Mommy guilt is one of the most common feelings mothers go through at some time. Moms will feel guilt for not being able to provide the very best for their children. This makes them see themselves as inferior at being a parent as other moms. Just remember that you are not alone. There are many other moms who go through the same thing. Here are some ways to help combat the mommy guilt before it takes over your self esteem.

Be nice to yourself – Every mom has experienced a moment, when raising their child, where something happened to them that made the mom feel like it was their fault. This is probably one of the most popular forms of mommy guilt ever. Your child falls and bruises their knee; your immediate reaction is to berate yourself as a mother.

“I’m a terrible mother,” is how it usually begins. Be kind to yourself, because you are a good mother. Things will happen with your child and no matter how hard you try to provide for the safest environment possible, things will still happen. It doesn’t mean you’re a bad mother.

Release the need to control everything - Remind yourself that you are not in control of everything that happens to your child. A part of growing up is learning from mistakes. The harder you try to keep them from everything bad out there, the harder they will ultimately fight you on it.

Even though you are an involved parent and see after your child, there is no way you can prevent some things from happening. Just spend that energy on being there for your child to help them through life and not try so hard to control it.

Trust yourself - You are the best person for the tough job called ‘Mommy’ to your child. Don’t second-guess yourself. When your intuition says that your child shouldn’t be doing something; then learn to trust it and stand firm. Don’t give in just because you don’t want them mad at you. Your internal leads are there for a reason.

Don’t cave in to guilt trips - Kids like to take their parents down guilt trip lane. We all want our children to have and do whatever they want, but it’s not always the safest or best thing for them. When you make a decision, stick to your guns.

Don’t allow others to influence your parental decisions - It’s typical for other parents to offer unwarranted advice. While it’s nice to receive other’s opinions on something about your child, you are ultimately the one who will need to make the decision. If you are faced with this kind of circumstance; clearly tell them that you appreciate their opinion and will keep it in mind, but don’t let them influence you too much on your decisions.

You know your child, better than anyone, so you are the one that will know what’s best for them. All parents as well as kids make mistakes, so it’s important not to let yourself doubt your mothering abilities. You’re raising your kids the best you can, so it’s time to start believing in yourself.

Be sure to visit Real Life Guidance to Balancing Work And Family an Easy Step-By-Step Guide To Balancing Your Work And Family Time.

One of the hottest topics lately seems to be Goal setting & Goal Getting. Setting good, clear goals is a powerful process for both your personal and professional well-being. By setting goals on a routine basis YOU decide what you want to achieve and then move step-by-step towards achieving these goals.

I always encourage women to make an effort to spend time setting sharp and clearly defined goals. One of the beautifully empowering things about goal setting is that you can measure and take pride in the achievement you make as you get closer to your goals. By setting goals, you will also raise your self confidence as you recognize your ability and competence in achieving the goals that you have set.

The process of setting goals allows you to choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know what you have to concentrate on to do it.

Remember, your goals are the road maps that guide you and show you what is possible for your life.

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Action Steps
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Here are a few action steps for you to take into consideration when working on setting and pursuing your goals:

–> Make sure you set goals that you can realistically reach. Striving to be perfect is not a realistic goal. Striving to eat healthier, exercise more..etc. is a realistic goal.

–> Break your big goals up into bite-sized chunks. If your ultimate goal is to launch a new website before September, break the goal down. Work 1st on asking for others to give you the opinions on possible webmasters, make a list of what you want your site to look like, contact certain webmasters, ask for price quotes etc. The key is to take small, thought-through steps to reach that ultimate goal.

–> Set a specific time-frame to achieve your goals.  Write your goals down and force yourself to be very specific about them. You can then refer back to your goals list and you can see how you are measuring up. It is an empowering feeling to set goals and achieve them.

–> Celebrate! When you achieve a goal or overcome a hurdle that brings you closer to that goal, CELEBRATE you and your accomplishment!

P.S. Interested in a free Goal Setting Consultation? Visit http://www.reallifecoaching.net/goalsetting.shtml for more details

Time is precious and who has hours to spend in the kitchen cleaning.  If your house is anything like mine, the kitchen is the heart of the home.

Here are some quick cleaning tips that you can use to keep your kitchin looking nice all day long.

Daily

- Wipe down the sink after doing the dishes or loading the dishwasher (30 seconds).
- Wipe down the stove top (one minute).
- Wipe down the counters (one minute).
- Sweep, Swiffer, or vacuum the floor (two minutes).

Weekly Or Every 3 Days

- Mop the floor (five minutes).
- Wipe down the cabinets and appliances (10 minutes).
- Wipe the inside of the garbage can (one minute).

See, it doesn’t take long to spiff up the heart of your home.  Forget the notion that you have to do it ALL at once - take baby steps

P.S.  Grab your free kitchen organizing tips here: http://reallifesolutions.net/personal/kitchen-organization.html

As much as I love to pamper myself, it is very rare that I get to visit a Spa. Usually I will splurge once a year and treat myself to some lovely spa treatment and it usually costs a pretty penny.

Well Spa Week is coming (April 14 - 20) and they have some lovely $50 services.  A Friend and I just booked our appointments for Warm Shea Butter Body Melts (I can’t wait) www.spaweek.net

Check it out - hopefully a spa in your area will be participating

I am really looking forward to tomorrow.

My best friend and I will be attending a huge party at a Hotel in Maryland.  The party is thrown by a group of Gentleman that organize huge holiday parties and then another huge party in March (Called the Pisces Ball).  They always have a good showing.  We’ve been to their parties before and we always have a great time. 

They rent out 3 of the Hotel Ballrooms and have a DJ in 2 of the rooms and a live band in the 3rd room.  Along with the party comes a buffet of great food and of course great drinks.  The crowd is always friendly and the music is incredible.

Well this year the party is in a hotel that is about 45mins from our house - well after a glass or 2 of wine, a night filled with dancing — 45minutes of driving just isn’t smart. So, we decided to book a room in the hotel and just make a Day AND a night of it!  Whoohoo!

We will meet at the hotel tomorrow afternoon and share an afternoon of fun girl talk, treat ourselves out to dinner, come back to the room and get all Dolled up then simply take the elevator down to the party :)  I can’t WAIT. It’s been “forever” since I’ve had a full night away from my house and I think this is just what the Doctor ordered.  What fun to party the night away then relax in a hotel room and wake up whenever you feel like it and not hear a childs voice (lol).  By the time I return back home on Sunday afternoon - I should be fully relaxed and ready to return to my “real life” as a mom, wife, chauffer, cook, maid, homework helper, driver, shopper, boo-boo fixer & kisser….. (you know the drill.)

I love sharing awesome time management and money saving tips with you and you know how much I love to talk about making life easier….

Well as you already know, family meal planning can be a life saver. Just imagine creating an easy meal plan and knowing what you are going to be serving up for meals each day of the week?  You will save time, money and your sanity.

I found a great free report that explains how quick and easy it can be to get dinner on the table so that you can spend more time WITH your family and away from the stove.

Simply visit ==> http://www.reallifesolutions.net/mealplanning.HTML and sign up using your email address and you will receive your free report immediately.  Sign up today and you can get started right away with a Free Menu Planner and Shopping List.

No Fuss, No Cost, Just Good Tips

Ahhh the joys of parenting. Most parents have witnessed their little bundles of joy in the throws of a temper tantrum. Even the most dignified parent has been left red-faced and wanting to be swallowed into the ground while their toddler is having a public meltdown.

Here are a few easy ideas for avoiding temper tantrums:

Don’t Let Your Child Get Over Tired – Don’t let your child become too tired. Set a regular nap routine and try to stick to it, and make sure your child goes to bed at a reasonable time and gets enough sleep during the night. Tiredness is often the first reason for a tantrum.

Give Them Time - Allow enough time for activities like getting dressed, brushing their hair and getting in and out of the car. Your child will want to do a lot of these things on his own and rushing him is a sure way to start a tantrum. Give him a little extra time and let him try to be independent by allowing him to do certain things for himself.

Here’s to some temper free days!

P.S. Want more information on how to deal with your childs tantrums? Visit http://reallifesolutions.net/family/tantrums.html

Every month you sit down to pay the bills and every month you wonder how in the world you’re spending so much. This is a common scenario for most families. The good news is there are a few things you can do to cut your monthly bills down.

Shop Around – Always shop around. Utility companies are in fierce competition with each other, use it to your advantage and shop around for the best savings. Don’t think you have to stick with a supplier you’re not happy with.

Leave the Car at Home – Don’t pay the outrageous fees for gas. If possible try to walk, you can also consider taking the bus or carpooling. When filling up the car, shop around for competitive rates.

Lower Your Thermostat – If it’s cold in the house don’t just automatically switch the heating to high. Put on an extra sweater and pair of socks instead.

Avoid Using Your Dryer – Dryers waste a lot of electricity which means higher bills for you. Try to hang up your clothes instead. This not only saves you money on electricity but will help some of your clothes last longer as well.
Make Sure It’s Full – Don’t use your washing machine or dishwasher when it’s half empty. Play around with the temperature settings to see if a lower temperature will do the job just as well as the pricier higher one.

Turn Off the Lights – Your father was right. Turn off the lights you’re not using to save electricity. If you’re just relaxing try lighting candles instead, this will save money and create a nice atmosphere (make sure you follow all safety guidelines).

Lower Your Water Bill – Try to take showers instead of baths. Turn off the water while you’re brushing your teeth. Collect rain water and recycle it to water the plants. Make sure your faucets aren’t dripping. Use a bowl full of water when doing the dishes instead of leaving the tap running.

Change the Setting – Set your thermostats a couple of degrees lower in the winter and a couple of degrees higher in the summer for a big savings on your utility bills.

Filter Your Water – Investing in a good water filtering system can save you money on buying bottled water. It will also help you save money by making your appliances last longer due to lower lime scale buildup in hard water areas. You can even use less detergent when washing clothes or using the dishwasher.

Don’t Buy Disposable – Try to cut back on your shopping bills by not buying disposable items such as paper towels, use a clean dish cloth instead. Try to reuse your aluminum foil or sandwich bag containers or better yet buy plastic containers you can wash and reuse.

By following these tips to save money, you can make a significant dent on your monthly bills. As an added bonus, you’ll also be contributing towards a healthier environment for your children and grandchildren to enjoy.

We are participating in Lynette Chandler’s Blog Egg Hunt that’s going on all week. Today’s Easter Egg Prize is a copy of Balancing Work and Family ebook sponsored by us.

Here’s how to win.

1. Copy the URL of this post, then

2. CLICK ME===>  

3. Enter your comment and don’t forget to paste our URL too.

Good luck!

Shopping online has become a natural way of engaging in buying. After all, computers and the latest technology afford you the opportunity to buy anything at anytime from just about anywhere.  However, you need to be safe when doing so. To this end, here are some tips for keeping your online shopping experience a safe one.

* Never buy anything from an unknown company. If they do not have a phone number or address – stay away from them.
* Ensure that whenever you buy a product, you are sent a receipt by email.
* Some card companies are offering virtual credit cards – check into this type of service as it changes card numbers each time a purchase is made.
* Always look for the Veri Sign logo, BBB logo, and the lock on the bottom right corner of the website. This ensures the company is well known, and is using a method to conceal your information.
* Do not apply for credit cards on line. The company may be a bogus one.
* If you have several department store cards, and buy from them online, change your password every month.
* Research the stores you buy from beforehand. Ensure they are credible and have been around for a number of years.
* Shopping online and using your credit card unfortunately leaves you open to hackers. Make sure you have virus protection software installed in your computer, as well as a firewall.
* Change your passwords monthly.
* Clear out your cache every time you sign off.
* If you are using a cable modem; unplug the PC cable from the modem every night. Using a cable modem means you are on a network; avoid any hackers from engaging in illegal activity.

If you are careful, you can shop almost anywhere online as long as you keep these tips for keeping your online shopping experience a safe one in mind.