If you’re married you know that it is inevitable that you will fight with your spouse. Lots of people will tell you to never fight in front of your kids. But really, how feasible is that? I will be the first one to raise my hand and admit that my husband and I are guilty of fighting in front of our kids. It’s not intentional, we surely don’t set out thinking that we will argue let alone argue in front of the kids.

The thing to remember when your kids are present is that they are always watching and learning. This can be a good thing. Watching mommy and daddy argue is how they will learn to argue with their spouses, and their friends, and any one else they have a disagreement with. Therefore it’s important to keep it fair. Our rule at home is that we can’t yell with the kids around. If either one of us feels like yelling is on the horizon we “pause” the argument for later. The worst thing about that is that usually if we pause we sit on our anger for a longer time. What this has done for my husband and I is we are far less likely to lose our tempers, with or without kids around.

Another thing to watch for, is to make sure you are both listening. It’s only a fair fight if both sides get to voice their opinions. And finally, it’s extremely important for your kids to see you and your spouse reconcile. When it’s over, they need to see you hug, kiss, hold hands, whatever it is that you would do had you not been in a disagreement. this way your kids learn that’s it’s okay to disagree with someone, but there are right and wrong ways to deal with it. And in the end it doesn’t change your feelings for the person you were arguing with.

-Stephanie Wright

Oh no, your kids asked the question. The question. The “Can we have a dog?” question.

It’s the same question that has sent many parents off the deep end. (perhaps it just makes me crazy, and the rest of you are more level headed. Perhaps there are even more dreaded questions out there…) I knew it wouldn’t be long before our kids asked us for a pet. They all do at some point. Luckily for me ours asked for a dog.

I like dogs, so it worked out for all involved. If they asked for a cat (or a lizard, snake, or rodent) I wouldn’t have been so willing to hear them out. If you decide your family is ready to bring a fido home and make him a part of your family, rest assured that I have some tips.

First thing to consider is breed. You will want to choose a breed that really fits your family. For example, good with kids, or other dogs, or other animals. And also a breed that fits your home life. If you live in a third floor apartment, perhaps that great dane is not really for your family. This really depends on your situation, but good go to breeds that generally love kids are labs and golden retrievers. That’s a generalization though.

Just like not all adults are “dog people” not all dogs are “kid friendly.” Purchasing from a reputable breeder will get you closer to your ideal dog. You will be able to see the parents of your puppy, siblings, and may even be able to contact others who have purchased puppies from them. A good breeder will encourage you to look into their past pups. They will welcome you to tour where their dogs live. If you find someone who doesn’t, run away. The actual dog should allow you to pet her, lift her paws, check her eyes to ensure they are clear (opposed to cloudy) and look in her mouth. If you find a dog that growls when you perform this inspection, I’d say she is not a fit for your family. Think about what kind of “inspections” a toddler might want to give a dog. Also pay attention to the parents. They should be friendly and easy going too. If they are, there is a great chance their puppies will be too. If you decide to rescue a puppy from the pound the inspection is the same.

Your biggest risk is that you cannot be sure of your pup’s temperament once fully grown.You might want to consider rescuing a slightly older dog from the pound. A dog around two or three years of age will most likely have their temperament already established. Not to mention, they will likely be done with the puppy teething stage.

Whatever dog you choose, be sure to invest in some quality training. A well behaved dog, is always cuter than an obnoxious one. Most importantly, be sure to give your new pup lots of love and you will be rewarded tenfold.

-Stephanie Wright

Being the new year, i know many of you are working on losing some weight. Maybe getting yourself back into that pre-baby body that you’ve been missing since the minute you peed on a stick. Cutting your calories and cardio exercises are great, but if you really want to rock the “hot mamma” status you will need to start pumping some iron.

I know what you’re thinking, you don’t want to bulk up and look like a dude, so you will pass on the weight lifting. You’ll have to trust me when I tell you that lifting weights is not just for the boys these days. Let’s get to the skinny of it.

First of all, as women we already have to worry about osteoporosis. Were you aware that building muscle has been proven to improve bone density? No lie! Muscle also burns calories more efficiently, so all that sweaty cardio that you just did is even more effective. Even better, your resting metabolism is better too. So you will burn more calories while surfing the net. And while sleeping.

Lean muscle, think J-Lo or Michelle Obama. (Hello good looking arms!)

Now for all of you who swear that you don’t life weights because you do not want to look like a man. Seriously? This is such an old wives tale. The truth of it is, men bulk up the way they do because they have testosterone. Women body builders often take testosterone in order to achieve their muscle mass. Women have more estrogen which actually promotes lean muscles. Lean muscle, think J-Lo or Michelle Obama. (Hello good looking arms!) And remember, it’s not like you will wake up tomorrow with the physique of Arnold, it takes years if now decades for that to happen.

So if you are still worried about looking like a man, you have time to stop and adjust your routines. But I promise you that you will instead look lean and toned.

-Stephanie Wright

I really enjoy being a DIY diva. If I even think I can come up with a project that complete I give it a shot.

Not too long ago, while I was window shopping at the mall, I saw this cute little canister for holding little girl hair bows and miscellaneous hair accessories. The cute little thing was round, so you could put headbands around it, as well as store things inside.

My daughter is all about head bands. She wears one every single day without fail. We had nowhere to put them, so they just sat in a pile on her dresser. Drove me nuts. You can imagine how excited I was when I saw this headband holder contraption. However, it was $40!!! Needless to say, I decided to DIY it myself.

First thing was to find a good container. Something cylindrical. I chose an empty formula can, but I imagine that empty coffee cans, or oatmeal cans would work great too! Just try to put a headband around to see if it will work. After cleaning my can, I gave it a few coats of white spray paint. Then to sass things up a bit, I cut out my daughters initial and rubber banded it to the canister. Then I went nuts with more rubber bands of varying thicknesses. Once I was happy with the design I spray painted the whole thing purple. Once I removed her initial and all of the rubber bands, I was left with a purple canister with white stripes and a white letter M on it.

At this point you can go to the hardware store and pick up a wooden base to glue on the bottom. Or you can be as excited as my daughter, and just fill her up. Either way, you now have cute stylish containment for all of your daughter’s hair stuff!

-Stephanie Wright

This valentines day I plan to be a little sappy with my family. Normally I’m the heart pancake, pink milk, and candy kind of mom, but I’m getting the itch to add a little pizzazz to out celebrations. I’m not sure why, but perhaps it’s because of some noble desire I have to make sure my kids understand that love is not just about chocolate and cards.

I’m trying, yet again, to drive home the message that life is not about stuff. So this year I have something more mushy planned.

Something I hope my kids will appreciate now, and really love and respect once they are older and have kids of their own. I plan to write them each a letter. In the letter I will include things that ingest them. Things they do that make me laugh, as well as things they do that make me cry. I will write about all the things that make me proud to be their parent.

Once they read their letters, I will put them into their respective scrap books. Then, any time they need a
little love boost, and a hug just won’t do, we have the option to go and read about how much mommy loves them. With any luck, I will get my husband to write one too for all the same reasons. It is my plan to write one of these sap fests
each year for valentines day.

We grown ups all know that it is just another day, made for card companies and chocolate makers, but our kids do not. Over the years they will want to be loved on this day and it’s my job to make sure that happens. At least until they figure things out a little more. And in the mean time, I’ll probably give them some candy too. And pink milk. And all their various meals will contain heart shaped somethings. It’s just how I roll.

-Stephanie Wright

I have a little girl. She is five.  She is already obsessed with makeup. Mind you, I’m not a huge makeup fan. I wear it when it’s necessary, which for me is going out somewhere special, or when I have under eye circles or blemishes. I honestly don’t wear it often enough to have created this little makeup fiend that I have. I understand though, she’s bombarded with it every time we leave the house.

As her parent it is my job to teach her when and how to use makeup. The first rule at our house is that there will be no makeup worn out of the house until she is 17. For reference, that is also the age she will be able to begin “dating.” Why did we settle on 17 as the magic number? Honestly it’s because the kids that I see younger than that age who are wearing makeup generally gross me out. Seventeen seems to be the age that it is no longer offensive to me. So between now and then it’s my job to teach her what makeup is for, when it’s used, and why.

You have to consider what is right for your own family, but we allow little girl makeup for dress up time. You know the kind, lip gloss that sparkles, various nail polishes that are also sparkly, that sort of thing. My rational is that it is fun to pretend to be older, and it is a great way for her to learn. I can show her in a constructive manner how much is too much for example. She doesn’t always like it, but we never allow her to wear it out of the house, or in front of anyone but our family. If you are having a hard time deciding when makeup is okay for your daughter, go to the mall and have a look around. Chances are there are girls with makeup that creep you out, and others that don’t. Wherever that divide is will be your magic number.

-Stephanie Wright

As a parent it’s practically a given that you are going to be tired. Raising kids is hard work. Especially when they are younger, although I hear it is just as hard once they reach those teenage years. Don’t reach for that extra cup of coffee just yet though. Caffeine can stay in your body for up to eight hours, so that cup of joe you drank at six to help you get through the night is actually going to still be in your system at 2 am. This will give you less restful sleep and making you more tired tomorrow. Of course that means you will need that extra cup of coffee tomorrow too. Vicious cycle.

Instead of that caffeine jolt try taking a brisk walk. Exercise can boost your blood flow, your brain function, and put you in a better mood. Plus you burn calories. Need I say more? Try to keep your caffeine consumption before lunch, and opt for a power walk in the afternoon and you might just start sleeping better, and you will feel more energetic through the day. Sodas may also be contributing to your exhaustion.

In addition to the caffeine issues, taking in huge bursts of sugar can cause a crash that will leave you more tired than you were before you had that pop. One last tip to get you well rested, give yourself a bed time and stick to it. Even if it is earlier than when you sold normally go to bed, go through the motions and settle in. Giving yourself the extra down time may help you settle into the sleep cycle more easily. Put down your smart phones, and just relax. My favorite before bedtime activity is taking a bath, nothing relaxes me more than that. Now you will just have to get your baby to sleep through the night.

-Stephanie Wright

Disciplining your kids can be one of the most difficult and yet most important things you will do as a parent. I’m not here to tell you whether or not you should spank, that is a topic for another day and time. I am however, inclined to tell you that discipline is necessary.  If you want your child to grow up to be a valuable member of society you will need to teach them that some actions have consequences. Some of those consequences are not all positive.

The earlier this lesson is learned the easier your child’s life will be later on. It is better to learn this lesson with parents who will love you unconditionally than to learn it from the world. I don’t think it matters what brand of discipline you subscribe to so long as your child responds appropriately.

The key to discipline that works is simply finding what works and sticking to it. It takes discipline on your part to follow through and to stay consistent. That means no giving in to those moments when you just don’t feel like doing it, or when you want to be nice and give your kids a pass. How often does life give us a pass? Whatever you do, do it out of love and you will be successful. Your kids may fuss about it now but they will thank you later. And so will the rest of society. I kid, but honestly guiding your child with discipline and love will give you the kids you always dreamed you would have. In short, discipline that works is discipline that is done and has follow through. So don’t be afraid to say no, take away a toy, send them to their room, or anything else that gets your kids inline.

-Stephanie Wright

It is a pretty hot topic if you have a young baby. Whether or not you allow your baby to “cry it out.” Some new research is suggesting that allowing your baby to cry could cause self esteem issues later in life. Others suggest that it could hamper their ability to bond with their parents. I am no expert, so I cannot tell you what your child will turn out like. What I can tell you is that my parents allowed me to cry it out, and I have no self esteem issues that I am aware of and I think I have a pretty good relationship with them as well.

That being said, my parents also put me to sleep on my stomach, and took me out of my child safety seat before I was two. Those are two things we know today to be bad ideas. So just because I turned out fine doesn’t mean my kids were right. Most everyone agrees that one should never allow a baby younger than four months old cry it out. Babies that young generally cry for a reason. However, there is some point when a baby realizes that if they cry mommy or daddy comes running.

So what do you do when you simply know that your child is exhausted? All of their needs have have been met but they bust into tears every time you think about putting them down? Well, that basically comes down to your personal beliefs. No one knows your child better than you do, so no one can decide what your child needs best. For my family, I was mostly lucky. All three of my kids gradually eased themselves to sleeping all through the night. We did have some nights though when we had to decide if crying it out was for us. For my daughter, it was. She never cried more than ten minutes, so it was fairly easy to do. My middle son on the other hand was more needy than his sister. Crying it out just didn’t work for him, he would cry until he vomited if I allowed it.

If you are having struggles getting your baby to sleep through the night, and your baby is older than six months old ask your pediatrician for some advice. They may have some insight into what’s going on. And remember, don’t do anything that you aren’t comfortable with.

-Stephanie Wright

Now that the new year is upon us it’s a great time to take stock of our beauty routines. It’s very easy when you have young kids to forget about taking care of yourself. No one wants to end up with the “mommy cut” or the out dated makeup that makes you look 50 instead of 30. It’s so easy to date ourself with clothes as well. Here are some of my favorite ways to keep you youthful, and as cool as you were before the minivan.

First, when shopping for clothes create a basic wardrobe that won’t go out of style. Classic straight leg jeans in a dark wash,  a-line skirts and good neutrals are a great place to start. You can add your trends in a few choice pieces, as long as you keep the classic basics on hand. You can also have fun with your accessories. One key to always looking put together is adding a few simple accessories. How easy is that? Throwing on a bracelet or a chunky necklace makes you look like you spent way more time on your outfit than you probably did.

As for makeup if you are still wearing the same colors you were in college it’s time to hit up that makeup counter. Again go for the looks that are classic, leave the extravagant eyeshadows for special occasions and stick to colors that work with your skin tones. The idea is to make you look polished and well rested, not like a teenager who just discovered eyeliner. I am in no way saying that you cannot have fun with your makeup, by all means please do, but save it for special occasions instead of running to the grocery store.

Lastly your hair. I cannot emphasize how important it is to see a good stylist. Someone who can look at your face and hair texture then know what will and more importantly will not work for you. If your stylist asks you what hairstyle you want but doesn’t offer any input you might want to find a new salon. Don’t be afraid to ask them their opinions on what you want. If you are worried about the cost of the salon I urge you to save up for it if you can. Being cheap, I totally get it. Generally I see a stylist every six months for the actual style and get all my trims done somewhere less expensive. Sure I run the risk of getting a hack job, but it’s worked for me thus far.

-Stephanie Wright

We made it!  The holiday season is coming to an end!  I can finally put away the Christmas decorations!  Every year I am so excited to get them out, and as soon as the day is over I’m itching to clean it all up!  You know what that means though, New Years is just a few short days away.  I’m sure as an adult you understand that New Years Resolutions are difficult to make, and sometimes excruciating to keep.  When it comes to my kids I always encourage them to make a resolution or two.  We keep them simple, and I have to commit to it just as much (if not more) than they do.

This year my daughter has made the resolution to be kinder to her brother.  It seems like a fairly general concept.  To help her we made a chart.  Each day that she is nice to her brother’s she gets a sticker.  For each month that has at least 25 days with stickers she gets a surprise.  Usually her surprises are something from the dollar bin at Target, or maybe a trip to a bouncy house.  This way she gets some motivation to be kind (besides me telling her that it’s the right thing to do).  I know that it’s something that I will have to help her with, and constantly remind her of, but I know she can do it.  She knows she can too.  That is the important part, choosing resolutions that you know you (or your child) can keep.  Keeping things realistic promotes success.

For my two year old we have decided that he will be potty trained in the next year.  Now, I know he doesn’t understand what’s going on, or what I expect of him.  However, talking about it is getting him excited.  I didn’t set any time frames for this one because if he doesn’t catch on right away I don’t want him (or his big sister) to think that he has failed at his resolution.

As for myself, I have resolved to cut out caffeine completely.  I’ve been caffeine free for about four months now, and I just want to keep it up.  As a family, we resolve to have more game nights, more snuggle days, and as much fun as we can muster.  Again, things I know we can accomplish!

-Stephanie Wright

The other day while watching my daughter do her homework I noticed that her posture was absolutely ridiculous.  Growing up I remember my own mother yelling at me to “Sit up straight!” at least 5,434,524,435 times.  Looking back I wished that I had listened, but alas I was a sullen apathetic teenager.  Now that I’m older I understand that good posture is more important than looking good, but also helps your body function properly.  When you have good posture your organs have the room they were designed to have in order to function properly.  You can breathe deeper.  Plus, your back will likely not hurt as bad.

In that split second that I pondered all this and reminisced about my mom yelling at me I came to two conclusions.  First, I was not going to yell at my daughter about her posture.  My reaction to my mom was that I tried to sit up, got tired, and gave up.  It didn’t seem realistic to keep it up so I didn’t bother.  The second conclusion I came to was that my posture right now is terrible.  Three pregnancies has not made it much better either.  Humans learn practically everything from their surroundings, and posture is no different.  I am to blame for my kids terrible posture.

Luckily, I’ve caught on to this problem fairly early.  My plan of attack to getting my kids to sit and stand up straight is very simple.  First I spoke with their doctors about my concerns.  She agrees that their sitting in a slouched position isn’t great, but that they do stand up straight.  Thank goodness!  Turns out I stand up straight too, I just cannot get enough lounging around when I sit.  Re-training myself to sit up right has been difficult to say the least.  I am making sure that my feet are firmly planted on the ground when I sit.  And, I am taking advantage of back rests!  They are there to help you!  Take stock of how you are sitting as you read this, if you’re slouching remember you kids are watching!  Since I have put some effort into sitting up I have noticed my kids are sitting better as well.  It didn’t take them long to adapt.  When you’re kids are drawing or writing make sure you give them a slat supportive seat to sit on.  Be patient, and sit up straight!

-Stephanie Wright

I recently had the pleasure of getting together with a group of fellow moms.  All are women whom I adore, and respect.  While we were all talking I noticed a theme in our conversations.  Constantly all four of us were comparing ourselves to other mothers.  We said things like, “I wish I could have a house as clean as hers”  “If only my house were that big.”  “Wouldn’t it be nice to have that new car?” “I bet I would be more stylish if I had more money.”  “I wish I had her clothes.”  “I wish I had her waistline.”  “I can’t be a good mom, look at how well her kids behave!”  It was all I could do to not shout at these women.  These beautiful, smart, caring women who are amazing mothers.

I’m here to tell you that you are an amazing mother, simply because you are your child’s mother.  Let me elaborate.  Having more money won’t make you a better mother.  A bigger car doesn’t make you love your children more.  A smaller waistline doesn’t make your kids love you more.  Living in a bigger home won’t make your kids smarter or more well behaved. Some of these things might in our minds make our life easier, but it has no bearing on ourselves.   Our worth as parents is not measured in stuff!  If you love your children, want what is best for them, and on a daily basis make sure their needs are met, then you are an amazing mother.  To your child you are worth more than all the gold in the world.

Don’t beat yourself up if somedays you cant even manage to brush your teeth, let alone unload the dishwasher.  Our kids will not remember that the house was always dirtier than someone else’s.  They won’t remember that we didn’t have the newest SUV on the market.  They will, however, remember the songs you sang on road trips, the games you played, and the love you shared.  It’s time to stop beating ourselves up and be secure in our worth as the mothers of our children.  There is no replacing us.  Pep talk over!

-Stephanie Wright

My daughter is constantly asking me when it’s going to snow.  She is dreaming of a white Christmas in the worst possible way.  Sadly, it was 68 degrees here yesterday.  I’m guessing that a white Christmas is out of the question.  However, to keep her christmas excitement going we decided to make our own snowflakes.  You don’t even need to ask me how to do it, this is something practically everyone has made when they were kids.  The only thing we did out of the ordinary was use coffee filters instead of regular paper.

This is a great craft to do with your preschool aged kids.  First it helps them practice their scissor skills.  They get a little math exposure learning about folding the papers.  (Yay fractions!) Not to mention the geometry they get to ponder while making shapes in their cuts.  Add all that to the outright excitement as they unwrap their snowflakes and see the beautiful patterns that they created.  Being a nerdy mom, I was quick to point out that every single snowflake is unique.

My daughter (5) had a great time trying to copy my cuts to make a snowflake identical to mine.  It was great for her to learn that the smallest variation on her cuts ended in huge changes on the unfolded snowflake.  Furthering the point that all snowflakes are unique, no matter what.  For added fun, once we finished we taped up all our snowflakes (a whole coffee filter package worth!) on all of our windows.  Our snowflakes may be unrealistically huge compared to the real deal, but our windows are festive and wintery.   Giving us the illusion of that white Christmas that my daughter was so hoping for, without the cold.

-Stephanie Wright

School is out this week to observe the holidays.  It’s great not having to worry about homework and all of the many obligations we have throughout the week, but it is also difficult to keep my rug rats engaged.  I don’t want to rely on the television all week to keep them occupied, and it has been just rainy enough that we have to remain indoors.  So, in order to keep their little minds running and their imaginations churning we have come up with some fun (or strange and silly) activities and crafts to pass the week.

My current favorite it is Wrap Measure.  While I am busy wrapping presents for everyone we know, the kids are taking turn guessing how much wrapping paper each gift uses.  Then we bust out our ruler (or yardsticks, or measuring tape) and see who guessed the closest.  The winner gets to put the bow on the gift.  It sounds silly, but my kids are getting a kick out of it, and I’m getting my wrapping done.  Not to mention they are learning how to measure things.  Sneaky mommy.

I planned to order cute Christmas cards this year, but the time got away from me, again.  So instead I’m letting the kids make them.  Your local craft store will have plenty of blank card options that come with envelopes.  Sit the kids down with some stamps and paint and voila! Instant fantastic cards.  Throw in a printed 4×6 and you are as good as golden, and your kids are busy and occupied.  And really, who wouldn’t love to have their very own masterpiece that my child painted?  That’s what I thought.  Everyone would love it!

You can do the same thing with gift tags.  Let the kids go to town and paint up a storm then use a black Sharpie to write the recipients name on top of the artwork.  If you’re feeling really artistic, let your kids paint their own wrapping paper.  White wrapping paper or white gift boxes are really inexpensive compared to regular wrapping paper.  Wrap your gifts then let your kids paint the paper.  Holiday tradition in the making!

-Stephanie Wright

Sometimes holiday shopping is overwhelming.  I’m not even talking about buying for people outside of my immediate family.  I’m just
thinking about buying for my little unit.  The kids are full of ideas of the things they want, and I’m focused on the things they need.  Finding a balance between the two has been a struggle for years here.  Thankfully the recession has really taught my husband and I that we can have an amazing holiday without spending tons and tons of money.

We have developed asystem for our holiday shopping.  Each child gets one thing they want.  This usually is a toy that ends up being the “santa” gift.  They also get one thing they can wear, be it an entire outfit, or underwear, or shoes.  Then they get one thing they need.  A lot of times the thing they need and the thing they wear are the same.  More often it’s separate, and the thing they need is something that my husband and I make.  For example, this year I am repurposing an old formula can into a chic monogramed headband holder to organize my daughter’s headband collection.  Lastly, each child gets a book.  We are huge readers here, so new books are pretty exciting.  And as far as I’m concerned, you can never have too many books.

So that’s how we keep our Christmas shopping in check, everyone gets roughly four presents from us.  One thing they need, one they wear, one they want, and one thing they read.  It may not sound like a lot, but our kids are more than satisfied with what they get, and my husband and I are satisfied with how much is coming out of our wallet.  Everyone is happy!  How do you prioritize your holiday shopping?

-Stephanie Wright

If you haven’t already figured it out, I am really in love with handmade gifts.  I love making them, almost as much as I love giving and receiving them.   I’m always trying to get my kids just as hyped up about this too, so each year my kids make a gift for Mommy and Daddy, and one for their grandparents.  My husband and I also each make gifts for the kids as well.  Fair is fair.  Here is what is on our to do list this year.  The kids and I are making Daddy ornaments.  Pretzel frame ornaments.

I snapped a photo of each of the kids holding a sign saying “Merry Christmas Daddy 2011.”  We got them printed out and then cut them into a circle.  Next we will glue little pretzels around the photo in the shape of a frame, to both the front and the back.  Finish it off with some ribbon in order to hang it on the tree and it’s done!  For me, the kids and Daddy will be getting together to hand paint a cooking apron for me.  I have an old white baking apron that they snuck away without my knowing and are planning on using fabric paint on it.  Sneaky aren’t they?  I can’t wait to see what they will end up putting on it.

I am most excited about the grandparent gift this year however.  They are making “All About Me” books.  In each book my daughter will write facts about herself and her brothers.  Things like, “My name is Maddie.  I love the color purple.  My favorite food is pizza.  My favorite toy is Love-a-lot Bear.”  That is verbatim from her book.  Then she will draw pictures that illustrate whatever she wrote.  She is doing the writing for her brothers, but we are letting them do their own pictures.  Okay, so my four month old isn’t doing his own pictures exactly, but I plan to use hand and foot prints instead.  Once everything is put together I’m going to take the books to Kinkos and get copies made of them, one for each set of grandparents.  The original will be filed away here at my house.  My first grader gets to practice her sentence building, and writing.  She and her two year old brother get to enjoy drawing all the pictures, and the grandparents get a cute little book made by their grandkids.  Who wouldn’t love that?

-Stephanie Wright

Last month I got an email from my pediatrician explaining that they were ending their “relationship” with our insurance carrier.  I am not afraid to admit that I was terrified.  Six years ago, when I was pregnant with my first child I went through the tedious process of interviewing pediatricians.  I think I went through about six before deciding on our current doctor.  So the idea of doing all that again was slightly daunting. 

I know exactly what I am looking for in a doctor, and I highly recommend that you take the time to figure that out for your family too. It makes the process that much easier.  On the other side of that argument, I have come to know what I do not want in a doctor too. 

One of the biggest, is a doctor that does not respect my time.  I go out of my way to make sure that I am consistently on time for my appointments.  I understand that things happen in the medical field, kids get unexpectedly sick and therefore it’s hard to keep to schedule.  However, if I’m waiting for more than 15 minutes in the waiting room, or even that long in the exam room I am an unhappy camper.  Generally due to having unhappy impatient children.  However, just some good old fashioned communication could nip my annoyance in the butt.  If when I signed in, I was notified of the delay, the problem is solved.  It’s the complete disregard of my time that gets me. 

Speaking of my time, it’s just as valuable as my doctor’s.  And when I am in the exam room asking questions I expect their full attention.  Any doctor who cannot give this to me is out.  It goes without saying, but I also will not tolerate a doctor that doesn’t talk to my kids like they are people.  Doctor patient relationships should be based on trust, and that trust can only be built if you treat kids like they matter. 

Finding a doctor should be as easy as asking a friend who they like, but always keep in mind what works for your friend may not work for your family.  So be patient, and mindful when searching for a new doctor.  In the long run you’ll sleep better knowing you chose someone who cares about your kids as much as you do. 

-Stephanie Wright

Got crafty kids?  Want to take advantage of their creativity and make some Christmas ornaments?  Ornaments that would double as perfect grandparent gifts?  Then you have come to the right place!

Grab 1 cup of cornstarch, 2 cups of baking soda (about one box) and 1 and a half cups of water.  Mix the ingredients until smooth.  Cover and cook on medium low heat.  Stir the mixture occasionally.  Once you reach the consistency of mashed potatoes remove from the heat and cover.  Let it cool, until little hands can handle it.  You’ll want to kneed the clay until it’s nice and smooth.  Then you have two options, roll the clay out like you would cookies and cut out fun shapes, or let your kids mold the clay into whatever they can imagine.  We usually do both!  Don’t forget to add holes at the top of the ornaments so you can easily add ribbons to hang them on your tree!

While the modeling and or cutting is taking place pre-heat your oven to 250 degrees.  When all of the ornaments are made stick them into your preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until they are hard!  Once they are hard let them cool over night.  In the morning dust off any remaining powder on the ornaments and bust out your most trusted brand of kid safe paint. 

Don’t forget to write the name of your child and the year on the back so you will remember how old they were when they made these.  We like to tie them onto wrapped presents that are destined for grandma!  They make the most adorable gift tags that grandma can keep forever!

-Stephanie Wright

Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone (Oh my gosh can you believe Christmas is less than four weeks away?) I can publicly admit that I have already decorated for Christmas.  My kids are especially excited to get the big holiday started so we have begun planning our lists of gifts we plan to give.  Now, being cheap I hate to spend money, besides homemade gifts are always the best in my opinion.  Which is great because that list of people who deserve gifts is always growing.  We have a few standby gifts that my kids help me with that are fun to give (and frankly fun to make and receive and partake in while making them). 

Jar gifts are always a big hit.  Some of our favorites include cookies. Simply gather up all the dry ingredients for your favorite cookie recipe and layer them into a mason jar.  I like to have my kids help measure the ingredients and pour them in the jars so they feel like they are really a part of the gift giving process.  Attach a tag with instructions on how to finish of the recipe (don’t forget to include cooking times!) and you’re done.  My kids always decorate the tags and write the name of the recipe on top.  We also do hot chocolate in jars.  Layer hot chocolate mix, marshmallows, and some candies and voila!    Our newest favorite jar gift has been cake in a jar.  All you need is to make a cake, grab (or make) some frosting.  Let the kids smoosh up the cake so it’s mostly bite size pieces.  Alternate layering cake and frosting into a small mason jar.  It’s pretty, it is tasty, it’s done!

On our list this year are Oreo Lolly pops.  These are super easy.  You’ll need Oreos, lolly pop sticks, dipping chocolate, lollypop bags, and wax paper.  It’s super easy, open up your Oreos, stick the end of a stick into some melted dipping chocolate then put it on one side of the opened Oreos.  Grab the other half of the Oreo and close it up.  After I’ve done the whole package of cookies we refrigerate  them so that the chocolate has a chance to harden and seal the cookie together.  Next you’ll dip each sucker into the chocolate covering the whole thing and set it on the wax paper to dry.  Then let your kids use sprinkles to decorate.  Once the chocolate has completely hardened stick them into a lollypop bag and you’re done. 

I hope you can use some of these ideas to get into the gift giving spirit, and even better, to get your kids into the joy of giving a gift!  Watch their faces when someone they love opens a gift they made.  It’s priceless!

-Stephanie Wright