How to Increase Your Blog Traffic - Today!

Since I am a bit brain-dead today due to boarding 4 dogs (one being an incredibly cute 7 week old puppy that has to go out to potty every 20 minutes on the nose) and having the kids home from school over the past two days - I am going to do a really straight foward, totally non-witty, hope you get some good from this, type of post.

One of the biggest questions I see in Blog Land is "How do you increase your readership?" I was asking myself this very question two months ago. I decided to really give Monetizing my blog a good shot, and the only way to make this work is by vastly expanding who visits my insane ramblings each day.

This is not such a hard feat if you have a website devoted to one thing or another. If you are selling something, a marketing wiz, or something that has succeeded in making serious cash blogging - then people will search for you. If you're like me, and most bloggers, you're a little random. I blog about life, kids, work, dogs, politics, news, fitness, health... whew! Where's the market for THAT blog, hu?

If you're a fellow Mommy Blogger and are looking for a way to get more people to regularly visit, then get ready for some linky love. Here are some of my new favorite websites to help drastically increase your page hits, visits, and regular readers quickly.

1. Blog Carnival - Joining up with blog carnivals are a great way to get more people to come and visit. I've actually found some REALLY amazing blogs that I now follow by searching for specific topics that interest me via Blog Carnival. Make sure to pay special attention to when the next addition is about to launch before you submit any posts to blog carnivals. If it's blank.. skip it and find another carnival that's being updated more regularly. Submitting great writing to a dead carnival does nothing for you.

2. 5 Minutes 4 Moms - Whether you're a business blogger or a mommy blogger, you will almost definitely benefit from this site. I've only been there for a couple of weeks but LOVE it. Great source of friendship, fellow bloggers, and people that have succeeded and are more than willing to give tips. Also found a couple of awesome blogs that I now follow here.

3. Blog Frog - super cool site. Lots of great bloggers that you can link up with. When you comment on someone's blog that has blogfrog, it will also link your website on their mainpage.. it can really boost your readership.

4. Link Referral - Just started this.. totally didn't believe it would work - IT DOES. 100% free. You can choose to upgrade and pay to increase your ratings on their website, and that in turn gets more people to read your blog, but I've not done that and have had about 10-20 people a day visit from Link Referral. The more you do on their site (RE: visiting other people's websites and rating them) the more your ratings increase. The more they increase, the more people you'll see. Truly, started seeing results from this on day 1.

5. Search Engine Optimize - SEO is all the rage in the writing world. If you can't write an article that naturally flows and is packed with words that Google, Yahoo, and all of those other search engines seek out every minute of every day - you'll never get work. Why? Publishers that head up online publications need people to find them. Especially if they're an up and coming company. Same holds true for your blog.

You may write the most beautiful, funny, or informative post - and it won't matter a bit if people can't read it. The basis of SEO is simple. Ask yourself, "How would I search for this topic on a search engine?"

Sometimes simply creating a great SEO title for your posts is all it takes. It works for me! I typically avoid witty, cute, or artistic titles to my posts for this very reason. I want more people to read it - so I try to make it easy to find. According to my stats, tons of folks are finding me on Google - so it does work! Give it a try!

6. Build Relationships with Bloggers - Visiting other people's blogs is great, but if you never give them any comment love, a relationship simply won't develop. A very simple way to increase your blog traffic is to find blogs you honestly enjoy, and comment away. Their readers will notice your remarks, and well written comments often lead to well written blogs. (I've found some of my favorite bloggers via their comments on my blog or on blogs I visit.) One rule - never comment and expect something in return. It will just lead to frustration and burn-out. Hence the part about finding a blog you actually REALLY like.

7. Find Blogs like Yours - Aside from The Blog Frog, 5 Minutes for Moms, Link Referall, and Blog  Carnival, another great place to find blogs is Technorati.com. Just try it out... you'll be hooked.

8. Regular Posting - The more often you post, the more you're site will be searched by those great search engines. Also, posting regularly keeps your readers interested. Optimally, you'll be putting up new content 5 or 6 days a week.

I've been following these links and these rules for about a solid month. Since I started, I've almost tripled the hits on my blog a day, and the time people are spending on my blog has also dramatically increased. These steps really do work! Whether you just want to share your information with more people, or want to draw more people in for effective monetization - give these sites a try. Report back! Let me know if they also work for you.

Have your own links to share that have helped you? Drop some link love in the comments!

Today's Woman

In today's times, we women are expected to be know-it-all's, do-it-all's, and don't-need-no-man-all's...


Can I confess something? I am that woman. That woman as in, the woman that feminists just hate. That woman that makes far-left, "God is a woman", women cringe. Oh yes... that's me!

"What makes this true?" You ask. Well, there is a plethora of events and mannerisms I could divulge here.

For one, I'm afraid of bugs. It takes one hearty battle cry to squish even the smallest of crawly things. The big ones? Don't even ask! I have truly asked my 5 year old son to kill spiders that make me scream.

"Honey, that shoe's too small.. grab Daddy's boot. Yes, that one. Okay, now you've got to hit him HARD so he doesn't jump or run away. You're such a big boy! You're so brave!" I scream from the top of the kitchen table. Hey, I'm raising MEN here, aren't I? And, yes, my 8-year old daughter is beside me on the table, learning how to be a real girl.

Secondly, I don't want to be dirty. I'm a tip-toe through the mud, "Get your grubby hands off of my linen skirt", "No, I don't want to sit on the ground... I'll stand," type of gal. I don't mind getting gritty for appropriate times, such as jogging with dogs or a planned outing with the kids - but never spring it one me. I am not spontaneous when I'm in my new kitten heels.

Me having a "You're messing up my hair!" moment.

I don't take out the trash, I don't do anything that requires hammers, nails, or screws. I could definitely hang pictures - but I'd rather just show my husband where they go and let him handle it. I do "need my man."

Putting bait on hooks and touching fish are gross. I WILL scream if the crickets jump on me or near me. I'd rather be pool-side than in a lake. Just sayin'... I'll lay out and catch some rays while you catch supper. Suits me fine.

I like bubble baths, candles, lotions, and long walks on the beach. (at least in my mind...) I can hold a screaming baby, cook supper, and help my kids with homework all at the same time... Oh yes, I am woman. Hear me roar.

I can earn a paycheck and still respect my husband as an awesome provider. I can negotiate with the best of them, have an opinion about EVERYTHING, and have a say in all things and still know that God has given my man the true authority in our home. (I know.. a lot of women hate that sentence...) I can fall on my face and thank God for my Christian husband that rules his home with gentleness and love and respect.

I'm Pro-Life AND Pro-Women's rights... ponder that thought if you will.

I cry at sad movies.. and happy movies. I hide behind my man during scary ones and threaten that I'll divorce him if he tries to jump out and scare me once it's over.

I sleep with a nightlight and when my husband's gone at night, my German Shepherd fills in as protector. Seriously.. I need someone.

I love to meet the girls for lunch, gab about fashion and kids, and then lace up my battle boots to go wrangle a 100 pound aggressive dog that grown men are afraid of. I am woman.

I may not be what feminists think I should be. I may not be what your typical homemaker thinks I should be, but this is me. I love staying home, I love going to work. I love being independant and I love being totally dependant - it depends on the day. I love the having the ability to change my mind... constantly. I LOVE being a woman!

idea inspired after reading a hilarious post by Shannon.

Dog Training - House Breaking

God has blessed me so very much. I have one of the coolest jobs in the world. I get to spend my time with amazing people that love, love, LOVE their dogs. They allow me to keep their dogs while they are away, and to come make house calls to fix any behavioral problems that crop up. From big, huge, mean dogs to itty-bitty, hyper-active, yapping dogs... I've had the chance to deal with them all!

I've had a few requests over the past few months to compile some simple dog training basics into a post. I love to write, but writing about dog training can be difficult for me. I'm so used to showing people what do to, that I've not had much opportunity to write it so that people can read what to do. Here's my best shot at it!

Dog Training 101 - Simple Solutions to Common Behavioral Issues

Issue #1 - House Training

Dogs going potty in the house is right up there on the list of reasons I gain new clients each month. New emails with "How to house train this puppy?!" in the subject line come rolling in often. Though each dog is different and may require tweaking of any training techniques, this is my general method of house training dogs - of all ages!

Tools Required - Crate, Leash, TIME AND PATIENCE

This method of house training is called Crate Training, and it is highly effective for most dogs and puppies. I will disclose that I do not recommend serious crate training for dogs until 12 weeks. Though it's good to introduce a crate early, as a place of peace and rest for a puppy. Not as punishment or confinement.

Crate training is quite simple, though it does take a lot of time and patience, depending upon the age, temperament, and energy level of your dog. The general idea is the dog is in her crate when you cannot 100% supervise her. Once you get the dog out, she is taken immediately outside to a designated "potty zone." (leash may be required to keep puppy in the zone) Once she potties, she gets tons of praise, then brought back inside to roam freely. If your dog is a puppy, then this "roaming" time should be fairly brief. Puppies can use the bathroom SEVERAL times each hour. Watch for the classic "I need to potty signs" like walking with her nose constantly to the ground - without showing signs of tracking an object. If you see this behavior, call her to you and have her follow you back outside to the potty zone. When you need to move on with your day, puppy goes back into the crate until you can watch her again. I never recommend puppies be left in a crate longer than one-two hours at a time, with at least 30 minutes to an hour of time out to play in between.

If you have an older dog (age 1+) then house training "should" be more simple. A crate can still be necessary at first, and you would expect an adult dog to hold urine much longer than a puppy - only needing to potty every two hours or so.

Many times people with older dogs call me claiming their 5year old 'baby' is still not house trained. This is rarely what is actually going on. Typically, adult dogs that still potty in the house after years of attempted house breaking are simply exhibiting dominant behaviors and are marking their territory. This cannot be solved with crate training, as the dog will likely potty outside, only to come in and directly pee in the floor. (more to come on that issue in the future.)

Even with consistent crate training, it is likely that your dog or puppy will slip up and have an accident inside. How should you correct accidents in the house?

Rule 1 for Correcting Your Dog - If you didn't see it happen, you cannot scold the dog.

I know, frustrating, isn't it? Dog's have memories of about 5 seconds, so if you find poo in the corner - and you didn't see the offense occur, you might as well get onto your spouse for doing it as opposed to the dog... they'll both understand why you're upset with them on about the same level.

Rule 2 for Correcting Your Dog - Have a consistent "no" word.

When you see Fido about to lift his leg on your plants, having a word that he's accustomed to hearing when he's in trouble will be helpful to stop the behavior immediately. Any word will work just fine. "Hey!" "No!" "Stop!" Whatever you can use in any situation, whether he's watering your ferns or tearing up the trash. One exception - do not use the dog's name during scolding. We want our dogs to come when they hear their names and have positive associations with being called... not thinking they're about to get a paper to the rear.

Rule 3 - Hitting Does Not Help

Dog discipline is actually very simple. In a dog pack - the pack leader has a very simple two-step procedure to disciplining members.

1. Growl
2. Bite

Keep the same rules.

1. Verbal Command/Warning
2. Immediate Consequence

Instead of swatting your dog (and I know that's so tempting!) take a lesson from Cesar Millan and bite him. No, not with your mouth... just create a faux mouth with your hand. Small dogs just require a touch with two fingers. After seeing the Dog Whisperer and reading tons of books and doing online studies, I now teach this same method to my clients. It is, by far, the most effective discipline technique I have ever used.

So, if you see little Princess squatting on the rug, the response would be

1. "No!"
2. A consequence of some kind. For potty accidents I typically simply pick them up and place them outside in the potty zone. Rubbing their noses in the soiled carpet doesn't help them understand the problem.

Your dog will have indoor accidents, and this is where the tools Time and Patience come into play. Just like with potty training a toddler, they just don't typically get it over night. The younger they are, the longer it may take.

Word of Caution - Trying to crate train a very young puppy can back-fire tremendously. Very young puppies have just come from a place where their mother cleaned up after them in the "den." They will have little reason to not potty in the crate at first. If they begin crate training by using the bathroom in the crate very often, they will simply associate the crate with a place to potty - and not their den. As the puppy grows a bit older, he will naturally avoid using the bathroom in his bed. Dogs always avoid going potty where they sleep and where they eat if it is at all possible. This is another reason you cannot effectively crate train a puppy if you will be leaving him in the crate for hours on end. It is simply physically impossible for puppies to hold it for hours and hours at a time all day and all night.

If you find yourself having what you feel is an excessively hard time with house training, there may be other issues at hand such as a dominant puppy or health issues. In times like these I highly advise seeking help from a vet or a trainer. If you are in Arkansas, feel free to email me at caninecorrections@gmail.com if you feel you need some one-on-one time.

I will try to have a weekly Dog Training Tip post. I hope it proves helpful for some of you!

What to Really Expect After You Have a Baby - Days 1 - 3

After posting just a bit of my own experiences with the ups and downs (and the really downs of living beside the potty) of my own pregnancies, I thought I'd follow that up with my experiences with those post partum days.

When I was pregnant, I honestly gave very little thought to how I would feel post-delivery. I worried constantly about the actual delivery, about breastfeeding, and about keeping a 7 pound ball of mush alive with only my husband here to help. Those things were so consuming to me that it just didn't seem like it would be that big of a deal recovering from childbirth. Enter - surprise C-Section!

I think most people can sort of imagine what it would feel like to have a C-Section... I mean, how pleasant can it really be to have your stomach cut open and a human being pulled out of it? The aftermath is expected to be at least a bit painful. But, what about those crazy things that you had no clue you would experience after having a baby? Let's talk about what to expect AFTER expecting.

Though my experiences were all C-Sections, having never tried for a VBAC (vagainal birth after Csection), I can assure you that a lot of the post-pregnancy symptoms I experienced will ring true no matter how the baby made its way from womb to arms.

Day 1 - Delivery Day

Immediately following the birth of my babies, I got to see them, snuggle them, kiss them, rub their heads.. cry at the sight of them - all from the operating table. I was so busy meeting my little ones that I didn't even care what was going on down on the other end. I kept pushing the thoughts of them shoving everything back in and sewing my body back together out of my mind. I mean.... gross.

Hours later I had gotten to nurse for the first time, and was still feeling awesome. Totally numb the entire day thanks to the epidural. No pain... lovely! Peice of cake!

Main symptoms include exhaustion... exhaustion... exhaustion. Cannot. Keep. Eyes. Open.

Nurses keep coming in to "check on my incision" and to see how much urine I'm putting out via the clear bag hanging on the side of the bed. Lovely. Nothing screams "welcome guests!" like a bag of pee, right? I always worried that somehow the cathetar would slip and I'd wind up peeing in the bed. Now, that would be crummy. Never happened, just so you pregnant people don't have to have the same worry in the future.

Lunch and Supper time come and I cannot make myself eat anything. No appetite at all with the first two babies.. the third one was the first that I did want to eat by supper.

Nurses bothering the crap out of me making me do breathing exercising, check my temp, blood pressure... everything. "Hey lady.. could you NOT jab around where I was just cracked open? Thanks!" All night they come in..every two hours to examine me and baby. Annoying.. but necessary. (quick thank you to all nurses.. seriously... you are awesome and make or break hospital experiences! Loved my nurses! Gotta bond quickly with someone looking at your entire body in its worse possible state.)

Day 2 - Epidural Out

Right after lunch was the magic hour in which the mean doctor would order my good drugs to be removed. Within 20 minutes the pain would set in. First just soreness. Then, pain. Horrible pain with my first csection - almost but not horrible pain with the second and third. Thankfully, repeat csections tend to be MUCH less painful than the original.

Catheter is taken out along with the epidural. Peeing hurts. It doesn't burn, but it feels like I'm really bruised. My bladder cramps each time I empty it... I hate it. It hurts when my bladder is full.. feels like bad cramps. It makes my incision hurt. No one warned me about that little side effect

Nurses not bugging me as much - just making me walk around. Fun! Still doing breathing exercises to avoid pnemonia.

Nursing, holding, and taking care of baby much harder once epidural is out. Husband or someone to help me is necessary 24/7. I hate feeling so helpless.

Gas pains begin. What are gas pains? They happen after a lot of abdominal surgeries... air gets in during the operation and then gets trapped. It has no where to go.. so it moves around in huge bubbles. Sometimes you can feel them in your upper back and chest and it feels like you're having a heart attack. Mine were mainly all in my lower abdomen, right under that nice, fesh, incision. Walking is a magic cure!

Still no appetite at all. (except for the third baby)

Day 3 - Going Home From the Hospital with Baby

I was SO blessed. All three of my babies got to come home on day 3 after birth. I remember after my first Csection BEGGING to stay longer - but we had Medicaid at the time and they basically would've only kept me longer had I been on my death bed.

I finally get to shower on this day, too... praise God! (hospital bag tip - take those shower fresh wipes with you just in case!! I used them constantly!) I hesitantly look at myself in the mirror after undressing...

"Oh my gosh..."

What will you see in the mirror 3 days after having a baby? What will your body look like 3 days after having a baby? Well... for me... my boobs were ginormous - like a boob job gone horribly wrong big. My stomach actually looked tiny compared to its 9 month pregnant state. My arms and legs looked amazingly thin. (consider their size compared to the boobs and belly..) Seeing the huge bandages across my wound makes me cringe and makes my teeth hurt for some reason.

"Must pretend that's not there... just shower and get dressed!"

Shower is refreshing yet painful. I feel much better once I'm out, dressed, and back with my baby. People visiting comment how great I look... I am so out of it that I believe them.

Time to go home! The nurse wheeling me to the car manages to hit every bump that is located in the hospital, and I believe took a detour to a particularly horrible rigged walkway just to keep me from ever coming back again. (Fun Fact - after my first child was born and we were heading home, the nurse (who looked all of 14) actually said to me, "Wow, you must've gotten really big..." as she examined my body in the wheelchair. I so pray she wound up pregnant with triplets...)

Coming soon...

What to Expect Post Baby - The First 6 Weeks

"Welcome Home!" Says the Mess

Oh yes, I am braving up and showing the entire world what I came home to this morning. This is quite typical for our household, if I can be frank. In the morning we spend our time talking, cooking, eating, getting dressed, fixing hair, packing lunches, and getting out of the door. There is just no time scheduled in for cleaning. That, my friends, is not on the roster until I arrive home, grocery sacks in hand.

In all honesty, on mornings that I know I have a big day ahead of me, or am tired from the previous busy day, coming home to a messy house feels like a ton of bricks being placed on my shoulders. I mean, it isn't like I can come home and ignore this disaster while I start on other projects. (my Type A personality just won't allow it.)

I've thought of having mandatory chore time before the kids leave for school in the mornings to make this challenge a bit less overwhelming for me... but it just doesn't work for us. That would require even earlier wake-up times, and they already have chores to do once they come home from being at school working all day. I'd rather their mornings be peaceful and relaxing.

So, I'm finally finding a groove of balancing working from home, being a mom, and keeping the house up. It's tough! This pictured room is one of the most visited places in our entire house, so I make it a priority in up-keep. I actually timed myself this morning to see how long it really takes me to clean up all of this junk - can you guess? From picking up to unloading and loading dishes, wiping counters, the table, and sweeping... drum roll please....... 15 minutes! If I wouldn't have had to sweep today, it probably would've been more like 10. That really isn't so bad, so I'm going to try to stop feeling so overwhelmed about it. Just get in, get it done, and move on with my day. Hope I've encouraged you to do the same!

Sex Offenders - What Should Happen to Them?

When looking over some online news this morning, I stumbled across this horrible story.

A registered sex offender, that previously has spent 15 years in prison for choking and raping a woman back in 1989, is now responcible for this:

Investigators trying to identify six bodies found in the home of a convicted rapist in Cleveland are focusing the inquiry on eight or nine missing women.

You really have to read the entire story to grasp how horrible this really is. I mean.. talk about evil walking on earth - this man is it!

Everytime I read a story like this, I always scroll down to the last couple of paragraphs to see if the phrase "a registered sex offender" appears. Most of the time, it does.

How many women have to be brutalized, how many children molested and raped, how many people horribly hurt by sex offenders for our justice system to get the point: THEY CANNOT BE CHANGED. Show me ONE case of a serious sex offender getting caught, getting let go, and NOT repeating the crime. Maybe they're smarter the next time, maybe they learn not to get caught, but when people are true pedofiles or rapists, they just are. Period. End of story. No second chances.

Typically, this is the exact opposite of what I believe. I know that God forgives and that God can change anyone. However, I just don't think that, in the name of keeping people safe, these people should be given chance after chance to prove themselves changeable. If an adult brutalized a child - why is this not considered such a haneous crime that they are locked away for life? I know that issues of rape between adults are not always black and white, but if it is found that a man rapes a woman - and it is a black and white issue - how many chances should he be given in the future to rape more?

This just sends me into a rage. Time after time, these people are let out to simply do the exact same crimes they were put in prison for - and often times when they are released they are even more unstable than when they were first locked up. Notice how this guy went from "just" a rapist to now a serial killer/rapist.

Do people think that prison somehow reforms these truly insane people? Do they think they're receiving intense therapy while they are locked in a cell 23 hours a day? Even with therapy, does the public understand the almost non-existant success rate with rehabilitating sex offenders?

Am I the only person in  America truly outraged with this? Why is more not being done?

November - National Blog Posting Month

Have you lost your zest for blogging? Think a challenge will help you get back up and running? Then join in on the fun!

I found this on The (Un)Experienced Mom and decided to give it a go. The goal: 30 new posts in 30 days. I believe the only reward is the sense of accomplishment? We'll see if I come out victorious or if defeat is in my future. If you'd like to see if you have what it takes to complete this challenge, let me know! I'll keep track of your blog to help hold you accountable... as long as you also help me! ;)

Getting Your Toddler to Eat: Tips for Success

Have you ever gone to out to eat and just taken a second to sit back and look around? Often times I notice parents obviously feeling frazzled with their children, especially the ones in those toddler years. Now, most of us probably feel gray hairs coming on when our kids are acting crazy and all eyes are on us to "do something with that kid." But, have you ever felt that way simply because you cannot get your kid to eat? What about at your own kitchen table within the safety of your own home, where judging eyes cannot see? Umm.. yes.. I have!

I often think back and shake my head at myself and feel so sorry for my poor first child. First borns truly are mini experiments for their parents.

"Does she mind when I do this?"
"How do I make her stop screaming?"
"How do I make her sleep"
"Why is she so picky all of a sudden?!"

I recall feeling really upset when she'd stubbornly turn her nose up at new foods, as if her refusal to eat was purely out of rebellion. Who did she think she was trying to develop her own taste?

Today, I'm on my third two year old and am so thankful that he basically cannot pull anything new. Whether it's with tantrums, not minding, or picky eating... I've seen it before. I don't always know how to handle things, but one thing I do feel I've gotten a pretty good grip on is picky eaters, and how to work through those toddler-stubborn phases.

Here are just a few tips that I've learned along the way that I'd love to pass to anyone that hasn't had as many opportunities to learn from their own parenting trials and errors.

Tip #1 - Don't Expect Your 2-Year Old to Eat Like They Did at Age 1

At age 1, most toddlers are super excited about a new world of food. They want to taste and eat everything! If it's on your plate, it's soon to be in their mouth. Often times an eager to eat one-year-old morphs into a two-year-old that seems to require but a handful of food each day to survive. This happens to a ton of toddlers, so don't freak out too much. It's highly unlikely that any toddler will willingly starve themselves - so relax.

Tip #2 - You Can't Win This Battle

There are but two things in life a toddler has ultimate control over: What goes in, and what comes out. Learn this lesson as early as possible and I swear parenting a toddler will be soooo much easier.

Who else has tried to basically force feed a tyke with a spoon-full of "something" as they turn their head away and refuse to even take one taste? Who else has heard themselves say things like,

"Just one bite! It's so good!"
"You HAVE to eat this!"
"Fine, you can just sit here until you eat!"

Fun times at the dinner table, right?

The reason this is so frustrating for parents is often times because they've not yet realized that this battle is not worth fighting. You really cannot make them eat if they don't want to. Really.. you can't. Promise.

Tip #3 - It Isn't Worth Winning

If you do succeed in fighting your toddler to eat and use "scare tactics" like punishment for not eating, this may mean you are able to win this particular battle of the wills, but the war that might follow down the road is not worth it. Children do need to have some control over their own lives. There is no more basic control than deciding what you will or will not eat. Kids forced to eat often grow up to have serious food issues - either they decide to not eat and develop eating disorders (as a means of control) or they have no idea when to stop eating and they suffer with weight management issues. If toddlers learn early how to regulate their own appeties, it is a priceless skill they carry into adulthood.

Tip #3 - You Really ARE in Control

Don't let their scowling faces and fits at the table fool you. You really do have all of the control over what your toddler eats. Who buys the food? Who prepares the food? Who puts the food onto a plate to be eaten? The person in charge - that's who! Put that little tidbit into your parenting toolbox for safe keeping.

Tip #4 - Use Your Control Well

Often I hear parents complain that their kids only like 2 foods, or one food, and they just will NOT eat anything else. Really? Are you certain?

When you realize that this is a battle of the wills, and that you cannot force them to eat, but, that you do have all of the actual control over their food... you are on your way to victory!

Kids that truly will only eat one or two foods typically do so because somewhere down the line, that idea was encouraged. Once a toddler begins tantruming over new foods and wanting just the "Oldies and Goodies," a lot of parents become overwhelmed with the rejection of other eats and feed them their favorites out of fear. They simply don't want their child to go hungry!

My friends... rest easy. As harsh as it may sound, sometimes going hungry is just the answer. For a seriously picky eater - many parenting experts (as in those that have actual trails of letters behind their names proving their worth to us floundering souls) suggest simply putting a plate of food out, and then taking it away.

Can I say.. this actually does work! I heard this amazingly simple technique when my first was a toddler and have used it since. At first it seemed much too easy.

"No time-outs for not eating? No scolding? No forcing? What?!"

I would place food on her plate, we'd sit at the table, she'd say she didn't want it, I'd eat and encourage her to do so, she'd refuse. "Here we go..." I began warning her, "If you don't eat now, we won't eat again until snack time. If you don't want to eat, that's okay! But, Mommy isn't going to fix you anything else until snack time." She chose not to eat the first time. I followed through, picked up her plate after meal-time, and refused to fix her anything until snack-time. Oh the guilt!!

"Mommmmeee! I'm hun-geee!" Oh the fits... oh the tears. I felt like I was abusing her! I admit to scooting up snack-time almost an hour... thankfully she didn't know how to tell time to call my bluff. I prepared the snack I wanted her to eat and sat it in front of her. She ate it... all of it. That small tug of hunger pains was all it took! We kept this same plan for about two weeks, and before I knew it, she would try almost anything! I've done the same method for all of our kids. You eat, or you don't, that's up to you. However, if you don't, then you really don't eat.

I will say that I do try to make sure to make something I KNOW the kids enjoy at each meal, especially if I'm making something I think might make their noses go north. Because I don't have true "picky eaters," I've also been known to let them have a little something to snack on after supper if they happily tasted of all of the food and at least gave it a good effort. I mean, I don't like ALL foods... why should I expect them to?

Tip #5 - Remember Their Age

If you child is just two, then keep that in mind. Don't expect your two year old to be as willing to try new foods as a child three years older. On the flip-side, I personally DO expect more from my older kids. I do explain to them that their reactions to new foods shapes their baby brother's initial reaction as well. I love giving them opporunities to take on more responciblity with how their words and actions affect others!

Sometimes one of your children will just always be less excited about eating than the others. Hey, that's okay! Just keep putting those new foods out, without pressuring them, and watch what happens over time. Sometimes watching everyone else at the table enjoy a meal is just what the doctor ordered for a picky eater.

Meal-time really should be a laid-back, "Hey, how was your day" time. Help your kids relax and enjoy it, too. With a little encouragement, a little discipline and consistency, and a lot less pressure, you really can begin to enjoy life around the dinner-table with your kids.

Five Question Friday

Can you believe that tomorrow is Halloween already? Wow! I hope everyone's gearing up for a safe, silly, and FUN evening of trick-or-treating and eating candy until you puke. Oh yes... that is my idea of a good time...

It's time for Five Question Friday! If you'd like to join in on the fun, head on over to Mamma M's blog and grab all of the links! Happy Friday!

1. What were you doing the last time you really had a good laugh?


Just yesterday! Nothing makes me laugh like hearing my kids laugh. Something totally random had both of the boys rolling on the floor with those huge belly laughs - and who can't not join in on that fun? Everytime one of them would stop laughing, they'd see the other one still going and get kicked up again. I have no idea what even started this happy fest - but it was hilarious!

2. Who was your first CELEBRITY crush?
Hmmm... I 'think' it was Devin Sawa in Casper! I really can't remember that far back..

3. What is one talent that you wish you had?
Oh I really, really wish I could play instruments. Especially the piano and violin!

4. How often do you and your spouse go out w/o the kids? Is it frequent enough?
Definitely not frequently enough! We probably go out without the kids once  month... if that. Depends on what shift he's working. When we do go out, lately, we make an entire weekend out of it! So, that makes up for the lack of regularity I guess!

5. What colour(s) is your bedroom?
It's beige... the exact color is called "White Sands" or something similar. Pretty boring... but it works.

Fatigued Pilots - What Should be Done?

If you've been watching the news lately, one hot topic is mentioned at least once an hour: Pilot Fatigue.

This is an issue I actually never gave much thought. I, like many people in the world, assumed that proper restrictions were currently in place to keep plane crashes from occuring from preventable circumstances... you know.. like the pilot FALLING ASLEEP! Apparently, I was wrong.

This article on CNN's webiste says,

In the last 16 years, fatigue has been associated with 250 fatalities in air carrier accidents, Robert Sumwalt, NTSB vice chairman, said at an FAA symposium in July.

Well, doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?

Now the FAA is said to be trying to change the current allowed flight hours and the required amount of resting time between flights in hopes of preventing things like this happening in the future. Seeing as how they regulations have remained the same since the 1940's... I say it's well past due.

One request I've heard mentioned by the people in the airline biz is to simply allow pilots to nap in the cockpit during flights. Now, don't freak out... the truth is, pilots are already sleeping during your flight and you just don't know it. (according to about 80% of pilots that admit to sleeping during flights.) Wouldn't it be better to simply put safety policies in place so that this much needed sleep can occur SAFELY?

Other than take-off and touch-down... pilots say that the rest of the flight is almost always simply auto-pilot. If there are two pilots in charge.. why not let them take turns getting some Zzz's? If it means safer landings after 8 hours in the air... I say YES!

If letting them rest on the plane isn't a valid option, what other options are there?

Blog Makeover

If you think you've stumbled to the wrong place, don't fret - this is my blog, this is Peace and Craziness.. and it is currently experiencing Craziness. I am horrible with HTML and all of that jazz - so doing a small blog makeover is quite the feat for me. So, be patient, hang in there, and try not to be annoyed if I go through 35 different headers, fonts, colors, and layouts in the next few days. I promise to try to make this as painless as possible for all of us.

Review: Ergo Baby Carrier for Toddlers

Before I begin this post, I want to make sure that I write that this is NOT a paid advertisement. I simply LOVE my Ergo and haven't written a post about its functionality with a heavier toddler. With that said:

This is my Ergo

Inside of my Ergo is my 2 years and 4 months old son. He weighs right about 28 pounds now.. possibly 30. (I know, I'm one of those moms that doesn't know her kids' exact weights.) This is how we take the dogs for a walk - toddler happily riding on mommy's back. (By the way, these are our two rescue dogs Ava (the German Shepherd) and Cooper (the one-eyed Toy Poodle.))

I've used strollers for walks, and that's okay sometimes. The main two reasons I love using the Ergo instead are:

1. Bonding

When Samuel is riding in the stroller, he's kind of in his own world and so am I. When he's sitting up high on my back, he sees exactly what I see and he can talk to me with ease the entire time. I love seeing his little hand from the corner of my eye pointing to cows and horses and hearing him moo and "neigh!" at them as we walk past. I can explain all sorts of things to him while we walk without having him constantly lean around the canopy of the stroller and ask, "What? What Mom? What? What did you say? Mom?" Anyone that's spent much time walking with a toddler in a stroller, especially on a windy day, knows what I mean.

2. Ability to do More

When we walk using the stroller, we are GREATLY limited where we can travel. Strollers are super hard to push in grass with heavy kids in them. If the big kids want to walk off into a pasture to pick flowers, there's no wrangling with getting stuff out of the stroller, putting the stroller somewhere safe while you walk, and if your toddler is younger and not so steady on his feet, having to STILL carry him. (we've done this dance a few times.)

With the Ergo if we want to go somewhere, we just go! If Samuel wants out to go play, I just unlatch the top front strap, slip it off of my shoulders, grab his hands, and let him slide down my back to the ground. It's so simple! Why oh why did I not discover this amazing contraption with the other two children?

Another reason I really need something like this is so I can control dogs on walks. I've tied dogs to the stroller before, but it severly limits my ability to correct any misbehavior on walks. Having both hands to hold leashes - priceless!

So, what's the point of this post? Basically, to let all of you mommies know that life really can be easier with certain types of baby gear. This, in my opinion, is a must-have. No matter how big your toddler gets or how heavy they are, you can still COMFORTABLY carry them in the Ergo.

Soft "peanut-style" slings are super easy and sweet when you have a light newborn. I wish I'd have had one for those trips into walmart... but for the most bang for your buck, you just can't beat this product. I've used it since the week after Samuel was born, and see no signs of not being able to use it anytime soon. It's still looks just like new! No tears, rips, nothing. It's been chewed on by him for months on end when he was teething, washed in the washing machine several times (really.. many many washings) and used for almost 2.5yrs now. I know people that have had the same Ergo for several years, through several kids and it just holds up so well.

So, new mommies and mommies with toddlers.. take my advice and the advice of many moms in the world and grab an Ergo! You will never regret it!

Sam in the Ergo at 1 month old

Sam in the Ergo at 4 months old

Sam in the Ergo at 6 months old