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Caffeine Limits?
I have heard that one cup of coffee a day is considered safe during pregnancy. What is your input ...
Three Summer Childcare Options for Working Parents
Monday, May 20, 2013 by Kathy Murdock from Thrifty Mom's Two Cents
Many of the moms I know are celebrating the arrival of summer while worrying about a big issue all working parents face: childcare.
During the school year this doesn’t present as much of a problem once the kiddos are old enough to attend school. When school is out though, most of my friends that work spend a lot of time finding places for their children to go and things for them to do over the summer months.
The following are just a few options that might be available to working parents who are in need of childcare for the summer. Most of my friends use a combination of these three.
Taken Advantage of By Family Members
Monday, May 20, 2013 by Stef Daniel from Mom, Myself, & I
My good friend has a problem. A serious problem. Not only is she a stay at home mother to her own children, but her extended family members are constantly calling her up to help them with every little thing. If they need cupcakes for a birthday party, they call her (because she is an awesome baker). If someone is going away on vacation, they ask her to house sit. If they have an upcoming event, they call on her to help put things together. If a kid in the family needs watching...you guessed it, they call her.
Sadly, my friend is not alone. She has a hard time saying no, and is extremely close to her family. Of course, she WANTS to help as much as possible, but often this helping out others and constantly being the go-to on-call person leaves her own life more stressful and at times empty.
Just recently, while she was already caring for her own sick mother, a family member called and asked her if she could take on yet another sick senior so that they could go away on vacation. Keep in mind, not only does she have children, but she is also watching her best friend’s child on a daily basis. Plus her mom. This time, she had the courage to say no.
Sunday, May 19, 2013 by Sherry Fahrenwald from Celebrity Stilettos and Sippy Cups
Summer is just around the corner so it's time to shed those winter layers and bring in all of those cooler looks for summer. Today I'm going to show you how to maximize a few key pieces to create six inexpensive summer looks. By just utilizing certain clothing staples and accessories you can really stretch your wardrobe; it's not necessary to spend a ton of money to keep up with current trends.
Adipex - Is the Weight Loss Worth the Risk?
Sunday, May 19, 2013 by Stef Daniel from Mom, Myself, & I
After my 4th child, and at the age of 37, I found it very difficult to lose my post-baby weight. In fact, I was sitting (literally) on an extra 20 pounds that made me feel sluggish, insecure, and unhappy. When I went to my doctor and talked to her about my weight 'issues' (which were mild in comparison to many), she recommended that I start taking Adipex, one of the brand names for phentermine. And I did. And, admittedly - it worked in more ways than one. For one thing it gave me the most energy I had ever had in my entire life. Insomnia wasn’t an issue, because I felt like I was on speed and didn’t need sleep. And, I was NEVER hungry. In fact, I was always thirsty and drank gallons of water. At the end of 6 weeks, it worked - and I had lost OVER 20 pounds without exercising.
The problem was I was starting to develop some other medical issues. Anxiety for one. As my body became accustomed to the Adipex, it didn’t have the same 'energy' effect where I felt like a super hero. And my lack of desire for eating and feeling full so fast was taking a toll on my immune system. Next up, were several months of severe urinary and bladder infections - and days where I was literally peeing blood.
Four Daily Supplement Recommendations for Better Mood, Sleep, Energy, and Beauty
Saturday, May 18, 2013 by EverydayFamily from Mom, Myself, & I
As mothers we often find ourselves sacrificing many things in an effort to ensure our kids received the best. But, what often happens is we hit our own proverbial walls and we are sapped of all energy, our moods suffer and we stop caring for ourselves in the ways we used to. It's a big trickle down affect that leaves us feeling less than stellar and quite frankly, we need to stop doing it.
It's important to take small steps and then work to those larger goals like exercising, resting more, meditating to alleviate stress and eating well so we can be the best versions of ourselves. In an effort to find out what other busy moms are doing to work towards optimum health, we asked Rachelle Jorgenson, a triathlete, mother, grandmother and business owner how she makes it all work. She shared with us her top tips for slimming down and keeping healthy and today she's offering up how she tackles her mood, energy level and even enhances her overall beauty through the use of supplements.
I don't know about you, but if I can add a simple routine of supplements into the mix and contribute to my overall energy and mood as well as the health of my hair and nails - I'm going to pay attention. Read on to find out more of what Rachelle's go-to supplements include:
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As an IRONMAN athlete, taking care of my body not only means making sure it has the fuel it needs, but also giving it the additional help when I need to sleep; boost and maintain my energy; enhance my mood; and keep up my beauty routine.
These are the four daily supplements I can’t live without.
EverydayFamily Review: The Evenflo Bebek Bottle Starter Set
Saturday, May 18, 2013 by Holly Campbell from Tales from the Crib
Here at EverydayFamily, we are always keeping our eyes open for information and products that meet your needs as parents. Recently, we started having our contributors look at specific products in an effort to offer you additional insight into those things that we all need to make life easier with our children, by giving honest, straightforward reviews. Occassionally, you'll see those reviews here on the blog or on our EFTV channels.
We know it can be hard to decipher what will work for you in a sea of products and it's hard to have the time to look through everything in great detail while out shopping or even hopping site to site for specific brands, so our hope is that by spotlighting some of these products, you will find what works for you.
Each family has their own needs and visions for what will work for their child and family, our job is to provide you with a solid variety so you can make informed decisions as you work on acheiving your family goals.
We're starting small with a bottle starter set, because even if you plan to breastfeed, having a couple of bottles on hand can be handy when you have to pump and be away from baby. Starter sets are a great way to have a few bottles available without making a huge commitment to a specific brand.
The Evenflo Bebek Starter Set was sent to me to try out.
This is What Postpartum Depression Looks Like
Saturday, May 18, 2013 by Liz Henry from Mom, Myself, & I
I knew she was struggling. I knew she was depressed. I knew, and have known for a few years now, that my friend was a shell of who she used to be -- funny and tan with long, chestnut hair and salon highlights that were more sun-kissed than tin foil. Everywhere she went, everyone wanted to talk to her. It was my job to walk into a store, a party, anywhere first and she would follow behind me. She had anxiety like that and I rolled with it because we were thick like thieves. We played softball together and our two dads were our coaches. She is an aunt to my daughter and sat for twelve, long hours in a waiting room down the hall while I labored and gave birth. My friend – my best friend – wrote the time of every contraction on a Post-It until they were five minutes apart.
That was ten years ago.
A little over a year ago, she started her own family.
Is Teen Pregnancy a Turning Point?
Saturday, May 18, 2013 by Chaunie Brusie from Blog from the Belly
By now, we are all a little tired of hearing the negative aspects of teenage pregnancy.
The fact that teen pregnancies make for a harder time for both mom and baby to finish their educations, an increased risk for drugs and substance abuse, violence, child abuse, domestic violence, poverty, depression, and the list goes on.
Although I was not a pregnant teen, I became pregnant with my daughter at the age of 21, as a senior in college, and even then, I experienced a lot of the negativity surrounding young pregnancies. My first thought when I saw those two blue lines was that I would never live the successful and fulfilling life I had dreamed about – I thought for sure that I would struggle to “get ahead” in my career and that I would be doomed to hardships I wouldn’t have otherwise encountered.
The hardest part about having an unplanned pregnancy at a young age often isn’t the physical challenge of being pregnant or finishing school or finding a job – it’s dealing with the negativity that you won’t amount to anything simply because you become pregnant. Whether it’s blame for “getting pregnant” in the first place or judgment about milking the system or overcoming stereotypes (Teen Mom, I’m looking at you), it’s hard to believe in yourself as a young mom.
Delivery Details: The Facts on VBACS
Friday, May 17, 2013 by Mindi Stavish from Blog from the Belly
As the due date of my third child quickly approaches, I can't help but feel anxious yet hopeful that I will be able to have another successful VBAC. A VBAC is a vaginal delivery after a previous cesarean section. It is also known as a vaginal trial of labor after cesarean (TOLAC). Studies show the success rate of a VBAC is between 60 and 80% and 90% after a mom has had a successful VBAC after c-section.
With all of this in mind, I wanted to do a little digging into the risks and benefits of having a VBAC. Here's what I found out:
How to Talk to Your Tweens About Drugs
Friday, May 17, 2013 by Katie Hurley from Child Development
As school age children approach the tween years, parents often start to worry about what are often viewed as “teen issues”, such as drugs, sex, and smoking.
The truth is that children start hearing and internalizing messages about traditionally teen topics at younger ages, often even in elementary school, and taking a proactive approach to helping them understand these complicated issues is important.
Above all, parents are still very powerful tools for curbing early drug use. It’s time to start talking.
As you begin to approach the topic of drug use for your child, remember to rely on instinct. There is no magic age for broaching this complicated subject. You know your child better than anyone, and you know what your child can handle. It’s essential to talk to your child at a developmentally appropriate level to ensure that your child understands, and always choose moments of calm to discuss difficult topics.
Before you start talking, take some time to think about risk factors. Do you have a family history of drug abuse? Is there drug use going on in your home (prescription drug use counts)? What is the stress level in your home? A family history of drug abuse does not guarantee that your child will use drugs, but it does increase the risk. It’s important to keep these facts in the back of your mind so that you can be on the lookout for signs of drug use as your child grows.
Tips for talking to tweens about drugs:
