Boy, did I wish I had Pam Socolow’s Family Facts Pregnancy Planner (www.Family-Facts.com) last year when I was expecting. If you consider yourself an uber-organizer, then this is the mother of all planners–and one that won’t make you feel like you’ve got Pregnancy Brain. There’s a month-by-month calendar that gives you the big picture, but that’s pretty standard. The best parts, however, are the tabbed sections: contacts, health and baby planning. Can’t remember if your sonogram was scheduled for this week or next week? Or whether you are rH negative? Now you have just the place to jot it all down. The mini binder-style notebook lets you pull out pages easily for handy references and it fits right in your bag. And if you consider [&hellip
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You don’t need to be pregnant to crave some sinfully rich chocolate every now and then–and if you spend your days with the 5 and under crowd, you’re entitled to some at the end of each day. (Think of it as your reward for a job well done–or at least for not having murdered anyone.) And with all the medical reports of late lauding the health benefits of dark chocolate, (in limited doses, of course), who needs an excuse? One company’s confectionery worth checking out is Nutty Steph’s (www.NuttyStephs.com). Her eclectic mix of ingredients might have you scratching your head, but one taste of the stuff and you’ll never doubt your cravings again. Standouts include Coffee and Donuts Milk Chocolate, Tropical Intercourse (yup, you heard [&hellip
To say a lot has happened since my last entry would be an understatement. I gave birth to a new baby–my second daughter, Presleigh, born last May. Since then, I’ve been learning how to juggle new motherhood once again, but this time with a preschooler along for the ride. At times, it’s been more challenging than I could have imagined, but I find myself closing both girls’ bedroom doors each evening, confident that I have done the best I could manage for that day. Now, eight months later, we’ve settled into our new routine and I’m able to carve out more time for my writing….which brings me to mt new venture: the chance to harness my experience as a professional published writer who knows the [&hellip
Because the baby is due just before my daughter’s 4th birthday, I figured it would be best to have her little friends’ party ahead of time–and out of the house (after listening to some sage advice from family members and friends). I am glad I followed their advice; this weekend’s party went off without a hitch. Since my daughter is very into crafts (she even “rescues” used fabric softener sheets for possible projects!), we had an hour and half-long crafting party at a kids’ place that caters to pint-sized Picassos. With stations set up for drawing (with pastels, no less!), painting and, lo and behold, reincarnating paper towel rolls and egg cartons into mini Thomas the Tank Engines, she was in heaven. I was pleasantly [&hellip
My husband and I took our 4-year-old daughter to the hospital yesterday for a sibling class, geared to prepare her for what it’ll be like when the new baby arrives. I had high hopes, as a friend had recently attended and thought it was extremely helpful. I should begin my mentioning that my daughter is your atypical little girl–NOT a huge fan of dolls (she’d choose Thomas the Tank Engine over a Betsy Wetsy anyday). So, as you can imagine, when it came time to role-play, Peyton was not having any of this. Practicing diaper changing and burping…does it get your blood pumping, too? In fact, if anything, she seemed rather bored and wanted to know when we could go home. More useful, perhaps, was [&hellip
As I count down the weeks (one month to go!) to the birth of my second child, I can’t help but smile a bit knowingly at the wide world of baby gear. Since my daughter was born nearly four years ago, I’ve managed to (finally!) figure out just which products were worth their weight in gold (a digital ear thermometer for painless, barely invasive fever checks) and those that still have me scratching my head (wipes warmer? Give me a break…I wanted my kid to learn early on that not everything in life is peaches and cream.) Today, I’m investing in some items that have emerged since my last time shopping for a newborn: a take-along swing (so much more practical than the bulky, take-up-more-space-than-I-can-bare [&hellip