All Blog Posts (134)

Pancakes are a staple in our house, but because of my children's severe food allergies, they aren't something I can quickly whip up upon request.  But, since I'm the kind of person who jumps at any reason for a party, you can bet your short stack that we will be celebrating National Pancake Day on February 28th!  …

So did you stick with your great intentions?  Getting to the gym 5 days a week, eating healthy, cutting out soda, drinking more water?  If you did, KUDOS!  If you didn't, there is still time to redeem!  But start now.  Start today.  And the one thing I am going to share with you today is getting in the right MINDFRAME!

You have to want it, you have to have the desire.  No one is going to do it for you.  Whether it be losing those last 5 or wanting to drop 30, you have to do it…

So it's really, really official. I became a 'Single Mommy' right before Thanksgiving. It really hurt. 8.5 years, 1 child, and now it's done. The biggest challenge that I've faced is how to co-parent without impacting my daughter's schedule or happiness. I am thankful that she's young and resillient. Her father and I never co-habitated, so it wasn't as hard to deal with someone moving out, although he did take his things. I thought that it would be harder, but I'm dealing pretty well. Trust…

We all start out with great intentions... get into shape, loose the extra baby weight we have been carrying, or fit into our favorite pre-pregnancy jeans.  Then why is it so hard to stick with it and get the results we are looking for?

Getting motivated and excited to workout is the key.  Pick something you enjoy doing!  My motivating and exciting workout is Kickboxing.  Not only is it a great total body workout, it is an awesome way to relieve stress.  Everyone can do…

With child #2 due any day now, my husband and I decided to install a second car seat in at least one of our cars (to avoid scrambling last minute on discharge day from the hospital!). We remembered that carseats aren’t always the easiest contraptions to install, so I took my car once again to the free installation center at JSUMC. (And since the fine folks at the car seat station have now helped our family four times with two cars, I wanted to pass along…

I love the start of a new year. It’s a great time to hit the reset button and start fresh. The baggage of the previous year is gone and time to plan new projects, set new goals and simply move forward.

For me, the New Year also ignites the urge to purge—making space for what is relevant in life versus the items that have one living in the past or don’t fit with today’s lifestyle.

Purging requires making decisions. For many, this is the toughest part of the organizing process,…

I learned this week that resolutions are so last year. Outdated. Gone. Instead, they are being replaced by mantras; phrases or words by which you live your life. The mantras are broader, more general terms by which you reinvent yourself and achieve your goals throughout the year.

I like the idea of replacing resolutions with a word or mantra for the year. I've asked around, and almost everyone seems to be adopting one. Here are some examples of mantras and words that I've heard from…

I am not one to make "resolutions."  I am the type of person who dives head first without looking into most situations in life.  Add that to that fact that I'm also pretty hard on myself and you clearly have a recipe for post-New Year disaster!  I find that most resolutions are hard to maintain--it's easy…

Holiday travel can be stressful enough… add two kids in the mix and it can be enough to loose your mind!  I do quite a bit of flying with my kids, 3 and 1 yrs old, and wanted to share some tips to make traveling a little easier.

Curb side checking – worth the extra couple of dollars to have free hands walking through the airport

Be prepared for the security check point – I like to get my carryon ready at home.  If you are traveling with liquids…

I have to admit, I have to work really hard to get in the holiday spirit. We are a family on a cash only budget through the year and having…

 So we know how hard it is for us to lose that baby weight, but now the holidays are upon us, and all the temptations are surrounding us everywhere!  Even worse, did you know that most Americans do not lose the extra few lbs they put on during the holidays?  So year after year, those extra lbs add up and factor in to the American obesity epidemic.  …

It's important to teach our children how to give back to others, especially during the holiday season. Often I hear parents saying that they don't know if their younger children will understand community service, or that they aren't sure the types of projects they can do with their little ones to give back.  I thought I would compile a list of 5 simple things you can do with your family to give back this Holiday season.…

The holidays are upon us and a good chunk of us are enduring the hustle and bustle for toys—either for our own kids or others' kids.



With so many toys out there, it can be overwhelming deciding on an appropriate toy for each kid. But toys need not be a dirty, dreaded word. Arm yourself with some toy safety buying knowledge and you'll be on your way to being the supreme toy giver (unless you…

Kids rooms , especially, can become jam packed and cluttered with lots of itty bitty pieces. As with all organizing endeavors, having a place for everything will help kids put everything in its place.

First, divide your child’s room into clearly defined zones. This will help your child to easily identify what needs to go where. Here are the main zones you want to create:

Sleeping—This is an obvious one. What goes here: The bed and night stand. Try not to use the…

... Anyone else doing something so we all don't wake up at 5a?!?

(I guess having a toddler can be easier OR harder than an older child or an infant...but, then again, I guess it's particular to each child!)

So, I just realized w/Daylight Savings Time at 2am Sunday, my 15-month old, Dylan, may be waking up an hour earlier than usual (um, possibly 5:30a??  No fun!).  Of course, as luck would have it my husband is away for a few days, so this means I get the…

I consider my life a fine dance in balancing work, family, and personal obligations. Sometimes, my rhythm is a little off, and other times, I feel like I should be a contestant on 'So You Think You Can Dance'. Being a mom is challenging within itself, but adding the pressures of working outside the home really takes extreme coordination between all facets of my life. I still remember my first day back to work after maternity leave, crying as I pulled out of my parking lot, thinking 'How am I…

After having my second child almost two years ago at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, I had so many questions about having two children and working.  I was introduced to MeridianMomtourage.com where I found moms talking about everything from their choice in an OB/GYN, the best hospital for their delivery, or upcoming kid-friendly local events.

I have found MeridianMomtourage so helpful that I have now become a mom blogger.  Being married with two children and having to…

How many moms put their kids needs infront of their own?  I know I do.  When was the last time you counted the number of servings of vegetables you ate that day?  Or insisted you took a nap or got to bed early?  What about when you don’t feel good?  Why do we do all these things for our kids and drop the ball when it comes to ourselves?

As moms we have to take care of ourselves so that we can take better care of our kids.  I know it is hard… who has the time, right?  But…

So being a new mom to a 4 week old I knew my life would change in major ways.   I have come to term with the lack of sleep, the wardrobe of spit up covered tee shirts and worn sweatpants, the 2 loads of laundry I do a day, however it is the content of my husband and my conversation that really threw me for a loop!

Before little miss O, my husband and I would talk a few times throughout the day via emal or phone calls.  I would call to ask him what wine I should pick up to go with…