Mommyfriend
Editor at GalTime.com, freelance writer and creator of www.Mommyfriend.com where she almost never combines true tales of motherhood and mayhem with her education in Child Development. Mom of two boys and wife to an illustrator, life is simply colorful all the time. She is a Yahoo! Shine Parenting Guru, aspiring columnist and e-card writer. Her work has appeared on Babble.com, Yahoo! Shine, the Baby Einstein Blog, Thebump.com and numerous parenting anthologies.
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- Contributor since
- 5/28/2010
Interests
Parenting, elementary education, pregnancy education, working mothers issues, child developmentMotto
...finding perfection in imperfection daily.Affiliations
Mommyfriend, Disney's Babble Kids, Disney's Babble Strollerderby, Disney's Babble MomCrunch, Y! Shine Parenting Guru, Project Marriage Partner, YouTube Channel, Clever Girls CollectiveFavorites
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Displaying Results 1 - 92 (of 92) for All Content
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Parenting Guru: 6 Things I Didn't Know About Tweens Until I Had OneThe truth about tweens: who they are, what they need, who they are, and where we as parents fit in. -
Parenting Guru: A Mother’s Measure of SuccessYour kids see you as amazing. Now it's your turn. -
Parenting Guru: Parenting Resolutions of LoveSure, I could vow to lose weight, stay organized, and keep my car clean, or I could resolve to bring more love into my household with these three simple changes. -
Parenting Guru: A family of faithReflections of faith in 2012 and hope into the New year. -
Parenting Guru: A letter of gratitude to my sonsMotherhood is nothing like what I expected, it's better. -
Parenting Guru: More treats, less tricks: Halloween safety tips for a ghoulish good timeTips for trick-or-treat safety this Halloween. -
Parenting Guru: I'm lucky I became my motherSome women dread becoming their mothers, I consider myself lucky. -
Parenting Guru: A mother's back-to-school resolutionsI've learned a lot as the parent of an elementary school student. This year I vow to put what I've learned into practice with these four resolutions.Also published on: -
Parenting Guru: Family fun on two wheelsBike riding is fun for the whole family, take it from an reluctant rider.Also published on: -
Parenting Guru: Road travel and the newborn factorEver attempted road travel with a newborn? I have. Check out how "the newborn factor" affects your family's summer road plans.Also published on: -
Parenting Guru: 5 reasons summer is mom's season offSummer, one mom's ultimate excuse to ease up on parenting rules. -
Parenting Guru: Little brother, big friendshipJust when my shy son thought he didn't have a friend in the world, he realized he had one for life. -
Parenting Guru: Lessons from the gutterI never expected my kids to learn life lessons in a rundown bowling alley, and yet, they did. -
Parenting Guru: A special Valentine for a mystery 4th grade girlWho was the mystery 4th grade girl who stole my son's heart? A mother investigates. -
Parenting Guru: My heart was speaking all alongI followed my heart and lived happily ever after. -
Parenting Guru: Spreading the err, loveThe second you become a new mom, you learn right quick that poop quickly becomes a regular (pardon the pun) part of life. Sure, at first you find all the poop mildly disturbing, but out of love for your sweet baby, you quickly learn to smell the other way.It's a fact: your baby is perfect and no amo
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Parenting Guru: Yoda worst mom at choosing Halloween CostumesThe kids in my house are Star Wars fanatics. The geekdom is pretty cool and as much as I dislike syfy as a general rule - Star Wars is the exception.
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Parenting Guru: Today I Quit My JobToday might just be the biggest day of my life.
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Parenting Guru: Summer lovin' had me a blast!Hard to believe summer is coming to a close. As I was reliving our awesome summer moments I came across this picture that really says it all.We had planned to go to our county fair the day this picture was taken and when we arrived at the gates we were disappointed to learn the fair didn't open for
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Parenting Guru: Sometimes I choose meYou're a mom, you know how it goes. You give and you give and you give some more and when you're not busy giving some element of yourself to someone or something, you feel guilty. What's up with that?
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Parenting Guru: Can a bad swimmer teach her kid to swim? I investigate.I'm not a very good swimmer, never have been. Despite a childhood filled with swimming lessons and endless summers in my neighbor's pool, I still suck. It's like my arms and legs can't come to an agreement on how to move through water with speed or grace. So maybe my body isn't built for swimming, i
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Working Mom Tips - Advice for Moms Who Do it AllBeing a working mom is hard; follow these tips and tricks to keep your sanity in check and your whole family smiling.
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Parenting Guru: 5 Places I want my kids to seeI'm guilty. We've never taken the time to embark on the great American adventures I always envisioned for my family. I'm beginning to realize that time is passing much too quickly and it's time to start planning and experiencing all our great nation has to offer!
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Raising Domestic BoysMy attempt to raise sons who will one day know their way around a kitchen and a washing machine.
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Parenting Guru: Summer camp and mean girlsI was never a camper. I was never a Girl Scout. But back when I was 8 years old I was both, for a week anyway. Let the macramé begin. My BFF was a Girl Scout and invited me to spend 7 girl-empowering days with her and about 100 other Girl Scouts at Camp Osito Rancho. Not only was this my first tim
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Parenting Guru: Stop this trainI was watching him talk to his uncle with such ease, using words like "ridiculous" and "surprisingly". He used his hands when he spoke and stood in a relaxed stance as he talked about viral videos on YouTube. He did this thing with his eyebrows when he worked to conjure up a thoughtful response. He
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Parenting Guru: Fear and loving in infancyHow I love newborn babies. I love them because they are so shiny and new and haven't yet learned the word "no". They are perfect and sweet-smelling and their clothes are so cute it makes me want to cry. Newborns are easy to hold and even easier to love. They possess the unique ability to make your h
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Making Your Family a TeamYour family is a team in it to win it! Let me show you how to develop a team mentality within your family!
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Date night: why parents need a night outOne of you planned it, a long awaited date night with your partner sans kids.In eager anticipation you realize there are things that simply must be done stat. Purchase a new outfit that makes you look as smokin' as you know you used to be, at least before shapewear. Get a pedi because you haven'
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Toddler Discipline: Tips from the BattlefieldToddlers rock! They can also challenging to discipline, I know. Let's kick it old school with some tried and true tricks for toddler behavior management.
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5 Steps to Protecting Your Children in an EmergencyEducation and preparation go a long way in offering protection and security for our family.
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Say This, Not That: Conversations with an Expectant MotherHere are five common conversation mishaps and ways to work around them.
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Parenting Guru: Bloggers, have you taken The Mom Pledge?Last year I wrote a post about my first experience with an internet troll. It blindsided me, like whoa.
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Fun and Creative Expressions of Gratitude for ChildrenSaying thanks can be fun and enjoyable!
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Parenting Guru: The 3 hardest words - I need helpBeing a mom is seriously hard work. Anyone who disagrees is probably doing it wrong. We worry, we try, we succeed, we fail and we learn.
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Music takes her anywhere she needs to beThe little girl in the picture above is my mom as a March of Dimes poster child in 1952. In that year, she was one of 1,439 persons stricken with polio in Los Angeles alone.
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Parenting Guru: That Mom, everyone knows at least oneI know "That Mom", like I actually know her.I first met her back when she was just a newlywed, seemingly the kind of girl without That Mom tendencies. Today, and one child later, she's evolved into That Mom. You know, the mom who knows better than everyone. Nevermind the fact that every child is dif
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Moms Aren't Supposed to Be CoolI'm not my kid's friend. I have enough friends.
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Parenting Guru: When the first missing tooth goes down the drainMy son was late to get his teeth and even later to start losing them. At the ripe age of 6 ¾ he finally had his first loose tooth. We were so excited, even our family abroad knew about it. As we remained on "Tooth Watch", weeks upon weeks went by with no progress. We all began wondering if that too
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Celebrity Moms Are Not like UsI love celebrity moms too but I don't take their advice.
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Combat the "I'm Bored" BluesDo you hear, "I'm bored!" from your kids way too often? Let me help you engage your children in thinking outside the box.
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My Doggone Awkward Marriage ProposalI always thought marriage proposals were supposed to be romantic.
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Parenting Guru: Your boobies, your baby, your choiceWhen it comes to breastfeeding, we all start out with the same thought:
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Commuting with a Toddler: Survival TipsToddlers and traffic don't mix. These tips can help ease your commute and keep everyone smiling.
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Why Are Moms so Judgmental?Feel judged by your fellow mothers? Join the crowd. It's time for a kinder, gentler motherhood.
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How to Handle Unsolicited Parenting AdviceUnsolicited parenting advice is coming at you from all angles. Let me help you plan your escape.
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Parenting Guru: 5 dreams for my sonWhen I look at my 8 year old son I'm filled with so much hope for his bright, bright future. I've got some big dreams for this amazing kid and hope he shares in these dreams as he grows:
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Strengthening Your Family Bond Through SillinessA dose of silliness has the power to strengthen your family ties and build lasting memories.
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Choosing a Daycare to LoveChoosing a daycare can be a little scary, but it doesn't have to be. The perfect daycare is out there, these tips can help you find it.
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Tips for Creating Successful Family PortraitsBecause there's more to beautiful family portraits than simply saying "cheese". Gorgeous family portraits can be yours by following these simple tips.
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User post: Letter to the second childYou had used baby gear, used clothes and used toys.We took half as many pictures of you.
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When Your Kid Is "The Bad One"What does any mom do when her precious toddler son has a bad boy reputation? She blames herself.
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Parenting New Year's Resolutions I Actually Want to KeepEstablishing New Year's Resolutions with my family as the focus is a great way to bring us closer together in 2011! To resolutions that encourage positive change and plenty of fun; cheers!
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User post: Just An Ordinary DayIt was a typical morning in the Mommyfriend household.The alarm sounds at 4:45 a.m., I stumble out of bed to check the computer. Awesome, 7 spam blog comments and a solicitation for male enhancement. Because I need that.
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User post: I Don't Like My Son's TeacherI DON'T LIKE MY SON'S TEACHER.Hot damn that felt good to say. I like everybody and I still don't like her.
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Parenting Guru: The panic attack that changed everythingThis year has been filled with so many amazing moments all brought about by a panic attack.
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User post: Can a Yes Woman Just Say No?Like a lot of my Mommy Friends, I'm a Yes Woman.
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Supermom is Super TiredI admit it, after I became a mother I became unfairly and unabashedly jaded toward childless people. Not all childless people, just those childless people who incessantly complain they are "so busy" and "so tired" all the time.
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It's Not Abuse, It's DaycareThe life of a working mom requires a lot of juggling. And daycare.I've written about the tiresome mommy wars and made my personal plea to play nice. But a fellow mother must not have read the memo when she graciously provided me with this anti-daycare propaganda link. Good girl gone bad, my fangs ca
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Halloween Costume Hits & Misses--One Mom's TaleFall is here! Pumpkin spice this, cinnamon that, pumpkin patch pictures and of course, Halloween costumes.Halloween costumes are either hits or misses. When they're hits, they're big hits and when they're misses, they're catastrophic failures.I've had my share of both.
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My Online Birth Club: The Sisters I Never HadI don't have a sister and when I gave first to my first baby, I was the first among my friends to become a mother. I was alone. I was clueless. It was ugly.Then I discovered my online birth club.
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The Nakey Preggo PicWhat better way to capture the magic of pregnancy than with beautiful maternity photography.Any amount of research on maternity photography will lead you to the nakey preggo pic, a beautiful and artistic statement about the wonder that is pregnancy. While these typically black and white pictures may
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Do New Moms Deserve Push Presents?I gave birth to Boy Wonder naturally and I'm here to tell you crowning isn't called "the ring of fire" for nothing. After my tour of delivery duty I jokingly told Big Daddy P I deserved something shiny.Childbirth is seriously hard work but are moms deserving of a "push present" for the effort?A "pus
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The Excited Christmas Picture TraditionThis is me in 1981, really, really excited about Christmas. For me, Christmas has always been a wondrous time filled with togetherness and magic. My husband felt differently and the mass consumerism of Christmas left him, well…Grinchy. What's more, he couldn't understand how his personal objection
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MILF, Love It or Loathe It?Somewhere along the way, the term "MILF" became not only a socially acceptable compliment but something that required advertising.I just don't get it.You know what else I don't get? Why on earth the acronym MILF would ever belong on a onesie.
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Moms, Let's Play NiceI would never want to spark a Work Outside the Home Mom (WOHM) vs. Stay At Home Mom (SAHM) debate, because the battle is emotionally charged, super touchy and always ugly. Besides, I don't have space to store all those soapboxes anyway.In a fantastic recent article on Yahoo Shine, Mommy Tracked disc
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Are Today's Moms "The Lucky Ones"?I know a few ladies from the old school who were young mothers in the 1960's. I love these ladies to bits but I have to admit that I'm getting pretty tired of hearing how easy I have it.
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Mommy FrenemiesLet's talk for a moment about Mommy Frenemies. Like spider veins, we all have them.The Mommius frenemius (Mommy Frenemy) is the largest predatory threat to mothers.
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I Just Broke Up With Gisele[Image credit] I just broke up with Gisele.Supermodel Gisele Bundchen and I have been on the rocks for a while. Sure, maybe you haven't read about our tumultuous relationship in Us Weekly, but I'm taking to Mommyfriend to bring you the exclusive.
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Birthdays, cries and videotapeWhen you think back on your childhood, you can probably sum up your mom in a few words:
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Pregnancy Anonymous[Image credit]
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It's Good for Kids to WantMy boys have become little robots who watch television in a daze and mumble, "I want that" in a frightening monotone, I swear I've even heard it after a Barbie commercial or two.
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F- Your BirthplanImagine you are in the beginning stages of labor and your midwife tells you she has a license plate frame on her car that says "F&%# Your Birth Plan". Well, mine did.
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My Rookie Mom Mistake[Image Credit] Somewhere between my first and second child I abandoned radical parenting and the world (or at least my kids) breathed a collective sigh of relief.
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Once Upon a Time I Had a Mama's BoyNot so long ago, I was everything. I was idolized and larger than life to my eldest son when he was nearly 6 years old. Imagine having your personal fan club president as a member of your household? Honestly, in between all of his normal boy activities, my eldest would stop to pay me a compliment, h
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Little Hearts, Big LoveDiamonds may be a girl's best friend but handmade gifts are a mom's best friend.There is nothing as special as a handmade craft or picture made by your child. I cherish every handprint, footprint, macaroni necklace and glittery card made with smeared ink and misspelled words.The thoughtful care our
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Baby Name Etiquette: Yes, There Are RulesChoosing a name for your little bundle of joy is a far more arduous task than you probably ever thought. Like looking for a new house, the search starts out really fun and quickly becomes one of the most painful chores you could ever imagine.Do you tell people the REAL names you're considering?
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Lie to Me, Even Just a LittleChildren are the most honest creatures you will ever meet. Let me preface that by saying children are the most honest creatures you will ever meet about the things that won't get them in trouble…or at least the things they think won't get them in trouble. If you want to know if that dress makes y
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The Delivery Room: Private Affair or Party of the Century?The birth of your baby is a momentous occasion worthy of tremendous celebration. But is your birth "the place" to be? Of course your family and friends are bursting at the seams with adoration for your unborn child. They love your little sweet pea so much in fact, that they are eager to be involved
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Operation Give Peace A Chance: Our Week Without Toy WeaponsEarly on, our eldest son seemed to be a pacifist of sorts. He played with age-appropriate, non-offensive toys like Thomas the Tank Engine and Hot Wheels until he was about 5 years old. In Kindergarten, everything changed. Suddenly he was into ninjas, soldiers and various forms of artillery. Kinderga
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My Kids Are Making Me FatThe title says it all.