All this talk about “Be Sexy.” You’re a Sex Goddess. Don’t be so hard on yourself, etc.
I’m about to expose myself as a phony.
Last week I had a meltdown because my husband teased me about a hole in one of my gloves. I MELTED. I was full-on CRYING, you guys. Breathing hard. Face all hot. Kids looking concerned.
It made me realize  how fragile even the strongest sense of self-confidence can be, especially in front of those we care about the most. I love my husband and I know he loves me. I …

This past weekend, I went to Borders to meet up with a writer buddy/mommy friend of mine. We let it all out and talked about any and everything: the kids, the husband, the career, our fears, our hopes and dreams, our desires.
We made good conversation for more than three hours, barely noticing the darkening sky outside. It was heavenly. I was able to get some things off my chest, help my friend get a better glimpse of herself and her bright future, and just spend some time child-free and husband-free.
It felt …

Found this little nugget of wisdom on the Finding Erykah blog. I haven’t read all of her posts, but the ones I have read are refreshing honest. A 30something mom with a tween daughter, she has a way with words that makes me pause after sentences, after paragraphs and say to myself, “Hmm. Never thought of it that way.” Long story short, she’s one bad blogger. Take her words to heart - it will change your life:
My advice to any new mother young or old is to cherish it. Don’t …

Let me start by asking you a question: What time do you go to bed? 10 p.m.? 11? Midnight?
“Don’t ask,” you mutter.
Later?
“Yup.”
Like how late?
“2 a.m.”
Geez, why do you stay up so late?
I hear you take a deep sigh. “Because.”
Because what?
“Because. It’s the only time of day I have to myself.”
What do you mean?
“Once my day starts, I’m constantly on the move. Getting kids up, dressed, fed, to daycare, doing activities, reading stories, filling sippy cups, wiping poopy butts, whatever! When the kids finally go to bed at night, then it’s …

Spend enough time on the mommy blogs or a message board and you’ll see these three-letters often: “TTC.” It took me forever to figure out what it meant until one day - duh!- it dawned on me - they’re “trying to conceive.”
Now, I don’t know about you, but I envy those couples who get all giddy and go about quitting their birth control method and start planning date nights where they KNOW they’ll be getting some at the end, and the ovulation tests and temperature readings and pregnancy tests and…Ugh.
Shoot.me.now.
It …

This was me last summer. About a MONTH before I was due. Which means I got bigger than this. A lot bigger. I actually stopped taking pictures because I didn’t want to be aware of how big I was getting.  It’s not good when you enter the bathroom and utter, “Oh, my Jesus,“ everytime you see yourself in the mirror. 
Pregnancy, for me at least, was hell.
I had morning sickness (which should be called all-the-damn-time sickness) from the day before I peed on the stick until I checked into the hospital for my …

On my way home from work yesterday, I was listening to the Michael Baisden show. During one segment of the show, they talked about teen parents and young parents. Since his audience is primarily older folks, he started talking to the grandparents, asking if they regularly babysat their grandkids.
All these grandparents called in, bragging, no, boasting that they rarely, if ever, watch their grandkids. They claimed it was because they wanted their kids to realize the consequences of having a baby, that they would no longer be able to do everything they …

 
Need to escape from the pressures of everyday life?
Learn from your kiddos and start coloring. There’s magic in making scribbles and seeing what you come up with. Ever see a stressed out kid trying desperately to make the lines straight or draw just the right hairdo for the fellow on the paper? Nope. They just clear their minds and create.
Grab a box of crayons and some plain paper and let the stress just melt away….

So you’ve made your resolutions, right?
Probably the same ones you make every year, although this year’s list might sound a little like this:
Read more books.
Lose the baby weight.
Don’t get pregnant again.
Save more money.
Be a better mother/wife/girlfriend/friend/daughter.
Do NOT (under any circumstances) get pregnant again.
No? It’s just me? Oh, okay.
But to make sure you don’t even up having to make the same resolutions year after year, here are a few tidbits to help you stay on track:

Make your goals prominent. Put a little Post-It on your computer monitor, write it in a …

If there’s one thing that universal among moms, it’s the lack of free time. Once you’re in charge of a little guy or girl, you seemingly spend every waking moment catering to his or her needs. Are they hungry? Did they poop? What’s the smell? Are they hot? Why are they sneezing? No, seriously - WHAT’S THAT SMELL?
So, because it’s what good mommies do, you put your kids first and make sure they are happy, healthy and safe. If you accomplish all three, pat yourself on the back, go to …

As if you needed one more reason to love your little one even more, here it is:
Little kids love to clean.
Not everything mind you, but they like to help. And if you’re cleaning, guess what? THEY LIKE TO HELP YOU.
This is one of those Great Parenting Secrets That No One Talks About For Fear It Will Disappear. My two year old (man, time flies!) will wipe up a spill like nobody’s business. Don’t hand her a paper towel and leave her to her own devices. She will walk around like …

I don’t know about you, but reading all this talk about Wall Street fiascos and government bailouts and bank failures has got me nervous. I’ve been keeping a close eye on my finances and trying to make myself feel as secure as possible. Here are a few habits I’ve picked up over the last couple weeks. See if any help you out:
1) I brought my calculator to the grocery store. Instead of keeping a running “estimate” in my head, and inevitably going over budget, I decided to keep a tight …

Best website I ever stumbled upon - True Mom Confessions.
Happy moms, disgruntled moms, frustrated moms - They all come to this website to air their personal confessions - how stupid/wonderful their husband is, how the kids won’t stop screaming, how much they hate/love their postbaby body, etc.
Reading the various posts makes you feel like whatever issue is stressing you at the moment, there are at least 20 other mothers who will hit the “Me Too” button. Now the site allows comments, where moms who are a few years removed from your situation can leave you …