Mom Writes Stuff

We live in difficult times, it’s true. More than anything, we moms have mastered the art of penny-pinching, if only to save for our family’s future. We cut corners here and there, and try our hardest to make ends meet. We aim to give our kids a comfortable life, without having to scrimp on the essentials.

One of the ways to cut down on our expenses is by spending less on groceries. If you often feel that you need heavy-duty material handling equipment just to haul your shopping bags to your doorstep every time you do the groceries, then you may be buying more than what you really need. So, how can you exactly put a ceiling over your supermarket spending?

Make a list. And just like good ol’ Santa Claus, do check it twice. It’s almost a mortal sin to hit the supermarket without it. Going up and down the grocery aisles without a list in hand compels you to pull out anything you see on the shelves. Discipline yourself to strictly stick to your list.

Leave the kids at home. If you have kids in tow at the grocery store, you sometimes find it hard to say no to what they want.

Eat first. If you’re hungry as you do the groceries, you will tend to buy more of what you see, especially if they look scrumptious.

Saving money on groceries is not at all hard. All it takes is a good amount of discipline. After all, the money you’ll save will be for your family.

Tags: money saving tips, saving money

Even if your home doesn’t have a home entertainment system worthy of airtime on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, or one of those “celebrity crib” shows, you can still help enhance your family’s home movie viewing experience.

Since most of the movies we have are stored in our computers, it would be much more convenient to simply hook them up to the TV straight away.   To do the job, you’ll need those vga to hdmi cables.  Might sound a little alien to you, so get your hubby to do the hardware shopping.

It would help if you had a TV surround system.  This gives a cinema-like feel to your movie watching.  Otherwise, you can just make do with what you have.  Most TV sets are equipped with built-in cinema settings.  Just fiddle with them and you’ll hit the spot.

Pop the popcorn, get the drinks ready, and sit the family down to an unforgettable movie viewing experience right in your living room.  Sharing a movie with them proves to be a fun bonding moment- and you don’t even have to talk!

Tags: family bonding

Gone are the days when all a pregnant woman had to wear were unflattering tent dresses which did nothing for her self-esteem. Just because you’re with child, doesn’t mean you don’t have the license to look good and celebrate your curves.

Fashion has certainly come a long way, as there are now a plethora of clothing options for the pregnant woman. Even the most frugal of moms will be pleased to know that there are discount maternity dresses available at our disposal. When shopping for maternity clothes, do consider the following staples which are sure to flatter your figure:

The One-Shoulder Top. These are simple yet flattering tops which show off one of your shoulders for a sexy look. Some of these come in tunics or comfortable form-fitting tops.

Maternity Jeans. These are adjustable at the waist as your belly gets bigger. They come in Capri styles or shorts.

Maxi Maternity Dress. If you must attend a special function, there are a wide range of dresses available. These tend to flatter your neckline and give enough room for your tummy. They have flattering designs such as ruffles. V-necklines also work to emphasize your upper body.

Tags: maternity clothes, maternity dresses

Our eyes are the windows to the soul, so it only makes perfect sense to care for them.  One of the things which could damage your eyes is harmful UV rays from the sun.  Whether on a cloudy or sunny day, we do need to protect our eyes, as those UV rays do permeate even through dark clouds.

The best way to protect our eyes from UV rays is by wearing sunglasses.  Who would be insane enough to say no to a pair of Ray Bans which will make you look like Jackie O reincarnated, right?  Picking out a pair of sunglasses isn’t as simple as grabbing a can of tomato sauce from the grocery aisles, though.  You do need to put some careful thought into choosing a good pair.

Be sure to inspect the sunglasses.  They should give 99%-100% protection from both UVA and UVB rays.  If you happen to wear eyeglasses, you could look for prescription sunglasses, so they serve a dual purpose.

Comfort and style, of course, are major considerations.  Choose a pair which feels comfortable around your eyes.  Try on different styles to find one which suits your face shape.

A good pair of sunglasses will make you look good and protect your eyes at the same time.  Choose wisely, and you’ll get your money’s worth.

Tags: choosing shades, choosing sunglasses

Image source: aboutpixel.de / Babyfüße © Rico Kammerer

For any mother who has carried her baby in her womb for nine months, finally hearing her baby’s first cry as she emerges from your belly is simply a joyous occasion.  Celebrating your newborn baby’s birth into this world is something which is at the top of your list.  What can you do to commemorate this momentous event in your lives?

Before anything else, friends and family should understand that you are only too tired and sleep-deprived to take on the planning details for a welcoming party for your newborn.  Instead of dropping by your place and potentially infesting your house with human-germs, well-wishers can instead give you a quick phone call or send flowers, a card or even food your way. 

The grander celebration can come a few months after, when you and your partner have pretty much adjusted to having a baby in your lives.  By then, your baby will have become more physically resistant to infection, and can accommodate a few cheek-pinching sessions with your beloved guests.

A couple’s happiness over the birth of a newborn is almost infectious.  Just sympathize with them for the meantime and save the visits for later.  They will surely appreciate your concern.

Tags: celebrating newborn

Image source: aboutpixel.de / Currywurstpommes © Bettina Blass

Any loving mom puts a premium on her children’s health.  We want our kids to grow up active and healthy.  You want to beam with pride as you watch your son run around the school track and field.  It’s a hard fact though, that obesity can strike even young kids, so as a mom, you should do what you can to prevent your kids from packing on extra weight at their tender age.  Short of giving your kids appetite suppressants to keep their weight down, here are a few easy strategies to prevent obesity in kids:

• As much as possible, don’t make your kid drink soda and too much juice.  These are just added calories without added nutrition.
• Avoid fast food.  That’s easier said than done, I know.  Try to keep it at a minimum, if you can.  If your kids eat too much of these sodium-rich food, it’s not too healthy.
• Make your kids physically active.  This may mean getting them enlisted in a sport or simply taking walks with them.
• Got milk? Keep it to a minimum, though.  Yes, milk is good for the body, but over-consumption of this yummy drink can lead to kids being overweight.  Children normally need only 16-24 ounces of milk each day.

If you start your kids early with proper diet and exercise, they will carry this habit with them well into adulthood.  Health is the greatest gift you can give them.

Tags: children obesity, kids obesity, obese children

Women the world over are on the perennial quest to lose weight. Whether you simply want to look foxy in a tight black dress or you want to trim down to stay healthy, we all have our reasons for wanting to lose weight. Left and right, we try out various products available, from diet pills to slimming teas. The more brazen ones among us go the easy- albeit painful- route of plastic surgery just to get rid of unwanted fat from our bodies. Good news is, there are some simple and sweat-free ways to say goodbye to flab:

Drink lots of water. Thirty minutes prior to having your meal, down a full glass of water. You’re sure to feel so full that you won’t have to eat so much.

Share. When dining out, share those huge meal servings with a friend.

Squeeze it. Even while you’re working in front of the computer, you can firm up those abs by squeezing your tummy as hard as you can, hold it for as long as you can bear it, and release. Do this several times a day, and you will start to see results.

Losing weight does not always have to be a chore. With some amount of discipline, you can achieve your weight loss goals.

Tags: diet, losing weight, weight loss, weight loss tips

Image source: aboutpixel.de / Riese II © Daniel Werner

As I was cruising down the road today with one of my best friends, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude within me.  Not only because she paid for lunch, but because I felt thankful that nobody I know is cooped up in one of those drug rehab treatment centers.  I feel blessed that my friends and family are all well-adjusted people who do not have to depend on narcotics and the like just to help them get through life.

It is but normal to hit some bumps in the road and to feel sadness or hopelessness once in a while, as we are only human whose souls get bruised when faced with adversity in all its various forms.  We just have to learn to handle life’s occasional misfortunes and force a positive outlook on things.

It, of course, helps to have faith in a Higher Being.  Whatever religion you belong to, engaging in daily prayer does wonders in uplifting your spirits.

Having a good support system helps remind us of the good things in life.  When things go awry, it’s always comforting to know that you have your BFF or family to turn to.

Tags: life problems, support system

Whenever I see some of my friends puffing away on their cigarettes, I just want to go ahead and pull it out of their lips and crush it on the floor. It just never ceases to baffle me why people enjoy smoking. It’s something I’ve never tried, and I don’t intend to. Sometimes I feel the urge to ask my friends to look for the best term life insurance for smokers, if they value their lives at all!

What they fail to realize is that what they keep doing continues to harm the people around them. That includes their families, of course. Little do they know that there is such a thing as third-hand smoke. This is the smell of cigars which sticks to furniture long after you’ve left the room. It’s the smoke scent which stays on your clothes after a night out at the bar. When you come home and carry your kids, for instance, the carcinogens from your cigarette which are still present on your shirt can be unintentionally passed on to your kids.

Forewarned is forearmed. What you do with what you know is now up to you.

Tags: smoking dangers, third hand smoke, third hand smoking

Image source: aboutpixel.de / School Bus © Andreas Thormann

Seems like only yesterday when you were preparing graduation announcements from invitationbox.com to send to family and friends.  Now that summer’s gone, it’s time once more to hit the books.  One of the more stressful things about being a mom to school kids is getting them ready for school.  On a normal school day, we almost always find ourselves in a mad morning rush, just trying to run a comb through their hair.  What can we do to make the task easier?

The night before, get their stuff ready.  Put the books they’ll need for the next school day inside your kids’ bags.  Hang the clothes they plan to wear outside the closet, so they won’t have to waste time in choosing their outfit the next morning.  If you drive your kids to school, gas up the previous day, because lines at the gasoline station tend to be long on Monday mornings, for instance. 

Rushing about always gives us undue stress.  The key to dealing with it lies in effective preparation.

Tags: preparing for school, school days