It’s hard to keep the spark alive after the little ones, let alone leave the house alone together! So here are some romantic things you can do at home with your partner.

1. Take a bubble bath together. It’s cheap, it’s fun, and it’s sooo relaxing!
2. Give each other his and her massages. You don’t have to be a pro to give an enjoyable massage. Here’s a link to help you out: http://www.ehow.com/video_8066_give-back-massage.html
3. Have a romantic dinner for 2. Eat a late dinner after the kiddies have gone to sleep. Make sure to buy some wine, too!
4. Curl up and watch a movie together. Date night can be at your house! Just put some popcorn in the microwave and pop in a romantic movie.
5. Lock the bedroom door. Enough said

It’s all about making time for each other. You may have to sacrifice an hour of sleep here or there, but it’s ultimately worth it!

Let’s face it… most of us buy our kids fast food from time to time. But when you stop and think about what you are really feeding them, it seems like the convenience of fast food isn’t as appealing as it used to be. Well here are some healthy healthier fast food options for you and your little ones…

At Wendy’s, try:
- Grilled Chicken Go Wrap
- Ultimate Chicken Grill & side salad
- Chili

At Chickfila, try:
- Chargrilled chicken sandwich & fruit cup
- Hearty breast of chicken oup & side salad
- Chargrilled & fruit salad
- Chargrilled chicken garden salad

At Subway, try:
- 6″ Turkey, ham, or veggie sub on wheat
- Any salad with fat free Italian dressing
- Chicken noodle soup

At KFC, try:
-Roasted chicken caesar or BLT salad with fat free ranch or light Italian dressing
-Original chicken wing or drumstick, green beans, & corn on the cob

Here are some fun things to do for St. Patrick’s Day!

Be active!
- Create a treasure hunt with a “pot of gold” at the end
- Cut shamrocks out of green construction paper and play hopscotch

Eat healthy!
- Cook a healthy Irish stew with lots of veggies
- Make some sugar free green jello for dessert

Be creative!
- Print some St. Patrick’s Day coloring sheets and make them your dinner placemats
- Draw a picture of a rainbow or some shamrocks

Learn!
- Find as many green things around the house as you can
- Read a story about the history of St. Patrick’s Day such as this one: http://www.alphabet-soup.net/hol/sphist.html

The intention of the women’s rights movement was to provide women with the same rights that men had. One of these was the right to join the workforce. However, somewhere along the way, it became less of a right and more of an obligation. In today’s society, it is becoming more and more difficult for a family to support itself on one income. Some women that stay at home to raise their children are even ridiculed for not providing for their family financially. I believe the purpose of the women’s rights movement was ultimately to give women the freedom to decide what to do with their lives. If a woman wants a career, she should be able to have it. But if she wants to be at home with her children, she should be able to do that too!

Deciding to stay at home to raise your children can be one of the most difficult decisions you will ever make as a mother. On the one hand, you want to be the one with them all day—raising them, watching them grow, comforting them when they need someone. But on the other hand, you want to be able to provide for them financially so that they have everything they need and deserve. If you are thinking about staying at home with your children, you have to be willing to make some changes in your lifestyle.

Women and men share the same rights so they are expected to play the same role. As women were struggling for the same rights as men, they somehow equated it to being the same as men—wearing pants, being dominant, or working outside of the home. All of these things are wonderful IF you still can still celebrate the differences between the two genders. Men and women can be equals without being the same. Women that wish to stay at home to raise their children should be empowered rather than ridiculed.

And on that note, fathers should be able to be stay-at-home dads, too!

During this recession, everyone has been clipping coupons… I know I have! Here is my coupon routine that is saving me at least $100 every month.

• I go once a week to the grocery store since there are different deals each week.
• I put my coupons in order by their expiration date so I will be sure to use all of them BEFORE they expire.
• I ONLY use coupons for things I know I will use.
• When I have a coupon, I make sure that the reduced amount is not still more expensive than a generic brand’s cost. For example, if I get a “$2 off body wash coupon” for a $6 product, it will still cost me $4. If the generic brand is cheaper than $4, I will buy that instead.
• I stock up on things. The best deals are the ones that let you buy in bulk like a 10 for $10 deal!

Then, it takes me about 10 minutes a week to go through my coupons and make my list. Here’s what I do:

• I go through the coupons I have received in the mail and at the grocery store, save the ones for products I use, and put them in order. I add the ones I am going to use this week to my list along with the coupon amount (so I can compare prices at the store).
• Then, I go through the weekly ads for my grocery store (I don’t wait for the paper— I go right to their website!). I write down the items that I use on my list with the price next to it (so I can compare prices at the store).
• I go to my websites to print and download coupons. I am signed up for: www.couponmom.com, www.coupons.com, www.pgesaver.com, www.shortcuts.com, and a few others. I add those products to my list with the coupon amount next to them.
• I check my email for promotions from different companies. (I buy diapers a lot so I am signed up at Huggies.com, Pampers.com, etc. to be sent special offers).

Optional: Save your receipts for a month. You can see how the prices of different products change and then buy those products when they are at the lowest price. There are some items I refuse to buy unless they are on sale!

Good luck

Many of us would not be caught dead leaving our homes without make-up. But sometimes being a mommy can take up a lot of our time. So what should you do if you have just a few minutes to “put on your face” in the morning. Here is a routine that takes me 5 minutes or less as I am heading out the door! Maybe it can help you too.

1. Apply some moisturizer lightly. Putting on too much before you add foundation can cause it to cake up.
2. Apply a foundation such as CoverGirl’s TruBlend (my personal favorite) and blend it into your skin. If your foundation tends to cake up on your face, add some water to your sponge first. Then, apply powder with a brush. (A brush prevents lines that you would have to go back and smooth out!)
3. Smooth a line of dry eye shadow along your lash line onto your eyelids only. Moving up to your brow is time consuming and more of a “night look.”
4. Apply eyeliner to the bottom rim of your eyelids. You can do the top if you have time.
5. Curl your lashes and apply a coat of mascara.
6. Use an eyebrow brush to clean up the look of your brows.
7. Apply colored lip gloss. Lip gloss goes on easier than lipstick, and you won’t have to check your teeth.
8. Powder your nose.

That’s it! A simple but elegant “day look” for all you mommies on the go! Whether you are at home, at the office, or in the car in the parking lot at your child’s school… try this quick and easy make-up routine.

These days we hear a lot about putting our children on a schedule. From infancy, we are told that they should have a routine for eating, sleeping, and other daily activities. But it is important that we, as parents, know how creating a schedule can be beneficial to our families.

They may not know it, but children thrive with structure. They need to know what comes next. Have you ever taken your child on a trip that has disrupted their schedule? What do you hear from them all the way there? “Are we there yet?” “When will we be there?” Children need to know! Babies that are not on a routine can feel insecure when they do not know what to expect. A schedule creates security and comfort and limits the amount of stress that children feel.

Another reason to place your kids on a consistent schedule is so that they can learn how to manage their time effectively. Older children need to know what time, for example, their bus will be there to pick them up for school in order to get ready for the day. There needs to be an established time to complete homework or chores if you expect these things to be finished. Imagine, as an adult, going to work and not being told what you need to have accomplished and when it should be completed. Would you be expected to be productive in that kind of an environment.

If you have small children that cannot tell time, make sure you have cues that let them know to prepare for certain activities. This can be as simple as placing your baby in a highchair and putting on his/her bib before it is time to eat. Many parents like to start picking up toys before bath and bedtime. It is always a great idea to wind-down with a good story before it is time for bed.

Although having a consistent schedule is important, you need to make some room for flexibility. However, if your children eat everyday at 6:30pm, make sure that around that time you are near some food or you might have a problem on your hands!