This is my Mother’s Day love letter to my fellow moms. Celebrating the ugliness with the beautiful in 14 Ugly Truths About Parenting. This is a sponsored post. All mama bear opinions are my own. 

14 Ugly Truths About Parenting

We don’t talk about the ugly side of parenting. We tend to focus on the positive. We share on social media the “highlights” of our lives. We always see the upside. We encourage and support the “other” struggling moms out there. But not us. We’ve got a handle on things.

But the truth is, parenting is ugly. 

We don’t want to tell you about the days spent in a fetal position, crying our eyes out because we failed. We don’t want to admit that we have more faults than we can count. We don’t want to reveal the ugly truths about parenting. But we need to. Because sometimes the ugly truths about us are the most beautiful parts, the parts we need to celebrate. As Mother’s Day creeps closer, this is my love letter to my fellow moms out there. I’m celebrating my ugly with your ugly – because WE are beautiful.

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We’re great at taking care of everyone, except ourselves. Practice these Self-Care Tips for Parents Who Put Themselves Last, especially with Valentine’s Day around the corner. This is a sponsored post. All self-loving opinions are my own.

Self-Care Tips for Parents Who Put Themselves Last

Valentine’s Day – take care of your spouse day. Galentine’s Day – take care of your gal pals day. Kids Day – that’s basically every day, am I right? Where’s the Parent-entine’s Day? Exactly.

If you’re a parent like me, you put yourself last. The kids need this. The husband needs that. The grandparents, the school, even the babysitter gets the best parent-care treatment you can provide. But who is the last person to drink their coffee…cold after being reheated about 15 times? Who is the last person to go to the doctor when you’ve had a nagging cough for 3+ weeks (ahem, right now that is me). When was the last time you practiced a little self-love? With Valentine’s Day around the corner, I’m checking in on YOU – the parents who put themselves last. We need a little extra love too, even if we stink at the self-care thing. So take the time to take care of yourself this holiday with a few self-care tips from one parent to another. *HUGS.*
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The holidays can mean lots of regrets and learning for parents. Don’t Make The Same Christmas Mistakes I Did. This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

Don’t Make The Same Christmas Mistakes I Did

Ever had an SD card go bad? I had an old camera card that was corrupted – with over 2,000 photos on it. I spent hours researching, extracting, and ultimately saving a year of memories trapped and almost lost forever. It was tense at times – as I’m an the ultimate picture hoarder and couldn’t bear to think that I had a whole year of memories that were going to be gone forever.

It was on this card that I came across our Christmas photos from 2 years ago. I had forgotten all about these moments – when my son made the biggest “O” face over a LEGO set, the absolutely joy through the eyes of my then 3-year old daughter. And a few rare family photos, rigged on top of a stack of books and a rushed 10 second timer. And OH MY GOODNESS – was that my hair?!

I can’t believe that I was so close to losing these magical Christmas moments forever. But as I flipped through the photos, I’ve also realized that I’ve learned a lot in just two Christmases too. This time of year always has me reflective – maybe it’s the holiday magic, maybe it’s because the year is coming to a close soon – but often times I look back on a Christmas moment and say “what the heck was I thinking?” Don’t make the same Christmas mistakes I did, parents. Here’s some wisdom that we could all use this season.

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Does your child have tummy troubles? Here are 10 Tips to Survive Stomach Flu This Winter. This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

10 Tips to Survive Stomach Flu This Winter

Twas the night before Christmas with so much left to do, but everything got put on hold when my son got the stomach flu.

Oh yes, that was one memorable Christmas. Everyone has a stomach flu story. And unfortunately, ours came around Christmas Eve. My poor son never looked so miserable as we spent hours dealing with all of the pain, fever and GI issues out the front and the back.

And with another round of stomach flu hitting our school this season, I figured now is the time for us to chat about everything stomach flu. Stomach flu was one of THE most common illnesses I saw in the hospital when I took care of sick kids. And I often get asked about what to do. So here are my Top 10 Tips to Survive Stomach Flu This Winter with your child. From what to have on hand to best clean up supplies (yup!) to understanding the ABCs of care and treatment, I want to make sure all parents are prepared any tummy troubles that may come our way!  [Read more…]

How can I keep my kids healthy this season? Here are 8 Best Tips for Kids Cold and Flu Prevention, from a pediatric nurse. This post is sponsored by KnowYourOTCs, a non-profit organization aiming to educate parents on safe use of over-the-counter medicines. All opinions are my own.

8 Best Tips for Kids Cold and Flu Prevention

It’s all fun and games until your child gets sick. Then it’s all downhill from there.

Cold and flu season seems to have a snowball effect, doesn’t it? It’s not just your child that’s sick. The house gets neglected, your work suffers, sleep is lost – and before you know it, the whole household is infected with germs. Yes, it’s that time again. The time when I stock up on all of the tissue boxes, hand soap, vitamins and sanitizing wipes – cold and flu season is back! And if you’re a mama bear like me, you’re ready to shield your kids from all of the potential germs. YUCK.

As a former pediatric nurse who took care of A LOT of kids in the hospital during cold and flu season, I always get asked about keeping kids healthy during the worst season of the year. “How can I protect my kids from getting cold and flu?” It’s hard, parents. I get it. But to make things a little easier this season, I’ve come up with my 8 Best Tips for Kids Cold and Flu Prevention.

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Coughing, sneezing, runny nose? It must be that time of year again! Is it a Child Cold or Allergies? How to Tell the Difference when your child is sick! This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

Child Cold or Allergies? How to Tell the Difference

Do you know how can I tell when my kids are settled into the school year? ALL of the tissue boxes come out of the closet.

And you get a tissue! And you get a tissue! And you’re so special – you get the double layer tissue!

A sneezy boy here, a boogery nose girl there, and a mom on-call 24/7. Fall is in the air…literally. How can you tell if your coughing, sneezing, runny nose child is coming home from school with a cold or allergies? Yeah, I’m with ya. Here’s how to tell the difference between a child cold or allergies. And of course, get tips to help your little one feel better sooner.

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Want your children to stay healthy this school year? Grab your Back-to-School Health Tips for Kids at Every Grade Level – full guide for kids of all ages! This is a sponsored post. All healthy opinions are my own.

Back-to-School Health Tips for Kids at Every Grade Level

I know, I know – but it’s that time where we talk about the “C” and “F” words again.

No…not those ones.

Cold and flu, my fellow parents. Cold and Flu. Back-to-School means back to germs – and with two kids in full time elementary school, that’s twice the amount of germs attacking my family. The odds are against me. No bueno. So how do we keep everyone in the family healthy this school season? Check out these back-to-school health tips for kids at every grade level. So whether you have a preschooler, elementary age or middle schooler in the house, you’re prepared to keep your little ones healthy all school season long.

Bonus: you also get to see how my daughter likes to “quaff” in the mornings. 5 going on 15? Yeah, I think so.

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