I successfully used cloth diapers for baby #3, and I’m so proud of myself for sticking with it for as long as I did (almost a year). I saved a lot of money (especially since the cloth diapers I was using had a great ROI – I was able to sell them for a great profit), and I felt good about my small contribution to the well-being of our planet. But all good things must come to an end. My baby grew out of the stock of cloth diapers that I had, and I had to make a decision: reinvest…

Have you ever been out for dinner with your family, and noticed someone sitting alone at a table? Maybe you wondered to yourself why that person was eating alone. Perhaps they’re single? Or maybe they’re travelling alone and dining out as they pass through town? Well last week, that solo diner was me. I’ve always found the thought of dining out alone somewhat intimidating. What would I do while I waited for my food to arrive? How would I react to the curious stares of other diners who were enjoying the company of friends – who would wonder why I was sitting…

I really should have planned  it better. I thought having 2 children with birthdays only 5 days apart would be fun! I thought I could even get away with joint birthday parties for a few years (you know, save a little money). Little did I know, having 2 children with such close birthdays actually means a full month (or two) of complete and utter double birthday party planning chaos. Every. Year. Forever. I guess it makes sense that my 8 year old doesn’t want to share her special day with her 1 year old sister. So two parties in one…

Last night my daughter lost her 7th tooth. As I flashed my best grin and cheered her on with enthusiasm while she recounted her valiant efforts to pull her wiggly tooth from its roots, my thoughts went straight to my late-evening plans, and how they were officially ruined. I remember writing about how I would never succumb to the over-the-top Tooth Fairy antics. Boy was I wrong. The problem is, as much as I would love to drop a quarter under my daughter’s pillow and call it a job well done, friends talk. And there’s nothing more depressing than seeing your sweet little firstborn…

As a career mom of three, I’m constantly asked the same question: How do you do it all? And the answer is easy: I don’t. The truth of the matter is, any mom who tells you that she ‘does it all’ is simply lying. It’s just not possible to give 100% of yourself to everything that you do. Doing it all (in the true sense) would be like riding a unicycle, blindfolded, while juggling 100 balls in the air with one hand. I don’t know about you, but for me, balls would get dropped. But while I’m not ‘doing it all’, I…

I recently came across this article proclaiming that “being a stay-at-home mother is not a job” and it caught my attention. Underneath the link, the Facebook feed was flooded with angry words from moms of all backgrounds, disgusted by the message behind the post, and horrified by comparisons such as this one: “No, Stay-at-Home-Mothers, choosing to create your own little person upon whom you’ll spend all your time and energy is a hobby. It is a time-consuming, sanity-deteriorating, life-altering hobby — a lot like a heroin addiction, but with more Thirty-One bags.” Source And I get it, maybe comparing the choice…

One morning, out of the blue, my baby stopped nursing. And I don’t mean she gently weaned herself, hesitantly cocking her head to the side when offered a sip of my liquid gold as babies sometimes do. I mean – possessed, arch-backing, pterodactyl-screeching, boob-slapping refused. I was baffled. The night before, she had sipped with satisfaction, drifting into a milk coma as babies often do when suckling mama’s sweet milk. But the following morning, it was as though I had yanked candy out of the hands of a spoiled toddler. Suddenly, my offerings elicited epic head-spinning tantrums. Even holding her in a cradled…