Search Results for: blog are you giving away too much for free

Yoga Positions for Early Labor

The other day my doula visited our home to show us some techniques we’ll use for pain management during early labor.  Our goal is to do as much of the labor at home as possible – we’re more comfortable at home, and thus more likely to be relaxed here – and so these are some moves and positions Jon and I can do to help me get through the pain. If you get a book like The Birth Partner or other books about/that have sections on natural childbirth, these positions might be familiar to you.  I don’t know exactly what they’re … Continue reading →

Are You Really Giving Your Kids Everything?

The other day, I brought my three kids to a birthday party that took place at one of those family fun centers. There were all sorts of adventures, such as a huge climbing/ball pit, a small laser maze, a rock climbing wall and plenty of games that the kids could play for tickets. In order to play the ticket games, kids had to swipe a card on which money was added. As part of the party, each guest got a card that was worth $3. Each game cost anywhere from $.50 to $2.00 to play. This meant less than the … Continue reading →

Get Into the Holiday Spirit Without Breaking the Bank

Last Friday, a Christmas tree lot opened up across the street from our church. Who buys a Christmas tree a week before Thanksgiving? It was much easier to denounce the premature holiday madness in October when Wal-Mart and Target were selling Christmas wreaths next to the Halloween candy, but now that Thanksgiving is just a few days away, I suppose it’s time to make merry. One of the cheapest ways to get into the holiday spirit is to hit the road and soak in the spectacular Christmas light displays… that you didn’t have to erect. Some of the nation’s most … Continue reading →

Not Always Joined at the Hip

Jon and I started dating in college, and we were far from the only ones in our social circles to do so. Some of the others would make fun of us, giving us couples’ names, like the media does for dating celebrities (our name was Jangela). It never really bothered me, except for one potential interpretation: was there some truth in the fact that I didn’t do much without Jon? Looking back, I think that I had enough friends and enough things going on in my college life that were separate from my boyfriend. But I could see how it … Continue reading →

Would You Share Your Breastmilk?

Posted on by

I have finally found peace with the fact that I’m no longer breastfeeding, but at the same time, I have moments where I still feel sad. I’m sure that is perfectly normal. Today at the park, I saw a mom breastfeeding, and couldn’t help but long for that a little. This weekend, we went to a family event, and I saw another mom with a baby just a week older than my own who was nursing. I couldn’t help but look at her and have mixed emotions. On one hand, I was grateful to not feel self conscience about nursing … Continue reading →

Holidays, Travel, and Family Expectations

Holidays can be tricky for anyone, in any family situation. Married couples without kids, however, face a special conundrum: with whom to spend the day(s)? Again, this can be tough for anyone, but childless marrieds face a particular pressure: you don’t have kids, so it falls to you to drive sometimes long distances to attend the family get-together. Of course that returns us to the initial question: with whose family do we spend the holidays? We pick one side of the family for Thanksgiving and the other for Easter, because Jon’s parents and my parents live far enough away from … Continue reading →

Cats Causing Countertop Carnage

While on the phone with my grandmother the other week she commented, “your critters sure are giving you a lot of trouble.” It’s true; first it was Chrestomanci, and now it’s Cole. While Chrestomanci wants to eat everyone else’s food in addition to his own, Cole won’t stop going up on the counter. I know he’s always been interested, and on occasion I would have to chase him off the counter or the tabletop, but recently he’s either started doing it a lot more or been more brazen about it. Now he’s even encouraged Chrestomanci to make the occasional countertop … Continue reading →

Here Come the Freebies! – Week of January 25, 2012

“Freebies” are fabulous! Part of what makes them so much fun is that you never know when you will find a free sample, or a free giveaway. You can’t really predict what a company will decide to give away as a “freebie”. Here is a very mixed bag of “freebies” that you can go get right now. Indochino will give you a FREE tape measure. To get it, you need to click “like” on their Facebook page. They provide a handy little “like” button right on their website, so you won’t have to go track them down through Facebook to … Continue reading →

Doctors Using Medical Treatments as Prizes on Facebook

Couples who are unable to conceive frequently turn to IVF. This procedure can be extremely expensive to pay for, especially if your health insurance doesn’t happen to cover it. Some doctors have started Facebook contests where the prize is free IVF treatment. This brings up many legal, and ethical questions. IVF stands for “in vitro fertilization”. This treatment can be used by couples who have not been able to conceive by natural means. Part of the treatment involves collecting the woman’s eggs, and the man’s sperm, and putting them together in a petrie dish. Conception occurs outside of the body. … Continue reading →

Dealing With Thanksgiving Leftovers

It’s done. I have cooked, baked, served, consumed and cleaned up enough food for a small army. No matter how conservative I try to be when making a holiday dinner there is always too much food. There are just so many yummy foods to have at the holidays, and so many of them taste good mixed together that you have to have a little of everything. Now my fridge is bulging, bowls, casserole dishes, Tupperware and who can forget the pies? That’s a lot of food for two people. The really good thing is since it’s a long weekend I … Continue reading →