Ha Ha! Loved this!

Loved this Parody about Bedtime from Mercy River!

Ha ha!

(amazing-creature.blogspot.com)

Loved this!

(thirtyhandmadedays.com)

Click the caption to read about it!  I'm totally doing this!

My Favorite Fast Recipe: Hot and Sweet Salsa Chicken

(image:  cookingismysport.wordpress.com)

This is my favorite go to meal when I have no time to make a meal.  Just throw it in the crockpot and leave!

HOT AND SWEET SALSA CHICKEN

3 lbs. Chicken thighs, bonless, skinless

2 cups salsa, medium

1/2 C brown sugar 

Place chicken in crockpot.  Mix sugar and salsa and pour over chicken.  Cook on low 4 hours.  Serve over rice.  Delicious!

Happy Mother's Day!

You are amazing!

Ha Ha!

(image: playbuzz.com)

Radio Fun!

(america.aljazeera.com)

I did my first radio show interview this morning about the book, Don't Put Lipstick on the Cat!   I can't believe how nervous I was!  You can listen to it here on The Bill Flynn Morning Show.  My interview is about 3/4 of the way through the show.  I love how the Bill Flynn Show really celebrated motherhood today!

BYU Women's Conference! So Fun!

Last week I went to BYU Women's Conference where they teach classes about raising families!  Can you see me in the picture?  Just kidding.  I am in that picture somewhere, though!  I had a great time signing books and also going to the classes.  My favorite class was called, "Honestly Acknowledge Your Questions, but first Fan the Flame of Your Faith."  The rebroadcast dates are here if you want to watch it.  I hear John Bytheway was awesome too!  Also, if you have time, check out my book review on Kim Thacker's book review blog, here.  Hope you have an awesome day! 

We've all got one of these!

(babyblueline.com)

Moms and Sports

(image: velcrobelly.com)

I know some moms love sports, but it's all greek to me!

(kudofoo.com)

Spring Break!

Sorry it's been a week since I've posted, but we went to Arches National Park for Spring Break.  It was so fun!  Here's a picture of the family under one of the beautiful arches.  There is some beautiful country in Moab, Utah.

I love family vacations for the way it helps our family bond together.  This creates a family culture that helps build resistance to peer pressure.  It's so important!

Humor

What to Do if you Make a Parenting Mistake

legacyproject.human.cornell.edu

You are not alone.  We all make parenting mistakes.  Often.  Don't beat yourself up.  Just learn from it.  Try to do better next time.  Forgive yourself.  You will find your children are very forgiving.  I can't count how many mistakes I have made, but when I apologize, all is forgiven, and we even laugh about it together.  Often the conversations that happen after the apology are very precious and build your relationship even stronger.  If you keep making the same mistake over and over, just keep trying.  Do not give up.  You will get stronger over time and as you get more sleep.  I remember I would sometimes get grumpy at my kids when they kept getting out of bed at night.  A short fuse from little sleep.  But all that has gone away.  I got better over time....and you will too.  Forgive yourself.  You will get stronger and your parenting skills will grow with time and experience.  I know this from my own experience.  Today I found myself not getting angry when my child made unreasonable demands in a rude voice.  I calmly told her the right way to ask me, and she immediately fixed the problem with no drama.  I thought...boy I've come a long way, to be able to do that.  And you will to.

Toddlers

Love Languages

Becoming

(Elephant meditation)

Loved this!  Reminds me of parenthood!

What to do when your baby has Colic

(colicnomore.com)

Four of my babies had colic so I've garnered some wisdom over the years about what to do.  Here are some do's and don't's I've learned:

• DO:  Take your child to the doctor.  He/she may have physical issues that are causing discomfort.  My babies had acid reflux.  This is VERY common.  The medicine for it doesn't hurt babies, so even if your babies aren't spitting up a lot (mine didn't), it's worth a try.  See if your doctor will let you do a trial run with the medicine.
• DON'T:  Try and handle it all by yourself all the time.  Get help.  Family members and friends can help you take breaks from the constant crying.
• DO:  Let your husband help.  A lot.  Ask for it.  Don't wait for him to offer.  And don't criticize his efforts.  Let him do it his way.  It's important not to criticize him if you want his help in the future.
• DON'T:  Let yourself reach the breaking point.  If you feel yourself getting angry, call someone right away.  If no one is available, put the baby in a safe place, like his crib, and let him cry, while you get a short break.  Turn on the television or put in soothing music to help you calm down, or take a short bath.  Praying helps too.
• DO:  Try many different tactics.  Baby slings are great and help you get more done.
• DON'T:  Feel like you have to hold the baby 24 hours/day.  If you need to let them cry for a bit while you eat your dinner, it's okay.
• DO: Try gas medicine for babies.  Many times that helps. 
• DO: Try baby massage to get gas bubbles moving.  Try lots of things: baths, swaddling, burping, rocking, singing, stroking their forehead, driving in the car, vibrating chair, swing, or gently walking and bouncing (never shaking).
• DO:  Plan ahead.  If you know there is a fussy time, get dinner made and a nap in for yourself before it happens.  Make extra portions of dinner to freeze for later.  Crockpots are a lifesaver.
• DON'T:  Be afraid to hire a babysitter to give yourself a break.  Also accept meals from friends who offer.
• DO:  Go on dates with your husband.  Colic is hard on a relationship.  You need to give each other some time.
• DO: Buy earplugs.  Trust me if you are holding a crying baby a lot, this will save your sanity.  You can still feel good about comforting the baby, but it won't grate on your nerves so much.
• DON'T:  Listen to criticism from other people.  Grandmothers used to stop me at the store and tell me to feed my baby more so he wouldn't cry.  I just ignored what they said, told them my baby had colic, and kept shopping. Nobody knows what your personal struggle is, so they do not have the right to criticize.  Don't worry about what other people think, and don't let them tell you it's your fault.  It's not.  Colicky babies just cry a lot, and you are doing your best, so don't listen to their negativity.
• DO:  Know that it will end sooner than you think.  I promise.  Usually at around 2 1/2 months and sometimes sooner.  It won't last forever!

Hope these tips help!

How Much Should You Pay Your Babysitter? And How to Find a Great One!

(Yahoo.com)

I was inspired by this great article on Yahoo to write a post on babysitting.  When my kids were younger I paid $2/per child per hour.  When I had five kids that was $10 per hour!  According to the article, that's not enough these days.  $13.44 is the going rate now.  Quite a lot, but I think it's worth it, when you find the right person, to pay enough to keep them interested.  How do you find the right person?  Networking!  You need to talk to your friends and parents of the teenagers you know.  Ask them these questions:

1. Does your daughter like children?

2. Is she too busy with extra curricular activities?

3. Will she play with the kids?

4. Will she help the children clean up after themselves?

When you ask these questions to parents of teens, they will pass along to their teen that these are the things you care about, and they can decide if they are up to the challenge.  This will help them fulfill your expectations.  You also need to tell them your expectations before you leave.  Lists are always helpful.

Another way to find great babysitters is to be involved in helping the youth while volunteering at a church or school.  You can scope out teens' personalities as you work with them.  Once you find a great babysitter, be sure you pay them enough so they'll want to keep coming back.  Always praise the things you see that they've done well.  This will make them want to do it again the next time, and usually it will inspire them to work even harder!

Getting through Hard Times

I loved this video!