. Try a couple of different ones, playing one during the day and one at night to relax you just before bedtime.

Read a book. Escape into a different world with a good book.

Paint with watercolors. Painting is a great way to relax. Watercolors are especially recommended because there is no “right” way to use them. Allow your mind to relax as you move the brush over the paper and paint away your stress.

Go for a 10-minute walk. Nature is extremely relaxing. Put on your walking shoes and enjoy the scenery. Keep your chin up as you walk and remember to breathe deep and take in the scenery around you.

Keep a daily journal. Journaling has long been a way for people to “dump” their problems. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Just grab a notebook and start writing. Taking ten or fifteen minutes at the end of the day to write out your thoughts can be helpful in releasing stress.

Use your imagination. Close your eyes and think about some place or thing that makes you feel calm. Hold that picture in your mind as you practice deep breathing. You might also try using imagery to relax while your scented candles burn and soothing music plays in the background.

About the author:The WAHM GhostwriterÂ creates unique articles for online business owners.

Other Articles & Posts About Ways for Moms To Relax:

Working Moms Hurry Up and Relax at MommyTrack’d

Real Life Solutions Ways To Relax

August 18, 2008 · Filed Under buzz, parenting

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Mommy Guilt

I actually wrote about this mommy guilt subject on my mom blog some time ago, and wanted to write about it again here as an article. Mommy guilt is something that so many of us moms experience on a daily basis. After writing this and reading some more about mommy guilt, I think I’m finally going beyond that guilty feeling and realizing that to be a better me, a better mom, a better friend, and a better wife I have to have time for me.
Mommy Guilt and How To Let Go
It’s not something that is explained in books or by other seasoned moms. When life is growing inside of you, the “what to expect” series is more often than not by your nightstand and when the baby is born, the “what to expect the first year” is next in line. No where in those books is mommy guilt explained. It’s also not one of those things that other mothers often talk about even though it is in the back of all our minds and it consumes us.

No one tells us it’s ok to feel guilty and no one tells us that we really shouldn’t feel guilty over taking time for ourselves. We find out on our own that we are most likely going to feel guilty over everything we do or don’t do if we don’t think we are doing it right.

Many moms are in constant fear that what they are doing could harm their children in the long run. I am one of those moms who constantly worries what if I said the wrong thing to my children, what if we didn’t spend enough time outside today, or what if I didn’t involve them in enough activities and on and on…

So in the hopes that I will help myself feel better and lift some mommy guilt, I am here to tell you that it’s ok to take time for yourself and not feel guilty about it. We will all be better mothers because of it.

It’s ok to take an hour for yourself and just lie around and watch TV.
It’s ok to have a night out alone with your husband without the kids.
It’s ok to have a night out alone without the husband or the kids (um, seriously). LOL.
It’s ok to splurge on yourself every now and then.
It’s ok if you don’t feel like reading the book for the tenth time or don’t feel like playing the game this time around.
And, the list could go on and on…

I feel like if I am feeling particularly guilty then I am giving more of myself than ever to my kids by overextending myself and by lavishing them with unnecessary gifts. This could possibly do more harm than good to my kids because it isn’t realistic. I feel like I need to do this to get rid of the guilt. If I just take time for me in the first place then this won’t be an issue and everything would be more in balance.

Either way, we all know it is easier said than done but I’m trying to be ok with being me and to take time for me.

Most of all I want my kids to grow up and not need a therapist. Who doesn’t? Even though it sounds weird saying that, it is a valid fear. I want my kids to feel like they can come to me for anything and I want them to really know that I love them with everything inside of me and I would do anything for them.

Do you experience Mommy guilt?