by Nordette

Name at least three items you will never cut from your family budget. I'm trying to do that, but my guilt reflex makes me ask, "How can I name what not to cut from a family budget when there are people who have less than I do who must slash items such as treatment for a special needs child?" Many Americans no longer have choices about what to cut and what to keep.

by Rita Arens

My family is German. My grandmother always made holiday stollen, which is bread filled with raisins, jellied fruits, cinnamon and other spices. I hate it. I love the tradition, the idea behind it, but I can't stand this bread that makes my father's eyes light up like a kid in Willy Wonka's factory. Still, my mom videotaped them making stollen so the tradition wouldn't be lost after my parents and aunts and uncles go to the big stollen bakery in the sky.

by ginafur

So there you are at Grandma's on Thanksgiving Day, helping Aunt Jane prepare the meal. After all, you've done it for the past 15 years. Maybe it's going to Mama's for the 20th Thanksgiving Celebration of your 25 year old life. It's like being wrapped with a warm blanket of memories and good food. Tradition, it's just what we do.

by Colormepink

I'm in a mood this year.  I don't know why, but merely the thought of preparing a holiday meal, or decorating, or putting up the tree makes me break out in hives.  And the thought of gift shopping?  Yeah, I'm not feeling it this year.  It's not that I'm depressed or anything, cause I'm most definitely not--as a matter of fact, I'm feeling pretty good.  I think I just need a break this year.  You see, no one in my house actually likes turkey.  We love all the sides, and we make a ton of them, but we find the smallest turkey in existence every year and cook that.

by mommyq

One of the things I can't stand about welcoming a new year are the ridiculous New Year's resolutions. I'm guilty. Whether I want to or not, in my mind I make a list. And every year, just like 97% percent of you, I'm deeply disappointed in myself when I don't maintain any of them.  So this year I've vowed to make resolutions I can keep!

by Michellesamom

Thank you, thank you. I am SO thrilled to be getting this award. It took hard work, and a real dedication. I can't tell you how much it means to me. Why was I given this prestigious title, you ask?

by katspot

For all those new mommies out there, vaccines seem to be the big controversy. (See Jenny McCarthy.) I understand why some women are becoming anti-vaccine activists. There is a lot of un-evidence based information available on the internet. I agree that vaccines should be "green" and not contain mercury. It has already been taken out of almost all vaccines available.

by BeverlyCoggins

My brother loves the crowds and the getting out into the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping.  I don't know many others who do, though!  I am stressed if I have to elbow my way through a store or not be able to find what I want because I waited too late.   If you are smart, you can make holiday gift-giving less stressful.  Here are a few ideas:

by Melissa Ford

When Josh and I got engaged, we drew up a Tenaim, which is a Jewish engagement contract. In the old days, it spoke about the dowry and the date of the wedding and what happens if we decided to break off the engagement. Our Tenaim contained all of the things that were important to us at the time--all of our intentions for the marriage.

by Rita Arens

When we moved to the suburbs, my daughter left behind a tight-knit daycare posse she'd been with since she was just a year old. The new school was better, had more toys, a bigger playground, more educational opportunities, more parties, better food.  She didn't care. It didn't have her friends.  And for a few weeks, every time I dropped her off, my heart would break in half as I looked back to see her sitting all alone at the breakfast table, staring at the other kids.

by heyMamas

Here was Tuesday, October 21st's lesson on how can I stall Mama and steal five more minutes of not having to go to bed.

Me:  "Ok girls, goodnight, I mean it."

Lily:  "Mama, can I tell you something really serious?"

by Amy Gates

Plastic is all around us. From our kids' toys to their sippy cups, from grocery bags to Tupperware bowls, from furniture to toothbrushes. That's not even including all of the plastic involved in packaging--from food to appliances to toys to clothing. Plastic is everywhere and while it's not good for our health, it may be even worse for our environment. So this holiday season I am challenging all of you to become more aware of your plastic consumption and make conscious choices to avoid plastic whenever possible.

by natesmomma

We received a catalog from a company called The Land of Nod, and while flipping through it I quickly discovered that it is a store of overpriced toys. And in some cases overpriced toys made of cardboard.

by natesmomma

My husband is out of town for work, so it's just Nate and me for a few days. Matt has gone out of town before, numerous times, even once when Nate was about four months old, so this isn't the first time we've been home alone. But for some reason tonight I got my mind all in a tizzy.

by Amy Gates

Consumer Reports isn't just for researching your next car purchase or washing machine anymore. That's right, that longtime resource for product reviews has broadened its scope to include health and wellness. In a recent article Consumer Reports tackles the topic of childbirth, concluding that "Too many doctors and hospitals are overusing high-tech procedures."

by educationmom

Attention parents of young children... the end of a beloved childhood tradition is near. Thanks to our nation's schools--and their efforts to combat childhood obesity—there is a new entry on the endangered species list--the cupcake.

by theducatedplate

I think by now most of us have heard at least one reason why soda is just not that good for any of us to drink, but especially our kids. The other day I was flipping through the November Issue of Family Circle in my doctor's office (where else do you get a chance to read it?) when I came across another disturbing reason why we should all stop buying soda.

by Mom on the Run

I think not. After hosting a small group on Friday, and the prospect of hosting the same group tomorrow, I know that a 7th grader can't function without a cell phone. Yes, this is an exaggeration. In reality only one of the three girls was attached at the ear to the cell phone. My daughter was not the one. Yes, she has a cell phone, but it is rarely charged and practically never on her person. The reason: We have not sanctioned text messaging; voice calls only. According to her every kid has unlimited texts.

by fortyfide

Sure, it sounds like a great idea. Get your kids a bunk bed, or as in our case, your kid a loft bed, which is a bunk bed but without the second bed underneath. They save space, they are considered cool by all kids and for me at least, they make up for the fact that I never got one growing up, despite incessant begging and whining.

by Jennifer Satterwhite

I have been writing my blog, Mommy Needs Coffee, since 2003.  When I started writing it my children were ten, seven and two.  (At least within months of those ages. I would have to do the math to tell you exactly how old they were.)  Anyway, at that time, the stories I wrote felt like I was sharing my life more than theirs.  Even though I was writing about motherhood and the funny and not so funny things they did in their daily lives, I somehow claimed these stories as my own. Now? Now I have a 15 year old son, a son who will be 13 in a month and a seven year old daughter. I have to wonder...are the stories of their life mine to tell anymore of are they their stories to tell now?

by MommyJ

I'm not trying to start something. I think there really are legitimate times to ask this question. You know, when you're talking to good friends who you are really comfortable with. Or your obstetrician. Or your spouse. But strangers?

The next time someone asks me, I'm going to say, "Um, yes. We actually tried just a few minutes ago. Would you like to see the charts I use to keep track of my ovulation and fertility?"

by Her Bad Mother

It's Love Your Body Day. That's a good thing, and, also, a very, very sad thing. It's a good thing for the obvious reasons. We should all love our bodies, all the time. But there's the issue that makes it sad: we should love our bodies all the time. Not just for one day. Always. Which, I know: OBVIOUSLY. We know this. We know this well. We should love our bodies every day, every time we look in the mirror, every time we glance down at the landscape of our physical selves. For our heart's sake. And for our sanity's sake.

by MyrnaL

The date is looming.  It's getting closer and closer.  I've dreaded the date since she was about 2 years old.  Of course, I didn't think about it much then but recently I've been thinking about it a lot. That date of course, is the date my daughter is eligible to receive her driver's permit.  She's been thinking about it a lot, in fact, she's been working on the "online driving school" program pretty diligently. Pretty corny program too if you ask me..(the driver/guy looks like a bad B movie actor and script is overly dramatic — do they think teens are idiots??)

by Her Bad Mother

Celebrities have been making me roll my eyes a lot of late (Gwyneth's website, anyone?), but I was kind of surprised that this week it was Emma Thompson that caused my eyes to spin in my head. I like Emma Thompson. She's always seemed sensible to me. But then she said that she regarded having given birth 'naturally', without aid of painkillers, as her greatest achievement, and seriously, my head hurt all afternoon from the ache of having my peepers rolled straight up into my eye-sockets.

by Michelle Obama

The leaves are turning, the air is crisper, and my girls are completely wrapped up in their preparations for Halloween. Yep, it's definitely fall.

Malia and Sasha spent hours this weekend putting the finishing touches on their costumes. Then they paraded around with their friends at the Halloween party we hosted on Saturday night. Malia was what she calls an "evil fairy," and Sasha was (I can hardly believe I'm writing this) a corpse bride. They were both aiming for terrifying, but as Barack put it, they really are just too cute to be scary.

by Her Bad Mother

Angelina Jolie and I don't have a lot in common. She's a world-famous celebrity who is adored by millions and married to Brad Pitt; I am a blogger who is adored by tens, maybe dozens (on a good week), and married to an awesome guy that you've never heard of. But there is this: we're both mothers. And we're both in therapy.

by massager

I know what i've heard about children going to school for the first time. I mean, I've been there myself, but it's different when it's YOUR child. Let me give you a little background. My husband is in the Navy and is never really home. In a lot of ways I do feel like a single mother. I'm lucky enough to be able to stay at home and that's what i've always wanted to do. But I certainly didn't want all the worry and stress over what is happening when i'm not with my child. I didn't set out to be overprotective, which is actually a very strong word. Lets say very caring. That sounds better.

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