Real Life Solutions

Not every american airline can make everyone go airlines. The aloha airlines are a special case with their cheap flights and all.

I’ve posted many things that I absolutely love about my biological children but I’ve never posted about my God Daughter, Tierra.  I’ve been her God Mother for 12 years and she is now 19 years old. Tierra is now in college but lived with her Grandparents  right next door to us for 11years so you can only imagine how close our God Mother/God Daughter bond has grown.   I remember many times she would call me call me when she was sick and she would come over so that I could just take her tempreture, make her some tea and soup and let her crawl into my bed until the fever broke. *awww* She had a key to our home,  spent summers with us, took trips to NY with us and when we booked our Family Vacations, my husband always know to automatically include her.

Tierra’s mother is a beautiful lady and respects just how close Tierra and I are and I’ve never over-stepped her bounds but the beautiful thing is that her mother realizes the importance of our relationship and many times when she became frustrated with Tierra, simply asked Tierra to call me and talk to me.  Her mother knows I love her daughter and do my best to guide her and be there for her. 

Now that Tierra is just about on her own, I send her care packages to college monthly and when her mother hit financial difficulty I told her mother that I would purchase Tierra’s Amtrak Train tickets  from college and back home for ALL of her breaks for the DURATION of her stay in college (hey her mother has 3 more to send off to college so that was the least I could do).

Tierra is a bright, beautiful, loving, thoughtful, God worshiping, vibrant young lady and I love her just as I love my own children.

Here are the Top 3 things I love about being a God Mother

 1 – Hearing the word God Mommy makes my heart smile

2 – Being a “Almost daily” part of another childs life that you didn’t actually give birth too is AMAZING!

3 - Listening to her tell me her deepest, darkest secrets, always makes me happy because I know in those moments she feels unconditional love!

4 - Knowing that a mother has entrusted her daughter in my care is one of the most heatwarming feelings in the world

Ooops, I listed 4 and probably could have gone on forever….

Any other God Mothers out there?

Hi there -

Two Moms in a Blog is moving soon and they will also be changing their name. They are going to be Chrysanthemoms.

They decided to put together this awesome contest and the winner will receive a beautiful Silver or Gold plated 12 language mother’s bracelet! You can enter by visiting here.

So, I decided to enter, I hardly EVER win these things but why not try, right? I must describe yourself using the letters in the new website name Chrysanthemoms

C - Caring

H - Helpful – I always Help others as much as I possibly Can

R - Reliable – I am always there when I say I will be there.

Y - Yearning to alway be the best God intends me to be.

S - Supportive!

A - Absolutely FUNNY! I crack myself and my family up daily!

N - Nice, overall I think I am a genuinely nice gal

T - Thankful – I am always showing my thanks to people who do good deeds for me

H - Happy! My personality overall is a happy one

E - Ever GROWING – I am always growing each day internally.  I try to learn daily from life and then grow  

M - Mellow – When chaos hits my house I am usually the Mello one with the sheet of paper, devising a plan to put calm back into the home.

O - Organized (need I say more…LOL)

M - Mother!  My favorite job in the world is being a mother to my 3 children and my God daughter

S - Sassy – Ok, I admit it… I can be sassy at time

Wow That was FUNNNN

Quick Kitchen Cleaning Tips

It’s said the kitchen is the most lived in room in many households, unfortunately this means it can also be the messiest!  Here are some quick kitchen cleaning tips to help you keep the mess and clutter to a minimum.

* Clean the kitchen cabinets, stove, refrigerator and counters with baking soda. 
* Sweep and mop your kitchen floor.
* To remove skid marks on linoleum rub the spot with toothpaste before washing the floor.
* Remove all clutter from your countertop; that includes dishes, glasses, utensils cups and other items you may have lying around.
* Store as many appliances as you can in the cabinets.
* Clean your sink with olive oil.
* Replace your dish rag regularly, as well as the sponge or scrub you use for washing.
* To remove hard-water build-up in a teapot or kettle, pour in two cups of vinegar and bring to a boil. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, then rinse well.
* To clean the coffee maker: Pour straight vinegar into it as if you are making the coffee, no filter is needed. Turn the coffee maker on as if you were making a pot of coffee. Repeat this with a new batch of vinegar until it runs clear of calcium deposits.

Cleaning is a matter of preparation, determination and time management.  As you can see, all your kitchen needs now is a light once-over, and you are ready for the marathon of cooking and baking to begin.

Stop on by Parenting My Teen soon and tune into the new show.

This weeks show is short, sweet, packed with great information and I have an announcement about how the Parenting My Teen Podcast is growing. You can listen to the new show by visiting http://www.parentingmyteen.com and clicking on the ‘Listen Now’ Button.

This week we are joined by Tricia Gardner who had some very pressing questions about her teen daughter, dating and sex. Listen to my advice if you have a teen (boy or girl) who is dating or about to enter into the dating scene and you are wondering how to handle certain situations.

Feel free to pass this e-mail onto your friends and be sure to email your comments about the show to me or share them on our Listener’s Line at 214-615-6505 ext.4245

Take Care,

Parenting an angry child is like walking through a minefield.  You never know when an explosion will take place and sometimes no matter how calm we try to remain, we ourselves can explode as well. 

I’ve found a resource for parents that deals with child anger management.

You will learn  how to deal with your aggressive child and also you will learn hot to teach them about anger managment all with using powerful but simple techniques!

This resource come with a 100% money back guarantee
and also 3 free bonuses:

 - Bonus #1: “Parenting Tips for Dads and Moms”
 - Bonus #2: “How to Identify Possible Stress Causes”
 - Bonus #3: “Tips For Your Child’s Safety at Home”

Read more about this incredible product and the added bonuses here:  http://www.reallifesolutions.net/help-for-moms.HTML

Here’s to happier parenting

Teaching Your Child About Internet Safety

The one thing most parents worry about most these days is internet safety.  Not only because of identify theft; but the identity of your child being stolen by some pedophile whose specific purpose is to attract young children.  Teaching your child about internet safety is paramount. 

Fortunately, most internet service providers afford you the opportunity to control your kids’ usage.  You can check to see what sites they been to and monitor them as closely as possible.  But in those cases when they are using a computer outside the home, the risks are more dangerous. 

Teach your child about internet safety by discussing what can happen to them if they enter chat rooms or engage in any type of online activity that can be harmful.  If they are old enough to understand, gently discuss the ways in which they can be fooled by untrustworthy people. Instruct them never to give out their name, telephone number or address to anyone.  This applies to their password as well. Spelling out the worst case scenario will give them pause to think the next time they go online.  This is vital to their safety. You cannot mince words when it comes to internet safety. You have to be very clear, concise; using an urgent tone at the same time.

Teach them about emails. Warn them not to open any email if they do not know who it’s from.  Alert them to instant messages from people they don’t know.  Ensure you check their computer habits on a daily basis.  Leave no room for anyone to invade your child’s life. It is important to understand the number of pedophiles who go after children has become a pandemic. All you have to do is watch any of the news programs to see for yourself how easily your child can become a victim.

While computers may be a necessity today; whether at school or at home, it should be used cautiously; carefully, and with the utmost care.  Some of these shareware programs invite hackers to invade your computer information. If you are not aware of how hackers and other unwanted criminals can access your system, it is incumbent upon you to research the data.  Use every conceivable virus protection program you can.  Before the computer is turned off, clear out the cache to all websites visited.  This will prevent further usage of these websites and may deter your child from seeking them out.

Computers may be needed; but they can also be the catalyst which can harm your child in ways you’ve never imagined.

Family time is becoming less and less of an activity these days with both parents working, and not enough time to spend with the kids.  Well, it’s time to change that. Certainly, you can take time out for one night a week to spend with your family. Do you want to start a new tradition; or perhaps you already have.  If not, here are some ideas for family night activities.

Play a board game.  Scrabble or Monopoly would be a fun time had by all. Kids love to beat their parents at these games! If it’s a Saturday evening, why not go to your local park and fly kites.  Even adults love this activity!  If it’s raining, use the old standby and build a fort in the living room. Prepare hotdogs on a stick; then toast the old marshmallows (adults only can do this); tell stories, and have a great time. If the family is into sports, get out the basketball and play a few games of HORSE.  Or for exercise; why don’t you and your family go out for a bike ride in the neighborhood. 

Get everyone together to bake some cookies. Take a vote on what they would like, and assign everyone one job. For example; mom could make the dough; the kids could use cookie cutters to cut them out; dad could do the baking.  Another family activity could be playing charades.  Everyone loves that game. Instead of dinner; how about a picnic in the back yard!  Then after dinner, get out the Frisbee or play a game of touch football. 

Perhaps you’ve already starting a scrapbooking project involving holiday pictures, but haven’t had time to finish.  Think of the smile and giggles that will echo from the living room when everyone looks at the pictures once again.  You’ll finally get to put the pictures in the book; as a family.

Whatever you come up with, ideas for family night activities can be fun and bring everyone closer together. That’s the whole point, isn’t it? With everyone going off in different directions, think of how wonderful it would be to have everyone at home for dinner at the same time; seated together around the dining room table.  Afterwards, clear the decks ‘cause the party is about to begin!

Check out the Finding More Family Time eBook!  You’ll be happy you did.

With everyone on the go these days, it seems as if the family dinner has taken a back seat to after-school activities, and overtime. Even rarer is having the entire family sit at the dining room table for dinner on any given night.  While there are ten-minute meals, and the popular 30-minute meals on TV; would you be interested to know there are actually 5 minute meals your family will love? Yes, indeed! Here are a few recipes you can whip up in no time.

Angel Hair Pasta: This is, by far, the easiest pasta to prepare.  It takes less than five minutes to cook because of its thinness.  Available in your local supermarket, just boil a pot of water; add salt; throw in the entire box of angel hair, and cover.  Literally, within minutes, you have a most delicious meal.  Note: Prepare a large pot of the sauce on the weekend; use several containers to store and freeze; and take the container out of the freezer and place in the fridge until you are ready to cook.  You can always use a freezer bag to store excess pasta. When you wish to have the pasta again, just use the microwave to thaw it out.

Chicken: Cook a whole chicken or chicken breasts on the weekend; and freeze. Remember, the thinner the breasts, the faster they will cook – so pound them out until they are quite thin. This is another 2-3 minute meal you can prepare any night of the week.  You can also cut up the chicken breast to make a delicious salad.

Pork Chops:  These can be cooked for two minutes per side.  Boil a bag of rice; add a quick and easy salad, and another fast meal has been prepared.

The secret to preparing 5 minute meals is preparation.  When you buy salads and other vegetables on your next shopping trip; wash them and put them into a plastic zip lock bag. This will cut down the time needed to slice and dice.  Cook your sauces on the weekends, as well as other meat and poultry dinners you may wish to have during the week. Freezer bags are wonderful for preserving any kind of food you prepare.

There are also side dishes available at your local supermarket, such as Mac and Cheese. Four minutes in the microwave and you have a delicious side dish for the entire family.
Get ready; get set; cook!

As a mom with children, you most likely spend your days caring for the little ones, cleaning, shopping, repairing, sewing, washing, and all of the numerous jobs incorporated into the role of mom.  Needing additional income, and with all of the pressures you face daily, are you moonlighting as wonder woman as well?   If you are, here are a few tips to help you juggle your work/life schedule.

Discuss the hours with your employer.  Ensure there is flexibility conducive to any situation that may occur at home.  If this is a first time job, you may find it difficult at first. Prioritize your daily routine; allow enough time to switch roles from mom to working mom.  If your job requires you to work at night; schedule your time appropriately. Make sure you tuck your kids into bed; continuity is important. Sit down with your children and explain what you are doing and why.  Reassure them especially if you are working outside the home, you are only a phone call away.  Involve your children, if age appropriate, as to what type of work you are doing. 

Keep track of the events in your children’s lives.  Try not to miss any important school functions, plays or sports games. When the weekend arrives, devote as much time as you can to your family. Try to remember back to when you were a child, and your mom had to work. Use that life experience as a model, regardless of the circumstances surrounding it at the time. Most importantly, when your job is finished for the day – it’s finished.  Don’t allow it to filter into your home life; keep it separate and distinct.

Finally, if your role as Wonder Woman becomes weary, or you find it is not only a drain on you but your family as well – hang up your gold lasso; put away the cape and the guilt, and call it a day.  Nothing is worth your health and physical well being.  You’ll have plenty of time to rediscover the wonderful world of a working mom, only this time a sword and a particular war cry is recommended.

Be sure to Visit Real Life Guidance for more more great tips for moms

At the beginning of the school year you set the rule:  Homework gets finished as soon as you get home from school.  But by October, that rule doesn’t seem to be as hard and fast as it was in August.

If you don’t rein in the lax homework routine, before you know it you’ll be hearing those panicked cries at 7:30 a.m. that homework isn’t finished.  Or worse yet, you’ll get the dreaded phone call from the teacher notifying you that your little angel hasn’t been turning in her homework.  Heaven forbid you don’t find out about the missed assignments until you attend parent/teacher conferences!

No worries.  The problem doesn’t usually lie with formatting a good routine; rather it’s with enforcing the routine.   If you’re fortunate enough to be home with your child after school, it is a little easier to ensure the homework routine is maintained.  If you don’t see your child for an hour or so after he’s been home, you can still follow through.

The rules should be simple enough to leave no room for misunderstandings.

1. Grab an after school snack then start homework.
2. TV stays off until all homework is finished and reviewed for completeness.
3. No extracurricular activity until all homework has been completed.

Number three tends to be a difficult one for parents to enforce.  We tend to over book our children’s schedule.  Number three, no extracurricular activity until all homework has been completed, means just that.  It doesn’t mean the rule can be relaxed if junior has tae kwon do after school or if Suzy has gymnastics.  It doesn’t mean its ok to take a pass on number three on days when Johnnie has T-ball practice. 

Perhaps you decided that you paid good money for lessons and Suzy, Junior and Johnnie will participate.  Okay, but what kind of example is that setting?  How about if you take your child to the activity, but she must sit out until the homework has been finished.  Then she’s welcome to join the other kids on the balance beam.

Remember you still have dinner and a bedtime routine too.  Children should worry about being children, not about juggling schedules.  Make sure your child has a snack so that his stomach’s growling won’t be a distraction. After homework is finished he can enjoy what little time is left in the evening.  If you stick to rules one, two and three above, you’re on track for a great school year!