Mom Hacks, Tips & Tricks

I've never been able to get much out of any 'how-to' parenting books. Maybe it's the part of me that hates being told what to do, but they never seem to help. A friend knew my distaste for them and suggested Bringing Up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman. After reading just the summary I could tell it was my kind of book. An American journalist, Druckerman is living abroad in France and gives birth to her first child. She quickly begins to notice the differences among French and American parenting styles and subsequently how the children behave. What I enjoy most is that it's simply an observation of some of the differences without saying one is right or wrong. A new perspective...

As if being a new mom isn’t hard enough, try logging into a message board, Facebook group, or even group text, and your mind will be blown by acronyms and mom sayings. All the EBFs, SAHMs, and DDs have you wondering if this is some Navajo code talking trick and you’re Japan (#WWIIreference). Moms, if you're confused as I was, I'll share my breakdown and commentary of what all the acronyms really mean. When it comes to feeding… EBF – traditional meaning “exclusive breast feeding” or "exclusively breastfed." This acronym is usually used in the context of, oh my gosh, my baby won’t nurse, but I want to EBF. I hope I don’t have to FF. Which brings us to our next...

  Not a lot is as inconvenient as your child telling you during a grocery store trip or dinner at a restaurant that they have to go to the bathroom. It would be so easy to tell them to go ahead and go alone. I don't let them, though. My husband or I accompany them at all times. I read about Matthew Cecchi over 10 years ago and his story has stuck with me since. Matthew was 9 years old and was followed into a restroom by a 29 year old man while his aunt waited outside for him. The man walked in, slit Matthew’s throat and walked out. Since I read his story, I have felt the need to be extra-cautious...

I became a mom long before most of my friends were even past the staying-out-all-night phase.  Learning to maintain a friendship with my close friends while learning how to raise and take care of a little human being was challenging.  If you are having some concerns about maintaining friendships during the busy mom stage, this is sure to help! Let me tell you about my best friend (my “person” for all of you Grey’s Anatomy fans): her name is Sarah and we met at church when I was in eighth grade and she, the always wiser and more mature one, was in ninth grade.  We went to high school together, were in youth group together and went on multiple trips...

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Indie Plate, a local company that we have used and loved time and time again. All opinions are our own. We've read all the blog posts. Seen all the Pinterest boards. Tried all the tips and tricks to get a healthy dinner on our tables night after night. When it all comes down to it, eating a healthy, high-quality meal night after night is going to take a lot of work and time and effort. Head to the Farmer's Market on Saturday, pick up your CSA box on Monday, stop by the organic grocery store on Wednesday... OR Have everything above delivered to your doorstep with the click of a button. That's what Indie Plate is doing...