RMMB: "What are you really saying?"

Warning! This is a cheater post (i.e., I'm referring to another post either written by myself or another person rather than typing up something from scratch). But time is short and my new website is already collecting dust due to my inability to get over there and get moving on it.

So in lieu of a "real" post I'd love for you to check out my latest feature on Rocky Mountain Moms Blog:

"What are you really saying?"

Excerpt:

The words "I'm sorry" are simple enough yet can be said—and interpreted—in so many ways. I'm not talking about variations of "I'm sorry" like "I apologize" and "Can you ever in your wonderfully merciful heart forgive me?" What I'm referring to is the tone or voice used when telling someone you're sorry, and my kids are pros when it comes to saying one thing and meaning something entirely different. {click here to read the full post}

If you're in need of a chuckle you just might find one while reading my take on my children's apologies. And if not, I can guarantee a smile simply by reading Kalli's comment. Aren't brothers the greatest! --Emily

Wordless Wednesday: Will work for massage

Come one, come all!

Whenever we visit my parents' home, my second oldest immediately sets up shop in one of the bedrooms and offers massages to the family complete with sign on the door and sign-up sheet outside. We all take advantage of it not only to humor her but also because they're so dang cheap. I'm talking 25 cents for a good 15 minutes. And if you're one of the lucky few, she'll even give you a coupon for a free massage. (Megan, you better give me back my coupon!)

This Christmas she enlisted the help of her younger brother. A couple questions:

1. How did she come up with the name Buggerts? It wouldn't be my first choice for a spa's name.
   
2. How did she convince her little brother to advertise for her via a homemade sandwich board sign?
3. Why was he so dang happy to help Lauren when he's usually happier pushing her buttons?
   

The answer to number one is still a mystery, but I'm thinking the answer to two and three is simply this: the perks rock. I'd walk around my parents' house advertising massages if it meant I scored one for free. (Honey, don't get any ideas...)

What kind of "shops" or businesses do your kids set up at home? Do they love the typical lemonade stand or do they do something a bit more creative?

Jack Johnson Helped Me Birth My Baby

A photo I took while enjoying the Jack Johnson concert at the Usana Amphitheater standing less than 20 feet from the stage. Pure heaven!

But let me explain the title of this post. Or rather, let this excerpt from my recent guest post on TodaysMama explain:

By the time it came around to our last child I had it down. I knew hypnobirthing with its exercises and relaxation CDs wasn’t for me, but the concept of distraction would work. So what to put on my MP3 player that would take me to my happy place and help me zone out when those non-painful (LMAO) contractions are hitting every two minutes? The be-still-my-beating-heart sounds of Jack Johnson. {click here to read the full article}

This was a really fun post for me to write. If you're dying to discover just how Jack Johnson helped in the labor and delivery room, check out "Birth Stories: Jack Johnson Helped Me Birth My Baby." And take some time to read the other experiences featured on TodaysMama. THESE are the stories we should be sharing, not the "I knew this woman who...{fill in the blank with scare-you-****less birthing experience}" stories.

Do you have any tips or tricks you use during pregnancy and labor/delivery? What works for you?

RMMB: "Who said anything about sleep?"

I will admit I have thoroughly enjoyed my time away from the computer for the holidays. In fact it was easier to step away from the keyboard than I thought. No withdrawals, no post-traumatic Facebook disorder, nothing...just more time to spend with family and less time feeling my butt go numb.

I did spend a little bit of time writing my latest post over on Rocky Mountain Moms Blog and would love for you to check it out when you have a minute:

"Who said anything about sleep?"

I have a feeling many of you will relate to my latest thoughts on the joys of parenthood!

I plan to get back in the blogging saddle next week, though I may continue this newfound love of less time online and more time "in real life." We shall see... --Emily

RMMB: "Let's hear it for the boys"

Anyone else finding the holidays are well under way, which means something going on every night plus twice as many errands during the day? I really want to enjoy the season rather than survive the season so you may find my posts a bit more random than usual. Someone's got to play Santa around here!

Because it's Monday and because there's snow on the ground I'm feeling the need to snuggle a bit more with my little ones today, so today's post is what I consider a cheater post: the mention of a post I've written somewhere else. But that's all you're going to get today. If you have an issue with it you can take it up with the little elves running amuck in the house. Over on Rocky Mountain Moms Blog you'll find my latest post:

"Let's hear it for the boys"

Excerpt:

Wherever you find girls, you find drama. I learned this for myself in elementary school when I pretended to not be friends with one girl so another girl wouldn't get mad at me. My girls are learning this now. I believe it was the second grade when one daughter was invited to a New Year's Eve party only to be told she was there because another girl couldn't make it. ... The point is, girls are a crazy, emotional, nutty bunch no matter the age. I've heard about drama in kindergarten but it seems to hit critical mass during the pre-teen, teen and college years. That's a good 12 to 15 years of glares, gossip and grudges. My solution? Steer clear of girls and make friends with boys. {click here to read the full post}

Anyone else dealing with the drama? Head on over to Rocky Mountain Moms Blog to read the full post and share your thoughts on the subject. Happy Monday! --Emily

RMMB: "It's a schedule, not a chore chart"

Sometimes it really is all in how you say it. My latest post is up on Rocky Mountain Moms Blog and it details our latest attempt to get our girls to "happily" chip in around the house so Mom doesn't have to nag 24/7. (It's actually more like 14/6 if you don't count the hours the kids are asleep and Sundays.) The idea for a "schedule" rather than a "chore chart" came from Nathan and I must give credit where credit is due since he rarely gets any credit. He's a smart man, don't get me wrong, but I'm really the brains behind this operation we call a family. (Totally kidding--couldn't do it without you, babe!)

"It's a schedule, not a chore chart"

Excerpt:

We've tried so-called chore charts in the past and even The Chore Board, a board-game version of a chore chart, but no matter chart or game, the newness wears off quickly. As a mom with a long to-do list I can totally sympathize with my kids when they whine and complain about vacuuming or doing laundry or heck, even making their beds. I constantly remind them Mom is the only one who gets to have a bad attitude around the house so they better change theirs and change it quickly! Click here to read more...

I'd love for you to click on over and read the post on Rocky Mountain Moms Blog. And of course I'd love you to comment over there as well if you feel so inclined. Share with us what works for you or hasn't worked for you. Who knows? This schedule thing may just fizzle and we'll need a new idea! --Emily

He did NOT just say that!

Whenever my kids say something funny I vow to write it down so I won't forget it...and then I don't write it down and of course forget it. But my husband just walked in and told me something I had to share so I wrote it down immediately because even though I was going to post about it within mere minutes, this mommy brain of mine tends to lose things rather quickly. This one's a keeper:

The setting
Dad, 12-year-old daughter and four-year-old son sitting on LoveSacs watching Samurai Jack.

Some bad guy on Samurai Jack: "Get me Samurai Jack. I want his essence."
Daughter: "What's 'his essence?'"
Son: "It means he wants his soul." {did you catch the part about his being four?}

Two minutes later husband walks into the office and replays the recent conversation for his wife.

Wife, after husband tells her what their son just said: "Seriously?!?!"
Husband: "Where did THAT come from?"
Wife: "Holy cow."
Husband: "Yeah."

I am still wondering what just happened... --Emily

RMMB: "Before you criticize your child, ask yourself this question"

So glad I have Rocky Mountain Moms Blog to fall back on when I'm short on inspiration (other than food-related inspiration) for posts on this blog. My latest RMMB post went live tonight and I'd love for you to check it out:

"Before you criticize your child, ask yourself this question"

Do you find yourself overly critical of your children no matter their age? Or one child more then the other(s)? I am well aware of one of many faults, that of criticizing my children far too often and over the dumbest things...and all too often in a not-so-nice voice. Admitting I have a problem is the first step, right?

If you have any thoughts on the post, words of wisdom or helpful advice I'd love for you to share them by commenting on the post over on Rocky Mountain Moms Blog. We're all in this together—I hope! --Emily

Out & About: "Do you need a timeout?"

April from Sweet Life in the Valley recently launched a new site, Out & About with the Family, and I was lucky enough to be asked to write a guest post on traveling as a couple. "Do you need a timeout?" makes a case for scheduling at least one child-free vacation a year. If you haven't had a "timeout" in a while I highly recommend taking one. You can read the post here and even see a couple snapshots of our recent adult-only vacations. (Notice how happy and carefree we look!)

"Do you need a timeout?"

After reading--and commenting on--my post take a little time to check out Out & About with the Family. You'll find lots of great travel tips and tricks! --Emily

RMMB: My pre-teen daughter, her body image and an overly concerned dad

I'm hoping my latest post over at Rocky Mountain Moms Blog will open up a discussion on how to best make sure our daughters (and sons) have and maintain a healthy self-esteem and positive self-image. In our family my husband definitely worries more about our children's weight than I do and I think a shift in focus is what he needs. It's all about living a healthy lifestyle and not about body shape or pant size.

We are still having discussions about the girls and I hope the discussions will continue (out of our daughters' earshot of course) until we are on the same page. We are not perfect parents but we can at least try our best to do right by our children. You can read the full post here. Feel free to leave your two cents in the comments section and continue the discussion.

P.S. Go easy on Nathan...he is a man and therefore a little slow on the uptake but he'll get it! --Emily

"My pre-teen daughter, her body image and an overly concerned dad"

Technical difficulties

Okay, I'm not really having technical difficulties. The internet is working great, my computer is functioning just fine and I have power to my printer. I'd say "technical" is simply another word for "emotional, mental and physical" and it all has to do with a 10-day vacation in the southern Caribbean and the stark reality of life when I returned. Over 250 emails (not counting my Hotmail and Gmail accounts), stacks of bills, one child with a nasty cough, another with a 103 fever, an actual desk where I actually have to sit all day, no humidity, no shore excursions, no snorkeling and definitely no late-night frozen yogurt swirl cones. I have a term for this post-vacation experience and I'll be writing about it later this week. Until then bear with me as I adjust to real life...and believe me, it looks nothing like the photo you see below. And yes, that's really me with my feet up, leisurely reading our cruise itinerary for the next day's activities. {sigh} It's almost like it never happened... --Emily

Guest post: "Home schooling & parenting tween-teens from my new perspective"

The following is a guest post by my friend April Atwater (@sweetlifeinthe) from Sweet Life in the Valley. If you haven't discovered her fabulous blog and sister sites like the new Out & About with the Family then you're in for a real treat! April is amazing and I'm so excited to have her write something for freshly baked. Enjoy!

Home Schooling & Parenting Tween-teens from My New Perspective

I prided myself in being a great mother to my children when they were younger. I was the mom who made crafts, took field trips, made the cupcakes for the class parties and more. I was involved with everything. Now that my kids are in the tween years and more independent I have been bit thrown. What does a good mom to tween-teens look like?

Not too many books out there help you with or talk about being a cool and effective tween-teen parent. After a lot of trying to figure it out I came to some exciting conclusions. I want my children to live a full life. I want to teach them to love living and learning. Since I home school my three tweens and I own my own business we have a lot of flexibility with our time. My kids are now old enough to share all my loves and to explore the world at a monuments notice. I am planning to take them to the pottery studio to show them how to throw a pot. We are going to make some pinhole cameras then develop the film in our make shift dark room in the pantry. We are going to explore their interests from apprenticing with a pastry chef to trying their hand at web design to indulging an interest in history and dates.

My tween twins are now writing their own blog for tweens, Cool Stuff 4 Us, which will teach them hands on writing and business marketing skills. We are planning a lot of traveling to see this beautiful country. After all, those tween-teen years are to prepare them for adulthood. Our more formal education will be centered around preparing for college classes. We are exploring their talents to help them figure out what they would like to study after the high school years.

If you were to ask someone to tailor your tween-teen years to help you become a successful adult today with all the advantages you could have used, what would that look like? This is the question I am asking myself for all three of my kids. I am excited! It will be fun! This is what I will look like as a tween-teen mom. I think I love what that looks like. ~April

Picky eaters? Try disguising breakfast as dessert!

My kids are pretty good eaters though my first and third are definitely the pickiest! But one meal all my kids enjoy is breakfast, whether it's French toast, Papa's famous scrambled eggs, cold cereal or toaster waffles. I think they get that from me--I absolutely love breakfast and wake up hungry. Skipping breakfast just isn't an option and when I do, it's a very, very bad day.

Back to food for thought friday...if you happen to have picky breakfast eaters, check out this super fun recipe you can try with your kids. It's the brainchild of my good friend Vanessa, and it's no surprise this nifty, creative, foodie mom came up with it. The "trick" is to disguise a healthy meal as a tempting treat. Who would've thought?!?!


But this recipe isn't just for breakfast. Vanessa's post includes some other great ideas to help your kids eat enjoy lunch and dinner foods (though they might catch on if you serve these "cupcakes" three times a day).

For the full how-to with photos check out her original post on Blissful Kids:

"Help Kids Eat with a Cupcake Trick"

If you're kids will eat just about anything, try this yummy breakfast recipe. It's one of my kids' favorites and healthy too!

Cheesy Egg Puffs
2 eggs
4 egg whites
1/2 cup butternut squash puree (puree it yourself or pick up a couple jars down the baby food aisle)
1/4 cup shredded medium cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray four 1/2-cup ramekins with cooking spray and place on a baking sheet. In a large bowl whisk the eggs, egg whites, puree, cheese, flour, baking poweder and salt until combined. Divide the mixture among the ramekins. Bake approximately 13 to 15 minutes or until the tops are puffed up and eggs are no longer running in the center. (Check by piercing the top with a sharp knife.) Serve immediately.

NOTE: I double this recipe because my kids always ask for seconds!

"He that but looketh on a plate of ham and eggs to lust after it hath already committed breakfast with it in his heart." ~C.S. Lewis

Image by SteffanyF!, shared via Flickr.

They're back to school!

I had planned to be disconnected and in the middle of moving today but due to that whole crappy delay in signing/funding/recording I'm sitting amidst a ton of boxes twiddling my thumbs and living off marshmallows, leftover pizza and Diet Coke (and yes, so is my family). If all goes well we'll be moving out tomorrow, so here's to praying all goes well!

In the meantime I did manage to get my girls off to school today for the first day with new teachers. Yes, their backpacks were empty (pencil cases, notebooks and writing utensils are in a box somewhere) and they have to buying school lunch (peanut butter, honey and Goldfish crackers are in a box somewhere), but they were still excited. I can't believe it's my oldest daughter's last year in elementary school--where did the time go? --Emily

RMMB: Raise your hand if you love the first day of school

This Wednesday not only marks our big move into a new home but also the first day of school for my girls. With back-to-school thoughts on my mind I turned to Rocky Mountain Moms Blog for a mini confession: I love it when my girls go back to school. There. I've said it, and you can read all about it on Rocky Mountain Moms Blog:

Raise your hand if you love the first day of school

And if you're feeling so inclined, I'd love for you to comment on the post and tell me whether or not you too love it when your kids return to school in the fall! --Emily

Happy School Year's Eve!

Celebrating New Year's Eve is, well, a yearly tradition in our home. Though we're not in Times Square with the rest of the world, we enjoy good food, family and some serious game playing to celebrate the new year. But for most families the "new year" really comes around the middle or end of August when the class lists go up and school shopping begins. The first day of school is truly a "new year" for kids and families alike.

So in true party fashion, Cookie magazine and PTA have teamed up along with GAP, KinderCare, Children's Zyrtec and Hot Moms Club, the celebrate the newest school holiday, School Year's Eve! This new holiday was created to help get families ready and excited about the new school year. (We could use some help with the excitement some years more than others depending on the outcome of those class lists!)

Who's invited to the School Year's Eve bash and when is it? Everyone is invited--families, schools, and PTAs all across the country are encouraged to celebrate. Cookie and PTA will ring in the new school year (and the new national holiday) on August 30th. What if your school starts earlier or later? Just celebrate whenever school begins for your children and do whatever works best for you. You can have the party at home, put together a larger block party or even check with your school and ask for help from your local PTA and principal to host it there!

For party planning tips and ideas you can check out the Party Planner section of the School Year's Eve site for ideas, links and downloads. The site also has a Style File for cool back-to-school looks, resources for parents with advice from Cookie, PTA and parenting experts and recipes for yummy School Year's Eve party treats!

And to make your School Year's Eve party truly fabulous, Cookie and PTA are offering partygoers the chance to win $1,500 for their school or PTA unit. Just post pictures from your School Year's Eve bash after August 15th for your chance to win!

Oh, and the site also has some great money-saving coupons from companies like momAgenda, Y WATER, Birthday in a Box and Sharpie.

With only 17 days and counting until August 30th you'll want to start planning your School Year's Eve party now! For more details visit the official School Year's Eve site here. Happy countdown! --Emily

RMMB: "Have kids, will travel (but only with a portable DVD player)"

Okay, so I have done a little writing while on vacation in California, and the drive out was inspiration for my latest post on Rocky Mountain Moms Blog. Anyone else find a portable DVD player necessary when heading on road trips with the kids? And if not a DVD player then a plethora of other portable electronic devices? After our emergency stop at a Walmart in Elko (you can read more about that in the post) I started wondering why we've come to rely on movies to entertain the kids. Sure, it's easy and keeps the car quiet but what happened to the good ol' days of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" in rounds and pummeling each other while playing slug bug?

I'd love for you to read my latest post on RMMB and then comment at the end of the post sharing with us your thoughts/tips/tricks/advice for road travel with or without the latest box-office release! --Emily

"Have kids, will travel (but only with a portable DVD player)"

This week's excuses

Here is this week's list of excuses for why I'm too busy to post regularly this week:

1. As of Wednesday night last week four people in this house have been sick, three of whom vomited for about a 24-hour period (two of which can't make it to a toilet in time).


2. We hit Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, San Fran and my Fremont reunion within a three-day period. I drove along I-80 long enough to be able to do it blindfolded.


3. We found a home, discussed buying the home, even had my dad whip up a pretty serious pros and cons spreadsheet and then put an offer on a home. And the offer was accepted.


4. My youngest has refused to nap and prefers taking me by the hand and leading me everywhere she goes, and if I leave the room, even super stealthily, she finds me and puts me back in my place.


5. I have had very little time to actually "hang" with my parents so I'm going to do that instead of sitting here while my butt goes numb.


6. I've been spending way too much time reconnecting with "old" friends via Facebook.


7. Today I spent a wonderful evening with Josh and Rebecca from MomFaves.com and their fabulous little boys instead of thinking of a super cool new blog post to write.

So that's only 7 excuses this time. Perhaps in about 6 weeks I'll have no excuses left and get back to posting regularly. Until then...enjoy the rest of your summer. It's flying by way too quickly! --Emily

Image by Maxey, shared via Flickr.

RMMB: "16 and Pregnant"--Seriously?!?!

My recent post for Rocky Mountain Moms Blog (RMMB for short) is live. This week I took on the new MTV show "16 and Pregnant." Have you seen the show yet? Consider yourself lucky if you haven't. I ask you, what exactly is the point of this show?

I'd love for you to read what I have to say about it and then leave a comment on the RMMB site letting us know your thoughts on the whole thing. Really, just what are we trying to teach our kids? --Emily

"16 and Pregnant"--Seriously?!?!

What prevents you from enjoying "me time?"

Last week I had the opportunity of being on the panel for Mom It Forward's #GNO night on Twitter. The subject was "me time"--something all of us women need but very few of us enjoy. One of the follow-up posts I wrote is all about those things that make it especially hard to take time for ourselves. And this time is vital for our happiness, health and most importantly, sanity.

In "The Top 5 Things That Get in the Way of 'Me Time' (...And How to Deal With Them)" I've compiled a list of what I feel are the five biggest obstacles to the ever-elusive "me time." As usual I've thrown in a good dose of humor--it wouldn't be one of my posts if it weren't a tad bit funny. (Hello--humor is one of the ways I stay sane!) So enjoy a good little chuckle and read how you too can make time for yourself even with days full of children, laundry and a serious lack of sleep.

Read "The Top 5 Things That Get in the Way of 'Me Time' (...And How to Deal With Them)" on Mom It Forward.

Related posts I wrote for Mom It Forward's "Me Time" #GNO:

• "Gal to Gal Foundation: Design & Donate"
• "Make 'YOU' Your Number One Priority!"

Top 5 reasons why YOU should attend Moms Who Make It

My good friend Quinn is the woman behind CreatedByMom.com and the Moms Who Make It Conference. She just posted a great YouTube video listing the top five reasons why YOU should attend the conference. By the way, we only have our afternoon/evening session tickets left--the mini-class and full-day conference tickets are totally SOLD OUT!

But the afternoon/evening session ticket still gives you the biggest portion of the conference complete with fabulous keynote speakers, a wonderful panel of entrepreneurial women, breakout sessions on everything from motherhood to social media, a truly tasty gourmet dinner AND our mocktail party after the event where you can socialize, network and connect with other women.

The conference is next Thursday, July 16th. Grab your tickets before they're gone!

Do you know a mom who inspires you?

Though Mother's Day has come and gone, moms are still working hard, creating joy and spreading love wherever they go. We would love to honor these women during the Moms Who Make It conference on July 16th. (For more information on the conference, click here.)

For our Moms Who Are Making It spotlight during the conference we’re looking for moms who have had difficult life circumstances but have used them as a catalyst to change their lives for the better. These are moms who have inspired you to look at your own life and think, “I can make it too!”


We will collect all the nominations and randomly select ten to be honored at the conference. Each time a mom is nominated she receives an entry into the drawing, so the more nominations the better her chance of being spotlighted at our event. These moms will receive a full-day ticket to the conference and an invitation to attend the VIP Mocktail Party that night so they can mingle with our speakers and the CreatedByMom.com moms. We're also throwing some fun swag into the mix!

If you know a mom who is “making it,” please email or comment a quick summary (200 words or less) on why you think she should be honored during the Moms Who Make It conference. You can send an email to momswhomakeit {at} createdbymom {dot} com.

If you wonder if you’ll be honored as one of our Moms Who Are Making It, buy your ticket now before the price goes up on July 7th (midnight) OR before they sell out! If you are chosen we will refund your ticket.

We’re looking forward to sharing their stories and being inspired just as you have been inspired by them!

Moms Who Are Making It is sponsored by The Potted Pansy

My first post on Rocky Mountain Moms Blog!

I just started writing for Rocky Mountain Moms Blog, which is part of the Silicon Valley Moms Blog network of sites, and my first post

"When I grow up I want to be a really cool mom"

just went live! I'd love for you to read it and show a little comment love if you have the time. I'm really excited about being part of such a fabulous group of women! Wish me luck! --Emily

Don't miss Utah's 7th annual Chalk Art Festival!

I am the worst mom when it comes to doing fun, culturally enlightening, non-McDonald's-playland things. I could learn a lesson or two from my friend Vanessa over at I Never Grew Up and Utah's Natural Kids! But I am stepping up my mothering a notch this week and plan to take my kids to a wonderful event put on by the Utah Foster Care Foundation.

The 7th annual Chalk Art Festival will be held June 19-20 along Rio Grande Street at The Gateway in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Festival attracts more than 120 artists ages 12 and up and more than 17,000 visitors each year and turns The Gateway into a live entertainment and street painting celebration. More importantly the event helps to raise funds for the Utah Foster Care Foundation.

The festival is completely FREE to the public--a great thing for those of us on a tighter budget! The professional, adult and student artists will transform the streets of The Gateway into a beautiful, temporary art gallery for the entire family to enjoy. How cool is that?!?!

The festival also features a “Kids Korner” where children can create their own chalk art. The Chalk Art Festival is a great way for the family to spend more time together while at the same time helping people become aware of 2,600 Utah children in foster care and their need for loving homes and families.

Festival hours:
June 19 from 4-9pm
June 20 from 10am-9pm

Not sure you want to attend? I bet checking out artwork from some of the past Chalk Art Festivals will change your mind! You can view a slideshow of past artwork here.

I believe there is still time to help sponsor the event and sign up as a volunteer. Unfortunately for your budding artists, artist registration is closed for the year. But now that you know about the annual festival you can start planning your entry for next year! For more information visit www.chalkartfestival.org.

Head outside for some fun summer games!

Thanks to a fun #gno on Twitter Tuesday night many of us discovered some great outside games to play with our families. And also thanks to #gno, I'm sure we missed a few. (The tweets are always fast and furious!) If it weren't for @WebAnna I might not have remembered many of these fun ideas. She's compiled a list from Tuesday night's #gno into a post on her blog. Thank you, @WebAnna!

Here are a few of my favorites, but you'll want to read the full post for the list of wonderful outdoor summer games.

• @MobiMom: Night games are great. We put those snap-glow bracelets on the little ones so we can find them easier.
• @inevergrewup: My little girl is a future photographer, we go on “photography walks” almost every week! She just loves it
• @startupprincess: another fun idea is to let your kids decorate their bikes/scooters/etc with streamers, balloons, etc and have a parade

Do you have any other ideas to add to the list? You can comment on the original post and/or leave an idea or two here. We'd love for you to share so all of us moms can survive the summer! --Emily

Darling, can you hear me? SOS!

My good friend Jyl from Mom It Forward recently wrote a post titled "10 Tips for Raising Service-Oriented, Giving, and Charitable Children" (a must-read for every parent). The post got her thinking about how "one of the best ways to teach your children to be service oriented is to model the behavior for them." That thought led to what is now the Summer of Service (SOS) Challenge. What I love about this challenge is that it's not only easy and fun but it will make a big difference in the quality of our family's summer. Here are the details:

The SOS Challenge

Every Sunday from now through Labor Day you will find a new SOS Challenge of the week on http://momitforward.com.

Simply click on the SOS Challenge post and read the details and 10 suggested ideas on how you can make a difference related to the week's theme. The goal is to do one act of kindness a week. (If you have other ideas that fit the topic, feel free to share them on the site.)

Once you have completed the week's challenge, post on your site about your experiences and/or leave a comment on that week's post.


The Giveaways

The fun part? Each week a different company will sponsor the challenge and they come bearing gifts! You can enter to win one of the giveaway prizes every week. This week's giveaway includes a popcorn bowl, three boxes of Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn and Kathy Peel’s most recent book, The Busy Mom’s Guide to a Happy, Organized Home. Click here for details and to enter!


The Button

The more people involved, the more lives changed. If you'd like to help spread the word about the SOS Challenge, please copy the image above and paste it in your blog or site's sidebar with a link to http://momitforward.com.

Is bedtime a seven-letter word in your home?

Today I had the fabulous opportunity to write a guest post for Petit Elefant, an awesome online magazine-style parenting blog, and because it took what little time and energy I had left last night to write it, I had little left for a post on freshly baked, a not-quite-as-cool-as-Petit-Elefant blog.

So instead of a super inspiring, original post I'm going to simply refer you to the one I wrote for Petit Elefant: "Bedtime, the seven-letter word"...and I'm going to throw in a little guilt trip as well. Here it is: if you don't comment I will think you didn't read it and I will cry and cry and cry myself to sleep tonight. Feeling the need to comment? I hope so!

Is bedtime a seven-letter word in your home? If you can relate to this excerpt from my post then it very well could be:

I think the only time I ever truly enjoy bedtime is when my kids are in the stage my youngest is in right now, the binky-blanket-book-bed stage. Just now I had to haul my three-year-old back to bed for the fourth time tonight. Oh, and here I am one sentence later and he’s back again…can you see my jaw tensing as I get up yet one more time to lead him back to bed in silence? And yes, I learned that trick from Super Nanny.

If that sounds familiar you'll want to read the post in its entirety. Bedtime is just three hours away...wish me luck! --Emily

What's your Skin Deep toxicity rating?

Earth Mama Angel Baby is a line of 100% natural, organic, toxin-free herbal skin and body care products perfect for pregnancy, labor, postpartum and c-section recovery, breastfeeding, baby care and even the loss of a baby. Earth Mama Angel Baby is all about keeping you and your little ones toxin free. Their latest effort to "[move] earth and heaven for you" is the What's Your Score? Challenge--and yes, there are prizes!

The What's Your Score? Challenge is one challenge in which you need--not just want--to participate. Here's how it works:

~ Gather some of the most common personal care products you use regularly on yourself or on your baby. (Personal care products include shampoo, lotions, soaps, diaper cream, stretch mark oil, etc.)

~ Go to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics’ Skin Deep database and enter a product name in the search field.

~ Add up the Skin Deep toxicity rating for all the personal care products you use on a daily basis on your pregnant or nursing body, or on your baby, to find out what your score is.

~ When you have your score, post your answer to three quick questions (below) in the comments area. Your post in the comments section with your three answers is one entry into the contest. Don’t worry – there are no right or wrong answers, but we think you’ll be surprised at how high the toxin score is for those products you are using that are labeled natural or even organic.

1. What was your Skin Deep toxicity rating score?
2. Were you surprised with the score and/or ingredients?
3. What would you like your score to be?

Most women are truly shocked at the high toxin scores of their pregnancy or baby products they thought were safe. Of course we hope they’ll also notice that Earth Mama Angel Baby products are different from most personal care products. We’ve even signed a truth in labeling pledge. All pure, herbal Earth Mama Angel Baby products are toxin-free and contain no artificial ingredients. Just pure, natural products for pure, natural mamas and babies!

For helpful advice and safe, natural products that work, women can trust Earth Mama Angel Baby. After all, if Mama wouldn't use it for her own family, then she doesn't sell it. Mama's Promise™.

For more information and some great research on toxins in personal care products, see the No More Toxic Tub in the Earth Mama Angel Baby April Newsletter.

So the challenge has been issued--will you accept? I highly recommend you do! Along with an increased awareness of the chemicals you're using on yourself and your baby, by commenting on this post with the answers to the three questions above you'll be entered to win an Earth Mama Angel Baby gift set!

Here's how to enter:

• For one entry comment on this post with the answers to the three questions above.
• For an extra entry tweet about this challenge and giveaway; leave a separate comment with the link to your tweet.
• Though the challenge is ongoing this giveaway ends two weeks from today (June 16, 2009). Good luck!

Image by Chriggy, shared via Flickr.

Hope for Maggie

I never watch the news. I should, I know, but it's often depressing, sometimes wrong and I rarely like what the weatherman has to say. But I am glad my friends watch the news since Vanessa from I Never Grew Up posted about Maggie's story, which she recently heard on ABC 4 here in Utah:

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - Maggie Agnew is a bright, 10 month girl who is suffering from multiple medical problems. She has been called 'The Incredible Shrinking Baby' because now at 10 months, she weighs only 10 pounds.

Specialist after specialist has tried to diagnose the problem. But so far the cause of her ailments eludes them as does a treatment.

Her parents now believe that the best hope for Maggie may be at Boston Children’s Hospital. But to go there will cost money — lots of money. And even though the Agnews have health insurance, the copays and deductibles have already left them with a substantial debt.

You can read more about Maggie's story on the family's blog Hope for Maggie. You can support the cause by donating to the Agnew family through the PayPal link on the site.

And as Vanessa said, please feel free to copy this blog post and do your part to help spread the word about Maggie. Every little donation helps! --Emily

Follow that blog: Dore's Diaries

Another fabulous woman I met via America's Next Top Blogger is Doré from Doré's Diaries, "an inside look into this thing [she] calls life." Doré and I were the final two in the competition yet remained friends through it all. In fact, she and I had an alliance from the get-go that started with a few text messages back and forth. Who knew those texts would take us to the finals?

Doré's blog is full of fun peeks into her life as a student (she'll graduate in December with her Bachelor's degree--go, Doré!), wife and mother:

I was born and raised in Central Louisiana and wouldn't want to call any other place home. I can do the whole girly dress up thing, but much prefer to just kick back in jeans and a T and be Me. Yes, I do have a country accent and I'm darn proud of it too!

She does have the cutest country accent--I've heard it over the phone! You can read more about her here.

Doré's Diaries has everything from her first Tackle It Tuesday (amazing transformation of her little boy's room) to her America's Next Top Blogger exploits to fabulous and fun giveaways. Along with subscribing to her blog you can follow Dore on Twitter.

Keep an eye out for us during MomDot's The Amazing Blogging Race--you better believe we'll be the team to watch because we'll be the team that wins! --Emily

We love Nature Days!

What does our recent visit to the International Peace Gardens have to do with a wonderful web wednesday? Well, I wouldn't have known about this fabulous place if I hadn't read about Nature Days on I Never Grew Up and Utah's Natural Kids, and I wouldn't have read those two blogs if I hadn't met Vanessa (@inevergrewup) on Twitter and then in real life. I love it when virtuality meets reality!

On Monday I met with a handful of other moms including Vanessa, Amber (@amberorme), Quinn (@createdybmom) from CreatedByMom.com and Vone (@EvonneSell) from Sell...Party of 3 at the International Peace Gardens in Salt Lake City. We let our kids explore nature (i.e. jump in the water, play in the mud, pick the dandelions and reorganize the pebble-filled paths) while we did a little chatting and kept tabs on our ever curious kids. The weather was beautiful and it was nice to have some adult conversation while my kids burned off some of their seeming unending supply of energy.

We are already looking forward to our next Nature Days. I can't wait to see where Vanessa sends us! (And maybe I'll arrive on time for the next one. Thank heavens Quinn was a tad late too...thanks, babe!) To catch the next Nature Days subscribe to both I Never Grew Up and Utah's Natural Kids. You won't want to miss it! --Emily

P.S. George absolutely LOVES his bike, which is similar to the ones you saw in the slideshow. You can find your own Boot Scoot Bike at CreatedByMom.com. They're AWESOME!!!

Follow that blog: The Mud Bug

We have a full that's hot! thursday for you today with another post (and one soon to follow with the best entry for the latest ANTB HOH competition!). Along with making friends with some fabulous new women I've been introduced to some new blogs like Life Starring Ellie and Eve, which I featured yesterday. Today I have another fab blog for you: The Mud Bug.

The Mud Bug, named after Toni's little boy, features a variety of topics, reviews, giveaways along with parenting advice, recipes and fun insights into the author's family life. With five children I'm amazed at what she accomplishes with her blog! How does she find the time to do it all?!?! Here's a bit about Toni from Toni herself:

As for me, I love to laugh, play with my children and read (although not much time lately for this). I am a very giving person. To me, blogging is relaxing. I get excited when writing a blog post, review, etc. because I know that I am able to give to my readers.

Show this babe of a blogger some comment love by visiting her site, subscribing to her newsletter and/or her RSS feed and returning here to let us know you did.

Though you should do it out of the goodness of your heart, we'll sweeten the suggestion by offering a special code for
30% off
at georgietees.com to everyone who comments below!

Now hurry! Go follow The Mud Bug blog! --Emily