Working Mothers

Budgeting Tips
March 31, 2006, 6:00 AM
People tell you that having a family is expensive, but until you start purchasing diapers and wipes, buying new clothes and shoes that the kids outgrow before the season ends, and taking your children to dance and karate class, you have no idea just how expensive it can be. The financial output can even weigh down a family bringing in two incomes if there is no budget in place, so sticking to a budget, for many families, is imperative. There are many great budgeting tips, and at the end of the post I have included two links to websites that ...

Mother's Helper
March 29, 2006, 6:00 AM
My girlfriend just had her second baby, a daughter. She has a twenty-one month son as well. At one time she lived in LA and her husband worked in television. But due to the high cost of living and the fact that they had to work split schedules to keep one parent at home, which was something that they wanted to do, they packed their bags and moved to the Midwest, where they were able to purchase a house using only the equity in the home that they had owned in LA. Now the father stays at home and cares ...

Consulting-Is It For You?
March 27, 2006, 6:00 AM
Several weeks ago I posted a few blogs about menu planning and grocery shopping. Then this past Friday my mom and I sat down and watched Oprah. The show was about debt problems and creating a debt diet for families in desperate need of financial help. My mom and I were discussing the financial advisers on the show and how great we thought that a job in consulting would be. Later that day I was cleaning up the house when my phone rang. A friend was on the line, and she mentioned that she´d read the blog posts about my ...

NursEase Nursing Shawl
March 24, 2006, 8:00 AM
After the birth of her first son, Marie Wakefield quickly learned what a problem breastfeeding in public could be, and so she brainstormed with her sister-in-law Joanne and her mother Donna and together the three women created the NursEase Nursing Shawl. Joanne and Marie took sewing classes so that they could sew the shawls themselves and they now manufacture and sell the shawls on their website ( www.bellies-beyond.com ), along with other items. They are currently also selling shawls wholesale to other websites and specialty retail stores and are hoping to expand to larger retail companies in the near future.

Creative Babysitting Solutions
March 22, 2006, 8:30 AM
Every parent needs an opportunity to get out of the house for a "fun´ day: to see a movie, have a nice relaxing meal, do something special, or socialize with friends and spouses without having to dodge tossed food or break up fights between the children. When I was pregnant, I told everyone that my husband and I would have a date night each month, and that I would go out with my friends at least every other month. I also promised to spend a little time each week doing something that I loved, alone. Fast forward to the present.

Keeping Up With The Trends
March 20, 2006, 9:30 AM
I picked my mom up from the airport yesterday and we started talking about a past trip, when she flew in and surprised me with a much slimmer version of her body than I had seen the last time we´d visited. She´d lost weight on a low carb diet, one that was quite popular several years ago. She bought a few books and then began purchasing grocery products that followed the low carb rules. Since that time, the diet trend has changed somewhat and she says that nowadays it is very difficult to find all of the products she could ...

Quick & Easy Lunch Box Ideas
March 18, 2006, 6:00 AM
Filling your child´s lunch box with nutritious food that is easy to fix and creative enough to sustain their interest can be hard. Below are some recipes that will satisfy not only the pickiest eater but also will take only minutes to prepare. Apple Surprise: Cut an apple in half, clean out the middle, stuff with peanut butter or cream cheese or slices of cheddar cheese. Place back together again, wrap with plastic wrap. Graham Cracker Sandwiches: Cover graham crackers with peanut butter, chocolate chips, and small marshmallows. Top with a second cracker to make a sandwich. Pita Pizzas Stuff ...

Spa Girl Parties
March 17, 2006, 6:00 AM
When mother Di Ana Ford finally decided to take some time out for herself by heading to a day spa in the desert with a friend, she didn´t realize that not only would that trip give her the rejuvenation she so desperately needed, but it would also spark a creative idea that would turn into Spa Girl Parties ( www.spagirlparties.com ). Spa Girl Parties hosts in-home spa parties for the tired girl who can´t get out to the spa. These include themed-parties, such as the Sole-Survivor Party for tired feet, the Spa Bliss party featuring soaks and scrubs and lotions, ...

Quick and Easy Meals
March 15, 2006, 12:06 AM
One way in which to save time during the week is by planning a menu that includes foods that are nutritious, quick to prepare, and that lends themselves to easy leftover meals. As I stated in a recent post, I am a kitchen nut. I love to plan menus, clip coupons, and try new recipes. While I don´t have a lot of extra time to try fancy dishes that require hours of stirring and baking, I will test out new treats that are easy to make and require ingredients that are normally found in my cabinets or that are easy ...

Getting Your Children Organized
March 13, 2006, 6:00 AM
Generally when we think about organizing we think about what WE can do, as mothers, to keep our homes "together´. We set strict guidelines for ourselves and we spend every waking moment following them so that our home is neat and organized. It´s no wonder we´re so exhausted! Organization should definitely begin with us, as our children will learn what they see, but a child as young as two years of age can learn to keep his toys in order if we teach him. Teaching a child to pitch in around the house is important for so many reasons. First, ...