The Momma in the Middle

I recently bought both of my littles a cell phone. Yes, they're still a bit on the young side for that, but after thinking about it for a long time - like, really, a year - I decided it was the best course of action. Having a cell phone doesn't mean the kids now have free reign over the internet, apps and all of the craziness that goes along with it. *This Momma* has gone all NSA on the little ones, loading up their devices with parental monitoring software so that I have oversight of their usage and control over how the devices are used. I'd like to share the apps I've installed so far - and then see what your favorites are to use for your kiddos' devices. First up was Family Link . Family Link is an actual Google product and designed specifically so that families can safely allow children to use cell phones and other devices. And so far, I'm just loving it! I set up a profile for each kiddo and the parameters around their usage that I want to e...

I've been worried about something for a bit now. Not a major worry. Nothing world ending, nothing health or kiddo related. A minor worry, really. Without getting into specifics, it has to do with one of my (many) jobs and although I should have shrugged it off weeks ago, it's stayed with me. Nagged me. Woken me up daily at 4 a.m. I know, I'm a bit melodramatic. I didn't know what in the world to do about it. Should I say something? Write an email? Make a big stink over something that's ultimately a little issue? Enlist a neutral 3rd party? Just let it go? I couldn't process it. At all. Then, last night, I remembered the Youth lesson I taught the last week of August about stress. In the lesson, which coincided with the start of the school year, we talked about how there's so dang many stressors in life. Work, school, family, chores, friends, health...the list is pretty literally never-ending. All of those areas, if they get a bit out of sync, ca...

BUY NOW I've never been in a book club. Can you imagine that? I read a couple hundred books a year and have done so for decades. But yet, I've somehow never been in a book club! Well, all that has (sorta) changed, with this book: Rachel Hollis' "Girl, Wash Your Face." I've belonged to an online mom's group for a decade. We met originally through pregnancy and parenting boards on a site called iVillage many moons ago and somehow, a couple dozen of us have stuck together now for 10+ years - some even longer - and are a daily part of each other's lives. I've met a few in real life, talk with some on the phone, and text with others. Whenever I have something to share, need to ask a question, want support for an issue or life caves in, that group, now on Facebook, is where I head first. I received an incredible gift from these girls earlier this year in a time of need, I get (and hopefully give) awesome advice and it's just...well, it...