I am proud to announce that I am a featured writer for WAHM Articles.  It is a community of wahms that write articles helping other wahms.  You can find tips and advice on a myriad of issues that face mothers and women in general.  Being a contributing writer to this wonderful website is exciting and I hope that you will check out my articles as well as all the other great writers.

You can check out my article Breastfeeding--The Gift That Keeps On Giving. Hope to hear from you! Enjoy Life!!!

While I was working out this morning, I was wondering how the women that have more than one child, home school, wah and run their households do it.  I sometimes feel like I’m fighting a losing battle.  I get up an hour earlier than my husband and son, so I can get a workout in before they get up.  I fix breakfast clean the kitchen, make the beds, read and respond to more than a dozen emails, research and jot down notes for blogs, wah ideas, lesson plan notes and ideas,  and designs for my Cafepress shops all by 8:30 am.  Then three days a week I teach my son, that is when he isn‘t teaching me.  I then try to get laundry and housework done.  I won’t bore you with the rest of my daily schedule, but suffice to say, I don’t always feel like I get everything that needs done, done! 

I find it helps tremendously to prioritize!  Figure out what things are the most important, is it spending time with your family, home schooling, work obligations, etc.  Obviously if you have deadlines, you need to take care of them.  I am a firm believer that you keep your word.  If you tell someone you will do something and you have a timetable you’re working on, be sure to do what you need to do to meet deadlines.  Even if it is working for yourself.  Set yourself a period for doing projects and stick as closely to it as possible.  Just be sure to work your schedule around the other important things in your life. 

If you find yourself starting things and not finishing them, you need to reevaluate what you are doing.   Are you taking on more than you can handle right now?  Or could it be more of a question of organization?  If you answered yes to the first question, then maybe it would be wise to cut out one or two things or ask your husband and child/children for help.  It could be just a matter of making a chore list and assign everyone things they can do that will make life a bit easier for everyone.  You can also make a to do list and at the end of every day right out the things you need to get done the next day, and try to stick with it as best as possible.  Be flexible though because things change or happen and you need to be able to adjust, or go with the flow.

As I said at the beginning, I get up an hour or so before everyone else to exercise, because I feel my health and fitness is very important.  I want to be around to see my son grow up have children of his own.  I also know that I have to get it done first because if I don’t I more than likely will not be able to fit it in.  My top priority is taking care of myself.  If I’m not fit and healthy, I cannot be my best or give my best to my family.

My only problem now is that of staying up too late.  I know it is important to get 8 hours of sleep each night and I’m averaging 6 hours.  I am being honest with myself and I realize that I don’t need to spend so much time on my computer late at night.  I rarely have deadlines that would necessitate my working past midnight, yet I have been doing it for months now.  So I’m going to take my own advice, adjust my schedule a bit, and make myself get off the computer at a certain time every night.

I will be doing this in baby steps, so I’ll let you know how it’s going.  If you have some tips on juggling all your responsibilities I’d love to hear them.  Hope to hear from you!  Enjoy Life!!!

I love easy and healthy desserts!  This Apple-Walnut Bars recipe comes from a local restaurant, Miss Olivia's Table.  I changed the recipe to whole wheat flour, turbinado sugar and the egg substitutes for my family.  I try not to eat white or refined foods whenever possible and make my own substitutions when warranted. 

Apple-Walnut Bars
 
 Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour (or all-purpose flour) 
1-teaspoon baking soda
3 eggs, lightly beaten (I use an egg substitute)
2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/3 cup turbinado sugar (or granulated sugar) I stay away from refined sugars
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
1-teaspoon vanilla extract
1-tablespoon drawn butter
3 small apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 cup chopped walnuts
1-cup golden raisins
May substitute dried cranberries or dark raisins

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and soda. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine eggs and sugars until well blended. Add yogurt, vanilla and butter. Beat one minute. Add the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture in three parts, blending only until incorporated after each addition. Fold in apples, dried fruit and nuts. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until top is golden and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely. Cut into squares and serve.

Serving options:
Scoop of ice cream
Whipped cream
Caramel sauce
Additional walnuts, lightly toasted and finely chopped
All of the above

I hope you enjoy this recipe!  If you have a healthy recipe please share it with us.  Hope to hear from you!  Enjoy Life!!!

Over the weekend, we took our son to see Nim’s Island.  I cannot say enough about this movie!  We loved it!  Children with great imaginations will adore this movie!  It is a good family movie that will entertain the young to the young at heart. 

It stars Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine), Gerard Butler and Jodie Foster, one of my favorite actresses.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen a movie Foster has been in that I did not like.  Her role in Nim’s Island is a comedic one, and she is truly funny! 

A brief synopsis of Nim’s Island is:   A magical place ruled by a young girl's imagination. It is an existence that mirrors that of her favorite literary character, Alex Rover - the world's greatest adventurer. However, Alexandra, the author of the Rover books, leads a reclusive life in the big city, where she suffers from agoraphobia. When Nim's father goes missing from their island, a twist of fate brings her together with Alexandra, with some hilarious chain of events.  Now they must draw courage from their fictional hero, Alex Rover, and find strength in one another to conquer Nim's Island.

We never read the book Nim’s Island by Wendy Orr, so it is on our reading list!

I won’t post a spoiler here, but I highly recommend this movie.  If you’ve seen Nim’s Island let me know what you thought of the movie.  Hope to hear from you!  Enjoy Life!!!

Holocaust Remembrance Day is May 2nd.  This can be an excellent opportunity to teach your children about the Holocaust.  I will be concentrating mainly on the K-4th grade levels, with emphasis on 1st grade, as that is the level I will be working at with my son.  This topic is a good time to teach differences, sameness and prejudices.  Kindergarten thru 2nd grade should be able to grasp the ideas that we have differences that make us special, and that people can be different and the same.

Objectives: To understand the concept of stereotyping and prejudice and to appreciate diversity.
To encourage cooperation. There are many great books out there on this subject matter and you can check with your local library for suggestions.  The book I’ll be reading is The Crayon Box That Talked, by S. DeRolf.  After reading the book ask the following questions:

1. Why do the yellow and green crayons say they don't like the red one?
2. In what way does the little girl use the crayons when she gets home?
3. What happens when the colors touch each other?
4. When the picture was finished what changed the crayons opinions of each other?
5. What is the message of the story?

I think this is also a good time to teach or reinforce tolerance (and intolerance) in the home.  We are not born with prejudices or stereotypes but they develop very early in life, as does the quest for identity, which is a strong human need. We can teach our children that we have an identity and that other identities are just as interesting and just as valuable. We can encourage our children to experience the positive aspects of diversity rather than a fear of diversity.

In the home, this means that we as parents must become aware of and sensitive to our own stereotypes, prejudices and intolerance. We need to monitor our attitudes and behavior because everything we say and do has an influence on our children’s ability to tolerate diversity.  Tolerance and intolerance are learned. If we fear differences, our children will too. Teaching tolerance is a responsibility parents need to take seriously. As educators of the next generation, we have an obligation to stand up against bigotry, racism and prejudice in all its forms.

If you are teaching older children here is a great site with valuable information, ideas, resources, and more on the holocaust.

If you have a lesson plan idea for Holocaust Remembrance Day, I would love to hear them.  Hope to hear from you!  Enjoy Life!!!

The word ‘ninja’ can be loosely translated to mean, "the skill of going unperceived" or "the art of stealth".  Well BeShirtHappy has recently launched a Ninja line, and we want the absolute opposite!  And we think you will too!  Men and boys love ninjas with women and girls gaining ground.  And why not?   ‘Ninja museums’ in Japan declare women to have been ninjas as well. Be Shirt Happy’s ninja designs are great for the whole family!  You can get one for mom and dad; and one for your son and daughter.  Our ninjas are more on the cute side, however, bearing messages like ’Don’t make me go all Ninja on you’ to ‘Ninjas Rule’. 

There is a fascination or wonderment surrounding ninjas, so if you or someone you know dreams of being a ninja, get a Ninja design today!  If they can’t actually be a ninja, they can at least wear one on a t-shirt, ringer tee, onesie, tank top and much more!  Check out a few of these new Ninja designs:

These cool Ninja designs also make great gifts!  Share in the ninja love and let me know what you think of our new designs!  Hope to hear from you!  Enjoy Life!!!

This is totally coincidental, but after posting my BeShirtHappy 'Penguin' designs, I find this article.  It is about Pierre, a 25 years old African penguin, that was going bald.  This left him with an embarrassingly exposed, pale pink behind.  Unlike marine mammals, which have a layer of blubber to keep them warm, penguins rely on their waterproof feathers. Without them, Pierre was unwilling to plunge into the academy's penguin tank and ended up shivering on the sidelines while his 19 peers played in the water.  So they developed a wet suit for him, which will allow him to swim again.

You can read about Pierre in its entirety here.  I just found it a bit fitting and am positive that Pierre would love BeShirtHappy's newest 'Penguin' designs!  What do you think about Pierre and his new wet suit?  Hope to hear from you!  Enjoy Life!!!

Introducing another new design line at BeShirtHappy!  Our new Penguin designs are cute and lovable!  They range from the motivational and inspirational to humorous and a little naughty.  You can get a t-shirt, tank top, ringer tee and much more with an original ‘Dare To Be Different’ design on it and inspire the youth of today to aspire to be themselves.  I want kids, tweens and teenagers, especially, to aspire to be different, unique and one of a kind.  Not to idolize today’s pop stars like Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Lindsey Lohann. 

The new Penguin line also has something for those of us who love to laugh, with sayings like 'Don’t You Wish Your Penguin Was Hot Like Me?', and ‘Need Coffee', with a nervous looking penguin.  As well as the cute penguins with wings outstretched, saying “I Love You This Much” perfect for babies, toddlers and little boys and girls. 

I’m not sure what the appeal is with penguins but I know that they are simply irresistible!  So here is a preview of the Penguin designs offered at Be Shirt Happy.  More designs will be added so check back often!

Stop by BeShirtHappy and get your cool Penguin design and spread the Penguin love!  Let me know what you think of the new line.  Hope to hear from you!  Enjoy Life!!!

Ladies, I know you know what I'm talking about.  All the girls out there showing the flab that is hanging over their tight low-rise pants and skirts.  I'm not sure where this big fasion don't originated, I know a few celebrities have been spotted with muffin top, but it is way past time for it to STOP!

According to wikipedia "Muffin top" is a generally pejorative term used for a person whose flabby midsection spills over the waistline of his or her pants in a manner that resembles the top of a muffin spilling over its paper casing.  Now ask yourself girls, do you really think muffin top looks pretty?  Well, I can tell you that guys do not find it attractive.  This fashion faux pas is easy to remedy; first off buy clothing that fits.  There is also undergarments such as spanx that will help smooth and flatten your midsection.

If you share in my feelings about the atrocity of muffin top, chime in and let your feelings known.  Hope to hear from you!  Enjoy life!!!

Be Shirt Happy is debuting new designs!  I am very excited about our new Mommy & Me Collection and think it is going to make a fine addition to our shop.  While thinking of Mother’s Day designs, the Mommy and Me Collection was born.  It is adorable to see moms and her little boy and/or girls wearing matching or coordinating tees. 

They make nice Mother’s Day gifts but are great any day gifts!  Mommy, you can get a t-shirt, tank top, ringer tee and more and get your son or daughter a bib, onesie or tee.  Mommies and babies or toddlers will look cute and sweet in their new Mommy & Me Collection designs!  Check these out:

You can check out the rest of the Mommy and Me Collection at BeShirtHappy.  Let me know what you think of the new designs.  Hope to hear from you!  Enjoy Life!!!