Search Results for: blog what is your mantra

The Truth About Your Diet During Pregnancy

One of the assumptions I made about pregnancy prior to becoming pregnant is I’d have a diet-related Get out of Jail Free card.  I knew that there are certain foods it’s best to avoid, but I thought at least I’d have a free pass to eat, well, not quite as much as I wanted, but to feel a bit more guilt-free about evening ice cream binges. That turned out not to be the case at all.  First off, the whole “eating for two” thing isn’t true.  At most, you should eat for one and a quarter.  In addition to that, … Continue reading →

Not the Way You Want to Start Your Vacation

“Hope for the Best. Expect the worst.” I think Mel Brooks helped make those words famous. Or maybe it was the person, who typed them up on small pieces of white paper, and stuck them into fortune cookies. Either way the idiom often becomes my mantra when traveling with children. I just survived a 10,000-mile journey to and from Hawaii with my young daughter, and yes, I hoped for the best, but expected the worst. Shockingly, things went fairly smoothly… unlike past trips. Despite two delayed flights and a few shoulder blows courtesy of the guy sitting behind me, who … Continue reading →

Would You Let Your Kindergartner Ride His Bike To School?

If you lived across the street from your kid’s school, I’m sure many of you wouldn’t have a problem with your child wheeling it over to class. But what if your 5-year-old begged you to allow him to pedal six blocks along a busy sidewalk to get to school? Would you let him? If the kid still had training wheels on his bike, my answer would be a big “no.” You can blame me for putting more cars on the road. According to a recent New York Times piece, helicopter parents, who are intent on protecting their kids by driving … Continue reading →

Frugal Designer Touches for Your Home

I am so ready to toss off winter’s doldrums and brighten up the house. The problem with new decor, however, can be the cost. From designer fabrics to new accessories, even a little brightening can make an impact on the budget. Ah ha! frugal living to the rescue. I know that you have probably heard my mantra before: paint, paint, paint! It is a relatively inexpensive way to go, especially if you can get the paint for free. And although I think it is important to mention, let’s move on to accessories. Shop the discount bins and the fabric store … Continue reading →

Don’t Let Your TTC Journey Become a Chore

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When my husband and I first started TTC (trying to conceive), my husband was thrilled about the prospect of frequent “action” and I was in love with the whole process of pinpointing my ovulation date. I was charting and researching constantly, and when I wasn’t charting, I was burning through fifty dollars worth of pregnancy tests. By the second cycle, my husband was already whining about being tired and I was getting sick of looking at the basal body temperature thermometer at 6am every morning. The third cycle, I had thrown up my hands by day 14 when we were … Continue reading →

Try Not to Hurry Through Your Day (If Possible)

I am writing this blog mostly for myself—I think it is a tip or a phrase of wisdom that I need to remind myself of every once in a while. Multitasking is one thing and time management and efficiency are good techniques for getting through a busy day, but too much hurrying and rushing can actually have a negative impact on our businesses. I feel good when I am being efficient and checking things of my list. I often, however, catch myself racing and rushing through my work tasks. With so much to do and trying to cram so much … Continue reading →

One Word That Can Ease Your Mind

I remember when my son was a toddler and I was imprisoned by his tantrums. It was difficult, if not impossible, to go anywhere. On one occasion he screamed so loud and violently that I took him by the hand, abandoned our shopping cart, and went home in tears. I was so troubled by the stares and scowls of onlookers. And I remember the grief I felt initially when I learned my child would be different from other kids. Well, I was reading a magazine article the other day and had a moment of enlightenment. (They don’t come often, so … Continue reading →

Listening to Your Kids

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“Mama, I wanna tell you something.” This seems to be Tyler’s mantra. I hear it from the time he gets home from school until he closes his eyes for bed. There’s always some fascinating “Did you know…?” story he wants to share with me. At times it can be hard to listen to him all the time, especially when I’m trying to work but I try to give him a few minutes of attention, listen to what he has to say, and then continue with what I was doing. “A mother who listens shows her children they matter”, says Michele … Continue reading →

Slipcovers Are Your Friends

If you asked me 10 years ago what I thought about slipcovers I would have simply answered: “I don’t.” Slipcovers? You mean those things that grandmothers and neat freaks cover their sofas with? No way, they were not on my decorating radar. Fast forward to today, and here I am writing a blog about slipcovers and (gasp!) how they’ve become wonderful attributes to my household. So what changed? I gave birth. Contrary to popular belief, the fact that my water broke on our unprotected sofa wasn’t the moment I became a slipcover convert. I think it may have been after … Continue reading →

Vocabulary Word of the Day: Mantra (MAN-truh)

The word mantra has several definitions, but my favorite is “An often repeated word or phrase that is closely associated with something; a slogan, byword, or a watchword.” Do you have a mantra? Is there something you say to your kids that they will take with them and even repeat when they are grown? As the bible says, “train a child in the way they should go, and when they are old, they will not depart from it”. My dad had several mantras. He often said, “The early bird catches the worm”, and “beans, beans, good for your heart….”, but … Continue reading →