The Mentor Mom

This is the sweetest commercial...and a great cause.

I am a puddle of mush right now.  Because of a commercial.  Yeah, that's right -- a silly commercial can make me cry.  Got a problem with that?!  I thought not.  Now lest you be thinking that I sit on the sectional and sob over toilet paper and Hallmark cards, the commercial I am talking about is from the Make-A-Wish Foundation.   

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this fantastic organization, their mission is "to give hope, strength and joy to children with life threatening medical conditions."  Did you know that they grant a wish every 41 minutes?!  Isn't that fantastic?! 

I was actually so moved by the commercial, that I signed up as a volunteer for our local chapter.  Do you want to help?  If so, all you need to do is click here.  Not sure?  Check out this video and tell me how you can say no...  I don't know about you, but I want to be Mr. Snodgrass when I grow up.

Great blog for Grand Rapids parents: The Big Binder

I just wanted to share a great new blog for parents in the Grand Rapids area.  It is Big Binder.  This blog offers tons of ideas and information on activities and goings ons in the greater Grand Rapids area.  The author contacted me after hearing me speak at a workshop on discipline and said she would like to spotlight parent coaching featuring myself and another local coach.  You can check out that post here.  After checking out her site, I knew that I must add it to my blogroll as it is such a great resource for locals.  Big Binder offers recipes, contests and sooooo much more.  Be sure to check it out and post a comment or two while you are there!

Oh Britney...give me a call.

Well, it has finally happened.  Britney Spears has lost custody of her children.  I'm not surprised, but I am certainly saddened.   What a mess this situation has turned into.  Britney obviously has some significant issues going on and is not complying with the court orders to the satisfaction of the judge.

Give me a call girlfriend...we got LOTS to talk about.

New Playground Hazzard?

As if we needed any more things to worry about at the playground.  Check out this story.  Yikes!

You will not believe this story!!!!!!!

You have got to check out this story about a disabled man from Michigan who's wheelchair got stuck in a semi's grill at a gas station.   Talk about going for the ride of your life!  This is absolutely amazing.  Check it out here.

Vote for My Recipe!

Those who know me well know that I don't like to cook.  I think I may have mentioned that in a previous post or two, right?  So you may be curious about the title of this post.  Despite my disdain for cooking, I do have a favorite recipe.  So when I was asked by Andra of the FANTASTIC website MothersClick to participate in their Cookbook For Moms, I couldn't pass on the opportunity!

I am excited about being a blog partner with MothersClick for many reasons.  First, this site aligns with my goals as The Mentor Mom, e.g., providing support and guidance to parents.  Members are able to ask questions, get answers, start a blog as well as start or join a group (I'll be starting one soon and hope you all join!).  Members also receive The Weekly Click for Moms which is a weekly newsletter that is chocked full of great information, product reviews and regular features on contributing bloggers.  I am honored to say that I was featured in the most recent edition!

Besides all the wonderful they do for their members, they also give back.  Hence, their most recent project the Cookbook for Moms.   According to their press release: 

MothersClick.com is developing a Mother's Day cookbook featuring a unique collection of family recipes. "Cookbook for Moms" will be the first of its kind as all recipes will be submitted and voted on by moms online. The book will be available for sale to both members and non-members and 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, whose guidance-oriented character development programs are implemented through a national network of 4,000 neighborhood-based facilities which annually serve more than 4.6 million young people. The hardcopy book will be produced by online publishing service, Blurb.com, and available for sale through MothersClick.com.

Submissions for recipes are now being accepted and will continue to be until April 16, 2007. Moms across America, and worldwide, are invited to share their favorite family recipes by submitting them through MothersClick. Visit www.cookbookformoms.com or go directly to www.mothersclick.com to enter recipes and learn more about the project. The recipe collection focuses on family favorites, recipes that are quick and healthy for busy families and dishes that can be prepared with children.

Once the recipes are gathered, moms will then have the opportunity to vote online for the best recipes that they would like included in the cookbook. The community decides and only the highest-ranked recipes will be published. Moms whose recipes are selected for publication will be credited for their contribution by being recognized alongside their entry in the cookbook. Voting begins on April 2 and will continue until April 18.

"This cookbook is our Mother's Day gift to the members of our online community and moms everywhere. The concept of sharing recipes is very much in line with MothersClick's overall mission of exchanging parenting information and advice between moms," said Andra Davidson, president and co-founder of MothersClick. "Working with our publishing partner, Blurb.com, we want to put together a cookbook that moms will share with the important women in their lives. And best of all, this is a purchase that truly gives back, as all our proceeds will support the kids being helped by The Boys & Girls Clubs."

I've already submitted a recipe for my favorite taco dip.  It has become a staple at any get together with friends and family.  It's my favorite because it is easy and delicious.  So, you can vote for my recipe by clicking here or by clicking on the button in my sidebar.   If taco dip isn't your bag, I'm sure that you will find LOTS of other great recipes...I know I'll be checking them out!

Quote of the Week

Failure.  We do everything in our power to avoid it to no avail.  As parents, we are often our own worst critic.  We strive for perfection.  To be the best possible parent to our children as we can.  But alas, there is no perfection in parenting. 

We all know that there is no one-size, fits all handbook for raising children.  Each of us carries around our own personal baggage that makes our parenting experience just a little different than the next person.  Add to that the diversity in our children, their temperaments and their baggage and one could only surmise that to expect perfection is futile. 

How we look at our failures is all a matter of perspective.  While I personally do my best to avoid failure and making mistakes, I also realize that mistakes are powerful learning tools.  Many of us have encountered a situation in the workplace where we made one or more major mistakes (well, at least I have!).  While painful to acknowledge and embarrassing to deal with, the sting fades and we are left with an experience that will help us in the future to better navigate a similar situation in the future.

So, rather than beating yourself up next time you respond to a situation with your child in a way that you had not intended, brush yourself off and promise to do better next time.          

            "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." 
                                    
                                                                    - Confucius, c. 550-478 BC; Chinese Philosopher

Holiday Madness!

Hello friends!  I'm guessing some of you may have been wondering where I have been!  Well, I have been caught up in the holiday madness!  It seems to be hitting our household a bit earlier this year, but with no less of a punch.  We have been feverishly decorating and wrapping gifts which has unfortunately caused me to get behind on my posting. 

I won't apologize or feel guilty, however, since this is in keeping with my quest for balance.  I have really been making an effort to put the goings on in my household at the top of my "to do" list which of course means less time for blogging :(   We've decided to get a jump on things this year as it is one of our favorite times of the year.  Our goal:  a relaxing and stress free holiday!  How might this be accomplished you may ask? 

• Freezer cooking.  We like to lounge around on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day which means I want to spend as little time as possible cooking (which is true for me most of the year).  So I have done some freezer cooking.  I have prepared a breakfast casserole (which we have every Christmas morning) and stuck it in the freezer all ready.  The great thing about doing this is you can take it out before you go to bed and put it in the oven to thaw.  This gives the eggs time to soak into the bread.  It tastes great.  I've also done make ahead mashed potatoes and some other side dishes so that the big Christmas dinner won't be as daunting.
• Shopping early.  Yes, I know this is not for everyone (myself included!).  I typically procrastinate causing myself a lot of undue stress.  This year, however, I have gotten most of my Christmas shopping done already.  I only have a few items here and there to pick up which can easily be done on a lunch hour (when stores are less crowded). 
• Shop online.  This has been a lifesaver for me!  I did most of my shopping online and have gotten some great results.  Most of the after Thanksgiving sale prices at large retail stores are good on their websites as well.  I am able to get most of the same great deals while sipping my coffee sitting in my pajamas at the computer rather than getting up at 3:00 and sitting in the cold.
• Wrap them early.   As soon as I pick some gifts up, I get them wrapped (usually after the kids are in bed).  I HATE wrapping lots of gifts.  It really becomes a chore to me.  Doing it in small chunks here and there will keep me from procrastinating again and doing it all the day of.
• Clear out the clutter.  The holidays are a great time to get rid of clutter.  You know, out with the old and in with the new!  For example, we keep our decorations in the attic which is only accessible through our daughter's closed which is a mess!  I picked one weekend to clear out and organize her closet.  We took three bags of old toys out!  It is amazing to me how much stuff gets accumulated.  It made getting the Christmas gear out a much more pleasant experience.  While in the attic, I went through the decorations and tossed those that we no longer used which freed up a lot of storage space and boxes (which will in turn make putting everything away much easier!).  We also went through and organized the playroom pulling out old or toys that were no longer being used for donation to a local charity.  This is a great way to avoid getting "stuffitis."
• Don't over commit.  There are always so many things going on at the holidays, e.g., office Christmas parties, dinner with friends, etc., which can make schedules crazy around the holidays.  Take a close look at your family calendar.  Are you packing too much into your schedule?  It is okay to decline a party invite especially if it is one that you would really rather not attend.  Often we let the "shoulds" dictate our decisions, e.g., "We really should go to the party or they will think we don't like them."  Maybe you don't like them!  That's okay too!  If I feel that we have been on the go too much, I will often decline an invite if I think it is in the best interest of our family.  A good response?  How about:  "Thank you so much for the invitation and we would love to join you, but we have been gone nearly every night this week.  Our kids need a night to wind down and so do we.  Thanks again for the invite and I hope you understand."   Most people, while they may be disappointed, can understand the need to have an evening at home with family.

So, what things do you do to keep your sanity at the holidays?  Do share!

Out of the mouths of babes...

I received the following e-mail from a friend.  It is one of those e-mails that you receive that you need to "pass on to five people."  For those of you who know me, I very rarely read these messages let alone pass them on as I get so many of them in a day.  This one, however, touched me so I wanted to share it with all of you.  I have absolutely no idea where this originated so props to the author.  This message really exemplifies how brilliant, pure and wise children are.  I hope you enjoy this as much as I did:

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, "What does love mean?"   The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:

Rebecca- age 8
"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.  You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."

Billy - age 4
"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other."

Karl - age 5
"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs."

Chrissy - age 6
"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."

Terri - age 4
"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."

Danny - age 7
"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more.  My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss"

Emily - age 8
"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."

Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)
"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,"

Nikka - age 6 (we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)
"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."

Noelle - age 7
"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well."

Tommy - age 6
"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore."

Cindy - age 8
"My mommy loves me more than anybody.  You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night."

Clare - age 6
"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."

Elaine-age 5
"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Brad Pitt "

Chris - age 7
"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."

Mary Ann - age 4
"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones."

Lauren - age 4
"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you." (what an image)

Karen - age 7
"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."

And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge.  The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.

The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.

Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.

When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy
said,

"Nothing, I just helped him cry"

The Roomba is here...THANK YOU MINTI!

IT'S HERE, IT'S FINALLY HERE!!!   Yes, that's right.  The roomba I won from minti has finally arrived.  Well, it actually arrived on Friday, but I have been a bit under the weather lately and haven't had a chance to post.

What a wonderful invention!  After charging it all night, I enjoyed my morning coffee watching it zip around the house.  I must say, it really does a nice job!  The kids LOVE it!  The cat and dogs, on the other hand, are still a bit unsure.  It does a great job of picking up all that hair.  Blech, I hate animal hair.

So, how can you win a roomba?  All you have to do go join minti.  Don't worry, it's free!  Once you've joined, you can read parenting advice, ask for parenting advice, start a blog, vote on advice, join a group...the possibilities are endless!  I must warn you, however, it is quite addictive.  The wonderful folks at minti give away a Roomba each month to the members who are most active.  If I can win one anyone can!  What do you have to lose...dirty floors?   And again, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU MINTI!  My floors have never looked better :)