Mom Hacks, Tips & Tricks

My siblings and I all come from a long and proud line of anal-retentive matriarchs. From a grandmother who would dust-bust under your chair while you're eating in it to a mother who refused to put trash in our bathroom trash cans, we all inherited the trait honestly. In fact, until we had friends over and nearly yelled at them in shock, we didn't realize other people were allowed to sit on beds - this was a cardinal sin akin to not refilling the toilet paper roll or failing to replace the shampoo bottle in its rightful spot. (And in case you're wondering, we sat on the floor. Isn't that where you sat in your bedroom?) I naturally assumed...

Author's Note :: The below is what has worked for me & my family. They are suggestions, but as always, please follow the instructions of your child's pediatrician for managing food allergies. We found out about our son's severe food allergies to peanuts and eggs at the doctor's office 9 years ago. We were confused and overwhelmed but after a few months, living with food allergies became our new normal. I learned how common food allergies are and that countless other families were navigating the same road. Here are some things I learned over the years that have made our lives easier ::  Have snacks on hand wherever you go. I stash a few of his favorite snacks in my purse in case we...

We've become one of those families. You know the ones who now don't eat meat or dairy. And it's not because of the "What The Health" documentary (though it is an incredibly eye opening documentary). This all started because my husband has what the doctors categorized as Psoriatic Arthritis, and apparently a diet change can help the pain. So here we are. Of course we aren't perfect, and this is all a learning process of finding new recipes that are filling and delicious. But I've finally found the perfect breakfast meal that has greens in it! I mean it's so good even our toddler eats a bowl or 2 sippy cups full. This is my tried and true smoothie...

When we last left off, I had shared some of my prep for an “on the cheap” Disney vacation with my son. Our room cost roughly $84 with points, flights roughly $23 with points, and I used my Target Red Card to pre-purchase $200 worth of Disney gift cards for $190. Overwhelmingly, though, many of you folks were concerned I was disregarding ticket cost. Here is the deal, I knew we would be going on a bigger Disney trip later in the year ... so I bought myself an annual pass! Because this trip was before my son turned three, he was FREE! The annual pass cost was $779, but I purchased it using gift cards purchased from Target...

My husband and I recently experienced our first beach trip with children. And seeing as the Gulf Coast is a popular vacation destination for most families in Baton Rouge, I felt it was my duty to share a few horror stories... I mean, "helpful tips" for any parents considering such an endeavor. 1. Don't bother with planned car activities. Just toss a bag of fruit snacks towards the back every time someone starts whining. The 80-pack club sized box of Minion fruit snacks will last you until the Mobile tunnel. Make sure you save a couple to put in your ears for the remaining two hours. 2. Speaking of the road trip, whatever ETA Google maps gives you, add at least two...