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Being a productive stay at home mom

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Photo Courtesy of Zazzle.com

I have always been a worker, I had a job since I was 17 years old. When I was laid off back in 2009, I was also seven months pregnant with my first child. At first I was fearful, “how are we going to survive financially, and take care of a baby?”. I was a complete mess. Once my son was born I spent most of my days, nursing him on demand and sleeping while he sleeps pretty much what every new mom does. Not until he turned three months did I realize I was in such a privileged position to be home with him and that being laid off from my job was a blessing in disguise.

There were days when I was tired, exhausted, sad, unhappy, happy, and any other emotion you can think of. I felt like being a stay at home mom was not for me. Once my son turned one, things began to change. He started walking, stopped nursing at around 14 months and was more independent. So what did I do? I started doing more outings with him, going to the park, zoo, out to lunch things of that sort. I loved spending time with him and I wanted him all for myself. One thing that I didn’t do was take better advantage of my time with him. When I say that I mean, I didn’t do mommy groups, clubs, or anything like that. I was totally closed minded when it came to stuff like that. I distanced myself from people and that harmed not only me as a new mother and woman, but it did harm to my son.

Now that I am a second time mom, I have learned more about time management and how to be a more effective mom while staying home. Some people think, oh staying at home is SO easy. I beg to differ. This is so hard. You really have to depend on yourself to do things. When you go to work, you have a schedule and a boss telling you what to do and when to do it. At home you are the boss. When your husband is at work, you are in charge of your home and children. Having two kids so close in age comes with its challenges. You really have to figure out what works best for you. Here are some of my personal tips that I use daily to help me keep my home structured without losing my mind at the same time. Kids need structure and balance, especially if they are not in school.

Do things at the same time every day. Make sure that your kids understand the difference between night and day. For example, they know it’s time to eat dinner because the sun is going down. This will help them understand time better and they will have a more effective day. Waking them up and putting them down for a nap at the same time will keep them on a schedule and help you to get things done as well. I try to put both kids down for a nap at the same time. So far this works. My daughter is so independent and likes to be on a schedule, so this helps my son.
Implement learning time and craft times.I try to do learning hour/reading time with my toddler, I also include my infant so she can become a part of the routine. Story time is usually before nap time and it helps calm them down before they go to sleep. I have learned that you must take advantage of every hour of the day. If you wake up late, or miss a meal it has an effect on everyone, especially the kids. Learning time can consist of a new number, color, or shape. Flash cards are great for this. Finally crafts. I like to do seasons or month crafts. So last month we did valentine’s day and winter crafts. This helps enhance your child’s creativity and teaches them to use their motor skills, to paste, or glue items.
Field trip day.Get out, enjoy the day! Remember that it is good to get the kids out and about every now and then. Take them to the local zoo or chuck e cheese. I usually do this on Fridays. I like to go early afternoon around 11 to be back for nap time. It is important to do these types of things with your kids but, try to remain on a schedule.
Daily walks or trips to the park. If your toddler is anything like mine, then they are busy and full of energy. I definitely recommend taking them for a walk or to the park to let out some of this energy they have. This will also give them an opportunity to interact with other kids.
Free play. I am a fan of free play. Let your kids play with their toys, color, paint and do things on their own. This allows them to use their imagination and to be self sufficient so they do not always depend on you to be their playmate. However, it’s ok to take a break and play with your kids. They love it and so will you! 🙂

These things have helped me to be scheduled and organized with my day and my kids. It is hard to stay home but remember why you are doing it. It is so easy to become distracted and lose focus of why we stay home…OUR KIDS! Whether you work, stay at home, or work from home always love what you do and do it with a passion.

Thanks for stopping by! Remember I love to hear from you all and look forward to your comments and feedback. Make sure to share with other mommies so together we can keep striving for mommy success!

Disciplining your toddler

Photo courtesy of Kidshealth.org

As parents we have all been there. An embarrassing time at a store with a famous TANTRUM! We become overwhelmed and uneasy when people start looking at our children behave badly. Automatically we are being judged as parents, and that our child lacks discipline. I am a fan of discipline I think that it is important to let kids know that they are not in charge. If we allow them to get away with it once, that is pretty much all it takes. Every parents utilizes discipline differently, and with the internet we can find so many alternative methods to discipline for whatever is best for parent and child. We are human and tend to blow up every once in a while. Especially as a parent. When it comes to disciplining your child we have to be patient so that it is done in love and not anger. This can definitely have a negative impact on the child.

So the question at hand remains; is hitting or spanking your child an option? According to a study from The American Academy of Pediatrics they oppose corporal punishment, but studies have shown that up to 80% of parents report that they rely on it to some extent (Health land.time.com, 2012). This study also explains that any type of abuse can harm a person’s mental health and state of mind, especially in a child. Conducting this research allowed me to understand a different aspect of discipline and if it is not handled correctly it can affect the child. When hearing the word discipline we automatically associate that with hitting, naturally. This is not the case. We have to protect our children from these potential risks and developmental issues that they can incur. We can do our part by doing the necessary research to teach our kids the right way. At first I didn’t know if I completely agreed with this article, because naturally I am a skeptic. So I read on, in the study they were going to examine different types of physical punishment. The five consisted of; Hitting, slapping, grabbing, pushing, and shoving, they analyzed 20 thousand people from the age of 20 and older. Out of that 20 thousand only 1,258 reported to be affected by physical abuse of the ones listed, while 19,349 people they had rarely experienced this type of abuse (Health land.time.com, 2012). Of course these numbers are based on a numerous amount of factors such as race, education, marital statuses, and a history of family dysfunction.

I have finally concluded that physical punishment is not the best alternative for discipline. Our kids need us to discipline them, however there is a right and wrong way to handle this. Before my research, I believed a slap on the hand or spank on the butt would help the child, but really what does it do? I use timeouts and this method has worked for me, even if it is for five minutes at a time, they learn from their mistakes and will watch how you handle yours. Maybe as children our parents did things a certain way and we didn’t like it, now we have an opportunity to break the cycle.

Thanks for stopping by, as always I love feedback and to hear your thoughts and ideas on these issues. Sending positive thoughts and prayers your way. Together we can strive for mommy success! 🙂

Toddler and vegetables….can they become best friends?

Picture courtesy of medic magic.net

I recently had someone on my face book page ask me what she could do to get her young kids to eat veggies. This was a tough one for me because I also have issues with my son eating his fruits and vegetables. I began to feel torn on what I should tell her, so I began to research, and begin implementing them with my own kids. Here are some of my findings and own personal takes on them. So far my son is enjoying more fruits rather than veggies, and through this I am able to introduce these foods to my daughter.

1. Let your child help you prepare the foods.

When the child watches you prepare the meals it will give him an opportunity to taste the items and like them. You can have him help you wash the fruits and veggies, and have him place them on the dish. You can show him the different colors and shapes along the way.

2. Get creative and crafty.

When preparing fruits or veggies create stories and use them as characters. For example, broccoli are trees, and green beans are grass you can say that he is a dinosaur eating off the land. This will help teach him that veggies are fun. Sometimes singing songs will help him acquire an interest for them.

3. Mixing the veggies in with other foods.

Sometimes I mix peas or corn inside of mashed potatoes, or macaroni and cheese. There are rare occasions when he picks them out, but most of the time he misses them and eats it. You can also look for healthy ideas or recipes on pinterest, I use this application to find great ideas and they are very simple and helpful.

4. Let him see you eat fruits and veggies.

Kids practice whatever your doing, if they see you eating something they want it. Instead of eating chips or crackers, have a banana or carrots and ranch this may help motivate him to crave fruits and veggies.

As always try and remember that every child is different. Sometimes as parents we tend to over analyze things because our child isn’t doing what every other child is doing. Kids will acquire a liking for vegetables at the right time. We have to introduce it to them slowly and make it interesting. If they see us get angry or frustrated, they will turn from it just to spite us or get a rise out of us. Today there are so many juices that have real vegetables and the child may like that and it counts as one serving of fruits and vegetables.

Signing off for now, remember to share is to care so pass on this information to other mommies. Sending positive thoughts and prayers your way. Together we can strive for mommy success.

cleaning tips for the busy successful mommy

Successful mommy advice welcomes guest blogger Rosella Gomez. Rosella is a full time stay at home mommy to her nine month old daughter. Her expertise will help and guide other mommies through their journey of motherhood. For more from Rosella sign up to the site for more on Guest blogger Tuesdays! 🙂

I am known for being a little OCD. I like things neat and clean. So when I had my first baby, became a stay at home mom and suddenly was not able to keep up with my cleaning schedules it made me freak out a little bit. After trial and error, doing research, reading many parenting books and talking to other moms, I’ve learned ways to maintain a clean home (well, at least presentable for the occasional guests while keeping my OCD at bay at the same time!) I love having quality time with my baby so I try to do all the housework during nap time or after her bedtime, but you do what fits you best! If you work full time and come back to take care of children and house chores, try to do a chore each night and a couple of them on weekends too. If you are a stay at home mom try some or all of the following tips:

1.Do one load of laundry a day.
It really helps! I do one load of laundry a day and my laundry never piles up in the hampers. I manage to put in the load when baby is in the high chair playing after eating her breakfast. I transfer it to the dryer when it’s all done, usually around one of her nap times. I fold it in the evening when my husband is home playing with baby or when she is asleep for the night. If you have clothes that wrinkle easily just make sure you get them out of the dyer as soon as is it done. If you do more than 6 or 7 loads a week you might have to do 2 loads a day but it is definitely easier to do 1 or 2 loads per day than to cram 7 loads on the weekend.

2. Take out trash right away.

It seems so simple, but when baby is fussy or wanting to be held 24/7 or wanting to play with you sometimes taking out the trash is the last thing you remember! What works for me is during one of my bathroom breaks, (you know, one of those breaks when you take less than 5 minutes to use the bathroom and maybe put your hair back in a ponytail? ) After I take care of myself I take 2 extra minutes to grab all the trash bags from the trash cans in the house. I then put them out in the garage, replace new bags in the trash cans and then I take them out to the side yard where our garbage cans are when baby is down for a nap or playing in her exersaucer or playpen. Doesn’t take me more than 2 or 3 minutes.

3. Sync up nap times.

If you have multiple babies and/toddlers try to sync up their nap times so it gives you more time to get stuff done around the house- or at least down time for you. This has worked for several of my close friends that have multiple children. For those moms with one child make a sleep schedule. I’ve found great advice on how to get my baby on a sleep schedule at The Baby Sleep Site online and on their Facebook page too! If your child doesn’t nap at all, you can try to get some chores done when baby is busy playing in a secure safe area such as a playpen, swing, exersaucer etc. You get the idea! Get creative! Talking to my mother and several of her friends who raised plenty of babies in their time they’ve advised me that if a child doesn’t nap then have him or her watch you do some chores or even help out! Make it a game. Chores get done but you have a blast doing them. These wise ladies swear that it teaches children that cleaning is good and therefore they will learn slowly to clean up after themselves as they get older.

4. Straighten out the house every night before getting ready for bed after the kids have gone to bed.

Sweep, clean off counter tops, do the dishes from dinner etc. Get all that little annoying stuff done before you go to sleep so you won’t have to look at the mess in the morning. That helps me feel ready for the day the next morning! Try to clean the bathroom, if you have several bathrooms or one large one break down the tasks throughout the week, or take 30 minutes during the weekend to clean the bathroom(s)

5. Less is more! Don’t hoard on to clutter you don’t need!

If you don’t use something, or don’t wear it, or the kids don’t play with it, sell it, or donate it! This helps to keep your house clutter free and you have less items to clean up at the end of the day, plus you help out others by giving them your unwanted items that they might need!

6. Make a schedule and try to stick to it.

Make a list of everything that needs to be taken care of according to your personality and lifestyle. Include errands, nap times and social visits! Try to stick to it as much as possible and keep it somewhere visible so you are reminded each day. You can even set reminders on your phone if you are tech savy and prefer to go paperless like I do. Even if you don’t get everything done that day at least you have some motivation by setting small daily goals for you to achieve every day. Don’t be discouraged if you can’t do it all! It happens to all of us somedays and no one can do it all at once, it takes time to figure out what works best for you and your family. If one schedule doesn’t work out, change it up and try again!

7. Don’t keep mail on counters or on the table. Process mail right away.

Throw away junk mail, keep the coupons you want in a drawer, have a special place for bills to remind you to pay them or go paperless and go online and select options to pay online so you won’t get all those annoying paper bills that need to be shredded. Shred any credit card offers and important documents that you don’t need but that contain important personal information.

8. Put toys away after your children are done playing with them.

Have a designated toy place to keep them, such as a bin or in a closet or special place in the kids rooms. No one likes stepping on blocks or legos in the hallway! If you have older children have them help out, if you have babies/toddlers let them watch you put them away, after all they imitate when we smile at them and learn our mannerisms, one day they will learn how to clean up too!

9. Wash dishes as soon as you use them.

If you drink coffee in the morning, wash the mug right away, wash your cereal bowl right away after you are done, every little bit helps! Sweep and mop when everyone is sleeping, that way they don’t step on your clean wet floors! Vacuuming can be tricky, do that when your children are busy playing or watching their favorite show (wait for a commercial and do it quickly hehe)

10. Relax!

If you did one, two, or more chores per day in addition to playing with your beautiful babies, call it a day when they are asleep for the night and enjoy your time alone! Taking care of yourself is important too! Give yourself a pedicure, shape your eyebrows, do a facial, read a book or watch something relaxing on TV. Even if you didn’t do a single chore that day, unwind at the end of your work day. We all need sanity time and sometimes chores can wait a day.

I hope these tips are helpful to you as they are for me and remember, cleaning can be fun and make you feel better!

XOXO

Rosella Gomez

Breast is Best

These past few weeks I have faced some issues with my seven month old daughter. I exclusively breastfeed her on demand, basically when she wants it I give it to her. At six months I introduced her to solids, starting off with cereal (oatmeal) and then moving forward with fruits and veggies. I did this three times a day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, she would breastfeed in between her meals. She seemed to take a liking to everything I gave her, but I noticed that she was having problems pooping. She was straining and pushing for long periods of time. I felt so bad and helpless and did not know what to do. I called the doctor and they told me to increase the amounts of green leafy vegetables I give her, along with giving her prunes. Of course these are things I have tried already, including trying to give her a few ounces of water.

When that did not work I turned to a breastfeeding page on Face book called: This milk matters: Lactation support group. They always provide me with great feedback and support sometimes I think that advice is better than doctors :). They recommended to me to continue nursing and decrease the amount of foods I give her. They also told me that giving her water may not be the best alternative for bowel movements since that may fill her up and she will nurse less often. I plan to breastfeed until her first birthday, because I know the power of breast milk provides so many great benefits for our little ones, but at some point I figured they needed solids. Our milk is all the need for the first year of life, and about 88% of our milk is made up of water. So I took this advice and increased the amount of times I nurse and decrease her solid intake and today she had two healthy bowel movements without straining. It’s amazing what our milk does and how quickly our babies respond to it.

I breastfed my son for 14 months, and it was an incredible experience. He was and still is very healthy and I really encourage other moms out there to do it. It truly is the best thing for our babies, and thanks to support groups such as this one on face book I have someone to turn to in a time of need other than a doctor or my spouse. Encouragement from other mamas goes a long way. I recommend that you all grab some support while nursing, because it is demanding and can be overwhelming if your child has problems like that one I had or other issues that can occur. I am sharing the article about infants drinking water for your research.

Thanks for stopping by and remember to share is to care. I love to hear from you, so I look forward to your comments. Together we can strive for mommy success, changing the world one mommy at a time! 🙂 Stay blessed.

Higher Education for the busy mama

I recently graduated college with my bachelor’s degree in business administration. It was such an amazing experience for me to accomplish this goal in my life. I started school in February of 2008, in which I was working full time and going to school full time. When I became pregnant I did not want my child to force me to forget about my goals. I needed to accomplish this for myself and my family so that they could have a better life. When I finished school my son was two and a half and I was pregnant with my second child, what felt like an eternity to finish the day was finally here. Graduation day. I was overwhelmed with emotions, happy to see my family there supporting and cheering me on. Although I finished my degree, my ultimate goal is to be a stay at home mom. I feel like that is one of the most important jobs in the world, and it’s what I enjoy to do. I love my kids and I will do whatever it takes to be the best mom I can be.

I recently had someone tell me that college is a waste of time and you end up in debt with the possibility of not finding a job. While I know that in today’s economic standpoint, finding a stable career is scarce, however education is not a waste of time. It is something that no one can take away from you, something you have earned and worked for. I spent four years of my adult life working on my degree, although I did it a little later than I had anticipated, I did it. Will I be in debt? YES! but to me it is the best kind of debt I will ever have. Women have come so far over the years, from not being able to vote at one point in time, now having the ability to go to school, to own businesses, and to make decisions for themselves. Why wouldn’t we take advantage of these opportunities? We are in a blessed position to educate ourselves, and when our children see us working hard, chances are they will grow up working hard as well. My encouragement to all you mommies out there, old or young, go to school. Get your degree. It is something that you will never regret. Don’t let your kids or families push you away from your goals, kids adjust and once they know how hard you worked at something it will motivate and encourage them beyond imagination. I always liked to believe that parents who go to college have kids who go to college. And we have to promote that now, by acting on it. I am so thankful for my education and what it has taught me. Be encouraged that even if you have children you can still do it, through technology today we can accomplish so many things. You can do it mamas!

Thanks for stopping by, and remember to share is to care pass along my blog to encourage other mommies out there. Sending prayers and positive thoughts your way, together we can strive for mommy success.

Identity: Being a woman and mother

When I was pregnant with my first born I remember always hearing, “don’t let yourself go, always take care of yourself”. Let me tell you that is definitely easier said than done. When you are a busy stay at home mom with a toddler and infant, putting yourself first is the last thing on your mind. I will be the first person to tell you that it’s impossible, your kids need you more you are not first anymore….WRONG! You are a mother and it’s a beautiful thing, we are nurturing, caring, patient beings who are always putting ourselves last. Well now the time has come for me to say….Let’s put ourselves first. I used to think that mothers who enjoyed too much time alone or with friends were bad mothers and didn’t care about their kids….WRONG. AGAIN. I think that they have the right idea! Of course we need to take care of our priorities in which are kids come first, however that doesn’t mean that we have to stop being women.

Ladies, we need to get ourselves together and start caring more about ourselves, because we deserve it. Women are beautiful creatures, I don’t think there are any ugly women, just lazy ones, and I will admit I was on that boat not too long ago. I stopped caring. I didn’t think that it was important to get dolled up to be in the house. I have two kids, two kids who keep me busy constantly mind you I have very little help. I didn’t think it was necessary to change out of my sweats or yoga pants to clean the house. Once and a while ladies, it’s ok to get dressed and put on jeans and a cute top (a little makeup won’t hurt). We have to take care of ourselves. I now have a daughter, growing up without my biological mom has encouraged me to be the best I can for my kids. I still strive to be the best I can for them, but somewhere along the way I forgot I was important too. We get so wrapped up into our kids that we lose sight of ourselves as women. I think that we need to make time for ourselves, paint our nails, get our hair done, put makeup on. This is what makes us feel good, if we are not happy neither are our kids. We are part of the foundation that makes a family whole. If we are a mess so are the kids and our families. I know that in some cases like mine, financials play a major role on what we can and cannot do for ourselves, just remember that we are making the ultimate sacrifice for our kids and their well being. Be creative if financially you can’t hack it, do your own pedicures and facials. Sometimes it’s the small things that can go a long way and make you feel like a million bucks!

To share is to care and as always I look forward to your comments and feedback. Sending positive thoughts and prayers your way. let’s keep striving for mommy success.

Potty training challenges

Picture from google images

Today I wanted to share with all my biggest challenge thus far as a parent: POTTY TRAINNING. My son just turned three in December and it has been such a struggle for me, getting him to go in the big potty and to tell me when he has to go. Since he was a baby my son was a “late bloomer” from sitting up to crawling, but once he got it, he mastered every milestone. Through my experiences as a parent with young children, I have discovered there is no “magic number”. I figured because he is three years old he has to master it at three and if not then something is wrong with him. Finally I realized that every child develops at different times, and through our super power “mother’s intuition” we will know when something is wrong with our kids. My advice is to always follow that gut feeling, and don’t listen to anyone else, you know your child best. Since my son is not yet potty trained, I’ve received some frowns from people. My biggest mistake when it comes to potty training is inconsistency. Potty training takes so much patience and effort on your end. If you are irritated or upset about his accidents or lack of peeing and pooing in the toilet they feel it and will turn from potty training all together. Another thing that has taken me away from training him (besides being an awesome blogger :D) I also have a seven month old daughter who is still exclusively breastfeeding. She takes a lot of my time and efforts and unfortunately the potty training has been pushed to the side. I have read the articles, took advice, and tried my own things and nothing seems to work. So that’s the bad news. Now let’s move on to the good news! YAY!! I recently read an article about potty training, and how forcing them before they are ready can actually do more harm to them. When I read this article I felt relieved! I know that he will get it at the right time, he recently started speaking better, using sentences and communicating more effectively with me. The biggest concern I had about training him was that he was not telling me when he had to go. This article helped me to understand the importance of backing off and taking things slow. If you feel your child is getting irritated and frustrated, take a break and get back into it later. I have tried to introduce it slowly to him and even though that is wrong to some, it is the path I chose for me and him. This article definitely helped me clarify my points and to understand my child better. Another thing I think helps them learn this process are the kids they are around. Older kids seem to have an influence on the younger ones. So I am hoping my daughter will pick it up a lot quicker. Whatever path you chose when potty training, remain confident in your decisions and patience is definitely the key. I am including the article I read so that you mommies out there can also use this for your potty training duties. Good luck mommies and wish me luck too. I will make sure to do a follow up once my son is fully trained which will be soon enough!! 🙂

Signing off for now, remember to share is to care so pass my blog along to other mommies. Together we can make a difference and strive for mommy success! 🙂

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/early-potty-training-harmful/story?id=16806522

Valentine’s day love for our special someone

In honor of Valentine’s day I wanted to touch on the importance of the relationship between you and your spouse/significant other/partner or whatever it is you have. Although we love being mommies, we still have to put a priority in our relationships and make the “men” in our lives feel important and loved on this special day. I know that we are busy with the kids whether we are stay at home or working moms, we are always doing something. In past years valentine’s day has always been difficult for us because of babysitting issues, other people have plans and are not always available on this special day. Well ladies….that is not an excuse!!! We have to make do with what we have, and for most of you like me we have kids and don’t always have options of leaving them behind to enjoy a lovely evening at a nice restaurant. I have a few ideas and suggestions to share with all of you, some of these which I have done in the past, and some I would love to try. I would love to hear your own personal Valentine’s day activities you do with your loved one. Some of these ideas require very little money and come straight from the heart. <3

Make a special dessert for your hubby, cupcakes, or heart shaped sugar cookies and enjoy them together after the kids are asleep. You can do this while enjoying a movie or show together, this gives you some time without the kids to enjoy each other’s company with a yummy dessert. In the past, I have store-bought a dessert, I think making it homemade shows you made an effort to do something that takes time. Try it out! 🙂
Rather than buying a card, make one. Write something out to your spouse that comes directly from your heart and words. This will mean so much more and it’s free!
Make his favorite dinner and light candles around the house. Even if you have to eat with the kids, this will teach your kids the love you have for their dad. It’s important for kids to see that their parents love each other (even if they get grossed out! 🙂
Take out the stemware and have a glass of champagne. This is a perfect time for you and him to tell each other how you feel, not only on this special day of love, but every day!

It is so important for our spouses to feel appreciated, loved, and important not just on Valentine’s Day but every day of the year. Sometimes it’s the little things that count. Whatever it is you decide to do, just make it special in your own way. These are a few ideas I have, hope they help and that you day is full of love <3

Valentine’s day crafts for toddlers

Crafts are a great tool to enhance your child’s creativity. Teaching them to glue, cut, paste, and stick are great ways to enhance their motor skills in this area. It allows them to focus on one specific item at a time, and also shows them how to complete a task. Personally, I enjoy doing crafts with my three year old. Although it has taken him time to acquire a liking for it he now asks me to do crafts. I think that it’s a great way for them to learn shapes, colors, and themes. I like to concentrate on specific themes, sometimes I use the season or a pick a random theme for that month. This month, it’s February so I am focused on valentine’s day and winter crafts. I normally find a lot of great idea from pinterest and I have found the sites to be very helpful with easy directions. I like to add my own personality to the crafts, by using different materials or colors to show my own creativity. Since my son is not yet in pre-school he doesn’t really learn about the holidays that are coming up, I want to teach him that they are fun and the reason behind it. For valentine’s day I am teaching him about love, to love his sister, mommy, daddy, etc. We made some window clings for our neighbors to see and this week we are making special valentine’s day cards for his loved ones and having a special party with snacks and treats. Sine our kids are at home and not in school quite yet, I want to teach them ways to enjoy these holidays and have fun! I encourage all of you stay at home moms (or working moms) to sit and do a simple valentine’s day craft with your toddler or kids. It is rewarding for them to see us taking time out of our busy days to focus on them. In my opinion it’s also a great way to bond with them and show them the importance of loving one another. I recently went to target, and in the dollar section of the store they have so many things to work with. You can also make them baskets filled with valentines goodies. It doesn’t have to have candy but can include a card, stuffed animal and fruit snacks or any other alternatives to candy. I am posting a picture of some ideas for you.

To share is to care, as always I look forward to your comments and feedback. Sending positive thoughts and prayers your way. Together let’s keep striving for mommy success!

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