Halloween is just around the corner, and with it comes the annual question: what age is too old for trick-or-treating? The debate continues year after year, and I often hear, “Teens shouldn’t be trick-or-treating.” As a mother of six tweens/teens, I firmly believe that there is no age limit to enjoying the holiday spirit. In fact, to those people, I say, get over it. It’s easy to get caught up in the idea that Halloween is just for little kids. But the truth is, teenagers are still growing up and exploring their identities. Dressing up in costumes and going door-to-door for treats is a fun and harmless way for them to do just that. And let’s face it, who doesn’t love a good piece of candy? Of course, there are some concerns that come with older kids trick-or-treating. Some worry that they might be too scary or intimidating to younger…
April is Cesarean Awareness Month. Considering I’ve had six of the damn things, I thought I’d take some time to share my learnings.
A baby shower, a sprinkle or even a sip-and-see; call it what you will etiquette states they’re generally gift giving events. While showers can be bursting with love for a new mom, they are also a tricky social event to maneuver. It’s important to remember, all mothers are not created equally. If there is no shower registry (like this ideal list) or you decide to go rogue and avoid the registry there are a few considerations to be made when finding the perfect baby shower gift. The personality of the new parents. If mom is the sentimental type, you may look at a more traditional gift or keepsake. If she’s the fashionista Instagram mom, cute matching outfits will be loved. The more practical moms (raises hand) might rather have everyone pitch in for a good stroller, a baby carrier, or even cases of diapers! Never underestimate the gift of help!…
It is a long-standing tradition in our family, that I publicly share my annual round up of “Mom Fails” on the blog. They usually include things like forgetting to pick a kid up from the airport, dropping a kid off at the wrong hockey arena, and the usual things busy moms do. I always ask the kids what tops the list, and they are more than happy to share their ideas. For my top 2022 Mom Fails include: Going to high school parent teacher interviews wearing my pants inside out AND backwards. I remembered it was interview night about 10 minutes before my first appointment, so that is probably another fail and could explain my outfit. The MOMENT I walk in my house from the outside world, I immediately take off my “hard pants” (also known as jeans) and put on my track pants. I quickly threw on some cargo…
Moms are busy. We lead hectic lives juggling the needs of other people. This holiday season, if you want to really make the mama in your family feel special, consider the following gifts: TIME Time is precious, and moms don’t have enough of it. So how can you give her time? There are several ways: A meal service. Take a task away from her or make it easier. I recently had a HelloFresh box arrive at my house and I couldn’t have been happier. All the ingredients and easy to follow recipes made for a meal that my entire family loved. If you have not considered this service, now’s the time. This busy mama’s quality of life increased significantly once I discovered HelloFresh A cleaning service. Although keeping the house clean should be a family affair, the stress of it often lands on mom. Buying a family gift of having a…
I love that my kids are confident. I love that they’re kind and they’re successful. But it’s important through all of it to keep them humble. I saw this come across my social media feeds, and it triggered a few feelings about staying humble and teaching our kids the same—especially these days with positive parenting. Of course, we want to be gentle and positive parents, but too much telling them they’re brilliant isn’t positive, because are they? Or are they just the same as everyone else, no better- no worse, just different. Value them I don’t think we have to make our kids feel like they are the most extraordinary creatures that ever existed. Instead, we should have conversations and show that we value them for who they are and what they’re passionate about. But, again, it doesn’t have to be spectacular. They are just humans – as incredible and,…
We had an unwanted visitor over the holiday season, a couple of my kiddos got the dreaded Covid. No matter how hard we worked on following protocol and how safe we felt we were being, at the end of the day, it was only a matter of time. This uninvited visitor over-stayed it’s welcome and put a damper of the Holiday season. But like every bummer of a situation, we learned something from it. Here are a few things I learned from covid: No point in pointing fingers: When the first kid in our family tested positive, the siblings turned into detectives in hopes of discovering who the original source was. Their witch-hunt came up empty, and no one could be burned at the stake for being “Patient Zero”. Our family followed all the protocols and did nothing wrong. I understand wanting to know the source to mitigate spread, but…
My yearly round-up of Mom Fails is a bit of a tradition. They were a mix of funny ones and real regrets/lessons learned in the early days. As my children get older, I find some of my “Mom Fails” are more like “Mom Trolls.” Those of you who have teenagers can surely appreciate and relate to how easy and enjoyable it is to see them cringe. This year it is a mix of “whoopsies” and cringe-worthy moments. Accidentally letting the 12-year-old watch Sex Education. If you have not seen this series yet, it’s pretty racy at times. I thought I’d go to sleep watching the last few episodes of the first season. I promptly fell asleep, to which my friends commented, “only Julie could fall asleep during Sex Education!” Regardless, once I dozed off, 12-year-old Fin crawled into bed with me and proceeded to watch the last three episodes. When…
As a mom of a whole bunch of teenagers, my home has been filled with people having periods over the last few years. I have now joined the ranks of the peri-menopausal. It’s not awesome – I live never knowing when my period may or may not turn up. I deal with a constant state of hot flashes triggered by kid hugs and face masks. Most annoying? I seem to be carrying an unexplained 10lbs extra on my body. I have done nothing differently, and yet my jeans don’t fit. Hormones are a bit rude that way. Hormones; why ya gotta be like that The critical thing to remember about hormones is that they can indeed cause us grief at any age. Girls are getting their periods a year younger than in the ’70s and remember that adrenarche begins years before that! The average age is 12 years old. However, precocious puberty is…
‘Tis the season for mom to get a bath robe. Last year we all had a good laugh at the Saturday Night Live skit about moms being neglected during the holidays. It was funny because it was so relatable. This year, I thought I’d share a few goodies that us mamas might appreciate. 1. Something beautiful AND sentimental Our kids create so much beautiful art. I know most of it ends up in the recycling bin, but sometimes they create something special that deserves to be remembered. Made With Your Art takes your child’s piece of creativity and turns it into a stunning piece of jewelry. I have several pieces and have gifted them as well. The process is simple, the prices reasonable and the outcome incredible! 2. Something celebrating our Mama status I have the sweetest “Hockey Mama” shirt from Ash and Co. Their products are simple and elegant.…