8 Tips For Preparing And Caring For A Baby As A Working Mom

Motherhood is never an easy journey. And although there are various tips to help lessen the burden, there is still a substantial amount of work that comes with such a big responsibility. However, the burden is easily doubled when it comes to working mothers. There are countless success stories from which working mothers or expectant working mothers can draw some encouragement. With proper preparation and lots of patience, you will be able to ride the storm and enjoy all the positives that come with motherhood and having a career. Hopefully, the following tips will help to take away some of the stress that this important chapter in life brings.

0

Tips For Managing Your Time And Your Family

photo via

During this unprecedented time of COVID-19, we are all being pulled in many directions while trying to balance work, family, and self while being at home. Busy is not the word to describe the sensation of sheer mental overload that many of us are experiencing. The only way to make things work is by learning some helpful tips and tricks that can turn you into a time management ninja. You'll be amazed by what you can achieve in a few minutes with some practice. Here are a few of the tips I've learned over the past several months that have helped me maintain balance and keep me from feeling completely overwhelmed.

0

How To Cook With Your Kids During a Shelter-In-Place (And Why You Need To)

Have you heard it yet? The dreaded phrase, "Mom, I'm bored." After almost three weeks of sheltering-in-place, you've likely heard it multiple times. One way to break up the boredom is to get kids in the kitchen to help cook and bake. Most children will express an interest in cooking at some point in their lives. Usually, they like to get involved in baking sweet treats like cookies and cupcakes, where they can lick the spoon as a reward for their efforts. Allowing your kids to help you cook and back will engage them in new learning experiences that will set them up for life. 

Here are just some of the wonderful benefits gained when you take the time to cook with your kids and teach them more about food:

0

How To Keep Your Kids Occupied During Quarantine

We’re living through some pretty strange times at the moment and none of us really knows how things are going to pan out or when life will resume as usual. Chances are, your little ones have been thrown out of their routine too. In many countries across the world, schools have been closed and we’ve been placed in a lockdown situation where we need to keep our little ones indoors. This, of course, can be challenging. Kids get bored easily. They’re not going to school. They’re not attending their hobbies and extracurricular activities. They’re not seeing their friends. They can’t get out to play at the park or go for fun days out. But that doesn't mean days at home should be dull. There’s so much you can do to keep their minds occupied and their imaginations entertained. Here are a few suggestions:

0

How To Return To Work After Having a Baby Without Exhausting Yourself

photo via

Plenty of parents decide that the best thing for them and their family is to go back to work after taking some time off to care for their families. While this might not be the ideal situation for many people, there are people who both want or have no choice but to head back to work when their kids are young. The struggle that many new parents have is trying to juggle work and family. After all, doing either of those things on their own can often lead to you feeling pretty run down. Trying to do both can leave you completely exhausted.

Exhaustion might just seem like a problem because it means that you lack the energy to do the things that you really want to do, and that's definitely true, but the dangers that it presents to your health can be much more significant than that. Exhaustion can lower your immune system, making your more susceptible to illness, as well as causing weight gain, depression, and a whole host of other symptoms.

0

Simple Ways To Celebrate Your First Christmas As A Parent

photo via

Becoming a parent is the most amazing feeling in the world. It is a time in your life when you will change the way you think, find a new perspective, and finally, find your real place in the world. The first time you become a parent is the most daunting, exciting, and exhilarating time of your life. Having a baby is a wonder, and you will soon be wrapped up in all of those parent cliches. The first Christmas you spend with a baby is a special occasion. Here are some of the ways you can make the most of your baby's first Christmas.

0

How To Juggle A Hectic Work and Family Life

When you're a working parent, life can be tricky at times. Juggling your work life and home life is no easy feat. The fact is that for working moms, juggling a hectic work life and family life can, at times, seem totally impossible. The good news is it's not impossible. It's just a case of knowing how to balance everything effectively. If you have a plan of action in place, are organized and have help on hand for when you need it, you can make it much easier to cope and find a good balance between your work life and family life.

Here are a few tips I use to work efficiently, parent effectively, and run a home at the same time.

0

Non-Traditional Options For Creating a Family

photo via

There are so many choices when it comes to deciding not only whether we want to create a family of our own, but how we can go about achieving this. Traditionally, when we think of creating a family, the majority of us will tend to think of a man and a woman conceiving through traditional intercourse. However, thanks to increased awareness surrounding all sorts of social issues, and also dramatic improvements in science, medicine, and technology, this isn’t the only way to create a family of your own.

0

7 Tips For A Terrific Family Road Trip

photo via

Summer has well and truly arrived and it’s something special for families. School is out and the time that the children get over the long school vacation is perfect for being able to spend time together as a family. It doesn’t matter how old your kids are, everyone loves to go on vacation. The best part about the summer break is the fact it’s so long and the weather is beautiful; it makes packing in activities with the kids far easier!

You get to spend time putting together an fun and adventurous itinerary. Road trip planning doesn’t happen overnight. You have to figure out what you can afford, where you want to go, who is sitting where in the car, whether to hire a recreation vehicle to go alongside your trip or not. You also need to sit down with the kids and give them a chance to discuss what they would like to do and see on your trip. There are so many routes that you can take across the States for your road trip and it can truly be an educational experience for your children if you are seeing more than one historical site, landmark and even the beaches and theme parks for a little downtime.

0

Putting the "Fun" In Fundraising #forRMHC

Raising money for charity doesn’t have to be grueling or boring. There are plenty of innovative and exciting ways to inspire people to support your charity of choice. When you feel passionate about a charity, it trickles down to those around you. And soon everyone is eager to jump on the fundraising bandwagon.

Once you put the fun into fundraising, you will find that you will want to raise as much money for charity as possible. It really pays off to have some fun while helping out a charitable organization or cause and to not see fundraising as a chore.

The first step is to choose a charity. As a mother, I tend to lean in to charities that support children. Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) is one of my favorite charities. RMHC is passionate about keeping families together and close to the medical facilities where pediatric patients are receiving long term care. Since 1974 RMHC has created programs that focus on strengthening families during difficult times, such as long term medical stays and prolonged medical treatment.

RMHC works with leading hospitals all over the world to provide compassionate care to both children and their families. With a focus on the family, RMHC provides access to healthcare and family-centric care to help lessen the emotional and financial burden of families. RMHC recognizes that families are already overwhelmed and challenged with their child's illness. RMHC strives to make an already difficult and emotional situation a little less stressful. As a parent of a child who has a chronic medical condition, I can appreciate how much a difference it makes to have someone in your corner during these times.

RMHC is able to provide care to families with the help of generous donors. From spare change to corporate sponsors, every little bit makes a difference in the care of a child and supporting the family. You can get involved by fundraising for RMHC in fun ways that take the chore out of fundraising.

Here are a few of my favorite ways of putting "fun" into fundraising for RMHC.

Fundraise As A Family
As they say, it takes a village. Why not fundraise with your family? There is power in numbers, and the more people you involve, the more money you are likely to raise for RMHC. Even if you have young children, there will still be plenty of ways you can fundraise. For instance, you could do a sponsored silence where your children have to stay silent for a period of time. You could ask people to pledge a certain amount of money per minute of silence. They will love the challenge as well as asking family and friends to sponsor them. And you can enjoy some peace and quiet! There are also some family fun runs or walks that you might want to do with the whole gang. This is a great way to encourage the kids to make fitness a part of their everyday life.

Get Active
Many people are very sporty these days and regularly take part in races for charitable causes. A 5k walk/run if very doable for most participants. It's fairly short, and you can add a fun aspect to it such as dressing up a certain way. It’s more about participation than about winning! For example, you can host your own color run. This is a 3-mile run during which you will be covered in colored paints. It will certainly feel a lot more like a party than a fundraiser for RMHC!

Get The Neighborhood Together
Do you need an excuse to meet your neighbors and get to know them a bit better? You probably do, since most neighbors rarely socialize these days. Well, why not get your whole neighborhood working together to fundraise for RMHC? There are a few different ways you might want to go about this, but a really awesome idea is to host a street or block party or a movie night, complete with an inflatable screen.

You could have a bake sale during the party, and you might want to find a musician that is willing to donate a percentage of their profit to RMHC. You could also organize a raffle for the party. Prizes can be anything from children’s story books to wine baskets to cash prizes. Ask everyone in the neighborhood who attends the block party to make a small donation to RMHC. You'll see that those small donations soon add up to a large amount for a good cause.

Involve Your Colleagues
It’s not just your neighborhood who can help with your fundraising endeavors. Get your colleagues or your employer involved too. In fact, many companies regularly hold bake sales in aid of certain charities. It's also worth checking to see if your company has a donation matching program. Many corporations will match the amount that you raise up to a certain amount. You can check with someone in human resources or public relations to get more information about corporate matching for RMHC.

There can be a lot of fun in fundraising. The more people you involve in your efforts, the more successful and the more fun it will be. To get started, visit www.rmhc.org/raiselove to start a fundraiser.

How do you plan to raise money to help RMHC in its efforts to help families all over the world?

Check out how we prepared for our bake sale to raise money for RHMC.

0

Tips For Preparing To Start A Family

photo via

Having a baby, or adding to your existing brood is a major decision for anybody. Starting a family is a life-changing event. When you make the decision to start or expand your family, you want to be certain that it's the right choice and that you are well-prepared. However, the rewards are even greater, and a new family member will always bring happiness and positivity into your life.

Although no one can fully prepare you for what’s ahead, even if you already have kids. But there are some things you can do before you welcome a bundle of joy. The more research and planning you take on pre-conception, and during pregnancy, the more confident and calm you’ll be about what's to come. Here are some things to consider as you prepare for a new arrival.

0

Simple Ways To Bond With Your Children

Sometimes lives are busy and we are moving in different directions at the speed of sound that we can often feel disconnected from our children. We may be burdened by the pressures of work, and your kids may have so many after school activities that it's a wonder you ever see each other at all. Even when you are all at home together, they may spend more time on their tablets and smartphones, and the only way you can successfully communicate with them is to text them to let them know that dinner is ready. Can you relate? I certainly can.  Here are some simple ways to unplug and bond with your children.

0

How To Make Moving Easy On Your Kids

photo via

So you're in the process of selling your house , and now it's time to officially move out. This isn't always an easy thing to do, but what makes it even harder is when you have kids. You're no longer only dealing with your own emotions, but your child's too.

Here are a few ways you can make the move go a lot smoother for everyone.

0

4 Family Fun Night Ideas For Winter

It's difficult to get motivated to go out as a family when the temperatures are hovering around freezing, and the house is warm and cozy. Sometimes the best plan is the one where you stay inside away from the frigid weather and crowds.

Here are 4 ideas for family fun night that are inexpensive and provide hours of entertainment.

1. Family Movie Night
Forget the crowded movie theater and the overpriced concessions. Host your own family movie night in the comfort of your living/family room. Choose 1 or 2 movies that everyone in the family will enjoy and be entertained by. Prepare finger friendly snacks to munch on while you enjoy the movie. Some of our favorites are popcorn (of course) and Pepperidge Farm® Goldfish® crackers. We make movie night even more fun by setting up a mock ticket sales counter and concession stand.

2. Make Dinner As A Family
One of your favorite family activities is our pizza nights. We buy store-made dough, roll it out, and quarter it so that each of us has a section to top as we please. After the pizza is baked, we pass a slice around for everyone to take a bite out of, and then we rank them and choose a winner. It's so much fun, and we've had a lot of laughs from some of the pizza combinations that have been made. For extra fun, make a salad for pre-dinner and a chocolate pizza for dessert.

3. Family Game Night
If a little friendly competition is your thing, family game night is up your alley. You can choose from card, board, or video games or any combination of them. Don't forget the snacks! No game night is complete without fun snacks such as fresh veggies and dip, cheese and Pepperidge Farm® Goldfish® crackers, chips and dip, and brownie bites. You can even get creative by using the Goldfish® crackers as game pieces in a game of Tic Tac Toe. Fun!

This is a fun twist on traditional cheese and crackers. Instead of placing a piece of cheese on a cracker, we place the Goldfish® cracker on the cheese. How fun is that?

4. Dance Party or Home Concert
Crank up the music and get moving! We love live music and have amassed quite a collection of DVDs over the years. We love to pop one in and totally rock out. Agreeing on the music selection may not come easily, but all the fun you'll have dancing and jamming will be well worth it.

Looking for more ways to enjoy family fun night? Help your kids create a creative and fun stop-motion video that features Goldfish® crackers for a chance to win $5,000!! Have no idea how to make a stop-animation video. Get the instructions here, and find some inspiration here. Once it's finished, you can submit your full video here. For complete contest details and rules, check out GoldfishSmiles.com.

0

Escape To Kalahari Resorts This Winter

The holidays are over. Your Christmas tree is down, and the decorations all neatly (well, maybe) packed away until next year. Now what? It's the time of year when winter is just beginning to dig its heels in and spring seems so far away that it's hardly something to look forward to.

How can we boost our spirits when the weather is dull, dreary, and cold? How about a getaway?

One of the best ways to recharge is to escape daily life for a long weekend. Since I am most likely still reeling from the Christmas expenses, I try to keep the getaway local so that we can drive or take the train to cut costs.

0

Easy To Make and Fun To Eat Goldfish Halloween Snack Mix

 

When it comes to snacks, nothing beats a hearty and robust snack mix. The best part is that it's as fun to make as it is to eat, and is perfect for little hands and creative little minds.

We've been making Goldfish snack mix for years, and it never gets old...even for the adults. It's a fun way to use your creativity to create a custom snack that consists of everything you love including Goldfish crackers!

Not that you need a reason or a special occasion to make Goldfish snack mix, but here are a few good ones:

• After school snack
• Family movie night
• Sleepover activity
• Goody bags for a birthday party
• Snack for a road trip or trip to the beach or park
• A treat to cheer up a friend

For our Goldfish snack mix, we used the following ingredients:

• Goldfish crackers (Cheddar and Colors varieties)
• Popcorn
• Mini pretzels
• Peanuts
• Small chocolate candies (fall-themed)
• Candy corn

You could also use:

• Baking morsels (white chocolate, butterscotch, peanut butter, or mini)
• Nuts (almonds, cashews, etc.)
• Cereal (oats or chex)

We didn't measure any of the ingredients precisely. Part of the fun is grabbing a handful here and a handful there and combining everything as you please until you have the perfect combination.

The idea behind the Goldfish snack mix is to have fun with it. Make a big batch and transfer it to snack-sized bags for later. Or let everyone mix up their own in individual bowls. Whatever you make and however you make it, munching on the final product is the best part!

Preparing meals and fun snacks are great ways to bring your family together and make lasting memories. Of course, a way to preserve those memories is to snap a photo of the family making memories. Submit a stop-animation video HERE for a chance to win $5,000.

To see complete contest details and instructions, click HERE.

For more fun, be sure to check out the Goldfish "Finn and Friends Mysteries App for your iPad. Available in the iTunes App Store.

 

0

We're Going Camping!

On Thursday, the girls and I are leaving for a 3 day camping trip at Knoebels Camping Resort in Pennsylvania.

Yeah, I know. I just said I was going camping!!!! Ahhh, I can hardly believe it myself. It's been something that we've wanted to do for quite a while. In fact, it's on my summer bucket list. I'm certain I'll never go again, but I have to do it at least once.

Just a little background...A camper I am not. I haven't camped since I was a child. I was probably 7 or 8 years old. I was carefree and didn't care if I had a hair dryer, curling rod, or perfect lighting for makeup.

These days things have changed. Although my sense of adventure remains, I have a reliance on everyday luxuries, which I will have to set aside in the name of communing with nature. We are staying in a camper not a cottage or a cabin. We do have electrical hookups at our site, but let's be serious. Am I really going to dry and style my hair? Not likely. So, it's au naturel for a few days.

Knoebels also has an amusement park with plenty of food options, and wait for it...there's a Starbucks!!! I won't be entirely roughing it. I won't have to hop in a canoe and paddle to the middle of a lake to catch my dinner, but the whole aspect of not staying in a plush hotel room will be foreign to me.

I'll be unplugging from my laptop for a few days, but you can find me on Snapchat and Instagram (both @piecesofamom) to follow along with the camping shenanigans!

0

Happy Holidays!

Wishing all of you lovely readers of Pieces of a Mom a very Merry Christmas and all the best wishes for a wonderful New Year. I'll be taking a few days off following Christmas to visit family in Pennsylvania and to get a head start on refocusing for 2016. I have big plans for the blog for 2016, and I'll need to hit the ground running on January 1st!

Until then, enjoy your time with family and friends, and may your holidays be filled with peace, love, and happiness.

0

Making Your Home Safer for the Kids

Protecting our children is a motherly instinct for all us. We want nothing more than to keep our kids safe and secure. They are young and innocent, but there are so many dangers and risks that they face each day even in our own homes as they play just feet from us.

The best way to combat risks to your children's safety is to identify them. There are the obvious things such as ramping up your home security with a system or guards. But there are also a lot of things around your home in plain view that you might not even think about that pose risks to the kids. Here are a few items to be on the lookout for and tips for getting them out of harm's way.

Keep the Bleach Out of Reach!
There are many chemicals and hazardous substances that are necessary to have in the home. These might include bleach, kerosene, lighter fluid, and other types of cleaning products. What you need to remember is that these can be highly toxic, corrosive, and flammable. They have to be handled with the utmost care. The problem is that kids don’t know this, and they’re too young to understand the risks. For many young children, everything is a toy. That’s why you have to take it upon yourself to make sure you keep the bleach out of reach. This means that you need to keep it under lock and key, or store it somewhere high where the children can’t reach it.

Photo source: Pixabay.com

Fix Faulty Wiring
There are other dangers in the home aside from chemicals.  For example, you might be experiencing faulty wiring. This can lead to all sorts of dangers such as electrocution. Take steps to get the wiring fixed as soon as you can. You don’t want a kid turning the light, on or plugging something in, and getting electrocuted. Hire a Graham and Sons Electrician to nip this problem in the bud, and get it resolved right away.

Don’t Leave Tools Lying Around
With any home comes household tools and equipment. You’re going to need these in order to do DIY projects and the usual home repairs. However, a lot of these tools can be dangerous in the hands of young kids. They could cause themselves or others harm. Toys looks like fun to a child. Make sure you don’t leave them lying around that they might pick them up and start causing damage to someone else or even your home. Make sure everything is put away as soon as you’re finished with it. This might seem like a pain, but it’s important for making the home safer for your kids.

It's my role as a mother to make sure my children are safe from harm. Be vigilant to the risks that they might face and take immediate steps to remove those risks. Your home should be a safe and secure environment for the whole family.

0

7 Reasons To Take Your Family To South Seas Island Resort

We recently returned from a family vacation to South Seas Island Resort in Captiva, Florida. We've been going to SSIR every November for over 15 years, and I can't think of a better place to take the family for a relaxing and fun-filled vacation.

There are so many family-friendly activities to keep everyone happy and occupied for your entire vacation.

Here are 7 reasons you need to book your next family vacation at South Seas Island Resort.

1. World Class Pools
What kid vacationing in sunny Florida isn't in search of the best pool ever? South Seas has three pools available for all resort guests and many of the individual accommodations have private pools for guests to enjoy as well. The main pool area, H2O Pool Complex, offers a variety of pools including one with slides, a restaurant, poolside wait service, and a brand new Tiki bar that serves up tasty concoctions in both non-alcoholic and alcoholic varieties.

2. Pristine Beaches
Whether you go to frolic in the water or enjoy the stunning sunsets, Sunset Beach offers you plenty of relaxation and fun. Fully equipped with beach chairs, umbrellas, and towels, Sunset Beach is the best place to set down with a good book and spend the day. Light snacks, beverages, and cocktails are available, and sports and water equipment are available to rent.

3. ScoutAbout
ScoutAbout is a uniquely-designed, scavenger-like tour, chock-full of fun-filled learning experiences. ScoutAbout was initially launched at South Seas and can also be enjoyed at 8 other resorts throughout Florida and the Caribbean. ScoutAbout sends guests on an adventurous quest to find landmarks and points of interest all over the resort. I love how it takes you off the beaten path to discover places and parts of nature that you may not normally see during your vacation. Once children complete the program, they get their name on the "Wall of Fame".

4. Captiva Cruises
Captiva Cruises is an excursion boat company that operates a number of different tours. Our favorite is the dolphin cruise and wildlife cruise. It truly is a wonder to see these beautiful, graceful creatures in the wild. On our most recent trip to Captiva, we were delighted with quite a show of playful dolphins.

5. Skully's Recreation Center
When you need a break from the sun, head to Skully's for some good fun in the form of arcade games, air hockey, and a fully-equipped playroom. No matter what age you are, you'll find plenty of fun at Skully's. Skully's is also home to special activities and events for guests, including spin art and bracelet making.

6. Scoops and Slices
A fun fifties-themed diner-style restaurant that serves up kids' favorites including pizza (by the pie or slice), chicken fingers, garlic bread, and scoops of ice cream, frozen yogurt, sundaes, and floats. Indulge your sweet tooth with candy by the bin full.

7. Sanibel Sea School
This satellite campus is located within the heart of South Seas Island Resort and offers guests of all ages the opportunity to explore the beaches, mangroves, and seagrass beds. Sanibel Sea School is the best way to learn about the unique ecosystems of southwest Florida in a hands-on environment. There's something new to explore each day, and Sanibel Sea School is a great way to keep the learning alive while you are on vacation.

For more information about South Seas Island Resort, visit the Web site.

This is not a sponsored post. I wanted to share my love of my all-time favorite travel destination with my readers.

0