ML Interest Tag: toxic

How to Rock Being a Sports Mom Like the Boss You Already Are

By Susan Blakely

I love sports. Soccer, basketball, track. I love it all. I just have one major hangup: try-outs. As the mom of four athletes, I’ve experienced the highs and lows associated with them. I’ve sat on both sides of varsity success and JV hell from middle school through college. Here are a few things I’ve learned in my parenting journey as a sports mom.

Listen—don’t lecture.

Your child does not need to hear your very insightful tips on making the team. She’s practiced, she’s put in the time, now let her do her thing. Remember, your child feeds off your anxiety so tamp it down—waaaay down.

Show your support.

What does that look like? First, validate what your child is feeling. If he didn’t make the team he wanted to, acknowledge the disappointment. It doesn’t feel good, so say so. Now focus on what he can control: attitude, effort and developing skills.

If she makes the dream team, party it up (for a minute). Your child now has to earn her playing time so keep expectations in check. It’s a rare freshman, for example, who carries a team on her ridiculously talented shoulders and is selected to First Team All Universe on her first outing. Just saying.

Don’t trash talk.

Nothing puts toxic waste in your kiddo’s veins faster than your angry words about the coach, the other players, blah blah blah. Your child needs healthy coping mechanisms and any negativity on your part will kill that opportunity. Don’t be the snark shark.

Stay busy.

Nothing amps your anxiety worse than sitting around, waiting for news, wringing your hands. To manage my own discomfort, I paint. Everyone knows when try-outs roll around because I have a new color in the entry way, the kitchen, the bathroom. And for the love of all that is holy, do NOT go to try-outs and coach your kid from the sideline. I’ve seen that. It’s not pretty.

Cheer them on!

The best advice I ever got was to say only positive things during the game. Go, Tigers! Nice shot, #3. Cheer your kid and every kid on the team. Never talk poorly about someone else’s child. I remember one dad who would outwardly groan when my child was subbed in. Ouch.

Practice patience.

Kids all develop at their own pace. Some superstar fourth graders go on to greatness in high school but some flame out early. The kids who rise to the top may surprise you. Late bloomers may not boast genetic giftedness, but I guarantee, they understand hard work, selflessness and dedication. Qualities that work in life beyond sports, yes?

Always do this after every game.

One final thought: after the game, please don’t pick it a part. Don’t dwell on the ref, the substitutions, the playing time. Simply say, “I love watching you”—even if he was only on the court for 10 minutes. Pick one thing he did well and point it out. “Hey, didn’t you PR?” despite his last place finish. Or, “I loved how you defended against that really fast, really strong forward. Wow! She was a handful.”

Then, turn the radio to her favorite station and shut up. You might be surprised what gems your well supported athlete will share.

I live in Spokane, Washington with my sweet husband of over 30 years, my caboose baby (now 16) and two relentless border collies. I'm a mom of four,  sports freak, interior designer, writer and believer that there's enough Goodness to go around.

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Nobody Ever Said Blending Families Would Be Easy

By Sarah Fumero

I’m no therapist, counselor or psychologist. However, I am a woman, mother and wife and I have and still am experiencing the growing pains of having a beautifully blended family. I speak from the perspective of experience.

About 9 years ago, I made the tough decision to leave a marriage that had been unhealthy for a number of reasons. Due to legal issues and other heartbreaking details, his time with the children was very limited. I spent about a year as a newly single woman, since the age of 17. I was single with two bright little boys depending on me. Imagine the whole new scary world of dating!

Thankfully, it didn’t take too many toads to find my prince. I met my now husband through a mutual friend, I literally realized he was the man I wanted on the top of mountain, while hiking with friends, odd yet kind of sweet.

We fell for each other immediately, we loved each other. I made it clear that loving me met loving and caring for my children as well. My poor soon to be husband, was like a fish out of water. As a man who spent all his life caring for himself and no one else, not having to share space, food, money, resources or even sharing to woman he loved he was in for a heck of a ride.

He was stepping into established relationships; in essence, he was a stranger. He had to find a way to make his stamp on his new family and his new-found responsibility. He was stepping into their territory, this was going to be a huge test. He had to step up and I don’t speculate he was ready for the whirlwind that is blended parenting.

The boys loved him, however they didn’t like listening to a man who “wasn’t their dad,” that’s a hard pill to swallow for all parties involved. Their new step-father was new to this game and he didn’t have the fatherly companionship they needed. He spent most of his time unknowingly being a stickler for all the wrong reasons, the bed wasn’t made, someone spilled juice during dinner, there was a toy left in the living room, things only a man who never lived with children would stress over.

This stress seemed to make us all walk on eggshells. He felt unwanted in the family and all we wanted was understanding. Looking back, it was us against him, he didn’t understand us and I took no time to try to understand him. He was struggling with his new role and more than a few times we wanted to throw in the towel.

I struggled with letting go and allowing him to help me parent (within reason of course). I am still working on breaking that toxic habit, I too am still a work in progress. I think the children struggled with feeling as if they were betraying or forgetting about their biological father. There were so many emotions tied to this one thing we all had in common, love. We loved one another to no end. That was a fact, but love doesn’t compensate for all. We had to learn how to make this work. Looking back, we had to focus on three key points to make this work.

When in doubt, over-communicate.

Communication is key to understanding one another. We had to learn HOW to communicate, how to challenge to emotions that made us want to rip each other’s heads off and learn how to breath and talk.

I remember being particularly upset with my husband, because I didn’t feel as if he took the struggles the children faced in school in to consideration. He thought “a bad grade was just a kid not trying hard enough.” We know that’s not always the case, the boys faced many struggles in school and they shouldn’t have to face them at home. We blew up at each other over it, we weren’t effectively communicating. I needed him to understand their struggles, I needed him to get that this wasn’t a matter of laziness, but a matter of learning disabilities and struggles.

It took more than one fight, but we began to learn each other, we learned our “trigger” words and we learned when to say “I think we need to stop and trace back to when this went wrong.” We also had to learn how to communicate with the boys, communicating with children, especially boys, isn’t as easy as it seems. We had to learn what type of communication worked best for them, we had to learn how we could get the most out of them, without being too pushy.

The step-parent is not a replacement.

We made it particularly clear from the beginning that he was not here to replace their biological father. It was important to us that they didn’t feel they were being placed in this new family unit, sans their Father. We needed them to understand that we loved them unconditionally and that meant loving every part of them. Their father was a part of them.

Trust is always at the heart.

This is a tough one, still to this day. We had to learn how to trust each other. I had to learn and trust that my new partner was in this to win it and that he had our best interest at heart. The boys had to trust that he truly loved and cared for them. They had to know that he was there for them, no matter what and that he would make the time to love and bond with them, like his own. We are still building trust till this very day, but our hearts and minds are open to building this unbreakable bond.

There is nothing easy about blending families. Resilience is key, to battling to many challenges. We have had a heck of ride! We recently decided to add a third little one to this mixed up bunch. The decision was to add to our little blended world, was a carefully thought out decision. We wanted to be sure that our boys knew how important they were to us and how this would only add to our beautifully blended family.

There is no magic wand or secret formula, that keeps this blended machine going. If all parties involved are open to continuous growth, the hurdles, are just that, a temporary obstacle.

I am just regular mom of three wonderful boys and a married to the love of my life! I hope to reach people through writing and expressing my true experiences. My goal is to help a parent realize that no matter the struggle, they are not alone in the journey! 

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The One Goal I Set That Changed My Entire Life

By Fairygodboss Georgene Huang & Romy Newman, Founders

Photo: Pixabay

My name is Natasha Nurse and the goal that changed my life was choosing to be happy. This seems like an obvious goal that everyone should have, but sadly, it is not the case. So many people are unhappy in the United States (especially in New York).

It was December 2015, and I was told I was losing my job. When this happens to most people, the first thing they want to do is panic. For me, I saw an opportunity to live my life in a whole new way. I decided to live by the following six principles:

  1. Commit to my life motto: meet someone new and learn something new every day

  2. Be happy every single day

  3. Be daring and fearless, no matter what

  4. Accept there is no such thing as failure — only teachable lessons

  5. Live without regret (life is too short to live with regrets)

  6. Accept there is no such thing as no — only maybe not now or maybe with someone else

These principles helped keep me sane, focused and happy as I began my journey as an entrepreneur. This was the journey that not only gave me immense joy, but has led to opportunities in modeling, media, podcasting, radio broadcasting and journalism that I couldn’t have even imagined for myself.

The goal of being happy turned out to be the most important goal that I could have ever set for myself. Now, since living this way, I couldn’t imagine living any other way.

Now that you know my one goal that changed my life, I think it is important to focus on the practical steps I took to apply and stay committed to this goal. Here are my seven steps to success.

1. Get clear on your intention.

My one goal was happiness, because I was a person who focused on accomplishing many things in my life (starting at a very young age) but no one told me that I needed to make sure I was happy. Happiness was like an afterthought or completely irrelevant. I was groomed to be productive and accomplished. However, I soon realized accomplishments without a sense of happiness or joy was completely pointless, so I needed to make a change. I knew that if I shifted how I defined what success meant, then my entire life would change.

2. Create an action plan.

Goals are great. But if there isn’t an action plan in place, how likely are you to achieve that goal? Zero to None. For me to be happy, I needed to be very clear on identifying what made me happy. Luckily, I am fairly low maintenance, so the things on my happiness list include:

  • Reading everyday

  • Napping (when I really need it)

  • Dancing

  • Singing

  • Shopping (mostly on Vudu or Amazon)

  • Prioritizing my needs

  • Being creative (i.e. drawing, coloring, sketching, painting)

  • Creating and developing ideas with the hubby

  • Relaxing with the pets

  • Watching movies and television shows (no matter how many times I have watched them)

  • Working on my business (i.e. coaching, consulting, speaking at events, creating online content, etc.)

What was my action plan for happiness? It was simple. If I do at least one activity on this happiness list a day, then I was successful for the day. If I accomplish more than one activity, then I am a super star.

3. Eliminate distractors or deterrence.

Eliminating naysayers, haters and toxic people was a huge step for me to take to succeed. Why? Those individuals are drowning in their own misery so much, they can’t help but attempt to bring you down as well. For me, cutting these people out of my life was the only way  to have the freedom of time and mental capacity to focus on me, my business, and what I want to accomplish in this world. If you are determined to accomplish your goal, you will find yourself in the same boat (hint: this will be hard at first, but you will thank yourself repeatedly).

4. Hold yourself accountable.

When achieving a new goal, do you think it is important to have benchmarks along the way? Well, it is. In order to achieve a goal, you have to have tasks and steps along the way. You should attach deadlines to these to ensure your goal gets accomplished. As an overachiever, my goal is really a lifetime goal, so I needed to create a plan that required me to be accountable each day (aka Happiness Checklist). If you are working towards accomplishing a goal, how will you hold yourself accountable?

5. Be kind to yourself.

We can be our number one advocate or our very worst enemy. When we stumble or sometimes fall flat on our faces, it might seem natural to get down on ourselves. But I am here to tell you to stop it! This is neither helpful nor necessary for accomplishing your goal. Sometimes you are not going to hit the ball out of the park. Sometimes you will strike out. That is not only okay, it is a good thing. Stumbling or “failures” are a teachable moment where you can learn. Life is all about learning more about yourself and the world you live in.

If there are days where I don’t get to check something off my happiness list, I don’t tell myself that I failed. Instead, I accept that I didn’t take care of myself for the day. I identify what stood in the way of prioritizing my happiness, then make an action plan so that the next day I am back on target. Most of all, I am kind and understanding to myself. That is the only way to make sure I can start the next day with the best mindset and attitude possible.

6. Acknowledge every victory.

No victory is too small or too large to celebrate. By celebrating every victory, you are giving yourself motivation and confidence to keep pushing towards your goal. You can’t expect anyone to do this for you. Your goal will never be as important to anyone else as it is to you. So, smile and appreciate every victory along the way.

7. Document the process.

If you document your process (the good, the bad, and everything in between), then the following will happen:

  • You will have a record of the journey to look back and reflect on

  • You will see just how much blood, sweat, and tears went into achieving your goal

  • You will inspire others to pursue their dreams and to share their journey as well

  • You will publicly hold yourself accountable for what you are looking to achieve

It might not be easy to document the journey. When you achieve your goal however, you will be happy you took the time to document how you made your dream a reality!

—Natasha Nurse, for Fairygodboss
This post originally appeared on Fairygodboss.
Fairygodboss Georgene Huang & Romy Newman, Founders
Tinybeans Voices Contributor

As the largest career community for women, Fairygodboss provides millions of women with career connections, community advice and the hard-to-find intel about how companies treat women.

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He’s Mean Because He Needs Manners—Not because “He Likes You”

By Maggie McComb

His name was John and he was full of nervous energy.

I was in 3rd grade; the memories are mostly fuzzy, but I do recall being a very shy and lonely kid. Our class would go out onto the playground for recess and John would immediately begin to chase me. I would run and run, out of breath and desperate to relax my aching legs. If he managed to catch me, he would pull my hair and tease me about my clothes, shouting obscene names that I didn’t understand at that age. So I would run faster and look for groups of kids to hide within, and the next day it would start all over again.

I never told a single person.

The next year John was no longer at our school and I never heard of him again. No one seemed to notice.

As I got older, I started to believe that worn out story: it must have been that he liked me, but didn’t know how to show it. Eventually I forgot about John all together. That is, until my daughter told me about a boy in her 2nd grade class.

“He follows me around and teases me,” she would say. “I hate it.”

I volunteered in the classroom and had first-hand knowledge of his behavior and knew how he treated all the kids–girls and boys– and his behavior was already known to the teachers. I found myself thinking back to my own elementary experiences and for the first time in 30 years. I remembered John.

I remembered how his clothes were thread-bare and how he always looked sleepy. I remembered his nervous laugh whenever the teacher called on him and the perfectly round scar he had around one eye that was eerily similar to the size and shape of a baseball bat. As an adult, I could clearly see that John had been struggling at home. I walked the hallways of my memories and realized there was almost certainly abuse going on and he didn’t know how to confide that to our teachers.

I’ll never know why he picked on me, but I’m guessing it was because I let him do it. Chances are he picked on other kids, too—but I didn’t notice. Dominating bullying tactics were probably ingrained in his mind as the right way to act because he likely saw that at home, but I’ll never know for sure.

Too often, when girls are teased, bullied or harassed by boys, we assume there is a childish innocence to the behavior and that a “crush” is involved to explain it away. Girls are encouraged to ignore it or deal with it and boys are allowed to continue their actions unchecked.

There are several reasons why we need to stop this storyline. Mistreating others, even in a joking manner, should never be confused with romance and affection. Those girls and boys grow up to be adults who continue thinking these are normal parts of life and rites of passage.

Dismissing this behavior as normal encourages victim blaming and victim silence and ignores the base reasons for why the behavior existed in the first place. The bully very often is suffering a trauma as well and is hiding behind his bravado. Ignoring it during the formative years will only increase the behavior into adulthood and cause bigger problems. No one wins, so how can we encourage a more positive conversation with our kids about these situations?

Let the hurt child know their feelings are valid and they have a right to remove themselves from the situation. This isn’t just true for bullying situations, but toxic friends as well. No one should accept being injured physically or emotionally as a “normal” part of a relationship.

Likewise, let the bullying child know they have valid feelings, too. Encouraging them to speak safely with a trusted adult might provide some insight into what has sparked the teasing behavior.

Give children trusted adults to speak with. Parents aren’t going to be around every moment and some kids simply don’t like their teachers, so kids need to know whom to speak with if they just need to talk with someone. Grandparents, school counselors, school nurses and youth leaders are just some possibilities.

Explain no one has a right to scare you into being quiet. Kids need to know if they are threatened into keeping a secret, it’s a clear indication it’s time to get another adult involved.

Stop the “I bet he likes you” speech. Males and females aged 1 to 100 can have healthy platonic relationships, so why put a romantic label on such behavior, especially with children?  It implies a boy and girl can only have a romantic connection, which hurts their chances of fostering healthy, neutral friendships. Strong relationships with kids of all genders are important for every child’s development.

Make it clear that love does not equal abuse. As parents, we have the power to change the narrative and teach kindness and respect for all.

Maggie and her family roost in the Pacific Northwest and share their travels, homeschool field trips, curriculum ideas and lifest‌yle tips from a city-based homestead. Maggie is a cooking enthusiast and avid student of history and science. She's also mother to an "old soul" tween daughter. 

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5 Questions That Can Save the World & Make Kindness Trend Again

By John Pavlovitz

You look tired lately and for good reason. It’s exhausting to give a damn isn’t it?

To be a person of compassion, in a time when compassion is in such great demand; to wake up every day in days like these and push back against predatory politicians and toxic systems and human rights atrocities and acts of treason and Twitter tantrums—the volume and the relentlessness of the threats can be wearying.

You may have noticed this stress and weariness in your body. You’ve likely felt the steady accumulation of stress that regularly resides in tensed your shoulders, your clenched jaw, your elevated heart rate and in the knot in your stomach, that returns every morning when you wake up and you check Twitter or turn on the news or step out into you community or walk into your kitchen—and you see how much feels wrong in the world.

When life feels chaotic and unstable, most of us make the mistake of looking for hope somewhere off in the distance; a politician or religious leader, a musician or social media celebrity. We’re all prone to waiting for someone extraordinary to appear on the horizon and save the day when things go sideways. But the truth is, if you’re looking for heroic stuff, you may want to check the mirror.

You’re already fully qualified and perfectly positioned to be exactly what this world needs and five seemingly elementary questions, can help you inventory your abilities and unearth a plan.

1. “What can I do?”

You have practical, tangible gifts; talents to create, write, cook, build, fix, develop, etc. Right now there are places those precise skills are in short supply and there are people who could benefit from them in countless ways. Find these places and these people and begin making your mark in the small and the close.

Within arm’s reach, there are people who can’t do (even with great effort) what comes naturally to you.

2. “How do I think?”

The ways you solve problems, resolve conflict and approach challenges, are all completely unique to you and to the never –to-be-repeated arrangement of gray matter inside your head. Your mind works very differently than that of anyone around you (or who has ever walked the planet for that matter) and for this reason you can generate ideas and refine systems and build relationships and respond creatively, in ways no one else is capable of.

Think about the way you think, because it’s a game-changer.

3. “What are my resources?”

You have access to a treasure trove of valuable raw material that you can leverage in the cause of goodness: financial capital, availability, buildings and gathering spaces, business partnerships and equity of trust in the community. Your time, money and influence are all capital you have access to.

How can you spend or share that very specific wealth to fill in the gaps you see in the world?

4. “How am I wired?”

Think about your personality; all the particular quirks and idiosyncrasies that make you who you are. Are you gregarious or thoughtful, bold or gentle, fearless or cautious? Do you naturally take the lead or thrive behind the scenes? Either way, these attributes uniquely qualify you to do what no one else on the planet can do. There is a need for crowd-gathering extroverts, deeply relational conversation starters and quiet shadow laborers.

You, in all your glorious differentness—are a perfect fit.

5. “What is my circle of influence?”

Your friendships, business networks, social media platforms and family relationships all form a unique imprint. If you could engage all of those people for a cause or a movement, what would it be? What would you ask of them, say to them, invite them to do? When you have an answer to that question—ask it, say it, invite them.

So, yes, you may look around at the state of the world or the state of your marriage or the condition of your family and feel as though the situation is dire. From where you’re standing it all might well appear to be a complete and unprecedented mess. But that fact isn’t worth dwelling on (unless, of course, you determine yourself capable of spinning the planet backward and undoing all the already-done stuff).

Ultimately, the only question worth entertaining when faced with the daily disasters and dumpster fires outside the window, on your news feed, in your home or in your head is, “What am I going to do about it?” 

Answering that question has destiny-shifting potential. Without any hyperbole whatsoever, whatever you decide to do has never before been done in quite the way you will do it, with your unique set of experiences, your particular set of tools and your specific amalgamation of gifts. However you choose to respond to everything that feels wrong out there, it will be a historic occasion.

So spend a little time today figuring out what burdens you, what you have to work with—and go save the world.

 

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John Pavlovitz is a writer, pastor and activist. His blog, Stuff That Needs To Be Said, has reached a worldwide audience of millions and he is regarded as a leading voice in progressive faith in America. He is the author of A Bigger Table (2017) and Hope and Other Superpowers (2018).

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The 9 Best Deals at Target’s Bi-Annual Toy Clearance Sale Happening Now

by Karly Wood

Heads up, it’s Target’s bi-annual toy clearance sale where you can find toys up to 70 percent off. If that doesn’t scream “start your holiday shopping now,” we don’t know what does. We headed to the bullseye retailers ourselves and scoped out some insane deals you’ll want to snag before they’re gone.

Word to the wise––be sure to head to your local store to stock up on sale merchandise. Target’s website doesn’t reflect the crazy low prices we found while shopping the aisles.

LEGO Bane Toxic Truck Attack- The Batman Movie

Karly Wood

You're practically LOSING money if you don't buy a LEGO set when it's on sale, and while Target hasn't yet marked down tons of them yet, there are several to choose from. We spotted this Batman movie version for over $15 off, as well as some Brick Headz and an Elves set for just $25. That's quite a deal!

Sound Moovz- Motion Activate Musical Bands

Karly Wood

Encourage your budding musician or dancer with a Sound Moovz band, a musical wristband that creates sound based off your movements! Connect to an app and your options are limited. We spied this super creative toy on sale for 50 percent off! Quite a discount when the regular price is $70.

You can see for yourself how cool Sound Moovz bands are on their website!

Baby Alive Snackin' Noodles Baby

Karly Wood

Baby Alive Snackin' Noodles versions are 50 percent off! If you're brave enough to purchase one of these for your kids (they DO need regular diaper changes, after all) you can't beat the $20 price tag that you'll find on the Target sale. This doll is a bit fancier than the regular Baby Alive––it slurps, and makes sounds and says phrases, too.

Pie Face Sky High

Karly Wood

The $7 price tag for Pie Face Sky High is just one of tons of games on sale. The popular, messy game is ramped up in this version and stands over 3 feet tall. If you're in the market for some new games for family fun night, we highly recommend checking out all the discounted options, stat.

Teddy Ruxpin

Karly Wood

This throwback Teddy Ruxpin is only available at Target and is $15 off. Enjoy time with Teddy as he sings, tells stories and uses his animatronic mouth and LCD eyes to bring story time to life. Oh yeah, he's also Bluetooth compatible! 

Matchbox Learning Blox

Karly Wood

When your kiddos play with these Matchbox cars, they aren't just playing––they're learning too! This marked down set comes in at $20 for 26 cars and accompanying matching ABC blocks. That's less than $1 a car!

Air Warriors Thermal Zenith Dart Gun

Karly Wood

This heatseeking gun comes in at 50 percent off (just $10!) and shoots up to 90 feet. It comes with 6 precision darts and the thermal feature can detect heat up to 60 feet away. At this price, you can afford to get a few and have the ultimate family dart gun war.

Little Tikes Princess Horse & Carriage

Karly Wood

Send your little princess off in style, especially when this $130 toy is marked down to just $65. Push and pull handles make this an easy vehicle to take to the park or for a trip around the block, and at 50 percent off, why not? You'll also have plenty of time to assemble for Christmas if you buy now!

Disney Beauty & The Beast Belle Doll

Karly Wood

Snag some goodies for your little princess, like this Belle doll that is 50 percent during the Target sale. This particular toy aisle is actually packed with tons of other discounts on toys like My Little Pony, Spirit Riding Free, Barbie and Elena of Avalor.

 

––Karly Wood

All photos: Courtesy of Karly Wood for Red Tricycle

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Hilarious Memes That Sum Up Pregnancy

by Tinybeans Team

Between running to the restroom and weathering the wild hormone swings that should have their own ride at Wally World, being pregnant is not for the faint of heart. But don’t cry, baby! Keep reading for a collection of funny pregnancy memes that’ll be a hilarious reminder that you’re not going it alone during these nine months (40 weeks, but who’s counting?). And after baby arrives, be sure to check out these funny mom memes to keep you going strong during those sleepless nights!

You took a shower. Isn't that enough? Now they expect you to get dressed, too? UGH!

And it doesn't even have to be July. The AC is on time in January, too. 

We like to call it "the Midnight Back Slide." 

You didn't need that, anyway. 

If it has a collar, we pretend we're Elizabeth Taylor. It works. 

And I'm glowing, too, dammit!

Ice cream is really the sweet spot. 

Seriously. It's not like we aren't trying. Baby's comfy in there!

Leggings let us live our best lives, today. 

Right. Be right there! 

Toxic waste glows. You? You rock, mama. 

Yup. 

The word he was looking for was "Goddess." Duh. 

Or Halloween. Or the Fourth of July. Or Groundhog Day. 

When you're filing this one away as part of your birth plan, you're definitely in your 3rd trimester. 

Be quiet, Fitbit. Don't nobody like you, anyways. 

Dadgum crumbs! They give us away Every. Time. 

If you squint your eyes, the Cheetos could be carrots. 

Riiiiiight. And that baby had better be wearing seven pieces of flair, too. 

At least they're your "cute" sweatpants. Work it, girl. 

Which pregnancy meme gave you a giggle? Share with us below!

—Shelley Massey

 

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35 Hilarious Memes That Moms Will Love

These Hilarious Memes Sum Up Parenting So Perfectly

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Hilarious Memes All About Being a New Mom

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14 Ways to Green Your Baby’s Nursery

by Julie Seguss

Your baby is tiny and precious and you never want anything bad to happen to her, so why not surround her with the safest, most natural stuff possible? Here, we’ve outlined 14 ways you can give your nursery a green makeover. Whether you choose to make one eco-friendly switch or several, think of this as your ode to Earth Day.

Choose an Eco-friendly Coat of Paint

Freshening up your nursery with a new paint color? Pick one from Lullaby Paints. You can shop online (great for those end-of-pregnancy nesting days when you don't want to leave the house) including ordering free paint sample cards. But most importantly, the paints are some of the safest available, made with out toxic chemicals that will emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into your baby's environment. Find colors ranging from pastel blues, pinks and yellows to bold reds and easy neutrals.

Available at lullabypaints.com, $59/quart.

Looking for other ways to be eco-friendly with Baby? Check out our favorite green baby brands here.

What’s your favorite green baby product? Tell us in a comment.

–Julie Seguss

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A Little Lux: Spas & Salons That Cater to Kids

by Kelley Gardiner

Playing with LEGOs, climbing at the playground and hosting tea parties can do a number on those tiny hands and feet. Give your kids a bit of pampering (and reward yourself for keeping up with ’em) at one of these nail salons that not only welcome kids, but cater to them, too. From nail salons where they can get their haircut to ones that offer toxic-free options, read on for our picks of the best kid-friendly spas around Portland.

Sit Still Salon
Not only can you get a mani-pedi at this salon, but your little fashionista can get a brand new hairdo, too. Its clientele is all kids, so you can expect that these stylists know what they’re doing when it comes to even the wiggliest toddler. If the airplane seats, suckers, television or toys don’t keep your kids still, they’ll bring out the big guns: bubbles. Up-dos, Chlorine removal (no more green hair!), ear piercings and age-appropriate makeup services are also offered.

5656 Hood St.
West Linn, Or
503-657-3975
Online: sitstillkids.com/services.html

Mani and Pedi Salon
The price is right here, even on NW 21st Avenue, with Kids’ manicures for $10, pedicures for $15, and both for $22. But if you get your own service at the same time, it comes with a complimentary beverage. Maybe a mimosa for mom or dad?

202 NW 21st Ave.
Portland, Or
503-954-1442
Online:maniandpedisalon.com

Blooming Moon Spa
For a slightly crunchier relaxing treat, take the kiddo in for a Tiny Toes Pedicure at Blooming Moon Spa ($30). Polish is non-toxic and paraben-free. Kids must be over 8 years old and accompanied by an adult. Be sure to bring flippy-floppies, because this mindful business doesn’t like the waste of disposables. Make an appointment. When you’re done, kid-friendly New American is just down the road. They even take orders online to pick up or to eat in.

1920 N Killingsworth St.
Portland, Or
971-279-2757
Online: bloomingmoonspa.com

Zenana Spa and Wellness Center
Your little one can get their hands or feet done with ZOYA non-toxic polish for just $15 at this spa that caters to moms during pregnancy and beyond. If you want a bonding experience, though, there’s the “Toe Time for You and Your Child, Too” service that allows the parent and child (10 & under) to snuggle up receive a pedicure side by side.

2024 SE Clinton St.
Portland, Or
503-238-6262
Online: zenana-spa.com

Mississippi Nails and Spa
Your little princess can get flower designs here too: $10 manicure, $15 pedicure, or $25 for both. If you need your own service, there’s a complimentary beverage in it for you. For an extra special treat, all you have to do is head around the corner for either Blue Star Donuts or Ruby Jewel ice cream on Mississippi.

851 N Failing St
Portland, OR 97227
503-206-4951
Online: mississippinailsandspa.com

Tres Jolie Nails and Spa
West side kids can relax at this peaceful salon. Tres Jolie offers $10 manicures and $18 pedicures for the 10 & under set. When you’re done, head to Cold Stone for a cone, or show off those cute tootsies with a stroll at Summerlake Park.

12700 SW North Dakota St. Ste 160
Tigard, Or
971-245-5066
Online: tresjolienailspa.com

Princess Nail Salon
Now we’re not messing around with the princess stuff. Go straight to the source at Princess Nail Salon for a pretty pedicure. Prices vary based on age: $15 under 10, up to $30 per pedicure for grownups. If there’s a wait,  just head next door to Starbucks and grab a drink.

4437 SE 39th Ave.
Portland, Or
503-788-0331
Online: princessnailsalonportland.com

 

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Today Is the Vernal Equinox

by rtstephen

 

Daily
Today Is the Vernal Equinox
Aka the first day of spring.
1

What’s synonymous with spring? Spring Break, and that means
cocktails, mommy-style.
2

Get your little flowers in on the fun by creating a butterfly mask perfect for flitting about, indoors or out.
3
Spring cleaning comes a little cheaper and a lot less toxic when you make your own simple and easy household products.

{ Today’s ideas brought to you by Tulips  }

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