Momlife is hard. It’s exhausting. And, let’s face it, it’s not glamorous. But the good news is that whatever wacky thing happened to you today, there’s a Mom that has been there. And she’s probably on Twitter complaining about it. So here to make you feel a little bit better about your situation are these super relatable #Momlife tweets.
How to Save BIG Money on a Family Trip to the Movies
Now that the kids are a little older, we’re back to a pastime we loved long before the babies arrived- going to the movies. It’s always been an expensive hobby- once you factor in tickets and concessions, you’re looking at a decent $40 price tag. But now that we’ve got double the people in tow? We’re looking for creative ways to save money at the movies wherever we can find them.
Once we were sure that Abram could sit through a movie (we tested it out with those cheap summer movies we love so much), we decided to take the kids to a proper, new release. $80 later (I’m not exaggerating!) we had been entertained for a couple of hours, and had a lot less money to show for it.
It took us a couple of years (and a LOT of wasted money) to come up with these money saving movie hacks, but once you’ve got them down, you’ll find that you get a lot more bang for your buck at the theater. So pop a little popcorn now, sit back, and enjoy this list of creative ways to save money at the movies.
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Things I Want You to Know About My Strong Willed Daughter
I am the mother of a strong-willed daughter. The proud, frustrated, and exhausted mother, if I’m being honest, but that little girl? She is my heart.
My daughter is brave and kind and resourceful. She is ferocious and stubborn and unmovable. She is smart and funny and loyal. She is hard.
It is possible for her to be all those things at once, and I love each little part of her.
For me, the struggle comes when her strong-willed nature comes out in public. I see the stares, the clucking tongues, and I hear the non-stop advice about how to get her to “behave.”
But as the quote by Eleanor Roosevelt goes, well-behaved women seldom make history.
So if you see me out in the world with my strong-willed daughter, I don’t expect you to understand. I don’t expect you to know what our lives are like on a day to day basis. And I’m not going to give you a lecture on it when you correct us in a Chick-fil-A playplace.
But here’s what I wish you knew about my strong-willed daughter.
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Rainy Day Survival Guide – for Moms!
It’s raining here. Again. And as Southern California Mamas, we are the first to admit that we are NOT used to it. Like, we barely own umbrellas kind of not used to it. So at the first sign of a sprinkle we’re making sure the kids actually have jackets and are scrambling to try to keep the family dry. As usual, we thought about ourselves last. We had no idea how to survive a rainy day inside with kids. So here are some thing that help us get through our day trapped inside!
How to Make a Baby Cry in 9 Easy Steps
Okay, okay hear- me out. I’m not a total MONSTER. I don’t actually WANT babies to cry. But let’s face it, ladies and gentlemen, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how to make a baby cry. Actually, the mere fact of trying to get a baby to STOP crying will probably show you a million more ways to make them cry in the first place.
I think we have this idea as mothers- especially new mothers- that babies aren’t supposed to cry much. We’ve been trained to think that crying means something is wrong, and that it is our job to figure out and fix said thing, in order to get a baby to stop crying.
But if you’ve spent any amount of time with a newborn, you know there are other factors at play. Sometimes, despite our best of intentions and most tender loving care, we figure out how to make a baby cry- the hard way.
So for your reading pleasure, here are 10 ways to make a baby cry.
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Make Bathtime More Fun with the Best Bath Toys for Toddlers
If you’ve got little ones at home, you’ll know how stinking hard it is to entertain tiny children. We coordinate all the activities for them, we buy the toys, we play with them and try to teach them things. But at the end of the day, entertaining toddlers is a lot of work, and sometimes we need a little break. That’s where bathtime- and the best bath toys for toddlers!- come in.
When the day is stretching on to infinity and beyond, we like to throw the kids in the tub for that last, long hour of the day. We fill up a wineglass and then fill up the bathtub, and throw ourselves what our dear friend Amanda likes to call Bathtime Happy Hour.
From about 5 to 6 pm on one of the Daddies’ long work nights, you can find us setting up shop in the bathroom and letting the kids enjoy an extra long (and extra fun!) bathtime. It’s an excellent sensory experience, helps with to scientific and analytical thinking (we’re not even kidding!), is a screen-free activity, and contributes to personal hygiene. Which makes it an extraordinarily easy thing to justify.
And more importantly, it keeps them from driving us bonkers.
So if you’re looking to get a little more life out of your bathtime routine, we’ve collected the best bath toys for toddlers, along with some activities and add-ins to make your time in the tub a little more fun.
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How to Get Your Husband Off the Phone – Without Nagging!
These days, it seems screen time is an issue for everyone. From us, to our kids, to our partners, everyone could probably afford to cut back a little. As a Mom, I know how infuriating it can be to unload the dishwasher or handle the kids alone while your partner is zoned out on the phone. But, as I’m sure you know, nagging doesn’t work well. Luckily, we found something that DOES!
Next time your husband puts his feet up and stares at his phone, try this little trick!
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How to be More Than “Mom” in 2019
Last weekend, we loaded up the kids and drove for a little over an hour to get together with my husband’s family. A five minute car ride can be rife with frustration, so an hour with three kids in the backseat can be an absolute disaster. When I got out of the car, I was asked by my sister in law how my drive was. Out of habit I responded in terms of the kids. “Izzie slept most of the way. Cole and Evie fought a bit, but then played nicely the second half of the trip.” She smiled politely before saying, “That’s nice, but I want to know how the trip was for you.”
I paused for a minute, unsure how to proceed. I’ve become so accustomed to my experience being dependent on everyone else that I didn’t even hear the question in terms of me. My kids day impacts how my day was. My husbands day at work can affect my night at home. But somewhere along the lines I have my own experiences and opinions and I need to remember to honor that.
After blinking in stunned silence for a minute, I responded to her actual question. “I had a nice drive. Chad and I talked about some things and I got to read a book for a while.” The exchange was unnatural for me. I realized that it shouldn’t be unnatural to tell someone about an experience I had. I spent the rest of the day very aware of the questions I was asked, and how I answered them.
We often complain that we lose ourselves and just take on the role of “Mom” – which is true. But I find myself accepting that role and not questioning it when I could be making sure people see me as more than that. This year, I want to talk to other women. I want to talk about them. Yes, I’ll talk about them as Moms, but I want to help them find value somewhere else as well.
Here’s my plan for 2019.
Puffy Paint Snowman Art
Do you wanna build a snowman? Us too! One teensy little problem though- we live near Los Angeles, and snow is in short supply. So when my kids requested that we build a snowman without snow, I quickly put some supplies together to bring them this snowman art for kids to scratch the itch with some snowman painting.
My kids and I love doing process art projects together (well, let’s be honest- I love setting up the project, and then drinking coffee in peace while they do said art project. Potato, Potahto.) I love the basics, but sometimes they get a little bored of doing the same projects over and over. So I try to keep it fresh by adding in some seasonal art prompts and materials, depending on the month we are in.
In this winter themed art project for kids, your children will use Shaving Cream Puffy Paint to create a snowman (or, if they’re younger, a snow scene). They’ll add some simple decorations to their creations, and, if you’re lucky, repeat the process to take up even more time. As a bonus, you’ll end up with some adorable little works of art in the process. Read on for the full instructions on this sweet snowman art for kids.
25 Hilarious Holiday Tweets
The best way to get through the holidays is to laugh at other parents’ misfortune. So we pulled together 25 hilarious holiday tweets to keep you going – and help you remember that we’re all just suffering through until December 26.
Unless your kids are getting toys that make lots and lots of noise. Then the suffering is never-ending my friend.
So happy holidays to all the Salty Mamas and Papas that do it anyway because we love these little stinkers.
