2016 is coming to a close! We wanted to share our 10 most popular blog posts that were published this past year. We hope you enjoy re-visiting them as much as we did!
Get Some Sleep! How to Achieve a Restful Vacation for You and Your Children
“Vacation after children takes on a new meaning. I like to think of our vacations as “trips” now (because they really can be a “trip” with a small child!). I was in for a rude awakening (no pun intended) last year when traveling with my then 10.5-month-old who decided it was the perfect time to learn to crawl. For those of you unfamiliar, evidence shows that learning to crawl disrupts sleep. Add crawling to her first “vacation” and you’ve certainly got a trip! Thank goodness she’s cute. But I digress…”
Explaining an Only Child: When You Are One and Done
“Everett turns two in October. We know he will be an only child. We are one and done. While not a unique occurrence in 2016, being an only child does come with benefits and drawbacks—and raised eyebrows from others.”
Transitioning Your Kids to a Clean Eating Lifestyle
“Over a year ago, I transitioned to a (mostly) clean eating lifestyle. While my motivation was to lose the leftover weight from my second daughter, the results also included a healthier relationship with food for both my family and me. I began by eating clean; and at times, eating separately from my family. Over the course of months, my thinking about food grew to include them in the way it always should have.”
Why We Should Judge Other Moms
“Oh, judging. If judging were an Olympic sport, moms would medal every time. Seriously, we’d be victory dancing like Usain Bolt and slow clapping like an 80s movie. Am I right? When it comes to judging one another, moms are THE WORST.”
Leaving Full-Time Work: Reflecting on my One-Year Anniversary
“September marks one year since I gave up full-time work outside the home. I no longer have benefits, a staff, or a record of 19 years of professional full-time employment without a break. Dropping out was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make. Getting pregnant for the first time at age 39 was probably only slightly more terrifying.”
I Didn’t Sign Up for This
“When I said I wanted to have a baby, what I meant was, I’m ready to be a Pinterest mom. You know the mom I’m talking about. The mom who lost all of her baby weight one week postpartum, the mom who showers daily and always looks fashionable with her fashionable kids, and the mom who is constantly doing new fun things with her little ones. I was going to be her, no question about it. That is what I truly thought I was signing up for. Then reality set in.”
After the Baby Arrives: A Radical Postpartum Plan
“My first child was born via cesarean. Within the first 24 hours of his life, at least 12 different family members and friends visited us. I was exhausted, recovering from major surgery, grieving over a birth plan gone awry, and struggling to figure out how to breastfeed this new baby. I had no postpartum plan.”
To the Mom Who Is Just Surviving
“I can’t be the only one who feels like making it through the day with my kids fed and breathing is considered highly successful. And if I got a shower in…well, I have struck it rich.”
10 Better Things To Do Than Check Social Media During Nap Time
“If you ever find yourself with magical quiet time, when all of your kids are safely snoozing during nap time–what do you do with it? I frantically get on my phone to devour all of the emails, texts, and social media posts I’ve received. When I finally come up for some air, I feel drained and guilty, and have to admit that I just wasted some potentially restorative time on heartbreaking news and auto-pilot likes.”
“Bad Moms” Love Their Kids, Too!
“I have two really fun mom friends who I spend a lot of time with. Between the three of us, we have eight kids under the age of seven! We hang together as often as possible because we need to converse with people who don’t whine when they talk and use a tissue instead of their shirt to wipe their nose. We are a perfect fit because, while we all love our kids and do our best for them, we are a far cry from the stereotypical PTA mom (and nothing against PTA moms–you guys rock it so that we don’t have to!)”
