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Author: Julie Forman

My “Mom Funk,” or How I Found Out I Was Actually Depressed

My “Mom Funk,” or How I Found Out I Was Actually Depressed

I was sitting in my therapist’s office, listening to Andrea Bocelli crooning from an iPod from one end table, while ocean waves crashed from a sound machine on another table. I was reading a psychology magazine while waiting for my appointment and saw an article about depression. Hmm. Interesting. I struggled with depression as a teenager and young adult, finally weaning myself off of anti-depression meds when I met my husband in 2005. It had been smooth sailing until I…

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I tried not being a “Type-A mom” for a day. This is what happened.

I tried not being a “Type-A mom” for a day. This is what happened.

They are the words most likely to strike fear into my heart. Beach. Toddler. Without my husband. I know. I must be losing it, right? But when my BFF (love you, girlie!) got a hotel in Daytona for a week and invited us to spend a day hanging out at the beach, I said yes. Because I love my best friend. Not because I love the beach. The night before the Big Day, I actually found myself kinda dreading it….

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How We Live Off One Income With a Baby

How We Live Off One Income With a Baby

  If you’re anything like me, the decision to quit your job and stay at home with the kids was an easy one. The thought of being there for each one of your child’s firsts fills you with joy. Also the thought of being able to stay in your pj’s all day. (I love pj’s, yo.) It’s how to make that dream happen that’s the tough part. How exactly are you supposed to live off one income with a baby…

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A Moment of Honesty (and Clarity)

A Moment of Honesty (and Clarity)

I started this blog as a place where I could be “real” as a mom. A place where I could let other moms know that they weren’t alone. I need to apologize to you all. Because I realized that I haven’t been real at all. I’ve been sanitizing my words and trying to create a perfect life so I could share my “secrets.” (As if I really have everything figured out! And with only one child at home, no less!)…

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Family-Friendly Pandora Stations (Yes, for Mom, too!)

Family-Friendly Pandora Stations (Yes, for Mom, too!)

I don’t have to run out the door every morning to be at work at a certain time. I don’t even have a Gymboree class that I need to get to. But mornings are still rough. You feel me, Mama? You see, even though my body wakes up early, my mind takes a while to catch up. That’s why I do my best to create a calm, yet energizing atmosphere when Bear and I are having “one of those mornings.”…

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I Was Homeschooled, But I Don’t Plan on Homeschooling My Kids

I Was Homeschooled, But I Don’t Plan on Homeschooling My Kids

Summer is coming to a close and, even though Baby Bear is only 16 months old, that big pencil display in Target has me thinking about school. One friend of mine is going to put her 15-month-old daughter in preschool next month. My niece will be starting kindergarten this year (where has the time gone?!). And a close friend of mine has a 4-year-old that she plans on homeschooling. Knowing that I was homeschooled myself, she asked if I was…

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Before You Judge Other Moms…

Before You Judge Other Moms…

Moms are complete paradoxes. On the one hand, we are confident that we’re doing a great job and have everything figured out. On the other hand, we often find ourselves staring in bewilderment at the child with a crayon in her mouth and wonder how we’re going to transform that into a well-adjusted, capable adult. And yet, despite the fact that none of us really knows what she’s doing, we still feel compelled to give our unsolicited opinion: “Have you…

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Christians: Your Testimonies Cause Bad Faith

Christians: Your Testimonies Cause Bad Faith

There’s a big problem right now with many Christian testimonies. To explain, let me first share mine: When I was six months pregnant, our daughter was diagnosed with CDH or Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. Basically, she had hardly any diaphragm, which meant there was nothing to prevent her intestines from drifting up into her chest and crowding out her lungs. Our baby girl’s lungs had no room to grow and the prognosis was very grim. I prayed non-stop for two months,…

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My Top 10 Must-Have Baby Registry Items

My Top 10 Must-Have Baby Registry Items

  Registering for a baby as a first-time mom is confusing. There are all these lists online for “must-have baby registry items,” but they include so many obvious items: cribs, clothes, diaper pail. Um…DUH! So you go to your mom for advice. You: Should I get a baby swing that runs on batteries or one that plugs in? Your Mom: They have ELECTRIC BABY SWINGS NOW? When you were a baby, I had to turn a crank and it was…

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Mom Questions I Still Don’t Know the Answer To

Mom Questions I Still Don’t Know the Answer To

After 15 months, I’m tempted to say that I’ve got this parenting thing under control. I’ve struggled through two bad baby colds, successfully sleep trained, planned a kick-butt birthday party for 50 guests, and cured the diaper rash from hell. Most days, I feel like Super Mom. (Talk to me again when we’re potty training and I’ll have a different perspective.) But there are a few mom questions I still don’t know the answer to. Because adulting is hard. What…

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