I love having people over. One thing I try and remember is that being a good host is about so much more than mini-quiches, a spotless house, or having some amazing craft for all of the kids to do. Being a good host is about making people feel comfortable in your house.

Ask yourself, what makes YOU feel comfortable? Is it really the gourmet meal your friend made? Or perhaps the mom who cleaned her house from top to bottom before you came over with your kids? No, I don’t think so. That stuff can be nice, but more often than not I think it sends the wrong message. Unless you really have an actual event to host, sometimes going to so much trouble actually makes people feel uncomfortable. There are certainly cases where impressing your company is important, but more often than not, I think we tend to overdo it. This doesn’t help anyone.

Now, when it comes to a play date, I don’t see any reason at all why you should go to much trouble to clean up (see my post on Why You Should NOT Clean Your House). The objective should be to have a home that is comfortable enough for your friend(s) and the kids to come over – this means walk without tripping over toys, have a snack for the kids, etc. Don’t go to much trouble beyond that. The point is to get together as moms, and have the kids play. I usually do a quick pick-up, brew some coffee for my friend, set out some goldfish or apple slices for the kids, and that’s about it.

When grown-ups are coming over and you’re having “company,” it’s a bit different than another mom showing up in yoga pants at 10am. I’m not advocating that you don’t do ANYTHING, but I am suggesting you think more carefully about what you are doing and why. Motivation in your decisions is the most important thing. Are you trying to impress company, or make them feel welcome? There are a few things to consider, when you are having friends or family over.

What’s for dinner? If you have time, it can be really fun to pull together a nice meal that takes a long time to prepare. However, it can often be much better to prepare something less time consuming. If your guests come over and you are fussing over making an impressive dinner, this creates a stressful environment that focuses more on the work you are doing, and less on the people who are coming over. Another consideration is the clean-up. There have been many times I’ve put a lot of hard work into a dinner, only to be left with tons of dishes after everyone leaves at midnight. Friends feel bad for leaving a mess (or worse, they don’t notice – which is frustrating), and you have a huge clean-up in the morning. So, skip the elaborate spread. Go for something low-key, like a crock-pot dish or grilling something outside. Friends are coming over to see you, and not to make a judgment on what a great cook you are.

Create the right atmosphere for entertaining. Do not spend the whole day cleaning, light candles in all the rooms, and hide all child-related items. Yes, pick up the house so your friends know that you care about the fact that they are coming over, and (if you want to) light a candle in the bathroom for ambiance. Why not? It’s fun. Just remember, do that sort of thing if it’s fun for you to do, not because you feel obligated to create a model home for your friends. Focus on creating an environment that is welcoming and comfortable, not sterile and impressive.

Put on some music. If not for my husband, I would overlook this one. He knows just about everything about every album that has ever been made, so we have quite a library of music to choose from. We have music playing often, and it creates such a nice atmosphere. Our current favorite is a fantastic jazz album, “Whipped Cream & Other Delights Rewhipped,” by Herb Alpert.

Think about what your guests may need or want. Do your friends have a newborn, or a toddler they are bringing over? Go ahead and set up a pack & play in your bedroom, pull out the bouncy seat for their baby, and serve something you think the kids will enjoy as well as the adults. Try and make it easy on them if they have kids and are coming over to your place. If your house is not already baby proofed, put up breakables and move important objects to out of reach places.

What to do after dinner? Even if you end up visiting over some wine for a couple of hours, it’s nice to plan something fun to do with friends. If you friends are staying after dinner and putting the kids to bed at your house, suggest a movie they may want to watch, or a game they would enjoy playing. We have had a great time playing “Settlers of Catan” with our friends, as well as other games such as “Risk,” and “Taboo.”

Just remember that having friends over is supposed to be fun – not stressful. If you never have people over because you hate all the cooking and cleaning, just try something more low key. People come over to see you, not your house. Keep your expectations reasonable, and enjoy your evening.

- Grace

Related posts:

1. Why You Should NOT Clean Your House
2. Your House Doesn’t Need To Be That Clean
3. 5 Reasons to Host a Clothing Swap

I was driving to Target the other day, thinking about how I’m going to really put more effort into taking care of myself. I’m going to try and eat better, exercise more, etc. For anyone with kids, you know this can be a challenge. Since the Thanksgiving feasts are over (we had three different dinners!), I’ve decided to buckle down and get in better shape. While I’m at it, I figured I’d add a few other healthy habits I need to work on. This shouldn’t be too hard, I told myself as I was driving. After all, I do a great job with my kids when it comes to taking care of them. I know that I’m capable of paying attention to diet, exercise, and scheduling activities. If I can do this for my kids, I should try and do the same for myself.

If we moms treated ourselves as well as we treat those we take care of, I think we’d be much happier. We make sure our kids get enough sleep, but why are we exhausted? It’s important to make sure our kids have fun activities, but then why do we sometimes feel like we don’t do the things we love, or have any hobbies ourselves? I don’t hesitate to replace my daughter’s old jeans, but when I need a new pair… suddenly I try and tell myself that a hole in the knee is in style. Something’s wrong with this picture! I have the right information in my head; I just need to apply it to myself as well as my kids.

For those of you who (like me) struggle with not taking care of yourself the way you should, let’s just break it down and think about what we do for our kids. Then try to do the same for yourself.

Eating a balanced diet. We pay attention to the things our kids eat, and we make sure they have their fruits and veggies. But what about us? Do we make ourselves eat blueberries and broccoli each day, or is that just something we try to encourage our children to do? If it’s good for them, it’s good for us. Not only does eating right set a good example for our kids, but it gives us energy throughout the day.

Get up and get moving. Now, the good thing about motherhood is that it really is a physical job (a “contact sport,” my dad once said!). However, as physical as raising kids can be, we still need exercise. Some things to try: go for walks with your kids, do a Pilates DVD at nap time, or see if you can find a gym with childcare. I wouldn’t encourage my kids to slack off on physical activity, so I shouldn’t let myself either. I want to make sure that my kids learn that kids and grown-ups need to take care of themselves and stay healthy.

Don’t neglect your spiritual health. It’s important to nurture your soul as well as your body. Personally, I find that my day is significantly better if I take a few minutes at nap time to read my Bible and pray for people in my life. I also enjoy yoga, and I find that getting up just 20 minutes earlier in the morning makes all the difference. Yoga is a great way to start the day because it helps wake up your body, and begin your day with calm relaxation.

Do you encourage your kids to have hobbies? Pick one for yourself, while you’re at it. I love that my older daughter is really into art, and I encourage her to keep drawing and creating things. My younger daughter always wants to dance, and I think that when she is older she would enjoy a dance class. I encourage my kids to do what they love, and I see how important it is for them to have hobbies. This is something that seemed obvious to me, but yet I was missing the part about having a hobby myself. A couple of years ago it occurred to me that I didn’t have any real hobbies or recreational activities that were just for me. Personally, I enjoy writing – so I have started this site. Whether you are a writer, a runner, a reader, or something else – don’t forget about what makes you an individual. If hobbies are good for kids, they are good for their parents.

Be kind and encouraging to yourself. As the mother of two girls, I’m up to my elbows in shoes and hair bows. My girls love looking pretty, getting dressed up, and feeling like princesses. I do my best to help them feel beautiful on the inside and outside, which means complimenting and encouraging them. I want them to see themselves as beautiful, cherished, and valued. However, something occurs to me: I find it easy to encourage my kids, but why is it so hard for me to be encouraging to myself? Oftentimes we only see our flaws, and we overlook what we’re doing right. I sometimes look in the mirror and only see what I don’t like, or I focus on the areas of my house that I haven’t cleaned in a while. More and more, I realize how unhealthy and negative that is. I need to recognize my own accomplishments and pat myself on the back just like I do with my kids. So, as you are doing things to uplift your kids, don’t forget to do something to encourage yourself. Congratulate yourself on a great dinner, and take a moment to look in the mirror and see yourself as beautiful.

Relationships are important to both kids and adults. We moms like to make sure our kids are on track for many things, and that includes how they are doing socially. I want my kids to have friends, relate to their peers, and invest in relationships. Relationships are important to everyone, so don’t neglect your own. For those of you with little kids, play dates can be a lifesaver. This is a pretty good way to see your friends as well as have your kids play with their peers, but it gets harder when they become older. Now that most of my friends have two or three kids, play dates are often noisy and sometimes chaotic, which makes it hard to visit with anyone. So if play dates with moms and their kids aren’t working for you right now, don’t give up. Go out for coffee or a drink with your girlfriends, and make sure and schedule a date with your husband. Don’t let things get too busy, and don’t feel guilty about leaving the kids with your hubby so you can grab dinner with your best friend.

We pour ourselves into our kids and do what we can so that they can have a great childhood. Sometimes, this comes at our expense (and sanity!). Take care of yourself the same way you take care of your kids, and I believe it will be much better than putting yourself last on the list. Your kids need a happy, healthy mom – make sure they have one.

-Grace

Related posts:

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2. Relaxing With Your Kids
3. Break the Bad Habits – Form the Good

We’ve all been there. It’s the end of your pregnancy, and you start making preparations to survive those first couple of weeks with your newborn. Once your baby arrives, your husband takes a few days or a week off work, family comes to town for a visit, and friends bring meals for a couple of weeks. Friends and family really help us adjust to life with a new baby, and without their help we’d really be up a creek! But what about after those first couple of weeks? What happens when your husband is back at work, family goes home, and the meals stop coming? What are we supposed to do then?

My friend Aimee recently emailed me with some thoughts on this subject. She has a beautiful new baby girl, and life so far seems to be going well with her new little family. However, Aimee raises an excellent point – while we are all thankful for the help we receive right after we come home from the hospital, what about when your baby is two or three weeks, old? A three week old is still nursing round the clock, getting up in the middle of the night, and requiring a lot of care. The mom, however, is usually on her own at this point, while friends and family may erroneously assume that life with the new baby is “easy” by now. (I’m laughing as I write that, by the way – it doesn’t get “easy” for a looooong time.)

So, with the help of Aimee, here are some things that we suggest friends and family can do to help out after the baby is born.

• Help out with housekeeping for the new mom. Aimee suggests having someone come over and clean for an hour would be a lifesaver for any new mom. She is absolutely right! When your baby is two or three weeks old, you’re still not back into your regular housekeeping routine. Nursing around the clock and getting up three times each night is enough to make someone deliriously tired, and keeping the house in order is the last thing on a new mom’s to-do list. We suggest arranging for some help with the housework, whether it’s hiring a maid or offering to go clean yourself. Something that my in-laws did for me after the birth of our second baby was to come over and clean once a week. My husband’s younger brothers came over and tackled my bathrooms while my mother-in-law started dinner, and it was an absolute lifesaver.
• Offer to go grocery shopping for your friend. If your friend has a new baby, offer to run by the store for her. Whether she needs a lot of groceries, or just a gallon of milk, it will be incredibly helpful if you do the shopping for her. Trust me – taking a newborn to the grocery store is risky business.
• Give your friend the gift of alone time. Suggest that she feed the baby and put him down for a nap while you stay at the house. She can go out and get a manicure, have a cup of coffee, and take a few minutes to herself while you stay at the house with her sleeping infant. Watching a sleeping infant is an easy enough task, and it will do a world of good for your friend to have some time out by herself.
• Last of all - if you are still pregnant consider this. If a friend wants to throw you a baby shower, suggest that guests bring a meal to freeze – instead of a gift. Having meals in your freezer will be a huge help when your baby is a few weeks old and you are just too tired to cook dinner that evening. This is a great shower idea as long as you are already having a traditional shower (you’ll still need baby stuff!), or if this is your second (or third, or fourth…) baby. In that case, you’ll probably have all of the baby gear you’ll need – so if a friend wants to throw you a baby shower, suggest that guests bring a meal to freeze for after the baby is born, in lieu of gifts. Make sure and be clear that these meals are for when your baby is a few weeks old, and you would still appreciate friends and family bringing meals over once you arrive home from the hospital. (Also, make sure you have freezer space for the meals you expect to receive.)

So moms, what do you think? Do you have any other suggestions for ways that friends and family can help out a new mom? Let me know if we’ve missed something!

-Grace

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2. Encouraging Other Moms – Why It’s Important
3. Introducing Your Baby to Your Pet

Being a mom is hard work, isn’t it?  There are so many responsibilities, choices, and expectations.  Something that has really hit home with me over the past few years is the importance of having friends who are encouraging, uplifting, and supportive – and being that friend in return.

Perhaps you belong to a moms’ group, or you have regular play dates with friends.  Maybe you go walking once a week with your neighbor and her baby, and you chat about parenting while pushing the strollers around the neighborhood.  And what about all of those other times you chat with strangers, perhaps at the playground or from your kid’s preschool class?

We’ve all been in situations where another mom is making the rest of us feel inadequate, whether or not it’s on purpose.  Perhaps her kids are always dressed perfectly, she never forgets to pack snacks (they’re even homemade and organic…), and she always seem to have it together.  Or maybe it’s someone who is always asking you loaded questions, like “So does Landon know his ABC’s yet? Michael has known them for months, now.”  However it’s presented, I think that a lot of interactions between moms can be downright discouraging and even competitive at times.

As moms, we need to see each other as colleagues and as allies in parenthood.   If we operate on little islands and don’t stop to help each other, we are missing out.  Motherhood is a common bond we share, and it’s something to take seriously.  Here are 10 things to consider when it comes to encouraging other moms – and guarding ourselves against discouragement.

1. None of us really know what we’re doing. Motherhood isn’t something we learn the first time around and then practice perfectly from then on.  We are all trying our best, we all love our kids, and we all have different strengths.  Just because someone looks like they have it all together does not mean that they actually do.  Don’t worry if another mom seems like she knows exactly what she’s doing – she may actually be looking at you and feeling the same insecurity about her own self.
   
2. Do not compare yourself to another mom. Be the best mom you can be with your children, and strive for your own personal best.  It’s perfectly reasonable to get ideas and advice from other moms, but do not compare yourself to anyone else.  Just because they rented a moon bounce and hosted a huge birthday party for their daughter doesn’t mean you’re “not as good of a mom” because you simply had pizza with the grandparents.
   
3. If things are going well for you but another mom is struggling, don’t flaunt it. Some kids are late walkers, late talkers, or have behavioral issues.  If you happen to be a mom who is having an easy time at the moment, just consider who you share your success stories with.   If your two year old is saying her ABC’s and your friend is struggling because her two year old is barely talking, save your good news for the grandparents.
   
4. Don’t try to impress other moms. If you are hosting play date, don’t go overboard.   Waking up early to make homemade muffins and clean your house from top to bottom isn’t going to do anyone any favors.  Sure, tidy up and set out a snack, but consider what you are doing and why you are doing it.  Be the best mom you can to your children, but don’t worry about looking like the best mom to your friends.
   
5. When you see another mom who needs help, HELP THEM. There is always that one mom in the grocery store who is having a hard time.  Offer to help her put her groceries on the conveyor belt or into her trunk if she has a crying baby or is having a hard time with a toddler.   Treat another mom like you would if you saw your friend at the grocery store, and offer to lend a hand.  Even if they say no thanks, your offer may have made a difference in their day.
   
6. Don’t judge other moms. Fight the urge to say in your mind (“I would never let my kid scream like that!).  Instead, try a few encouraging words. Even stopping to say, “Oh, hang in there – toddlers are tough!  I have one at home,” will make a difference to her.
   
7. Remember the Golden Rule. Enough said.
   
8. It all evens out. Just as soon as you think you’re doing something better than someone else or have it more together, something will happen to even things out.  Don’t get cocky or proud, because whatever is going on right now may pass before you know it.  Perhaps your is kid behaving like an angel at play group, and you also have the time to shower and put on makeup everyday before you leave the house.  Don’t look down on the exhausted mom in sweatpants whose kid is running around yelling at everyone during play group.   Next week, you may be the one needing a shower and a visit from Super Nanny.
   
9. Go out of your way to reach out to another mom. If your friend hasn’t slept in weeks because of her newborn, offer to go watch the baby while she naps.  Deliver a meal to a mom whose family is sick.  Suggest having your friend’s kids come over and watch a movie for the evening so she and her husband can go out to dinner.  Pay attention to the struggles of the other moms around you, and do what you can to help.
   
10. Set a good example for your kids. Teach them to give to others, focus on the needs of their friends, and to treat everyone with respect.   By seeing your kindness to other moms, they will not only realize what an awesome mom they have, but they will learn valuable life lessons.
    

If you have a free moment today, consider giving a friend a call or sending an email to someone you know.  Let them know they are a great mom, and you were just thinking about them and wanted to see how they are doing.  It doesn’t take much to make someone’s day and lift their spirits.

- Grace

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1. Lean On Me
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3. How to Help a Friend Once the Baby Arrives

Ah, it starts slowly, doesn’t it? You used to get up, shower, dress for work and then head out the door. A coworker would compliment your shoes, a man at lunch would glance over and then pretend he wasn’t just checking you out, and in general you felt like you had it together.

And then one day, you saw those magic lines on the pregnancy test, which is where it all began. And then the baby was born. And then life became a bit more challenging. And then, one day you looked in the mirror and were a bit, um, surprised.

When did this happen?

It happens to the best of us. For me, that first trimester was enough to make me forget caring about makeup or looking nice at all. If I felt this bad, who cared what I looked like? Of course I only became worse when my daughter was born. When you aren’t sleeping, and you are covered in spit up, how can you possibly care about looking cute? I just wanted to survive.

Four and a half years after it all began, I find myself recognizing the person in the mirror again. I may have had two kids, but I still feel pretty good about myself when I walk out the door. It’s been a long road to get to this point though, and I’ve learned a lot along the way.

Here are 21 simple ways, from pregnancy on, that you can look and feel like you again – not just “a mom.”

Being a mom is awesome. I absolutely love it, and wouldn’t trade it for the world. It can certainly be rough though, and one of the tough things about it is feeling like you’ve lost yourself. Just a few of these simple tips could make a world of difference between feeling like yourself again, and feeling like you’re “just a mom.” Trust me, it feels good to look at your reflection in the mirror and recognize yourself again.

- Grace

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2. My Toddler is a Fashionista – In Her Own Mind
3. Simple Ways to Be More Organized

We’ve all heard them, said them, or overheard them. Open mouth, insert foot. Here is my top ten list of things you should not say to a pregnant woman. I know from experience – these things have been said to me.

10. “Were you trying to get pregnant again???” Ah, what a nice response when you announce your pregnancy. If you hear this, let it roll off of your back. People have all sorts of opinions on how many children to have, and how close to have them together. Smile, nod, and back away slowly.

9. “So are you feeling sick? You know, a friend of mine was sick her entire pregnancy.” Just for the record, this tends to scare pregnant women, especially first timers who are still in the first trimester – so try to keep this bit of info to yourself if you’re tempted to share this with a pregnant woman. And if you happen to hear this when you’re pregnant, don’t let it worry you one bit. Everyone knows someone who has suffered through morning sickness their entire pregnancy, but this does not happen very often at all.

8. “So, are you going to find out the sex, or do you want to be surprised?” Now, asking if someone is going to find out if they’re having a boy or a girl is a perfectly reasonable, polite question.  The thing that isn’t so polite is the way some people say this, which sets it up to sound like it’s better to “just say no” during the ultrasound, and wait till the baby is born to find out.  There are folks out there that think finding out gender somehow ruins the surprise, and they don’t hide their disapproval of your decision to take a peek during the sonogram. But you know what? It’s a surprise either way, whether you find out at the ultrasound or on delivery day.

7. “You know, you won’t take any pictures of the second baby the way you did of your first.” I don’t know why everyone feels the need to say this when you’re pregnant with your second, but don’t listen to it. Just because you will be busier with two children does not mean you’ll forget how to use a camera. Look at it this way – if you were good at keeping up with pictures of your first baby, you’ll be even more experienced at taking good pictures of your second baby.

6. “Did you know that gaining too much weight during your pregnancy increases you chances of being obese for the rest of your life?” Seriously, do not show your pregnant friend an article about how gaining too much weight during pregnancy will set her up to be obese for the rest of her life. And if someone does something crazy like that to you, just ignore them. People blurt out all sorts of things – so once again, let it roll off of your back.

5. “So let me ask you a question. Is morning sickness real, or do pregnant women make it up to get attention?” There are no words for this one. No words.

4. “Are you disappointed? Were you hoping for a boy?” It surprised me how much people assumed I would be bummed at having two girls. I know that the Hallmark cards picture one boy and one girl, but two of the same gender is nothing to be disappointed about. And guess what? You’re allowed to have more than two kids. I like to remind people of that when they act like I’m missing out. (Also, I’m not missing out at all. Having two girls is awesome.)

3. “Well, you’ve gained more weight than you should have.” A doctor said this to me, but this was during the pregnancy when I only gained 27lbs! He was also about 112 years old, and still acted like we lived back in the day when pregnant women were supposed to gain about fifteen pounds max. They were able to do this by smoking their entire pregnancy, of course. So don’t worry about your weight gain, because the main goal is a healthy baby and a healthy mom.  The weight will come off (you may have to skip ice cream for a while…) so don’t sweat it.

2. “Oh, you must be due soon. I can tell because your ankles are really swollen.” No matter how uncomfortable a pregnant woman looks, you should still smile at her and tell her she doesn’t look pregnant from behind, that she’s beautiful, etc. She may know you’re lying, but she’ll appreciate the thought.

1.  “A friend of mine had such a hard time delivering her baby that the nurse had to jump on top of her stomach to force the baby out.” This is probably one of the worst things you can say to a pregnant woman, because it tends to scare the crap out of her. I had a couple of different women share various horror stories (that was one of them), when I was pregnant.  You should worry about these stories about as much as you should worry about that campfire story with the guy and the hook. Everyone knows someone who had something crazy go wrong, but that’s no reason to get spun up and worry about your own delivery. You’ll do just fine.

If you happen to be pregnant, keep these things in mind and remember that people really do say some dumb things. Take the compliments to heart, and ignore the rest. Even if you don’t feel cute, I assure you that you are (of course I happen to love pregnant women, and think they’re adorable). If someone causes you to worry about morning sickness or labor, ignore it. Your pregnancy is just that – your pregnancy. It’s not going to be like anyone else’s.

So sit back, have some ice cream, and enjoy your pregnancy.

- Grace

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When I show up at my best friend’s house, I don’t have to worry about looking nice or pretending to have it together. I don’t sweat it if my two year old throws a tantrum in front of her, or if my four year old blurts out something that would normally embarrass me. If I’m later than I said I’d be, I know she understands. Why is this? It’s because she is in the same stage of life as me, and I know that she gets it.

As moms, we desperately need the support of friends who uplift us and encourage us. This can take many different forms. Sometimes we need the understanding of someone who has kids the same ages as our own, while other times it’s great to go out for drinks with our single friend who doesn’t have any kids yet. And then there are those friends who are a few years ahead of us with older children, and can offer great advice. Whatever the need, it’s wonderful to have a friend to fill it.

This is a great article I came across, and I wanted to share it. I like how they break down the different types of friendships one can have, and how they can help us as moms. When I read this article, the names of my girlfriends were popping into my head for each section. Hopefully you will appreciate this post as well!

6 Friends Every Mom Needs [parenting]

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Have you ever been to a clothing swap? They’re fantastic. I had one at my house last fall, and it was a huge success. You can do a clothing swap for adult or kid clothing – whatever you and your friends can come up with. I haven’t done a kids’ clothing swap yet, but I think it would be a great way to procure some “new” things for my girls next season.

Not familiar with the idea? It’s pretty much what it sounds like. Friends gather together, bring clothes they no longer want, and the everyone goes through the clothes to find what works for them. There are many, many ways to go about this, and you can be as organized or as disorganized as you’d like to be. I did some research before hosting mine, and read posts on many different ways to approach it. Some folks like to have an organized system with tickets or some sort of way to keep track of what they bring and what they take away, while others have a free-for-all.

Not sure about it? Here are 5 reasons why having a clothing swap is a great idea.

1. First and foremost, you can get some “new” clothes. People get rid of clothing for all sorts of reasons – no longer fits, picky about the style, sick of wearing it, etc. Just because someone is sick of those cute maternity jeans they wore their entire pregnancy doesn’t mean you won’t love them yourself the next time around.
   
2. You can get rid of your old things all at once. Keep in mind that there are usually leftover clothes at a swap, so not everything is taken by your friends. The best way to handle this: have someone volunteer to swing by Goodwill and drop off what people do not take with them.
   
3. It’s a great opportunity to get friends together. A clothing swap is great because you can invite plenty of friends, have lots to talk about, and it’s a great reason to get together with everyone. Any excuse to see my girlfriends is reason enough for me!
   
4. Food. Ah, let’s not forget that some sort of goodies must be involved. At my exchange, I prepared chocolate fondue and had each guest bring something to dip. What could be better than good food and good friends?
   
5. Lastly, we all know it’s hard work running a household – this makes it easier. I’d love some new clothes, but I also need a new stove right now. And I’m already getting tired of seeing the same shirts over and over again on my younger daughter – the same shirts her sister wore over and over again! A clothing swap is a great way to refresh your clothing options without spending a dime. Now, who doesn’t like that?

- Grace

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Ok, moms – what’s the first thing you do in the morning (besides brush your teeth, change the baby, etc)? Do you check your email, or perhaps log onto Facebook to see what your friends are up to? I know I enjoy checking up on those things while I’m getting breakfast together for my kids. And according to the findings of a recent study, I’m not alone.

“The Retail Advertising and Marketing Association study showed that more than 60 percent of stay-at-home moms are more likely to use Facebook, more than 42 percent are more likely to use MySpace and nearly 17 percent are more likely to use Twitter. That’s compared to average adults – 50 percent of which use Facebook, 34 percent that use MySpace and 15 percent that use Twitter.”

It makes perfect sense that moms are the ones who dominate social media. Although we’re busy, we’re more or less home throughout the day. We also spend our time taking care of kids, which motivates us to reach out to the grown-up world. I feel like I’m in the loop if I can check email, Facebook, or blogs here and there throughout the day. Even if I take two minutes at the end of lunch to check my best friend’s status update, it makes me feel more connected. And since the two little cuties I spend my days with are under the age of 4, it certainly helps me feel like I’ve got one foot in the grown-up world during the day.

I found this article very interesting, and I thought you would too – enjoy!

Study: Stay-at-home moms dominate social media [Bizjournals.com]

Related posts:

1. Venting Your Frustrations on Facebook – Reasons to Be Careful
2. Encouraging Other Moms – Why It’s Important
3. Daily Structure for Stay-at-Home Moms

While it’s true that we moms are busy, we can often get lonely. Isn’t that ironic? We have a kid or two (or three, or four…) glued to us throughout the day, and yet we need company. That is, company that doesn’t need diaper change and who wants to talk about something other than the Disney Princesses.

My friend Kim mentioned the other day that she just joined her local MOPS (Mothers Of Pre-Schoolers) group, and asked me if I’d ever participated in MOPS. Since I moved back to my hometown a year ago, I have spent most of that time reconnecting with old friends and getting settled. This summer, I realized how much I miss my regular playgroups with the stay-at-home-moms club I was a part of where I used to live.

I was glad to come across this post on MOPS. It reminds me of the benefits of belonging to a group of moms who support each other, encourage each other, and get each other out of the house. Especially if you are a new mom, or have recently moved, this seems to be a great way to connect with other moms.

MOPS Helps Moms Cope [Ruralnorthwest.com]

For more information on MOPS, visit www.mops.org

Related posts:

1. Joining Forces With Other Parents
2. Encouraging Other Moms – Why It’s Important
3. Struggle With Your Temper? You’re Not Alone!