Stay at Home Mom

As Stay at Home Moms we often struggle for a "Title".  When we are out meeting new people and they ask "What do you do?" many of us proudly declare "I'm a Stay at Home Mom".  Other moms like the title Domestic Engineer or CFO of their family corporation or Chief Entertainment, Safety, and Welfare Officer.  But no matter what title it is that we like to bestow up on ourselves we often find that saying "Stay at Home Mom" gives the listener an immediate image of us sitting at home, eating bon bons, doing a couple of loads of laundry perhaps, and spending the rest of the day playing tennis at the club or whatever else it is that Stay at Home Moms do - because honestly, they don't really know, don't really care, and haven't thought about it that much. In a fantastic article titled " Why do we continue to stigmatize Stay at Home Moms? " Erin Almond, Stay at Home Mom and former graduate school student, talks about her rece...

Our friend Andy Robertson sent us this report from a recent trip on the London Eye with kids. Every vacation with kids would be soooo much easier if it included a full on set up by Lego. I watched the video loving the scenery of London but also loving the new Lego figures. One of the things I love about this new series by Lego is that they make great gifts that are easy to ship to cousins, nieces, nephews and friends who may live far away.  These also make great gifts for Easter baskets (the bunny doesn't always have to bring just chocolate). Check out the full line of Mixels  on Amazon. Enjoy a quick trip to London with our friends from Family Gamer TV Lego Mixels on London Eye by Andy Robertson Earlier this month, the Williams family headed down to the capital for a Lego Mixels launch event at the London Eye where the kids were treated to a ride in one of the passenger capsules and a play session with the latest character building sets from Lego.   Leg...

Minecraft is a super popular video game for the preteen and teenage gamer.   As with any video game we always recommend that parents check it out before letting their kid get into it.  It is also a good idea for parents to know about the popular games because oftentimes kids will play these games together when they are visiting other friend's houses.   Keeping up with all of this can be a challenge.  That is why we love our friends at Family Gamer TV on YouTube.  Be sure to subscribe to this YouTube channel (CLICK HERE)  to stay up to date with all the updates and new videos that come out on a regular basis. New Official Minecraft Books Penned by the Minecraft Community guest post by: Andy Robertson Although the books are due to be released until early April, it seems some retailers will be getting theirs early so keep your eyes peeled in store (and soon after on eBay). Helpful  videos LINKS: Combat Guide:  https://www.y...

Guest Post by: Kimberly Bryant Double the babies, double the fun! Celebrate the mommy-to-be of two by planning a baby shower fit for twins. Thankfully, with these tips, you won’t have to work twice as hard to throw a party that is perfect for receiving two bundles of joy. Theme First things first, you’ll need to decide on your baby shower theme. Once you have a general idea of what your party should look like, all the other details will fall into place. While you’re trying to come up with an appropriate theme, keep in mind the gender of the twins, mom’s personality and your budget. Remember to think outside the box. Your theme doesn’t necessarily have to scream “twins” in blue and pink shades. You can consider other creative ideas like a Two Peas in a Pod or a Perfect Pear (get it?) party. You can use Catch My Party as a resource when searching for the perfect theme. Invitations If mom’s entire social circle isn’t in the know about the twins, the invitation you send wi...

In the past years there have been alot of conversations and a great deal of controversy about having our children vaccinated.  Some people are concerned that the vaccinations are worse than what they are being vacinated for and possibly even the cause of other unintended consequences.  While other parents feel it is vital to vaccinate your child and that other children going unvaccinated are putting all of our kids at risk.  Taken at the extreme it can be a very polarizing conversation. The problem with most of these conversations is that they often break down to emotions and feelings and are not always based on solid medical information.  The conversations about whether to vaccinate or not to vaccinate can often degrade to "Yeah - well your momma wears army boots" I'm not sure why this would be an insult but it is a cliche put down. As mothers it is important for us to trust our instincts especially when it comes to our children because every child is so unique...

A stay at home mom has so many things to think about.  Keeping their family safe, healthy, and happy are just a few of the tasks that weigh heavy on our minds. There is one thing that a mom can do to satisfy all three of those items.   Set a family budget and stick to it.  It can be a simple thing but it takes a little dedication and will power to stick to it.  The end result can make such a huge difference for a family that it really is worth it. The good news is that we don't have to do it alone.  There's an app for that. We received this update from SSavings Solutions who have created a series of apps for financial management.  One of the apps that was particularly interesting to me was the loan management app and mortgage app.  Understanding and managing any loan or mortgage can make the difference of thousands of dollars for a family. Home Budget calculator for Android phones and tablets https://play.google.com/store/ ap...

Yesterday we were talking about breast cancer and getting out with your friends for a walk.  Here is a new study that shows playing team sports is not only good for our kids but it can be good for us moms too.  Starting a lifelong habit of playing games, active sports, with your friends now can make a big difference when you get older. It is not just a good thing to do for your own health but it sets a good example for your kids. Team sport compensates for estrogen loss When women enter menopause, their estrogen levels taper. This increases their risk of cardiovascular disease. New research shows that interval-based team sport can make up for this estrogen loss as it improves their conditions, reduces blood pressure and thereby protects the cardiovascular system. Read More

Friends gather to support Vicki at a 5K Color Run On Monday I am going in for a mammogram. The word itself (mammogram) is technically accurate but also seems just so silly to me. Mamm-o-Gram. It reminds me of Instagram #Squish. But breast cancer is a serious matter and nothing to joke about. Here is some information that you may find useful from the website BreastCancer.org and Science Daily. According to the website  BreastCancer.org About 1 in 8 U.S. women (just under 12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. In 2013, an estimated 232,340 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 64,640 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer. About 2,240 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed in men in 2013. A man’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is about 1 in 1,000. Science Daily recently posted interesting perspectives on breast cancer research: Fol...