Mom's Timeout

I’m a big fan of following the rules. Call me crazy, but I believe most rules are in place to keep us safe and help everyone have a great time. As moms, we often make the rules for our kiddos. We usually expect them to follow the rules. However, we tend to romanticize the “rebels” […]

Okay, seriously… I’m probably the only mom who hasn’t seen Disney’s Frozen. I remember hearing about it at work, though. Some of the other moms had kids who loved it. I hadn’t had my son yet at that point and I only very vaguely even know what the movie is about, but that didn’t stop me […]

I often think about what I would say to myself if I could write a letter to my past self. What advice would I give to the girl in high school hanging out in the library and making friends by tutoring other students in English class? What words of wisdom would I pass on to […]

I’d love to have a giant neighborhood BBQ for The 4th of July! Doesn’t that sound like fun? It sounds like a great time until I start thinking about all the food and how much it will cost. Then, I think maybe we should just get some small fireworks for the kids and make hot dogs. […]

We all want our kids to be independent eventually. It’s hard to imagine a day when my son won’t need me. We’re in the trenches of the toddler years and some days I feel like I can’t go 10 seconds without hearing “Mommy! I need you!” Far off as it may seem, the day will […]

When you become a mom, everything changes; even your friends. Often times, you gravitate towards friends who have kids and spend less time with friends who don’t. It’s usually not a conscious choice, it just happens. Even introverts like me want friends, we want a community. It’s a basic human need. Sometimes it’s really hard […]

It’s so frustrating when your husband walks through the door and the house is a mess. He usually says something like “So what did you do all day?” Which really means he wants you to know that he isn’t sure why the house looks like a tornado blew through it and you haven’t cleaned up […]

I’m having a little girl in October. Suddenly, I find myself worrying about things I never thought about with my son. I’m starting to change the way I talk about my own body, in an effort to help my daughter establish a positive body image. That’s no small task in today’s airbrushed swimsuit model society. […]

In light of the recent “free range” parenting trend and the fact that June is National Safety Month, it’s important that we ensure our children know what to do if and when they get lost. A quick search of Pinterest can help you learn how to use a temporary tattoo to put your phone number […]

If there’s one thing that I’ve learned over the course of the last year or so, it’s that our little ones don’t need to have our undivided attention every minute of every day. There’s something to be said for being together, but doing things separately. I’m a very hands-on parent, but sometimes, I let my son […]

Were you somewhat anxious to go back to work? I definitely was. I spent my entire maternity leave wavering back and forth on it. I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, but… I wanted to go back to work, but… I just couldn’t decide. If I spent so much time torturing myself just over the […]

You hear it all the time. It takes a village. You need help. You need a break. Sometimes, for some moms, that just isn’t reality. They don’t have a village and they don’t have help. They only have themselves to rely on. It’s hard. Some days are tough even when you do have a village. […]

Ah, introverts – can’t live with them and can’t live without them. It’s true, you know. My introverted nature drives my husband crazy sometimes. Our families usually aren’t all that far behind. They just don’t seem to get it. There are pros and cons to being an introvert. One such pro is that I’m completely […]

Have you ever considered what you’d be missing out on if you didn’t have kids? I’m sure you can think of at least a few things, right? Buying Cheerios every time you go to the grocery store. Doing a few extra loads of laundry each week because somehow kids manage to go through a half […]

For so many years, I was the childless friend. I was the last one to get pregnant and I was the last one to have my son. Back then, I didn’t get it. I didn’t understand how they never had time and why they were always so tired. Fast forward to having a baby of […]

I love my son’s daycare. I love the teachers and the activities. I love sneaking in at the end of the day and seeing him playing with his friends. For that matter, I love that he’s spending so much time with kids his own age. When I drop him off each morning, I know he’s […]

Watching your little ones grow up is so bittersweet. You’re amazed by them and oh-so-proud, but you also grieve each passing age and stage. I remember the first time it actually dawned on me that I had an almost one year old – almost one, I tell you – when did that happen? That’s what I mean. […]

Are boys really different from girls? Most people would argue that parenting boys and girls isn’t really all that different. Kids are kids after all. But there are some things moms of girls say that never really get said at my house. For instance, I never have to say “That bow doesn’t go with this […]

Being a mom isn’t easy. In fact, it’s arguably the hardest job in the world! Thinking about parenting “the easy way” immediately sets off alarms in my brain. I’m thinking “Easy means lazy right?” It sounds totally negative. But there are some tricks we can use to make this parenting job easier! There are habits […]

Hollywood often paints husbands and dads as goofy couch potatoes who function more like extra children in the home setting. I think most moms can agree that, thankfully, that’s not really the case. We laugh at their mistakes and sometimes misguided “man” thoughts. We blame their faults on the pesky Y chromosome and joke about it […]