Captive Mommies

by Stephanie Foster

Back to school means it’s time to go over your child’s wardrobe. What fits, what doesn’t, what’s stained, what’s plain worn out?

Even if there’s still a good selection of clothes you’ll probably still do some back to school shopping. What child doesn’t like having a new outfit for the first day of school?

This can also start the annual debate… what kind of clothes are you willing to buy for your child?

I’m lucky. My daughter is 6 and still doesn’t care about brand names, although if you put a princess on it she’ll want it. I don’t expect that situation to last forever. Not for the brand names, and please oh please not the princesses!

But problems can be more than just the brand names. You may not approve of current fashions. Too short skirts for girls, questionable sayings and sometimes just plain ugly (to your eyes anyhow) clothes. Shopping’s a pain if you don’t agree on the basic styles to buy.

Fortunately when you’re the parent, you can decide what you will spend your money on for your child’s wardrobe. You earned it after all. If he or she doesn’t like it, that’s their problem.

And if they’re old enough to buy their own, you’re still the parent and you can set rules for the kinds of clothes that can be worn.

I don’t recommend being an utter tyrant about it, of course. Appropriate compromise can make life much more pleasant for both of you.

At my daughter’s age, we start out with appropriate clothes, but she gets to decide how she combines them. As she has absolutely no sense of what goes with what, her clothing combinations can look ridiculous, but she’s happy. I’m content so long as it’s appropriate to the weather.

In contrast, I see many of her classmates already in carefully coordinated outfits. I don’t know whether it’s the child making that choice or the parents, but that makes little difference to me. My daughter is happy and in clothes that she is not feeling self conscious about.

I gather it can be somewhat different for boys, as many are reputed to care less about what they wear, or have a single favorite item that must be worn repeatedly. My son right now has a few favorites, but at age 3 it’s out of sight out of mind.

But just as with girls it comes down to which battles are worth fighting. So long as the clothes are kept reasonably presentable, is it a disaster if he chooses to wear the same shirt frequently?

That said, there are some fashions I really hope aren’t popular when my son gets older. Just for the sheer sloppiness of it.

Whatever your family rules are, start out by shopping accordingly and don’t overdo it. It’s very easy to buy more outfits than a child needs, which wastes money and increases the mess in their bedrooms. Remember that you can always add more if what you start out with at the beginning of the school year turns out to be insufficient.

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Stephanie Foster blogs at http://www.homewiththekids.com/blog/ about being a work at home mom. Get more tips on getting ready for back to school on a budget

by Albert Alexander

We all have this favorite expression when it comes to being stressed out, and I wouldn’t bother naming all of them since it may also vary in different languages. But when it comes down to it, I think that it is how we work or even relax, for that matter that triggers stress. Ever been stressed even when you’re well relaxed and bored? I know I have.

Since Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. is unavoidable in life, it is important to find ways to decrease and prevent stressful incidents and decrease negative reactions to stress. Here are some of the things that can be done by just remembering it, since life is basically a routine to follow like brushing your teeth or eating breakfast. You can do a few of them in a longer span of time, but as they say– every minute counts.

Managing time

Time management skills can allow you more time with your family and friends and possibly increase your performance and productivity. This will help reduce your stress.

To improve your time management:

-Save time by focusing and concentrating, delegating, and scheduling time for yourself.
-Keep a record of how you spend your time, including work, family, and leisure time.
-Prioritize your time by rating tasks by importance and urgency. Redirect your time to those activities that are important and meaningful to you.
-Manage your commitments by not over- or undercommitting. Don’t commit to what is not important to you.
-Deal with procrastination by using a day planner, breaking large projects into smaller ones, and setting short-term deadlines.
-Examine your beliefs to reduce conflict between what you believe and what your life is like.
Build healthy coping strategies

It is important that you identify your coping strategies. One way to do this is by recording the stressful event, your reaction, and how you cope in a stress journal. With this information, you can work to change unhealthy coping strategies into healthy ones-those that help you focus on the positive and what you can change or control in your life.

Lifestyle

Some behaviors and lifestyle choices affect your stress level. They may not cause stress directly, but they can interfere with the ways your body seeks relief from stress. Try to:

-Balance personal, work, and family needs and obligations.
-Have a sense of purpose in life.
-Get enough sleep, since your body recovers from the stresses of the day while you are sleeping.
-Eat a balanced diet for a nutritional defense against stress.
-Get moderate exercise throughout the week.
-Limit your consumption of alcohol.
-Don’t smoke.

Social support

Social support is a major factor in how we experience stress. Social support is the positive support you receive from family, friends, and the community. It is the knowledge that you are cared for, loved, esteemed, and valued. More and more research indicates a strong relationship between social support and better mental and physical health.

Changing thinking

When an event triggers negative thoughts, you may experience fear, insecurity, anxiety, depression, rage, guilt, and a sense of worthlessness or powerlessness. These emotions trigger the body’s stress, just as an actual threat does. Dealing with your negative thoughts and how you see things can help reduce stress.

-Thought-stopping helps you stop a negative thought to help eliminate stress.
-Disproving irrational thoughts helps you to avoid exaggerating the negative thought, anticipating the worst, and interpreting an event incorrectly.
-Problem solving helps you identify all aspects of a stressful event and find ways to deal with it.
-Changing your communication style helps you communicate in a way that makes your views known without making others feel put down, hostile, or intimidated. This reduces the stress that comes from poor communication. Use the assertiveness ladder to improve your communication style.

Even writers like me can get stressed even though we’re just using our hands to do the talking, but having to sit for 7 or 8 hours is already stressful enough and have our own way to relieve stress. Whether you’re the mail guy, the CEO, or probably the average working parent, stress is one unwanted visitor you would love to boot out of your homes, especially your life.

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by Debbie Allen

I know this could be said of virtually any time in history but I am going to say it about today, right now; the economy is in terrible shape. We are constantly worried about gas prices which seem to be affecting the cost of everything in life, and the impact of financial problems just adds to the stress of daily living. There really is no way to get around the fact that we live in a stressful world. Now I want to tell you about something that you may not have thought of–stress can have a negative impact on your weight!

Before I go any further, I want to say that I am not referring to the weight gain that may be attributed to side effects of some medications prescribed for stress and anxiety, although that is a very real and legitimate concern for some people.

What I am talking about is the fact that many of us find relief from stress in food. I myself am guilty of this. I even refer to certain food dishes as comfort foods. This is not uncommon. Also not uncommon is the fact that my comfort foods are very fattening foods.

Admittedly some people do not eat when they are stressed or frustrated. Some people go the other extreme and actually lose weight because of the lack of interest in food.

Now I cannot say that my focus during a stressful event is food because it certainly is not, but I can tell you that during phases of stressful periods I tend to eat more junk food and do less physical activity. That of course will result in weight gain.

Food diaries are an excellent way to track your eating tendencies. Along with jotting down what you eat, when you eat and how much be sure to include your mood at the time that you ate. It is also interesting to note how you feel after eating.

You may find that eating particular foods always results in you feeling joyful. If that is the case then you definitely need to include that food in your menu. On the other hand, you might find that eating some foods always makes you feel too full or even results in feelings of guilt. Obviously those are the foods that you should cut out of your menus.

With the economy going the way it is, it will be interesting to watch the census data for the next few years. It is undeniable that most people are feeling more stress than usual, so it is possible that the impact will show in the average weight.

I suggest that you use a food diary to find foods that are agreeable in all ways, low calorie and satisfying. Then eat those foods when you are feeling stressed. Yes I know, this is easier said than done.

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Article Source: http://www.thewahmshack.com/articledirectory
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by Cindy Ashworth

Summer is here. Kids are home and just when you think all is fine and everyone is happy, you hear those words you dread… “Mom, I’m bored”.

Yes, school keeps our kids busy during the day and homework keeps them busy at night. But during the summer months, it is easy for kids to get bored. It’s as if our kids rush to get everything done that they want to do in the first couple weeks of their summer vacation. Then entering the third week they find they are bored and have nothing to do.

Here are some simple summer time tips that may help.

1) If you don’t have a swimming pool, take your kids to your local community swimming pool. Or if you are near the beach (that’s where I would be). I have a baby pool that my kids find themselves having alot of fun in when they are bored and it’s hot outside.

2) Set an hour aside and show your kids your creativeness. Maybe you have a plain picture frame laying around and you would like to personalize it. Grab a few buttons, beads, uncooked macaroni noodles, and have your kids choose the places they would like to add these items and glue them on. You can even use finger nail polish and paint stars and smiley faces on the frame.

3) Don’t forget the Lemonade sale I don’t see kids do this as much anymore. But I believe this teaches more than just selling lemonade. It also teaches the kids that they have to do a little work to earn a little money. Let the kids make the lemonade as well.

4) Grab your garden hose, bucket of water and wash your car with your kids. This shows kids the work it takes to keep a vehicle clean and you will have fun along the way. When you can spray each other, let your kids spray you and wash your car at the same time, and have fun doing it, life does not get any better.

5) Grab a blanket and lay outside under the stars. You will be amazed the the conversations you can have with your kids by doing this. You will find yourself relaxed and creating another bonding moment with your children.

6) Go for a nature walk in your local metropolitan park. They all have trails that you can walk through. Not only is it cooler with all the trees and shade, but you never know what kind of animal you may stumble across and walking through the streams of water, looking at the fish, plants and rocks is really fun for the whole family.

7) Have an ice cream party. Grab all the toppings you can think of. Sprinkles, cherries, nuts, caramel, hot fudge, whip cream and marshmallow. Kids love to make their own creations and odds are, no matter how it turns out, they will eat it anyway.

Go for an evening stroll with your kids. It is cooler in the evenings and much healthier for our kids to be out walking instead on inside playing video games. And if losing a few pounds is on your to do list, this could very well help.

9) Head to your library. Our library has so much to offer. We receive a newsletter lettng us know all the classes that are coming for adults and for the kids. Every class is free, too. But most require pre-registration so they can have an idea of how many people will be coming. From a story time class, arts and crafts class, bingo evening, movie night. There’s something for every age a couple times each week.

10) My favorite. A cook out at the park. Grab a few friends together and head for the park. Most have a pavillion and grill where you can prepare a nice lunch while the kids go play on the playground. After a few hours, the kids have let out some of their energy and everyone is happy, full and tired.

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Article Source: Cindy Ashworth @ www.mykidsmywhy.com and www.successfulwahm.blogspot.com
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Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com
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by Terri Seymour

1. Make your house come “alive” with silk flowers, plants and trees. Fill a pretty glass vase for a colorful centerpiece or fill an empty corner with a rustic birch tree.

2. In my kitchen as an alternative to expensive wallpaper borders, I use inexpensive grapevine garlands. I used four garlands and ran them all along the top of the walls. Quick, easy, inexpensive and the effect is great!

3. For an inexpensive wall grouping, find a calendar with beautiful scenic pics or flowers or animals, whatever fits your decor. Put 4, 6 ,8 or more of these pics in some nice frames and group them together on a wall. The effect is surprisingly pretty!

4. Find some colored bottles, jars, etc. you might have lying around or scout garage sales. Fill these bottles with polished stones, colored beads, seashells, or anything else you like and arrange them on a table or shelf. Use different shapes and sizes for a more dramatic effect.

5. Go wild with baskets. Baskets come in many sizes, styles and colors and can be used for extra storage in any room. Use them in the bathroom for cosmetics, toiletries, towels, etc. In the kitchen they can hold utensils, recipes, or food items. Try them for magazines, books, or movies in the living room or bedroom. In the kids’ room they make great places for toys, books, video games. The possibilities are endless!

6. One thing I would recommend for any home is candles. Candles are an inexpensive way to lighten, brighten and enhance any room in your home. Candles come in a variety of colors, shapes, sizes and scents. You can create a cozy, relaxing mood or you can spice it up and energize your mind and soul. Candles are much more than a decoration!

7. Arrange a grouping of family photos on a table or wall. This is one of the best ways to warm your home. Use frames in different sizes and styles to make the grouping more unique and interesting.

8. For organization, buy plastic storage tubs/boxes in pretty colors. Use them to store and organize your linen, toys, off-season clothes, memoirs, etc. Stack them in a corner for a pretty look.

9. Decorate an old wooden bench or trunk. Put a decorative pillow or cushion on it and place it by a window for an instant window seat!

10. Use your imagination! Anything and everything can be used for home decorating if you are creative with it!

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Terri Seymour has several years online experience and has helped many people start their own business. Visit her site at http://www.seymourproducts.com for resources, $1 resell ebooks, wholesale gift business opp, free affiliate programs & a free ezine with bonus report: 77 Ways to Get Traffic! mailto:subscribe@seymourproducts.com
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