I feel as if I've known Kristin Brandt and Erin Kane of Manic Mommies forever; in reality, I’ve known Kristin since college (well, that kind of feels like forever ago…) and Erin since the Disney mom bloggers mixer. They both are smart, hilarious, and impressive in their juggling of work and home; whenever we meet up there's a lot of laughter and also serious parsing of all things social media and family life. For the twelfth installment of my Simplifying the Holidays guest blog series, I’m thrilled to welcome Kristin; read on to learn about the important lesson she learned from her mom, plus a series of holiday tips that have served Kristin well as a full-time working mom.I feel as if I've known Kristin Brandt and Erin Kane of Manic Mommies forever; in reality, I’ve known Kristin since college (well, that kind of feels like forever ago…) and Erin since the Disney mom bloggers mixer. They both are smart, hilarious, and impressive in their juggling of work and home; whenever we meet up there's a lot of laughter and also serious parsing of all things social media and family life. For the twelfth installment of my Simplifying the Holidays guest blog series, I’m thrilled to welcome Kristin; read on to learn about the important lesson she learned from her mom, plus a series of holiday tips that have served Kristin well as a full-time working mom.
Today, parent educator Hetti Wohlgemuth of Alphabet Soup 4 Parents shares tips for bringing back your holiday mojo:
“Many of us have a love/hate relationship with the holidays. For example, I love spending time with my family, playing board games and cards fireside, finding a special gift for each of my girls, attending Christmas Eve services, winter walks, and more. Then there’s the stuff I hate: the excess, the stress, and sometimes my memories of Christmases past. Here are some classic holiday related struggles and how to cope with them.
Today, Carole Arsenault of Newborn Nurses shares some tips for staying healthy during the flu season:
“Expecting mothers or moms of young children have more than just themselves to worry about this flu season, particularly with the added threat of the H1N1 (swine flu) virus. Pregnant women and young children are particularly susceptible to complications related to the flu.
A few weeks ago I experienced a rather unusual night of party hopping that included seeing John Ondrasik (aka. Five for Fighting) live at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston. In addition to being utterly moved by the musical experience itself, I also was touched by John’s clear love for his family (exemplified when he explained the inspiration for various songs). Thanks to the lovely Barbara Jones, I met John after the show, at which time he kindly offered to pen a guest blog post on Boston Mamas. In particular, I was curious about John’s best strategies for staying connected with his family while on the road; an issue I discuss with many parents who travel for work. Read on for John's advice on this topic:
Jennifer James is one of the first bloggers I met in real life, through the inaugural Disney mom bloggers mixer. She since has become a dear friend and a trusted professional confidante; someone I admire for her kindness, good karma, smart insights, and astute perspective as a long time blogger (among her many projects, she’s best known as the founder of the Mom Bloggers Club). The second in my Simplifying the Holidays guest blog series, today Jennifer shares a collection of wonderful ideas for everyday philanthropy where you can make a difference from the comfort of your home.
November is Prematurity Awareness Month and this year Bloggers Unite is partnering with the March of Dimes in support of the Fight for Preemies. The goal of the campaign is to have 500 bloggers post about a baby they love on or before Prematurity Awareness Day (November 17) to create awareness of the ongoing need for prematurity research funding. Today, in support of the campaign and in my role as a March of Dimes mom, I’m sharing the story of my niece Alyssa, with heartfelt gratitude to her parents for their candor and willingness to have me write this post.
Today, parent educator Hetti Wohlgemuth shares key lessons from motherhood:
“Could I write an essay -- under 1000 words -- about motherhood? What an absorbing assignment. In the recently released movie Motherhood -- which includes great actors, great Manhattan scenes, and too many New York tears shed over a life that looks terrific -- Uma Thurman attempts this very project for a magazine contest. Inspired by this task, here I share a few key lessons from the alphabet stew of motherhood, in less than 650 words.
Today, parent educator Hetti Wohlgemuth shares advice on fighting well:
“Bob and I fought last week. Not a big one, but one that prevented us from playing our nightly gin game and one that led me to go to bed mad, something the experts and my parents (their only bit of marital advice) advise against. Fights are not something to avoid at all costs and the experts actually say that a noisy marriage might be better than a quiet one: at least you're talking to one another. Fights happen, yes, but how does it impact our kids? What is a good fight and how can we pull it off?
This week I had the pleasure chatting with NPR Tell Me More host Michel Martin, Tell Me More regular parenting contributors Jolene Ivey and Dannette Tucker, and Friend or Foe advice columnist Lucinda Rosenfeld about the complicated issue of what to do when your friend’s kids act like bratzillas. To get to the interview, click here then select the Beware of Bratzillas title to access the audiocast. Enjoy!
Per my role as a March of Dimes mom (through which I will donate one post per month to pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, newborn, or general family topics), this month I wanted to share some tips on safeguarding your home; these tips are important to consider before bringing a baby home and while you have small children in the house. I extracted and adapted these ten tips from a home safety checklist guide prepared by the March of Dimes with the assistance of Dr. Ruth Etzel (Director, Division of Epidemiology and Risk Assessment, Food Safety and Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and editor of the Handbook of Pediatric Environmental Health).
Today, parent educator Hetti Wohlgemuth admittedly engages a bit of a paradox and offers advice about coping with unwanted advice:
“‘Talk is cheap,’ or so they say. Apparently so is advice. You can get bundles of advice -- more than you'd ever want and more than you could ever use -- totally free. And much of it is contradictory, whether the advice is about clothing, food, sleep, or discipline. So what can we do with this advice?
So much of parenting is about modeling behavior. And though Laurel is a ways away from having her own phone, I know she is well aware of my phone and my behavior with it. And this is what the Mom Sends the Msg public service campaign is all about. Initiated by the talented ladies behind The Motherhood, Mom Sends the Msg is on a mission to engage moms to help reduce distracted driving; in particular texting while driving. Please consider signing the pledge and sharing this initiative with fellow parents.
Today, Carole Arsenault of Newborn Nurses shares some basics about cord blood banking:
“Although the debate over the value of preserving cord blood is not new, many of my expecting mom clients ask me for information on this topic. Here are some basics on cord blood collection that I share with them:
Today, Kate recommends Claire Masurel’s Two Homes to help families going through separation and divorce:
“When my husband and I first separated, my daughter was barely two-and-a-half years old. She made the transition to suddenly having two rooms, two sets of toys and clothes, and two houses - Mama's House and Dada's House, as we still call them - with admirable equanimity, and we all breathed a big sigh of relief. Now that she is older and more aware, however, she sometimes asks questions about our living situation that stump me, leaving me unsure whether my answers are helpful or only furthering muddying.
I didn’t plan on this being sexual health education day, but it seemed only fitting to follow my tomKIT post with this one from PPLM Parent Education Program Manager Amy Cody. Today, Amy shares three favorite resources to help parents discuss sexual health and sexuality issues with kids ages 4 and up:
This past summer I responded to an invitation to submit an idea for an episode of The Juice, a content arm of BlogHer that offers women tips on getting more of what they want (and less of what they don’t) out of life. I shared my perspective on giving more to and thus getting more out of relationships and was honored that my post was selected as the winning entry. I flew to San Francisco to film a webisode about the topic with the lovely Jory Des Jardins (BlogHer co-founder and host of The Juice) and the segment is now live! To check it out, visit The Juice and select episode “Giving More, Getting More.”
We’re still not out of the woods with Laurel’s transition to kindergarten, and I recently added something to our repertoire that brings her great comfort. Though ideally I’d prefer more modern styling, I was looking quickly for something affordable; I ordered this silver locket necklace from Overstock.com and Laurel loves it. I had her choose the photos to include (she opted for our family + her eating an ice cream sundae this summer) then resized, printed, cut, and popped in the photos, facing them right side up from Laurel’s vantage point (secure the pictures with a tape roll to keep the photos from sliding around). The locket is easy for Laurel to open (frequently) and the length perfect for her to keep us close to her heart.
In light of September being National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, today, Sarah candidly shares her story, as well as important information for women to consider:
“I always assumed that by the time I reached the ripe old age of 35, I’d have a husband, two kids, a house in the ‘burbs, and a dog. What I didn’t expect was the minivan. Oh, and the cancer.