Working Moms

Ahhhh the new year!  Theres so much to look forward to...a whole brand spankin' new year to make yours.  Most look forward to the fresh start January 1st brings in, and I'll go ahead and put it out there, who doesn't?!?!  The thought of a fresh start, getting healthy, spending less can be quite exciting for anyone!  While I too love starting off my new year eating cleaner and getting in a few more walks around the block, there's quite a bit more I look forward to as my family rings in the new year. I find that my goals for any new year are heavily influenced by the three or four months preceding January 1st.  Every year, September all...

Ok mammas, we are talking baby food!  With this post, I want to take you through the ins and outs of my baby food adventures.  The time spent, lessons learned, and the reward at the end of the day. First, a little back story....When I was pregnant with Kade, there were two things I had high hopes for: breastfeeding and making my own baby food.  I wanted to experience the feeling of being able to give my newborn bundle of joy his nutrition, help save a few dollars in our seemingly maxed out budget, and prove to myself that I could actually do it. A month into Kade's little life, lots of trips to the lactation consultant, and a stay in the hospital...

Everyday our daycare fills out a handy form about Sam’s day. What he ate, when, and if he ate it all. Diaper changes. Naps. Supplies I need to bring. It’s great. I always give it a quick glance when I pick him up and usually ask the daycare teachers how his day was. We don’t talk long as I’m ready to be home, and their eyes are on the other kids in the room. In the mornings it’s easier to talk to the teachers because Sam gets there before the room is full, but I am also on a time crunch to get to work. So, most of the time we don’t exchange that much information. General pleasantries, and...

I work full time. My kid goes to daycare. More often than not when people ask who is watching Sam during the day, and I tell them he’s in daycare, they give me this weird look that is mixed with sadness, pity, disappointment, skepticism. I’m serious. It’s uncomfortable. We put Sam in daycare when he was 7 months old (my teacher husband kept him during summer break). I dreaded it. Everyone made it sound like daycare would be awful, expensive, full of germs, and cause severe separation anxiety (on my part). And the waiting lists! I’d be lucky to get a spot—but, ultimately, unlucky to be a working mom. Against my expectations, Sam did great in daycare his first week. He...

Every mom knows that mornings + kids = organized (sometimes) chaos. Today, several of our contributors give you a peek into their morning routines. Kristen: I am not good at mornings. At the getting out of bed part that is. I usually have to be forced by either my husband or my son. And while our mornings are never really the same, we have found something of a routine. Our alarm goes off at 5, but we snooze until 5:30—unless our other alarm has gone off and is crying (which is usually between 5 and 6 am).  I get out of bed, put on my robe, and head to Sam’s room.  My husband gets up, feeds the dog and cats, and takes a shower....