Category: Mommy/Parenting

How to Take a Road Trip With One Child (When You Have Three)

by June Blogger of the Month Rhonda Franz

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A June wedding out of state, 48 hours at our disposal, and three children: this is what we I had to work with. Sometimes, these kinds of experiences make for fun family memories. Sometimes family peace (and survival) means splitting everyone up.

Turns out, there’s a bit of an art to leaving for a weekend with one child when you have three. Before the road trip journey began, I had to get past the days leading up to the trip.

1. Put the road trip on the calendar. Write your name and your oldest child’s name along with it, establishing the authority of the family calendar above all else. If there are any gripes about everyone not getting to go, simply point to the wedding date, and remind the complainers that what is on the calendar remains on the calendar. Never mind that there are multiple previous events crossed out on the calendar.

2. Make sure someone stays with the children. With such limited time available, my husband and I decided he would remain at home with the younger two. No matter how much you might want to embrace Free Range parenting, you can’t leave a six-year old and a four-year old at home without supervision.

roadtripkidsRoad trip drama: I regret to inform you that two of you boys will be staying behind.

3. Inform the children who are being left behind. Despite the fact that “no” is a complete sentence, it might be helpful to explain to the littles that older brother is going and they are getting to stay at home. This should probably be done a few days ahead of time, and not right before you dash out the door—leaving tantrums in your wake.

4. Remember who you are. You are a mom of multiple children. You banished guilt a long time ago. The word “guilt” shouldn’t even be part of your vocabulary. Make the decision and don’t look back. Do not entertain any guilty thoughts. Stop thinking about how guilty you might be feeling. Remember, you’re the mom of multiple children. You banished guilt a long time ago…

5. Be careful about what you say. It’s not like you can appease the younger kids by convincing them that weddings are totally boring—informing them they would have to: sit for a really long time without talking or wiggling or moving in any way or making faces or swinging their feet or clapping their hands or crossing their eyes or looking behind them or laughing or hanging upside in their chair like monkeys or making any noise whatsoever…because then the oldest child will overhear you (or surely be told by his siblings) and will have second thoughts about going.

6. Play up the whole “getting to stay with Daddy” experience for the younger ones. Daddy is the one they love best, anyway. When the oldest child isn’t around, remind them that Daddy doles out Lucky Charms for breakfast, licorice for snack, and other fun things they never get to do when Mommy is around.

7. Play up the whole “you’re getting to come with Mommy!” experience for the oldest. When his younger brothers are not around, remind him that he will get to see his Mama and Papa, have undivided attention from family, and get to eat wedding food. Wedding food!

8. Relax. You’ve done your job. The younger children know what’s going on and are fine with it. The oldest child is excited about the trip. All is good. #success

9. Do not mess up the success of your plan. Make a mental note that next time, putting the one mobile device shared by all the children in the car while the younger two are watching is a terrible mistake.

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10. Drive away. Do not look back at the tantrums in your wake. #parentingfail

Gratitude of a New Mom

By Whitney Jordan of Polka-Dotty Place

2013 has been an amazing year for my family.  It feels like the perfect time of year to look back and see all of the blessings that have come our way.  We have been blessed with wonderful family and friends that have showered us with love.  We were fortunate to wrap up our time in Utah and find a new job in Arkansas that puts us significantly closer to our families.  We were blessed with our first child in May.  We had a successful move across the country this summer and are starting to feel right at home living in the South.  We are one lucky family!

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I am extremely grateful to have become a mom this year.  My husband and I have been married for 9 years so we feel very fortunate to have had many years to ourselves.  We enjoyed traveling, going to grad school, sightseeing and sleeping in for plenty of years.  We both agreed that it was time to expand our family so we began to pray that God would bless us with a baby.  Our prayers were answered when we met our healthy baby girl on May 29, 2013.  Olive Kate joined our family and we can’t believe she’s ours.  She is a sweet, spunky 5 month old baby and we are fortunate to be her parents.

I’m appreciating all of the highlights that come with motherhood.  I adore witnessing all of her “firsts” – smiling, rolling over, sitting up, eating solids, and babbling the day away.  It’s amazing to see how quickly she learns new things and she is growing up so fast.   I love that Olive recognizes our voices, lights up when she sees us and seems to be most content when we are talking to or playing with her.  I’ve also really loved watching my husband become a dad this year.  He is head over heels for our daughter and she already has a very special place in his heart.  She thinks he’s hilarious and definitely has a strong bond with him.  Olive is such a blessing to us!

Parenthood isn’t for the faint of heart.  My husband and I have never been so sleep deprived in our lives.  We sure love our little alarm clock but sometimes wish she had a snooze button!   We have come to the realization that our schedule and plans now hinge upon feedings, sleep schedules and finding baby friendly activities.  We are learning to enjoy the “to go” options at our favorite restaurants as dining out with a baby isn’t always fun.  We feel so lucky to be in this phase of our lives even when our patience is running low, our expectations have to be adjusted and we have to be more flexible than ever.  Our new normal is shaping up to be a pretty great life.

I’m thankful to get to share our family traditions and interests with her.  We love football, traveling, going on walks, reading, cooking and just being together.  My husband and I work hard to maximize our time together and enjoy our new life as a family of three.  I am a teacher turned stay at home mom and I am so thankful to be able to share my love for reading with Olive.  She’s really enjoying books and shows her excitement by swatting the pages and trying to eat the books.  I cannot wait to introduce her to my favorite authors and illustrators; I can only hope she’ll grow to love them as much as I do.  We have recently moved across the country and done a lot of traveling since Olive was born.  She has logged upwards of 6,000 road miles with us.  I’m so thankful that she’s such a great traveler and seems to enjoy our trips.  I also love to cook and Olive makes an excellent little sous chef.  She sits in the kitchen and I talk to her about the food I’m preparing.  She smiles, babbles and loves to chew on spatulas as we cook together.  I can only imagine that our lives will continue to be greatly blessed by doing things together as a family.

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It’s surprising at how much I already love my little girl after just a few months.  She’s just joined our family and suddenly I don’t remember how we spent our days without her.  I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be a stay at home mom but I am so thankful that we were able to make it work.  I treasure our time together because I know that each day with her is a gift.  Olive will be in school before we know it and I can always return to teaching.  I didn’t expect to feel so tender-hearted in regards to everything related to Olive.  I get teary eyed at the drop of a hat, I want to protect her from any harm that should come her way and always be there for her.  I pray for her to have good friends, wonderful people in her life and for her to always be thankful for the blessings she has been given.  My husband and I strive to be good examples for her and want her to know just how much she is loved.

I feel extremely blessed this year and pray that the coming year will be filled with many new blessings and happy times for our family.  I plan to slow down during this busy holiday season and soak in all of the things we have to be grateful for at this moment.  Don’t rush the holidays and overbook your schedules.  Enjoy your families and make the most of the time you have together.

 

iPhone 2012 101Hello!  My name is Whitney and I blog at Polka-Dotty Place.  I am a new mom and my family just moved to Arkansas.  We are enjoying the state and like to spend our weekends exploring our new home.  I love to take pictures, blog, organize, make lists, bake, accessorize, do DIY projects and watch football.  I am always looking to make new bloggy friends so please stop by and say hi.

Overcoming Mysophobia, Better Known as Germaphobia {Phobias}

by MamaBuzz Mel Lockcuff

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When did this overwhelming fear of germs begin? And why am I choosing now to speak out about it? These are the questions I ask as I write this, and I think the reason that I want to write about it now is because this fear no longer cripples me. My hope is that I can help give encouragement to someone else who may be battling the same fear. While I still battle, though to a much lesser extent most days, it’s something that has taken a LOT of work to overcome. It’s taken an “immersion therapy” of sorts and a determination to live my life to the fullest, no matter the risks.

It all began when I was in nursing school. I went through a tortuous 1-year nursing program with extremely strict rules and regulations. If we missed one too many days, we risked getting kicked out of school, for real; I actually had a friend get kicked out because she’d developed cat scratch fever and missed too many days. (Yes, that’s a real disease.) The things I saw and handled while in clinicals made me want to strip down and get in the shower right away when I got home. Nursing homes were the devil’s lair for the inner germaphobe that was quickly and silently taking over my mind, body, and spirit.

When I finally graduated, I breathed a sigh of relief but went right to work in a clinic that specialized in cardiology/cardiovascular surgery. My fears continued to grow, despite my best efforts to curb them, including attending a couple of therapy sessions. Others noticed too, friends I worked with, family members, and especially my husband and son (we just had our oldest at the time). This fear was all too quickly crippling my mind, body, and spirit; and my family was paying the price for it. While I did well at my job and loved working as a nurse, I couldn’t help but constantly fear sickness and germs of any kind. I would continuously wash my hands, wipe everything down, etc. I can’t even tell you how many things I missed out on during this time, precious things missed out on…. and all because of this rotting fear. Kinda ironic that I was a nurse battling a fear of germs and sickness, huh?

While expecting our youngest, I decided to quit my job as a nurse and be home with our kids more. I really tend to give my youngest most of the credit for bringing my fears to a screeching halt. I also worked for a short time as a supervisor in a school. Kids are ever so germy, and my youngest is definitely a germy little sweetheart. In fact, his nickname happens to be Pigpen. He just has a knack for being filthy, no matter what he does. He can’t help it, and we love him for it. I think God gave him to us because He knew we needed him. He knew I needed him; he’s truly a gift.

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Realizing what this crippling fear was doing not only to me but also to my family was my turning point; our oldest was at such a tender age through all of this, that he began to pick up many of my germaphobic habits and rituals. Also realizing that I can’t control everything…. well, that was a huge realization in and of itself. I’m not saying the battle is the same for everyone, so please don’t misunderstand. But for me, the battle took courage, determination, and sometimes, a willingness to face what must be faced. Whether it’s something as simple as cutting up raw chicken (that might contain bacteria), walking into a doctor’s office, visiting my grandmother in the nursing home before she passed away, or even just going out to the movies, it’s taken babysteps. Daily babysteps, prayer, and determination, not to mention a bit of perseverance sprinkled in for good measure.

So, while I do still practice good hand washing, I’m also not afraid to get my hands dirty. I’m not afraid to hold my babies when they’re sick…. not afraid to get in the kitchen and tackle what needs to be done…. not letting this fear stop me from traveling, from visiting, from living life. Yes, the fears still make an occasional appearance, but they come around less often these days. And when they do come around, I’m ready to fight.

Are you battling a similar fear? You too can fight and overcome. I know it can be a lonely battle, but it doesn’t have to be. Nothing is impossible.

imageMel Lockcuff is a wife, homeschool mom to two rambunctious boys, a lifestyle blogger, social media strategist, and founder of MamaBuzz Media. You’ll find recipes, crafts, DIY projects, travel adventures, awareness, and more on MamaBuzz. You can follow Mel on Twitter @MamaBuzz or contact her at info@mamabzz.com.

One Small Act of Kindness for the School Year {Back to School}

Written by Amanda Farris of Embracing Grace

Back to school time is a change of pace for all students, moms, dads, and teachers. Whether you home school, send your kids to public school, work full time, work part time, or are a teacher yourself, back to school time means change. We change our routines, schedules, activities, etc…

Some of the change is Boo Hoo and some of the change is Woo Hoo but regardless a change.

I used to be a public school teacher/coach before being promoted to full time mom to my 3 little kiddos. So back to school is emotional for me as well. I’m so blessed and thankful to stay at home and be the one to take care of my kids. But back to school time always brings up the emotions of preparing for a basketball season, decorating a classroom, and meeting all my students/players- which I love to do as well. My husband is still in the education profession which makes the change even more difficult with saying goodbye to summer and helping him with his classroom (and not doing my own).

Then you have

  • the mamas who are sending their first baby off to kindergarten.
  • the mamas sending their last baby to kindergarten.
  • the moms who want to stay at home and be ready with an after school snack for their kids, but have to work until 5 or 6 to provide for the family.
  • the moms who used to be teachers but gave up the classroom to be the full time mom.
  • the moms who home school and are establishing a whole new routine.
  • the moms who are teachers.
  • the teachers who are adjusting to new schedule.

 

Point is- This is a season for change for most of us. And change is hard. It’s hard to adjust to new routine and schedule. It takes a while before we are all settled in and ready to glide through the year with poise and grace.

So what do we do about it?

We choose to have Joy. We choose to be kind. We choose to be thoughtful and mindful of our friends, teachers, kids, and family who are adjusting to a new rhythm.

I don’t know about you, but when I’m adjusting to a new rhythm of life some of the normal things like cooking and cleaning get off schedule. And we all know that when routine and schedule gets knocked around life can be a little more stressful.

Let’s make a deal ok?

Let’s all do 1 act of kindness for someone we know that is adjusting to the new school year.

Do you have a friend who is a teacher/mom? Make her dinner one night this week and deliver it to her. (I promise she will be thrilled!) It’s hard setting up the new school routine with your students as well as your family at home.

Do you have a teacher friend with a whole new classroom? Grab her some good chocolate and attach a note reminding her to take a break and enjoy some chocolate.

Do you have a friend who just sent their last baby to kindergarten? This can either be a (boo hoo) or a (woo hoo) depending on the mom. Pick up a $5 Chik-Fil-A card and treat that mom to a milk shake. (I just said Chik-Fil-A because they are my favorite) Have you had their new shake of the month?

Do you have a friend who just sent their first baby to kindergarten? Pick up a funny mom card and tell her what a great mom she is.

Do you have a mom friend that has to work late in the afternoons? Send Pizza to her house one night to help her out.

Do you have a homeschooling mama friend? Pick up a pack of cute colorful pens to give her and handwrite her a card telling her how valuable she is to take on the role of teacher and CEO of her household.

No matter what season of life you are in. Change happens when the school year starts. Change always means adjustments are being made in your life. Let’s support each other in this season by doing 1 small act of kindness. It’ll be fun!

What act of kindness are you going to do?

Is the start of the new school year (boo hoo) or (woo hoo) for you?

Let’s Go Girls. We got this.
Amanda

Amanda Farris Embracing GraceAmanda Farris is a wife to her super hero hunk of a husband and a mother to 3 little kiddos. Amanda is a teacher/coach who hung up her coaching whistle after she got promoted to motherhood. She is a runner who loves all things sports and outdoors. She loves early morning traveling, long coffee chats with her husband, and fresh flowers on her table. She is an adventurer at heart and has a great talent of unintentionally becoming over-busy (that’s a bad thing). So she is constantly reevaluating her life priorities which keeps her on her toes and helps her to live life passionately and deliberately. You can find her occasionally blogging at www.embracinggrace.org. Come Join the Adventure.

The Women Who Have Inspired Me {The Park Wife}

by The Park Wife

This month’s theme is Women Who Inspire Us. As I sat down to write this, I thought, wow, this will be easy, and then as I stare at the blank page, I wonder how I could ever  convey the love, admiration, and thankfulness for the women God has put in my path to teach me, guide me, and love me unconditionally.

So, I will just give you a list and why, then I want to hear about the women that have inspired you.

FOUNDATION
My mother:  She molded me, sacrificed for me and is always there for me. She even kept a secret from me for 20 years that I found out recently which answered a lot of questions. It is the reason I am who I am today, the woman who God created me to be. Thankful.

FAITH
Lydia: When I moved to a new state park with a two-year-old and pregnant with our second, I received a call from Lydia. She had seen my husband in the paper announcing his new job and that we had a little boy. Her husband was a preacher at a local church and she said she just wanted to call and welcome us to town. We talked for about an hour about our lives. Before we hung up, Lydia said something to me that I can still hear in my head today. She said, “we would love for you guys to come visit the church, but even if you don’t, I would love to be your friend.”

I was a bit skeptical, yet excited. I am happy to say that she is exactly who her words and actions say she is. She does not live in a “Christian Bubble”, she truly lives her life trying to love others, all people,  as Jesus does.

GUIDANCE
Penny is an exceptional wife and mother, she homeschooled her three children and they are all exceptional human beings that love the Lord. I knew nothing about homeschooling, not that it even existed before Penny. Her insights guided me through some very turbulent waters. She provided me with child-rearing skills that have worked and not only am I a better mom because of her but my boys are well-adjusted, happy, loving children that are a pleasure to be around.

HOPE
Laura Hyche was my high school English teacher. She was the kind of teacher that inspired you to read a classic that you had no desire to read. She encouraged me to be on the newspaper staff and gave me the confidence to always try, even when I thought I was not good enough. Thank you Hyche, I am enough and I know that now, thank you for putting me on that path.

LOVE
We met Johnnie (aka Nana) and her husband when we lived on a mountain park and we both worked for an international development non-profit. She became my ” Arkansas mom” and our boys’ Nana. Her gentle, kind spirit permeates all things she does.

COMMUNITY
Yes, my Arkansas Women Bloggers gals. Four years ago, as I sat in rural Arkansas in a bit of a “desert”, I formed this little gathering place, a non-judgmental, encouraging place with the desire to help us be better women, wives, moms, friends, and of course, bloggers. I could not have imagined the beautiful souls that would become some of  my dearest in real life friends from this online world. If you have not stepped out of your comfort zone to be a part of this community, I urge you to try, you will be rewarded with the most honest, pure kind of friendships with some pretty cool ladies and some awesome bloggity goodness to boot!

Do you have women who have inspired you? Tell me about them!
The Park Wife

Am I a Mother? {Women Who Inspire Us/Power of Women’s Voices}

by Julie Kohl – ARWB Content Cultivator & Calendar Girl

May is a special month for women, especially mothers.  In May, we celebrate Mother’s Day and here at Arkansas Women Bloggers we are celebrating the Women Who Inspire Us and the Power of Women’s Voices.  Over the next few weeks we will hear from several amazing women that live right here in Arkansas. They will make us laugh and make us cry and will inspire and empower us with their voices.

Having recently experienced one of the most tragic events of my own life, I hope you will not mind that I (Julie) have decided to open this months theme with my own voice.  I do not claim to be inspiring or powerful but I hope you will find something of merit in my story.

After many years of trying to conceive, my husband and I lost our first child to miscarriage on March 18th.  The days and weeks that followed were tough (still are) and went by in a blur. My body had fought being pregnant but fought being “un-pregnant” even more.

Surgery, multiple rounds of ‘labor inducing’ drugs and weeks of bleeding and my body would not release the pregnancy tissue. In fact, if I were to take a pregnancy test today (45 days later) it would still be positive. How’s that for a slap in the face?

If you have never experienced a miscarriage, I pray you never do.  If you have, you know and can sympathize with the fact that it is one of the most confusing, disheartening, and tragic things you will ever experience.

I have spent the last month and a half searching for God, searching for closure, searching for a way to feel right in my own skin again.  There’s a feeling of loss but I have nothing to hold onto.  No photo, no lock of hair, no tiny clothes that hold my babies scent.  All I have is a feeling of emptiness and fullness all at the same time. It’s a feeling I can’t explain and don’t understand. There are so many questions that may never have answers.

So what do you do in a time of tragedy and loss?  I write and I paint.
Here is my story in words and in art.

Am I a mother?
Written by Julie Kohl
Painting by Julie Kohl

I once had a childmiscarriage
But it’s not on this earth

It’s heart never beat
And I never gave birth

I hope and I prayed
And I wished all the same

But that glorious day
It just never came

They said it was gone
But it’s hard to believe

We wanted it so badly
How could it leave

But God He has plans
That are bigger than ours

He loves us more
Than the number of stars

Still I can’t help but ask
Am I a mother?

Oh dear lord
Please bring us another

This child that I love
I will never hold

But I will cherish it deeply
Until I grow old

I know someday soon
There will be little feet

Tiny little hands
And kisses so sweet

But until that day comes
I can’t help but wonder

Was it all just a dream
Or am I a mother?

I Celebrate Life With Stinky Cheese.

Written by AWB October 2012 Blogger of the Month, Heidi Clark of The Busy Nothings.

I celebrate life with stinky cheese.

I’ll explain…
The last few years have wrecked me. Life didn’t turn out like what I thought it was going to- which sounds a bit juvenile even to me even as I write this, because really who ever gets their fairy tale? Perhaps some people realize this at different points in their lives. I’m not sure if I was just really that dumb or optimistic that if I made all the right choices that everything would work.
Actually, I know that is what it was. I thought if I wasn’t an idiot and made the best possible choices that my life would go as planned. I thought that I was in control.
I breathed out a secret to a friend, and immediately was fearful that since I uttered my deepest fear with arms over my first unborn child that it would come true… and it did.
Sometimes I find myself subconsciously wrapping my sweater tightly around and layering it over my ribs and squeezing myself tight. I am living through my personal worst nightmare. To some, my nightmare isn’t as bad as what theirs is, we all have our private fears that we lock away inside that part of us that doesn’t want to even think it for a second.
We smile tightly through a mask when we comfort those who are grieving and bargain with God whether or not we believe in him, “I could never deal with that, you are so brave and strong,” we murmur, telling fate not to mess with US.
So what happens when you are hit in the face with that locked away fear, the one you are scared to whisper?
You breathe in and out. You tighten your sweater around your body and choose to live again. You begin to realize that what you survived really just made you that much stronger.
I enjoy new things. I look for beauty everywhere because it’s still there, even if it’s hard to see some days. I slice stinky goat cheese and rejoice that my palate has changed to appreciate it. I choose to love every part of my life, even the parts that grate at my heart daily. I celebrate life with stinky cheese.
To read more about Heidi and Summit and William’s Syndrome please visit her blog The Busy Nothings.

Healthy Families Guest Post & Guest Bloggers!

Healthy Families is an Arkansas-based campaign through the Arkansas Department of Human Services.  They were actively involved in the Arkansas Women Bloggers Unplugged (#AWBU) 2012 conference, and the leadership team of Arkansas Women Bloggers enthusiastically supports efforts to make every community in Arkansas healthier.  This guest post is written by Amy Webb.

Watch throughout 2012 and 2013 – twelve members of Arkansas Women Bloggers have been selected as Healthy Families bloggers (one per month) and will post on their own blogs about issues related to healthy families and healthy communities.  They will also receive goodies courtesy of the Healthy Families campaign partners.  Interested in participating in opportunities like this?  Be sure that your blog is active and currently listed on the Arkansas Women Bloggers statewide directory!

About two weeks into my maternity leave with my daughter, I remember thinking, “My friends lied to me.” I wasn’t filled with adoring, loving thoughts of motherhood; and my baby wasn’t quietly cooing in my lap as we “enjoyed” our time together. All she did was cry for HOURS, and no amount of swaddling or attempts at bonding seemed to make a difference.

Depressed and worried I was doing something wrong, I turned to people like you – moms who had blogs filled with real stories about their own parenting struggles, depression, colic and concerns of not bonding immediately with their children. The relief was immediate. I wasn’t a horrible mother, and my baby girl wasn’t malfunctioning. (And in fairness to my wonderful friends who supported me during that time, I just don’t think they wanted to scare me before the baby was born!)

Eventually, my family settled into a routine, and I took a job as the Communications Director for the Department of Human Services. One of my first assignments was to help revamp the Healthy Families program, which included the Happy Birthday Baby Book. The first line to moms in the book read, “Congratulations! Having a baby is a special and exciting time.” I thought, “The author forgot, ‘hard’ and ‘exhausting!’” Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE being a mom, and my now toddler is an amazingly sweet and funny child. But as rewarding as parenting is, it is hard work and people don’t always tell you that before you have children. So I wanted to make sure the new Happy Birthday Baby Book gave moms all the information they needed to be a successful parent and have a healthy child.

The women working with me on the book – and its sibling Happy Birthday Baby Book: Book Two – agreed, and we added all kinds of new information. There are sections for dads and grandparents. There’s information about how to cope with crying and how to create a crying plan. We also added information on domestic violence and created an entire new book dealing children from birth to age 5. Oh, did I mention that I also changed the opening line. “Congratulations! Having a baby is one of the most exciting yet difficult journeys you’ll ever take.”

I must echo Beth’s comment: Healthy Communities Are Every Blogger’s [or Arkansan’s] Business.  Tell your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc. about www.HealthyFamiliesNow.net and the Happy Birthday Baby Books.

I hope you enjoy the books as much as we enjoyed working on them and the new Healthy Families website. There is tons more information in the books and online than I could ever mention here. The books are free and easy to order online. And you don’t have to be a parent or a mommy blogger to get one. Order them for your pregnant friends, neighbors and co-workers. Or just tell them, to read them online.

Amy Webb is a former journalist who has been working for the Department of Human Services and the Healthy Families campaign for just over a year.

We are ALL about ALL YOU!

Good morning, bloggy friends!

This is a fun post whether you are joining us in the mountains this weekend for the Arkansas Women Bloggers Unplugged conference (we hope!) OR are completely sick and tired of hearing about the darn conference because you can’t be with us (we miss you)!

Have you spotted ALL YOU magazine in your local Walmart?  If you haven’t yet picked up a copy (and how can you not when the cover reads “This magazine pays for itself!”), you are in for a treat.  ALL YOU is one of our fabulous AWBU sponsors, and we would like to tell you a little bit about the magazine and share some fun challenges that might even provide some great content for your next blog post.

About ALL YOU

ALL YOU is a brand that is trailblazing the smart shopping movement. From the day ALL YOU launched in 2004, it distinguished itself as a content brand that delivered practical, affordable and accessible shopping advice and shopping strategies. The ALL YOU brand has fostered an engaged community of women who celebrate the brand for understanding their needs and serving them. In the pages of the magazine, on the website and via the daily savings blog, ALL YOU offers her savings tools, shopping lists, and an easy-to-use, go-to guide to help her buy anything she finds within the brand.  ALL YOU is published monthly by the Time Inc. Lifestyle Group and is sold exclusively on newsstands at Walmart stores nationwide and by subscription.  ALL YOU is available on all tablets.

ALL YOU and Bloggers

There are many ways ALL YOU works with bloggers: as sources for stories as well as offering opportunities to test products, write about experiences and conduct blog giveaways.  ALL YOU has a community of bloggers with whom the magazine has a close relationship, and these bloggers often post about ALL YOU content or tips.  Bloggers can even earn money in the ALL YOU affiliate program!

ALL YOU and You

Here are a few fun things you can do along with us, and they just might fuel your next blog post if you’re up against blogger’s block!

  • Check out the ALL YOU website – it’s chock full of ways to enjoy life for less, delicious-on-a-dime recipes, special samples and giveaways.  We are hooked!
  • Next, pick up a current issue or read an article below.  Post on your blog about the article that speaks most to YOU (with a link back to the  ALL YOU website).  Trust us – the folks at  ALL YOU are listening and love your comments and feedback – this magazine really is ALL about YOU and what matters in your life today.
  • If you’re joining us for the AWBU conference, you’ll receive the September 21 issue of the magazine and a copy of their Back to School special publication!
  • Join the ALL YOU affiliate program and earn money on your blog for new subscriptions!
  • Pick up an extra copy OR pass your issue along to a friend and ask them to check out ALL YOU!  Maybe they’ll even subscribe on your blog.
Happy reading, ladies!
ALL YOU Articles for YOU to Enjoy

Healthy Communities: Every Blogger’s Business

Or, What I Wish I’d Known About Parenting and Ancient Sea Monsters Circa 2003.

Details on an Arkansas Women Bloggers Twitter Party tonight (Tuesday 8/14 at 8p CST) AND a free conference registration giveaway in this post!

When I was pregnant for the first time nearly a decade ago, I went through what I’ve learned is a common ailment affecting many new mothers-to-be: behavior best defined as psychosis.

First, I grabbed copies of What to Expect When You’re Expecting and, naturally, What to Eat When You’re Expecting.  In case you’re unfamiliar, these are massive volumes.  I began reading and nearly had a mental breakdown.  I bookmarked pages for my husband (which he dutifully ignored), informed him I was giving up sugar in all forms (which caused him to laugh out loud) and made copious notes on all my findings (which only increased my certainty that I was incapable of parenting).

At some point early in my pregnancy, I remember hearing that as a future Arkansas mom I could order my very own copy of the Happy Birthday Baby Book, and I pounced on the telephone (mounted to the wall) to dial what is known as a “toll-free number.”  Foreign concept, I know.  I waited for it to arrive in the mail, and found that it was pretty full of resources for parents in Arkansas as well as a quick, easy read.

Fast forward to today (that kid is entering the third grade on Monday, by the way): I’ve had another daughter who has cemented my belief that while I’m capable of parenting, I may barely survive the childhood of the Kraken.  Yes, that’s what we call our second-born, in reference to Liam Neeson as Zeus in Clash of the Titans (2010) yelling “Release the Kraken!” in reference to a threatening monster from Hades.

A likely Kraken: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne (1870).  And yes, this is how I often feel with my little Kraken.

Here’s the point of that diatribe (sometimes I have one): just like my intelligent and helpful older daughter, the Happy Birthday Baby Book has grown up.  And, I’m far more likely to somehow emerge unscathed from the Kraken’s childhood thanks to the assistance of that intelligent and helpful older daughter AND the intelligent and helpful new Happy Birthday Baby Books. 

There are now TWO super useful editions: Book One (Pregnancy through Age 1) and Book Two (Newborn through Age 5), and they come in either ebook form (hallelujah!) or a very useful purse or diaper-bag size hard copy (click here to check them out and order copies!)  We shared recently that we were exceptionally excited to have Healthy Families as the Presenting Sponsor for the Arkansas Women Bloggers Unplugged Conference (click here to read that post!) next week.

Click here to read online or order your free copies of the Happy Birthday Baby Books!

Thanks to these books, I’m receiving the counseling I need to raise a good little Kraken.  For example: Plan play dates, but remember that your 1-year-old is too young to be expected to share (Book 2).  Oh.  Right.

Also: regarding the comments I’ve made to several of you about the Kraken being very OCD: Your 2-year-old may want to eat the same thing every day.  WHAT?  I’m telling you – the Happy Birthday Baby Books people know everything there is to know about parenting.

Now, don’t check out on me if you are a) not likely to have kids anytime soon, if ever b) SO DONE with pregnancy and childbirth, and wondering why we don’t sponsor a nanny giveaway already or c) enjoying feeding sweets to your grandchildren on a regular basis as revenge for the wrinkles their parents caused you.

Here’s the thing, bloggers: Healthy Communities Are Every Blogger’s Business.  That’s why I am making note to start ordering copies of these books for every mom-to-be I know.  I may even keep some extra copies in my car – I’ve been known to accost people who talk about politics with voter registration forms, reminding them they are welcome to share their opinion with me by visiting the polls.   I’m thinking I may start giving copies of these gems to random pregnant women.  That should help me win friends and influence people – right?

All kidding aside – we want you to join us in our enthusiasm at working with Healthy Families.  Put very simply, they get it, ladies.  We all want more healthy moms, healthy pregnancies, healthy babies and healthy communities – it’s good for all of us.  So join the fun: place the badge above on your own blog, tell everyone you know about this phenomenal program, click the links to check out the website and the books, and… (drum roll please):

Join us tonight (Tuesday, August 14) for our FINAL pre-#AWBU Twitter Party!  It’s a short one, and it kicks off at 8:00 p.m. CST.  You may want to click over before then to http://www.HealthyFamiliesNow.Net/ebooks to do some checking it out, because we will have some questions for you to answer tonight that just may win you goodies or a FREE conference registration!  Join us even if you are already registered (we’ll let you give the last spot away!) or even if you can’t come to the conference, we promise it will still be worth your time!  Just set up a Twitter column to follow #AWBU and #HFNow, and be sure to use those hashtags in every tweet so we can keep up with you!