Category: parenting

Hunter’s Birthday: Get Hunter’s Special Squawk eBook FREE

March 21, 2017 is Hunter’s birthday. At 3 years old, I imagined that he would be happily toddling around, stringing words together in toddler-speak, and excitedly following his big cousin around to do what she does. He would get excited about eating birthday cupcakes, and would make a huge mess of his face, the table, and the floor as he...

LIFE: I Will Be Broken No Longer

I did something today. I stood up for myself. The individual who caused me great trauma over 1 year ago has once again been using me as an emotional and psychological punching bag. Today he did so in front of my daughter. For the first time, I called him on it to his face. I called him an asshole. In...

5 Things to Take on a Trip with a 5 Year Old #FiveonFriday

Traveling with a child can be a tad challenging… or super stressful and frustrating. I haven’t made any long trips with my daughter since she was a toddler (tips for traveling with a toddler here!), but I am excited to take a trip with her now that she’s 5! I really want to visit a luxury hotel like the voco...

5 Mom Sanity Savers #FiveonFriday

If you’re a mom, then you know that motherhood brings with it a very difficult balance – and your sanity is often on the line. Here are 5 Mom Sanity Savers that help keep me going! 1 – Google Calendar app for iPhone This app has been a lifesaver because I’m able to sync my family/personal Google Calendar, as well...

LIFE: The Moment You Realize You Care Too Much

I’ve always been passionate about something. There have been several occasions in life when I have wished that I wasn’t, because it’d be easier. I recently had one of those moments. The moment you realize you care too much. When I was doing my undergrad, I took some courses with a social justice vein, and they got me involved in...

RAVE: 5 Ways INSIDE OUT Has Helped My Highly Sensitive Child

I know not everyone loves animated movies, but I do. Perhaps it comes with the territory of being married to a 3D artist, but I have often found that animated movies resonate more deeply with me than live-action movies. It may just be that people who get involved with animated movies have amazing imaginations and wonderful storytelling abilities. This is...

10 Green Kids Books for Earth Day and Every Day

Since my daughter was born, I have been on the lookout for books that encourage green living at a young age. I want her to grow up with a sense of responsibility for the environment as much as possible. Here’s a round up of green kids books that I love or that are on my list to get – to...

Bedtime eBook: Teelee Tiger’s Good Night

Being married to a visual artist means that I take for granted the talent my husband has for drawing. We’ve always talked about writing a children’s book together that would feature his illustrations – and we finally did it! I’m not the best at self-promotion, but I am pretty proud of how our first attempt turned out. And so, I...

RANT: It’s Okay to Bottle Feed and Safe Baby Bottles

Okay. Breastfeeding vs bottle feeding babies always seems to be a hot topic. On one hand, we know that breastfeeding is ultimately better for your baby’s immune system and nutrition, and of course is much greener than bottle feeding, because you’re not generating and consuming so much waste. And then there’s the issues around what kind of bottles and nipples...

RANT: Bullying – What Do We Teach Our Kids?

It’s a fact of life. There will always be bullies. How do we deal with it? I struggle with the answer to this question as I decide what to teach my 4-year-old daughter. We went to a community carnival and spent 20 minutes in line for a turn in the bouncy castle. When it was her turn, my daughter went...