Parenting

It's back-to-school time! My mornings consist of packing school lunches while my afternoons are spent helping with homework and after-school activities. To save money, and to ensure that my daughter is getting a well-balanced lunch, I pack her lunch almost daily. Today, I'm ...read more

As a mom to two toddlers, I don't get a lot of rest and relaxation. These days, my idea of down time includes private potty breaks, five-minute showers, and the brief period between bed for the kids and lights out por moi. (I know, I know, I sound like an internet meme.) Still, ...read more

I don't think I'm alone in my love of podcasts. Millions of moms use them to fill the void in soccer practices, school pickup lines and our commutes. In fact, I've been boring my kids with them for years (for some reason they just don't connect with Terry Gross of Fresh Air). ...read more

Getting my kiddos to eat their lunch at school every day is a challenge. They tend to go straight for the cookie or treat I pack and skip over the sandwich, forgo the carrot sticks, and ignore the apple. It seems I'm always looking for clever ways to get my kids to eat their ...read more

Raising a confident child is one of the best gifts you can give them. Confidence enables your child to see their dreams as a reality, stick up for their beliefs and encourages them to surround themselves with people that build them up and support them. Confident children are far ...read more

Did you know there are almost seven teaspoons of sugar are in one Snickers candy bar?! And you can expect to get 28 empty calories in one piece of traditional Halloween treat: candy corn. And who can’t eat just one?! Related: Tips for a healthier Halloween Seems like finding ...read more

Sure, we celebrate successes in our family, but we also believe in the gift of failure. I learned this from my own childhood and now I'm teaming up with Always for their Keep Going #LikeAGirl campaign to talk about doing better for our girls. Always did a study and they found ...read more

Working moms, stay at home moms, celebrity moms... at the core, we're all the same. We want what's best for our kids, and we strive to raise healthy, happy, productive little people, who can--you know--go on the potty at will! Indeed, toilet training young tykes is just one ...read more

Motherhood can be stressful... Amen. And for all sorts of different, overlapping, switching reasons. From babies who won't nap to toddlers who wake up too early to teens who you can't get out of bed at all. From battles over teeth-brushing and breakfast-eating and ...read more

Sundays were made for pancakes… and pajamas… and an endless cups of coffee. Yes, that pretty much describes my ideal weekend scenario. Throw in an afternoon nap, and I’m a happy mama. While my kids don’t always (or ever) cooperate with the nap portion of my Sunday plan, I’m ...read more

Relationships and marriages certainly get tested post-kids. Tempers flare and arguments happen. Momtrends recently learned some expert tips from Care.com and Carol Lindquist, Ph.D and author of Happily Married with Kids on how to care for your marriage throughout the chaos. Keep ...read more

I remember the feeling all too well… It was the first day of sixth grade—a new school, new teachers, new peers. Worst of all: a new lunch table. The unfamiliarity of this large cafeteria threw me off guard. Where was I supposed to sit at 10:40 AM (as if that could actually be ...read more

It’s National Handwriting Day, and, while other off-the-grid holidays might miss our radar, this one is always marked (beautifully in cursive, I might add!) on our annual calendar. As bloggers, we're big on writing from the heart. But, as women and moms, we’re also big on ...read more

I remember with fondness the special bond of feeding my two older girls when they were infants. I did a combination of breastfeeding and bottle-feeding with both of them. After hearing sweet little baby cries, it felt truly incredible to be able to soothe them with breast milk or ...read more

I don't know about you, but for me, making a family dinner doesn't consist of multiple meals for each person. I'm no short-order cook and everyone has to eat whatever it is I make. There are those days, of course, when I want to make something healthy but am too exhausted to ...read more

Mess and motherhood—the two go hand in hand. My son was born exactly four years and three months ago, and not a single day has gone by without a spill, drip, drop, or explosion of some sort… Yes, sloppiness goes with the territory. And now that I have two tikes, I’ve got ...read more

I'm a big fan of Halloween. I adore dressing up and playing pretend, and Halloween gives me a reason to let my inner child out. While I've always loved the idea of having matching family costumes my children always choose their costumes early, think July. They are so enthusiastic ...read more

We've been reading to both our little ones since before they were even born. We read to them in the womb and we still read to them: board books, picture books, and, now, chapter books. We make the silly voices, we read them the same book a thousand times, and we read to them ...read more

I'm always on the hunt for snacks that are healthy, taste good, and that everyone in the family will enjoy. On a recent shopping trip, I discovered Annie Chun's Seaweed Crisps. These were intriguing! As I stood in the aisle of my local grocery store with my toddler in the cart ...read more

How do you work to build character in your kids? I've been thinking about this question a lot recently. I think many parents think developing character will just happen. Kids will just "pick it up" from watching good examples. And modeling character traits IS important, but I'm ...read more

My baby just turned 3. Three, you guys! That calls for a party. This one came out great and I want to share how to throw a totally dino-mite dinosaur party. This theme for a children's birthday is timeless and I can't wait to share my design. Dinosaur Birthday Party The guest ...read more

The Back-to-School madness is upon us. We always have the best intentions at the beginning of the year and I'm hoping that this season, all of these organization ideas will help me keep my cool as the school year progresses. We're sharing some of our favorite ways to stay ...read more

Summer is over and we're gearing up for the back-to-school season. We've bought the book bags, shopped for a new wardrobe, and stocked up on the long list of school supplies. One fun addition is this FREE printable for a Back-To-School nighttime routine. Why You Need a Routine ...read more

My daughter loves to wear her hair in different hairstyles, but we frequently don't have a lot of time in the mornings. I need easy. I need quick. This year, we've been playing around with a few new braid hairstyles (Momtrends tip: braids are great for moms too!). My daughter ...read more

This post is sponsored by Similac. Pressure, guilt, anxiety, doubt—these are things we all feel as parents. In addition to happiness, joy, and boundless love, of course. Everything changes the moment we become moms, and, in some ways, the lives we once knew become totally ...read more

“Hello, muppet.” That was the first thing I said to my baby girl when she was born—when they put her naked little body on my bare chest at 6:48 P.M. November 29, 2014. A silly little greeting meant only for her ears. I remember the comforting weight of her mere 6 pounds—the ...read more

Like most of my generation, I'm thoroughly engrossed by reality television, but now that I'm a mom I'm especially fascinated by families. Sure, a reality tv guilty kinda pleasure has its place, but I love watching uplifting programs even more! Catching a glimpse of how families ...read more

1. What inspired you to write Sh*tty Mom For All Seasons: Half-@ssing It All Year Long, a follow-up to the New York Times bestseller Sh*tty Mom? Alicia: Because the first one was an instant New York Times Bestseller! We heard from women immediately that they loved hearing other ...read more

Life as a mom can be a balancing act. Between school, work and after school activities we take on a lot. Some days I barely have time to pull together the same old peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch. I know my kids need healthier options, and I need something to make my ...read more

I was raised by a single mom. And as anyone knows who is a single parent, or has been raised by one, it's the toughest, yet most rewarding job in the world. You take on the role of both parents, so unless you're lucky enough to have a village helping you, there's no rest for the ...read more

When it comes to messes and stains, I can be a bit fastidious, but I’ve made a conscious effort this summer to really let go of the angst that comes along with my kiddos making messes. They have so much more fun if I’m not stressing about them staining their clothes. In the grand ...read more

When you find out you are pregnant and even as a new mom life can be scary. You are suddenly thrown into new territory. You have questions, so many questions.With smartphones we can have a world of knowledge and connections at our fingertips. We've rounded up some of the top ...read more

We know it's so cliché, but children really do grow up quickly. Everyone tells you this but as parents sometimes it feels like suddenly they go from tiny newborns snuggling in your arm to big school-age kids doing homework just in the blink of an eye. While we can't keep them ...read more

Have you ever heard the phrase "Pay Now or Pay Later" when talking about your health? It is a little motto I play over and over again whenever I think about the cost of my organic lifestyle vs a more conventional one. By choosing an organic diet, I avoid harmful chemicals, GMO's, ...read more