The Secret Life of Moms

New Tunes

2011-07-13T21:45:00.000-07:00

Since my oldest was born, I have always chosen to listen to "my music" on the radio when we are driving in the car, instead of kid music. From time to time, I blare my radio when I am cleaning and dance to some catchy tunes in order to make it fun. I also have a number of different ring tones on my phone that are from the latest top radio songs. None of this used to be a problem until recently when I have found my 3 year old asking to listen to, and often randomly singing songs like G6 or Tik Tok. I'll admit that I don't always pay attention to the lyrics of songs I listen to, but who really notices right? Wrong!! Everything that pours into that 3 year old brain is getting absorbed and coming back to haunt me.

Here's the thing...I find children's music extremely annoying, especially when I only have 1 CD of nursery rhyme songs, that just repeats itself continually. I want something that is fun for everyone to listen to without being cheesy and annoying. I would also like to have several options to choose from so I can switch things up from time to time. So I am asking...no make that begging and pleading, for CD suggestions that have children appropriate but fun music. Anyone have any ideas they want to share? I think if I have to hear "I'm a little teapot" one more time I'm gonna throw a teapot at someone!!

A New Woman!

2011-07-11T14:53:00.000-07:00

Today I feel like a new woman!!! Why, you ask? Well, one reason is because my teething one year old, who had a terrible (with a capitol T) weekend, is much MUCH happier today. Hurray for me and him!!

However, the real reason I feel like a new woman is because my counter went from looking like this:

To this

We are now bottle free in my house!!!!! I couldn't be happier about the prospect of not washing bottles again for a very long time....or maybe ever. We'll see. But still, I am so glad to have my counter back, and have a baby that will now drink from a sippy cup! Now if we could just get him to gain a little weight...

Happy Monday!

Changes

2011-07-10T15:41:00.000-07:00

I've been away for awhile, but I am back and ready to get this blog up and running again!! A lot has changed since I last posted and I have more questions than ever for all of my friends and fellow mommies out there. Keep checking back in the next couple of days and help me out on my never ending adventure into The Secret Life of Moms!!

~Katherine

Coming Soon . . .

2010-12-20T11:03:00.000-07:00

It's been far too long since I've posted on this blog, and structurally in needs to be redone. So pardon the dust as this blog gets a face lift and check back in January of 2011 for new posts, stories and giveaways!

Merry Christmas!

Grocery Budget

2010-03-16T07:49:00.001-07:00

When my husband lost his job last year our family lost its main source of income. We were forced to budget very tightly and I tried our hardest to make ends meet without having to go into debt. I succeeded but things have remained tight in order to make up for those months without a dual income. In reviewing our finances, I've found that one of the places I spend the most money is on groceries. I'm having a hard time determining a good monthly grocery budget and with a baby on the way, I'd like to start planning for a family of four.

I usually do one large grocery shop every 4-6 weeks. This will include a trip to Costco for a few bulk items like TP, paper towels, meat, diapers/wipes, as well a trip to the grocery store (usually Walmart because its SO cheap) for everything else. Before I do my large shopping trip I plan meals for the month and take with me a list of items that we have run out of since the last shop so I'm not spending money on things I don't need or impulse buys. I feel like I do really well in sticking to a budget for these trips but it's the small trips in between that kill me. I find myself going to the store at least once a week to pick up small items like fresh produce, bread and milk, and somehow end up spending $50-$75.

I really need to try to cut back in this area so answering my questions or giving any advice and suggestions would be great!!

Questions:

~Any ideas on how much a monthly grocery budget should be for a family of four?

~When you budget for groceries, do you count diapers, wipes and formula as part of your monthly allowance?

~Do you include personal items in your budget?

~Do you usually do one or two big shops a month or do you shop weekly?

***Small disclaimer: I don't spend money on the newspaper with ads, clipping coupons isn't really my thing and I don't have time to run from store to store in order to "chase" the best deals so keep that in mind!

Full-time Maid

2010-03-13T15:15:00.000-07:00

Even though I only have one toddler and a husband, I feel like I am constantly struggling to keep my house clean. With another baby on the way, the idea of having more to pick up and someone else to clean up after is REALLY overwhelming. I clean my kitchen and living room everyday mostly because it's our only living space however, I find it hard to keep up on the other "deep cleaning" tasks I need to do.

I'm curious as to whether you moms out there clean your house one day a week or do a few things each day in order to keep from being overwhelmed?

Any great ideas (besides hiring a maid) on how you keep your house clean and organized?

Curious

2010-03-05T02:44:00.001-07:00

I realize I have neglected this blog the past few months since a few major events have occured in my life and I'm wondering if anyone ever checks or reads this?? Now that things have calmed down, I'd love to get it started up again and turn it into the blog I was originally dreaming of.

Is anyone out there??

Crib vs. Bed

2009-11-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

My two year old daughter is still in a crib and we've been debating on the right time to switch her over to a "big girl" bed. We want to move her straight to a twin so we don't have to mess with the whole toddler bed thing. Her pediatrician has told me to keep her in the crib for as long as possible unless she is climbing out which she doesn't. I also have a toddler rail for the front of her crib that we can use to transition her to a bed. Does anyone have any thoughts on when we should move her?

Clingy

2009-10-19T12:34:00.000-07:00

My almost 4 year old has all of a sudden become super clingy when it comes to dropping her off to places such as Primary and Preschool. She's NEVER been clingy before, in fact, quite the opposite. I'd describe her personality as: independent, hard-headed, and spirited.

Initially she transisitioned beautifully into Nursery, then Primary, even dance. But just as of late she seems to be testing her boundaries or something, as she won't let me leave her sight!

Primary is difficult because I'm the 2nd counselor and am in there where she can see me and whine for me. So I can't just drop her off and leave it to her teachers to talk to her; I'm standing at the front teaching Sharing Time or running around in the back as she's clung to my leg! Hello! How old are we? Which makes me think she's just testing boundaries. But how do I remedy the situation and let her know where those boundaries are?

Potty Experiment

2009-09-21T20:13:00.000-07:00

After breakfast the other morning, I took A's shirt off to wash it. Then she asked to take her pants off, then she asked to take her diaper off. She kept saying poo so I sat her on the toilet for a minute. When nothing happened I took her off & she flushed...which she loves doing.

With great struggle, we put her diaper back on but as I was changing her sheets she took it off. I figured I'd just keep a close eye on her and rush her to the toilet at the slightest sign of an accident.

She came down stairs to help me put her laundry in the washer. The sound of the running water must have done it's job (totally unintentional on my part) because she started to pee. I jumped up, she stopped peeing, I grabbed her & we ran upstairs to the toilet. She sat there for a minute, but nothing.

We got her dressed after that. And thankfully, she kept her clothes on.

How do you know when your child is ready for potty training? A is 18 months and I'm afraid she views the toilet as a toy rather than what it really is.

Love and Logic

2009-09-15T22:43:00.000-07:00

What is everyone's take on this form of disciplining? Has anyone tried it?

No No No

2009-08-07T14:23:00.000-07:00

My little girl has just begun the great adventure of crawling! It has been very exciting watching her meet this big milestone but now she is into everything! I don't want to constantly be telling her "no" and removing her from the situation, I want to teach her not to do it in the first place. Any suggestions on how to teach an 8 month old what's right and wrong?

Waaaay too early.

2009-08-04T08:41:00.000-07:00

So my precious little boy (15 months old) is progressively waking up earlier and earlier each morning. Today was 6:20 a.m.! NOT OKAY, is what I say! What happened to 7:45 a.m., sometimes 8:00 a.m.? So I ask myself, is he teething? Is he getting sick? Dunno. All I know is that this has been going on for the past week, and I'm bound and determined to stop it before it gets any worse. I run every other morning, and if he wakes up any earlier I won't be able to go running any more! I left him crying in his crib this morning, in hopes he'd just go back to sleep, as I slipped out to get a run in, but came home to my poor husband up with BOTH kids (the crying had woken up my 3 1/2 year old) on the couch.

Help!!

Feverific

2009-07-15T20:53:00.000-07:00

My little one is sick again; this time it seems to be a simple fever. She could have gotten this from anywhere – daycare, grocery store, church, play groups – but I’m pretty confident that it is not related to teething since she hasn’t had a fever with any of her other teeth coming in.

How can I prevent these from happening so much? I have missed at least one day of work for the past three weeks and it’s starting to stress me out. I thought we kept things pretty clean & healthy around here; we wash our hands, try to monitor what she puts in her mouth, take our vitamins, etc.

What tricks, secrets or tips do you know of that keep your kids healthy and fever-free? (Or are all of these illness part of growing up and I just need to deal with it?)

Time Out!

2009-07-09T13:19:00.001-07:00

Like many, I do time-out instead of spanking with my 3 1/2 year old stubborn, independent, very sassy daughter. I have designated a "special" corner for my Sassy One, but here's the thing: she won't stay in that corner. I've tried a number of things to try to get her to stay in time-out including standing by her (which only makes it worse, mind you), threatening her (sounds harsh, but it's true), and even holding her there. These tactics only result in an even more out-of-control Sassy One and a very, very tired mom. Yes, sometimes she will stay. But only sometimes.

How do I get her to make the choice to stay in time-out most of the time? I want HER to make the choice herself and reap those benefits of doing so; then realize the pattern: that good choices (i.e. choosing staying in time out) make for good consequences (i.e. time-out for only 3 minutes as opposed to 7 minutes of kicking and screaming!)

What works for you?

Sincerely,
Very tired of time-out mom

Summer Fun

2009-07-08T04:28:00.001-07:00

It's summertime which means fun, right? I'm not so sure. Now that it's hot out, I want to get little B out to play, but I don't really know what to do. She get's super bored inside all day and needs ways to burn off some energy, but the heat can make it difficult to stay outside too long. Plus, I'm no good at coming up with fun activities for a 19-month old. So today's questions are:

~What do you do with your child(ren) for fun?
~How do you keep toddlers entertained?
~What outdoor activities are you willing to brave with kids?
~How do you get your child to come inside and settle down after being outside?
~What acitivies can kids do that are also fun for mom?

Groceries

2009-06-26T12:50:00.000-07:00

As a busy wife and mom, it is sometimes easy to get a little spendy with groceries. You have screaming children or are in a hurry, and you often just grab what you need (plus a few of the things you really don't) and checkout.

SO, today's questions are:

~How do you save money on groceries?

~Where do you think are the cheapest places to shop?

~Do you shop sales or use coupons?

~How often do you grocery shop?

~Any grocery suggestions for other moms?

**Thanks to Secret Mom reader Jessica for this question!

Picky Eaters

2009-06-23T23:27:00.000-07:00

I have an 18 month old who is a SUPER picky eater. I feel like I am constantly trying to come up with new things to feed her for breakfast, lunch and snacks. Does anybody have some good mealtime and snack suggestions for kids? Ideas on how to get a picky eater to try foods they don't want to eat?

***This is where you answer (and can see others advice) in the comments below!***

The Secret Life of Moms

2009-06-23T20:32:00.000-07:00

This blog is dedicated to anything regarding motherhood! Whether it be pregnancy or parenting, advice or stories, I hope you participate and enjoy it with me. The idea for this blog started more than a year ago when I felt like I constantly needed advice on how to parent my child! I'm hoping this blog will help me and others who have questions or comments regarding pregnancy and parenting. PLEASE feel free to leave questions, comments or concerns regarding anything on this blog and enjoy finding out about The Secret Life of Moms just like you!