Anyone else burned out over the usual suggestions for New Year’s mom resolutions?  Every year it seems we all aim for the same things… finally lose that baby weight, purge/simplify, be more “present,” stop judging others, and the list goes on! 

I believe that most people would love to serve those in need in our community. But where to start? How do you know that it would be a right fit for you? How can you help out with your busy schedule? Can you bring your family?

$81,000. That’s the projected average cost of 4 years of tuition and fees for a UW institution in 2034.  WOWZA.   And, you know how we say, “time goes by so fast.” Or, “Before you know it, they are all grown up.” It’s true. And, even more reason to start saving for college TODAY!

Like a hard slap in the face, it occurs to me that my phone not only distracts me from relishing in my fondest memories, but it also prevents me from making new ones. Ironically, the very device that stores and organizes much of my life simultaneously robs me of enjoying and being fully present in it.

“You’re going to speak French to the baby, right?” I would hem and haw and eventually agreed to it. Well, why would one hesitate? It’s a gift! You’re giving the gift of speaking and understanding a language! The benefits to your brain!

Unfortunately, we all live in the real world (and not in a Hallmark Channel movie) where sometimes kids get sick, roads get slick, and moms get stressed. Big time. The best way I’ve found to keep pre-Christmas anxiety in check is to avoid these four ways we moms tend to ruin the holidays:

My goal is always to see the holiday season as a magical time – to see the holidays through a child’s eyes. And perhaps one of the greatest and most magical parts of the holiday season is that of the Christmas tree.

The annual Red Kettle Campaign goes a long way toward making sure families in need can still have a merry Christmas, says Robert J. Mueller, the Salvation Army’s greater Green Bay area coordinator. “As less fortunate families struggle to keep food on the table and roofs over their heads, we believe coming alongside these families during this time of year will matter.”

Someday, my daughters won’t pronounce “spoon” as “foon” anymore.  Someday, they might not want to sing loudly for an hour.  Someday, my son will be running through the house on his way to wrestling practice (yes, my husband made me choose that specific sport) rather than trying to play in the toilet. 

There were so many instances growing up when I just didn’t get it.  My mom would ramble on, and it just went over my head.  But now that I’m a mom, I’m starting to get it.  There are those feelings, reactions, and thoughts that only come with being a mom.  All of these expressions my mom used to say and things she used to do keep coming on like tiny light bulbs above my head — NOW I get it.  For example…