TodaysMama

On the 2nd Day of Discounts . . .

Click Here for Discount!

Mama's Holiday Wishlist

TodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

What 5 items are top on your holiday wish list this year?

• A clean house (a girl can dream right???)
• New jeans (mine are stuck in a time warp)
• A new front door (my pink door with pealing paint needs to go)
• New running shoes (not that I really like running)
• A new fancy Mac desktop with all the bells and whistles and lots and lots of storage!

What is your favorite handmade gift you have received?

• Erin's granola

What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle?

• Would love to make a glorious cookbook of my favorite recipes and include the goodies

What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child?

• Baby Skates and a Michael Jackson poster

What items are top on your kids wish list this year?

• a puppy (we all ready have a dog)
• Lego Batman Wii game
• Journals/Girl Diaries

What is your favorite holiday food?

• I love wassail!

What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays?

• :( Still pondering . . .

What is your favorite holiday movie?

• The Grinch Who Stole Christmas

Favorite holiday song?

• Dave Matthews - Christmas Song
• Sting - I Saw Three Ships
• Love my local artists Christmas Music: Peter Breinholt, Ryan Shupe and the Rubber Band "The Gift"

Favorite holiday pastime?

• I could seriously watch a different Christmas movie every night of the month! And I love all of the cool performances that happen around town.

To enter to win all these cool prizes below simply answer the questions in this meme, make sure to post links back to TodaysMama.com and Provo Craft (use this link: http://bit.ly/4ikY3c ) and tag your friends! 

 

Tag you're it!

Anna        Allison

Angie        Jyl

JoAnna    Vanessa

McRae       Quinn

Emily        Alma

The Great Escape!

Tag I'm it!

This is contest entry for those crazy folks at TodaysMama and Cricut.  Be sure to check out Cricut's cool new cartridges and the chance at $30,000 in travel for you and your friends at The Great Gypsy Escape!

(be sure to include the above text and links in your post for your contest entry to be counted)

1. If you could escape to anywhere in the world where would it be?

New Zealand or Tahiti

2. What song do you play when you are by yourself in the car?

Lately it's been "Sometime Around Midnight" by Airborne Toxic Event, it's a good song LOUD and at sunset

3. If you had a night to yourself, and money was no object, what would you do?

Fly somewhere to see Flight of the Conchords in concert :D, maybe I'd like it to be in San Francisco and I'd hit up my favorite Thai restaurant

4. What is your guilty pleasure?

Ben and Jerry's Toffee Heath Bar Crunch (apparently I am allergic to dairy, caffeine and sugar . . . dangit!)

5. What is the farthest place you have traveled away from your home?

I'm going to have to check distances - it's either Russia, Kenya or the Middle East. Don't know technically by miles which is furthest!

6. Last book that you couldn't put down?

I just read the last Harry Potter book (figured I should do it before the last movie comes out)

7. When you want to escape into another time, what movie do you watch?

The Notebook

8. My favorite local escape?

Breathe Day Spa!

9. How do you escape on a budget?

Red Box

10. Best food you've ever had while on vacation.

I'm going to say the Mexican Food on our honeymoon (in Mexico)

TAG you're it!

Jyl                Allison

Anna            Marie

Angie B.       Emily

Angela S.      Vanessa 

McRae          Carina

JoAnna        Quinn

Shoes Anyone?

Did you know that two things most all women share is their love of shoes and ice cream? Famous Footwear blends these two ingredients together on its site Make Today Unexpected, which gives us women the chance to discover our style and flavor in a most unexpected way. I just went there, took a short quiz, and found out my personal flavor is "Java Lava Jive." Works out well for me since my real favorite flavor is Ben and Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch. How'd they know? :D Make sure to comment and post what your flavor is when you enter this stylish, not to mention FABULOUS, giveaway!

Giveaway

Grand Prize

This week, Famous Footwear is awarding one lucky winner with a $100 gift card. Shoes anyone? (See Entry Requirements below.)

Coupon

Everyone's a winner in this giveaway! Make your back-to-school shoe shopping spree a little more affordable by visiting MakeTodayUnexpected.com and entering to receive $10.00 off your next purchase of $50.00 or more.

Entry Requirements

To enter for a chance to win the $100 Famous Footwear gift card, please do one of these four things (make sure you leave a separate comment for each of your entries - yes you can have multiple entries :D).

Take the 'Find Your Flavor' quiz by clicking here. Leave a comment on this post with your flavor and e-mail address.

Become a fan of the Famous Footwear's Make Today Unexpected Facebook Page. (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Make-Today-Famous/112646406371?ref=ts)

Follow @maketodayfamous on Twitter.

Post these messages on Facebook and/or on Twitter and leave comments here, linking to your messages:

Join #gno 8/25 from 9-11 ET 2 chat shoes & ice cream w/ @famous_footwear & @maketodayfamous. RSVP: http://bit.ly/wsRrC PLS RT Download Famous Footwear coupon 4 back-to-school/fall savings: http://bit.ly/fogQH PLS RT #gno

Extra Entries

You can earn up to two extra entries for this week's giveaway. Leave an additional comment for each.

• Click here and become a Famous Footwear REWARDS club member (free).
• Post or tweet about something unexpected that has happened to make your day or week more positive on @maketodayfamous or on the Make Today Unexpected Facebook Page.

The Fine Print

No purchase necessary to enter. Famous Footwear, TodaysMama.com and Mom It Forward employees, and giveaway hostesses are ineligible to participate.

Enter to win a FLIP camera!

We’ve got something new to share – an online community where moms can gather and CONNECT.

We’re rolling out the welcome mat on our new social network - Connect. Consider this our “open house”! Sign up and share what’s happening in your world, 140 characters at a time. Follow other moms to read their messages and join groups to share ideas, tips and comments on a common theme.

What would an open house be without a few goodies? We’re giving away one of our favorite gadgets – Flip Ultra Camcorders. To enter to win simply sign up for Connect, post and include “#flip” in your comment.

Example: “I’ve got two cute kiddos and I’d love a camcorder! #flip”

Get Connected…and GOOD LUCK!

Featured Blogger

Our featured blogger last week was "Creative Organizing" - I look at the pictures and sigh . . . and long for that level of organization at my house - but sadly I'm a long ways off!  The good thing: she's got lots of really simple ideas and tips to get it done.

I Trust You to Kill Me

I haven't even checked out the album yet but I digging the name of it all ready! Our managing editor Erin has never steered me wrong on her music selections. Check out the latest music review on MamasMix!

Favorite Valentine?

There is an awesome article on TodaysMama.com right now where we have a bunch of amazing bloggers sharing what their favorite Valentine's gift has been - check it out!

Last night I was listening on NPR to an interview about a study that was done that showed that people who received "experiential gifts" were more excited than those who received material gifts.  And it showed how much less expensive yet more effective "experiences" are.  On the high end of the spectrum of course there are trips or concerts etc.  On the low end of the spectrum there are simple things like lunch or a friend taking you for coffee/treats.  It was an interesting interview and it's so true!

My favorite gifts from my husband and anyone else for that matter involve spending time - and I'm not going to lie - a surprise trip to Hawaii right now would be the best experience ever! ;)

Making It Lovely

This Weeks Featured Blog: Appreciate pretty things? Follow along as Nicole of Making It Lovely blogs about renovating her home.  

Let's also be honest -- the odds of my home ever looking this cool are next to ZERO :(

Valentine's Crafts

Check out these super simple crafts you can do with your kids this Valentine's Day courtesy of Marie LeBaron of the blog MakeAndTakes -- she rocks!

Discount Valentine's Gift Ideas

A feature this week on TodaysMama.com from FabulousSavings.com - 

Click here to find all kinds of discounts and ideas for you and your family this Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Music Mixes

Check out our featured playlist this week on TodaysMama.com -- we all submitted our favorite LOVE songs just for Valentine's! I submitted the song by Belle and Sebastian in case you were wondering . . . 

VOTE FOR US!

Because I have no shame I will beg for your votes for TodaysMama!  We entered a little contest with Ladies Who Launch and Start Up Nation and would love if you would click (and if you really love us click EVERY DAY!) and give us your vote for top 200 mom owned businesses. 

If you are REALLY feeling the love -- write us a lovely comment.  Good mojo will come back to you the whole year round for showing love to Mama! ;)

Thanks!

Click Here to vote: http://tr.im/83mo

Results for our Moms and Holiday Spending Survey

Check out the results for our survey on how the economy is affecting mothers and their holiday spending this season - 

Interesting findings from TodaysMama.com: 

85% of moms said they will be cutting their holiday spending

Over 46% said they would cut their holiday budget by 50% or more!

62% will not be shopping on Black Friday this year 

23% of mothers surveyed have returned to work full or part time because of the economy

There's lots of interesting data in there.  We had more than 1050 moms around the country participate in the survey.  

For those of you who participated in the survey - THANK YOU!

How is the economy affecting you?

Help a mama out and take our latest survey -- (for mamas across the country).  How is the economy affecting you and your holiday spending?   Click Here to take survey You can also win a $200 Amex Gift Card by participating. Thanks!

MSNBC

A fun little Mother's Day piece of press -- we got a mention in an article on MSNBC today. Check it out . . .

Kick Like a Girl

A thought to chew on . . . how did Title IX change your life as a girl? I'd never considered it. Title IX passed 5 years before I was born.

I was a tom-boy growing up and loved and played sports. My best friends were generally guys. I played baseball with the boys at recess I rarely felt that I didn't measure up to them. I never remember feeling less than boys, or like the boys had special rights that I didn't. (except for when I joined Girl Scouts, and our campouts were in the backyard of our leader and all we did was make quilts! I was mad. I tried to join the Boy Scouts, but it didn't work out). So with the exception of Boy Scouts - I never felt like I got the short end of the stick.

I think that our generations relationship to boys and our view of ourselves has been reflected in all of the decisions we make, even the quality of our marriages and what our relationships are based on. I think you see the distinct difference in men 35 and younger as well. In my opinion, in most spheres, we are very much on the same playing field and it is a rare experience to come across a man that seems to have not caught on to the fact that girls in fact rule. ;)

So with great interest I attended the kick off reception of the new documentary "Kick Like a Girl" a film by Jenny Mackenzie.

It's about a girls soccer team who played for 2 years in all girls leagues undefeated. Finally the coach (one of their moms) decided to enter them into the boys league. It's an incredible movie that every mother of girls AND boys needs to see! I loved it!

The other cool thing about this film? It's made by a mom! She had just recently gone back to school in film making - I love to see women continually reinventing themselves and accomplishing cool things. Congrats!

Entrepreneurial?

This weeks featured blog is for entrepreneurial mamas :). Wendy Piersall has a fabulous blog with lots of great content, tips and tricks for moms who work from home - or aspire to.

Check it out!

Honey for your cough!

So -- last month on TodaysMama I saw a headline on our "TodaysBuzz" feature that said that honey was better for your kids cough than any cough medicine. The next week I visited the doctor for our lovely visit from "Strep Fairy" and the doctor told me the same thing. So we've tried it . . . several times over the last month. 1 teaspoon of honey seriously does work better than any cough medicine any of us has ever taken. My son was up all night coughing the other night - 1 teaspoon of honey, and 20 minutes later he was out like a light. It worked for my daughter and my husband too!

Here is the link to the article: http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=610578

Mommy Wars

I recently got up on my soap box about "The Feminine Mistake" -- which referenced The Mommy Wars a bit. We're running a poll right now on TodaysMama about the Mommy wars -- you can access the poll on the home page in the right hand column. What do you think about the Mommy Wars - Working Mom vs. Stay at Home Mom?

Share your thoughts on the Forum!

Oprah and Obama

TodaysMama Poll: Does Oprah's endorsement of Obama influence your vote at all?

Share your thoughts on the MamaVote forums!

New Years Resolution: Clean Out Your Closet!!!

That's everybody's New Year's resolution right? To clean the junk out of the various corners of our houses. We've got a giant stack waiting to be hauled out of the basement! I especially dug an article posted on TodaysMama this month "Clean Out Your Closet and Get Some Walkin' Around Money" by Elizabeth Rodgers.

"Did you know that the average American Household has approximately $2200 worth of unused items that can be sold on eBay?"

Elizabeth's article gives good tips to getting started on Ebay, setting up a PayPal account and making a little extra cash. It's a good, quick read -- "Yard sales are very last millennium!"

Happy Selling!

Christmas Tunes

I'm putting out a call for some good holiday tunes to feature on MamasMix this month --

Please post your favorites here: http://www.todaysmama.com/forum/showthread.php?t=445

If we pick your playlist - you'll get a gift card to iTunes. Now, I know I have friends out there with excellent music taste (and you know who you are . . .) so don't let me down! :)

Merry Christmas!

Cheating on Thanksgiving?

If it's Wednesday or Thursday morning and you are a Thanksgiving delinquent -- Rachael Ray gave us some good tips this month on store bought Thanksgiving goodness! So if youre family assigned you to something fabulous and you've thrown in the towel, here is a list of the best grocery store food for Thanksgiving!

DesignHerGals

Wondering where I got this cool little avatar on the side bar that makes me look as if I were a cool, stylish, hip mama? From DesignHerGals! I seriously love this site -- you can dress your gal, give her accessories, change her hair styles -- whatever you'd like. You can put these little avatars on your blog, on the footer of your email -- or better yet you can use them with our TodaysMama forums! :) (here is an example of my avatar on the forum -- scroll down, you'll see me)

The best part? You get a discount from TodaysMama to create your avatar, AND a percentage of your purchase goes to benefit breast cancer. Use this link to score your special deal from TodaysMama and to score your hip little avatar.

Rachael Ray on TodaysMama

That's right! Check out this week's recipe from Rachael Ray -- on TodaysMama. More to come!

Need a stroller?

Here’s a tip – Chicco, maker of great gear for babies, is giving away 30 strollers in 30 days. During the month of September they’re giving away one Ct 0.1 stroller (a premier stroller in their line) EVERYDAY. Hurry! You only have through September to win. To enter, click here.

Eva Mulvad and Malalai Joya

Ever heard of these two women? If not - you need to read up on them! Eva Mulvad is the director whose film “Enemies of Happiness” won Best World Documentary at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. The film follows the successful campaign of then-28-year-old Malalai Joya, elected in 2005 to Afghanistan’s National Assembly, the first democratically-elected parliamentary body in that nation in three decades.

Check out our interview with Eva on the MamaVote!

Robeez

Ever wondered about those cute little mocassins you were obsessed with in your child's infancy? Well - they were created by Sandra Wilson of Canada and named after her little boy - Robert. That changes the way I would pronouce the name a litlte bit!

Speaking previously of TodaysMama's as overwhelmingly entrepreneurial - Sandra is featured on TodaysMama right now as the featured blogger. Her blog is called Motherly Advice and if full of great tips and stories from the perspective of a very successful mompreneur.

You can also check out her Dream Big story - and how her next goal is to be a world class athlete and has a triathlon in her horizons - we better hook her up with MamasInTraining!

Lots of Mompreneurs

85% percent of TodaysMama's have or want to start their own business! Check out our latest poll.

Bored?

It's Friday - what is your family doing this weekend? Another shameless plug for TodaysMama -- our awesome calendar pages!

Arizona Mama
DC Mama
Houston Mama
Nevada Mama
S. Florida Mama
San Diego Mama
Santa Cruz Mama
Seattle Mamas
Spokane Mama
and
Utah Mama

Muddy Buddy

Here is the latest event I posted on MamasInTraining!

Anyone in??? :)

Mini Van for me?

OK-- not much has tempted me to go the Mini Van route -- I've had a few side glances at a Toyota but I've been able to look away quickly -- that is until this I checked the TodaysBuzz feature on TodaysMama and this mini van caught my eye that gets 40mpg -- but I guess I'll have to move to Europe!

An Incredible Story

Check this out on MamasInTraining!

There are lots of new cool posts on the training blog right now --

The MamaVote Project

On July 3rd TodaysMama launched our newest feature -- The MamaVote Project.

The MamaVote Project is designed to educate and inspire mothers and women in politics and community involvement. You can register to vote right off of the site as well as link out to lots of other helpful information.

There are lots of organizations out ther for women based on specific issues. When I think about what I want to accomplish with the MamaVote Project it ranges from simply sparking interest or planting a seed to inspiring women to jump in with both feet and serve in their communities.

There is so much noise in politics right now and so much scandal everywhere you turn that we wanted to step back and focus on those who are actually making a difference in our country and then talk about the simple ways that we can make a difference and utilize the freedoms that we have in a more responsible way than most of us American citizens do.

Do you vote a straight party? Do you vote the same way your parents do? Do you check the box the way your husband does because you're not sure? Are you overwhelmed by how much there is to know? Turned off by the apparent "dirtiness" of politics? We hope to provide a simple solution to making informed decisions, getting involved and finding new inspriation in the freedoms that we have and in the people that serve our country truly making a difference.

"Mamas are problem solvers, peacemakers and promoters of the public good-not just at home, but in the political world. We hold offices from school boards to senate seats, and analysts credit women with election-deciding swing votes. Visit this page often to remain informed - and inspired. Because the world's a better place when Mamas get involved."

Welcome to The MamaVote Project!

Happy Father's Day!

I love TodaysDaddy! ☺ I have to tell you that I notice it everywhere I go. The other day I took my kids to get their hair cut at “Cookie Cutters” (obviously a hair cut place for kids) and believe it or not I was the only mother there. There were 4 other dads who had brought their kids in that afternoon for hair cuts and I literally stood alone as the only mom in the place!

This was followed by a visit to the pediatrician’s office where there were 6 – yes count them 6 dads who had accompanied their children to their visit and there were just 2 of us moms in the room flying solo for our visit. (and I have to admit that the majority of the time my husband comes with me anyway – because my daughter won’t let anyone look in her ears unless he’s there).

We hear it all of the time that dad’s are stepping up and spending more time than ever with their kids and I’m so lucky to be married to one of them. I loved this recent article from the Washington Post – which sited the fact that dad’s today have literally tripled the amount of time they spend with their kids compared to our own parents. Check out a few more great articles about dads on the Buzz section of TodaysMama this week -- "Why Dads Matter" and "Momblocked".

As much as we hear about todays mothers and how we’ve been able to change the way we operate – (think the huge mompreneur trend). Much of this couldn’t be done without great daddys behind the scenes. And those who do it without the help of a great father and husband – those are the women who deserve the most applause in the world because I couldn’t do a fraction of what I do without the help of my husband – who is the best dad on the planet.

So – let’s just say – Happy Father’s Day! Dad’s ROCK! ☺

The Dangerous Book for Boys

Muffy Mead-Ferro had another great article on TodaysMama this month titled Hurray! Oh Rats -- all about the Dangerous Book for Boys and the things we should be doing besides watching TV, playing video games, and worrying that every activity we do with our kids should be some sort of structured, enriching play group.

Check out some of the discussion on our forum too --

Get on your bike!

Can this be true??? Over 40% of those surveyed by TodaysMama said that they had not been on a bike since banana seats were the style! 22% said that they've been on a bike in the last year. Having said that, I am surprised that 20% say they've been on their bike in the last week -- way to go!

I admit that it had been over 8 years for me when I hopped on a real bike again this year - but I have been missing out! It's time to dust of the old bike - but I'm also glad to hear that I wasn't alone in my absence from biking. But seriously -- it's time for ya'll to hop on a bike and go for a ride! Head over to Mamas In Training for help and inspiration from the novices!!! :)

A swanky night out

So -- I had to get a nice dress, new shoes, and my brows waxed for a big night out -- I think the last time I had to do that was Senior Prom!!!

TodaysMama won the Innovation Award from an organization called Best of State -- "The recipient will be an early stage company chosen from among those Best of State entrants who meet the criteria for the award. Nominees in several innovation categories -- new product, new technology, new process, communications innovation, and management or systems innovations - will be judged based on their potential for positive impact and success in the marketplace, and include the following criteria: the nature of the Innovation; proposed benefits, current stage of development; and key company achievements resulting from the innovation."

Needless to say - TodaysMama won the award and we were honored and excited (and especially excited for a night out on the town in grown up clothes!)

From Training Wheels to the 20-Mile-Ride . . . a.k.a. Daddy Knows Best

Yet another post from me from our MamasInTraining blog:

So of course, after my true confession about my ability to ride real bikes -- the task at hand this week has been to hop on my bike and ride. The safety kid in me has been content to stick to my front lawn mastering clipping in and out of my pedals and learning to stop.

Well, my dad showed up bright and early Friday morning and in essence dragged my lazy self out of my house and demanded I suit up and ride. I tried to bargain my way out of it, I tried to tell him that I didn't have biker shorts yet and that I wouldn't be able to stop and that I would die. . . needless to say at the command of my father-- 10 minutes later I was on a bike and slowly pedaling up the street. I thought he'd go easy on me - but I was wrong.

What I thought might be a couple of rides around the block turned into an 18 mile ride halfway across the city. To top that off, most of the ride was on roads with traffic. I'm talking about cars, trucks, trailors, high school girls texting thier friends and driving at the same time . . . busy roads.

What I learned:

1. I don't like riding in traffic
2. I learned how to change a flat tire on 7400 S.
3. I don't dare to ride as fast as my dad
4. I did learn how to clip in and out of my pedals without falling
5. That I was cocky - as soon as I thought that I made it through the ride without falling, I failed to clip out at a dead stop at an intersection. The man in the car next to me laughed . . . a lot . . . and so did my dad.
6. The sirens from a fire engine are really loud when they fly right past you
7. I need sun glasses
8. My neck hurts, not my legs
9. I don't like riding in traffic.

Are we really racing this weekend? :)

How do you unwind?

A good little thread on the TodaysMama forums right now -- how do you unwind?

One of the best ways to end my day is laughing, so I often stay up extra late to watch Conan or I throw in Talledega Nights for a good laugh -- :) What do you do?

Confessions of an Imperfect Mom

I've heard lots of moms complain that they don't like Mother's Day -- it's like the big slap in the face that they aren't good enough or something. I don't get it -- I'd like as many days dedicated to my comfort and well being as possible. Even though it's 10:33 on Saturday night and I know my husband is out shopping to get me something from the grocery store . . . I still dig the holiday. Bring it on! :)

I don't know why so many moms think we should be "perfect" -- I've known for too long that I am totally imperfect -- as long as you know that I'm not even close to perfect -- then I'm ok.

I loved Therese Borchard's article this month -- Confessions of an Imperfect Mom -- it actually made me realize that I did once have a theory that the phrase "do no harm" could be applied to children successfully. And then I dropped the diaper bag on my 2 month old's head while I was trying to unlock the door. That was my first realization that I probably would indeed subject these little people to my weaknesses. That was 5 years ago and I've had many imperfect moments since then.

Oddly my children aren't perfect either! :) Phew!

True Confessions

My latest post on MamasInTraining -- our little pet project of TodaysMama --

So, we've been training for this triathlon right? All along I've been saying -- I'm totally comfortable with the biking and swimming parts, it's just the running that drives me nuts --- truth be told I've been training on a Spin bike and when we've done the compu-trainers -- I've gone fast -- but that doesn't take into account the fact that I would actually have to balance on a bike and clip into the pedals.

Well, I got a bike. The race is in less than two weeks and this is the first time I've hopped on a road bike. Period.

It's also the first time I've messed around with these new fangled pedals that I have to clip into. Period.

So I spent some good times riding my bike on the lawn last night trying to clip in and out of the bike. To make a long story short - my 4 year old offered to let me borrow his training wheels. I wish that was an exaggeration.

This is what I call a commitment to training excellence.

Forums In Beta

Make sure to check out and comment on our new forums at TodaysMama.com -- There are lots of threads started -- we've got the forums in "beta" mode right now but would love more comments!

Chat about:

The new Harry Potter Book

Working From Home

Sibling Rivalry

Good Online Recipes

and more!

Win these diaper bags!

These bags almost make me want to have a third child! :) Check out TodaysMama and enter to win these fabulous diapter bags from Artistic Sensations!

Check them out . . .

Infertility and Insurance

Check out one of our latest forum discussions on Clomed and Insurance. I think it's pretty interesting that doctors are prescribing clomed (and I'm sure lots of other infertility treatments) without advising their patients that they will in essence be uninsurable after the fact - even if they have a pregnancy that is not a result of infertility treatments.

MULTI-TASKING MOMS SPENDING MORE TIME

It's always there -- the mommy guilt. The guilt that we're not doing enought, that we're doing to much, that we've complicated our lives to the point of taking away from our children and families. I have often looked back to the past when seemingly what mother's seemed to be worrying about was a spotless household, canning peaches, and dealing with that neighborhood rascal Eddie Haskel and I've thought . . . wouldn't that be nice!

Well, chear up muliti-tasking mamas! A new study out tells us that we are actually spending more time with our children than any group of mothers in the last 60 years!

"According to a University of Maryland study, today’s mothers spend more hours focused on their children than their own mothers did 40 years ago . . ."

"In 1965, mothers spent 10.2 hours a week tending primarily to their children – feeding them, reading with them or playing games, for example – according to the study’s analysis of detailed time diaries kept by thousands of Americans. That number dipped in the 1970s and 1980s, rose in the 1990s and now is higher than ever, at nearly 14.1 hours a week."

The article went on to talk about how we are more concerned with "intensive parenting" -- child development, quality time spent with children, and being accessible. We're also willing to let things fall by the wayside like housework! There has been a 40% decline in housework and it's place on our priority list!

Time that dad's are logging in has TRIPLED!

We're doing a better job than we think . . .

This entire article was well done -- to read more check it out at the NasuaTelegraph.com

Your Favorite Easter Candy

So what's your favorite Easter candy? You can take our latest poll at TodaysMama.com -- More importantly I wanted to comment on the fact that Erin, a fellow TodaysMama voted for Peeps as her favorite Easter candy. Now, I don't like peeps even one bit. However - I do have some fond memories of Peeps. . .

Back in the days when I had free time I spent much of it playing tricks on other people. I started circulating a frozen bass through my friend's showers. The bass would show up in their car, on their windshield, in their bath tub, with their work name tag, in their bed etc. :)

When the bass lost it's punch we started putting Pickleloaf on people's cars. For any of you who don't know what pickleloaf is, it looks like someone froze vomit and cut it into slices . . .a.k.a. bologna with pickles mixed in it.

Time went by and I got a little kinder -- Peeps became the solution. Peeps are perfect for sticking all over your friends cars. Now that I'm all grown up I just might have to resurrect this pass time and "Peep" some of my "peeps"! I hope you all will too . . . Peep someone you love.

Elective C-Sections

Check out this article on TodaysMama.com It comes from our Expand Your Perspective section and is entitled - "Are Elective C-Sections Anyone's Business?" -- I dig this article because I have always lamented the fact that I've had to have C-Sections -- Check out the new discussion on our forum -- the forum is brand new and not announced to the public yet -- but hop on and comment!

Pool Rules

Here is a peek at my latest post at MamasInTraining, a blog detailing the adventures of the courageous TodaysMama staffers attempting a sprint triathalon -- check it out!

Pool Rules

Aside from peeing in the pool I haven't seen a need to define proper pool etiquette. You hop in a lane and you swim right? Well, I have some questions . . .

We have been swimming at our local community rec center because while I swim laps my husband and the kids can play on all of the pool equipment, it's been working well for us except there are generally more people there. Not only more people to see me in my hotness, but more people to swim with.

So - naturally I went and stood in front of the open lane while I put on my swim cap and goggles just to make sure I snagged the lane. I'm just lowering my goggles over my eyes when some punk comes and cannonballs himself into my lane right before my eyes. It was a little speedo wearing, high school, water polo boy.

I stared at him through my bug eyed goggles with a bit of disbelief and disgust and pondered what to do in retaliation -- was this legal? So I decided to plop myself right in front of the lane with my legs dangling in the water to stare at him for the remainder of his short lived workout.

I'm all for sharing lanes -- but don't you mutually agree on that? (instead of cannonballing past someones face?)

It's on little high school boy. I hope you're there next week. Next time I'm tossing my kids in after you - and who knows if they understand the peeing in the pool rule yet -- :)