heatherdawnthings

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7 Reliable Ways to Stretch Your Dollar Further

7 Reliable Ways to Stretch Your Dollar Further #Money #MoneyMatters #Finances #Inflation #Deals #WaysToSaveMoney #Realistic

Prices are rising and wages aren’t keeping up… what’s family to do? Here are 7 Reliable Ways to Stretch Your Dollar further. Things are so expensive! Inflation is currently at a 40 year high at 7.5% this month. Oil prices have surged to $115 a barrel causing gas prices to tick close to, or over, $5.00 a gallon. Mortgage rates are average over 4% this month, a full percentage point higher than…

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Is this your pic?

Is this your pic?

I received a rather alarming notification today regarding stolen photographs, the kind that violates copyrights and can land me in a lot of trouble. After I hyperventilated and had a minor heart attack, I tried to access the said file that would reveal the photos… only to run into a blank page. Alright. That happens. So I emailed the author of said email – and had it bounced right back to me as…

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Conduct Disorder -A Crash Course (Guest Post)

Conduct Disorder is often misunderstood and far too often overlooked, yet this psychological disorder is all too real, and can be incredibly damaging to the families immersed in the diagnosis. What is it? How do you handle with it? And where can you find support? (Guest Post)

Conduct Disorder This article was written and composed by Karen Huff of Compass for Conduct Disorder, a Non-Profit organization aimed at helping and educating families world wide. The Worry…

Early childhood is a wondrous time of life, for both children and parents. Watching young minds form and bodies grow is one of the true joys of parenthood. As parents, we want the best for our children. We…

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Loss and Love

Three months ago, I lost my mother.

Three months ago, I lost my way.

Three months ago, I lost my daily texting buddy.

Three months ago, I lost a piece of what truly makes me…. me.

  First, I want to apologize for my long absence on this blog. For those of you that follow these pages, you are looking for breastfeeding answers and the advice my career provides. Hopefully the archives have helped,…

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3 Essential Baby Items You'll Still NEED After the Baby Stage

3 Essential Baby Items you'll still need after the Baby Stage is over #Baby #BabyStuff #BabyGear #BabyWipes

As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission on qualifying sales.

The baby stage is a wonderful time full of learning, playing and sleepless nights. It is also a time filled with STUFF. So much stuff. From diaper pails to bottle warmers (if you use them), onsies and on to bouncy, light up toys. It’s a mess! And if you are anything like me, when that stage is over, you lament it’s passing…

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On your first day back from Winter Break

On your first day back from Winter Break - I'll miss you even as I cherish my time alone. Yes, I have become 'that mom'. #kids #school #thatmom

While many areas across the country rejoined the school rush last week, here in our school district out in California, they go back today. And now, today, feeling the slight let down yet flush with guilty relief, I and thinking of them… and how I feel about their first day back after Winter Break.

Before the kids…

Before I had children, and back when they were too young for our educational halls,…

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How to Prevent The Dreaded Sag after Breastfeeding

How to Prevent The Dreaded Sag after Breastfeeding

When people think about Breastfeeding, quite a few things come to mind. Bonding, natural, maternal, big boobs – and of course, the dreaded sag after Breastfeeding. I’m sure you’ve heard the stories, or even lived the tale – but I’m here to tell you a secret…. it’s not true. Well, not exactly true.

What is true is that breasts change, especially through the course of pregnancy and…

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To Elf or not to Elf? The ultimate Christmas question....

To Elf or not to Elf? The ultimate Christmas question….

If you have followed this blog for any period of time, then you know that my family doesn’t ‘DO’ Santa. Oh, we play Santa, see Santa at functions, enjoy the movies, wear the hats, label certain gifts from Santa – but our girls are fully aware that Santa is NOT real… just a fun game to play during the holidays. Well, our duo of trouble and joy have decided to up the ante this year and have asked…

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A plea for the Drop Off Line

A plea for the Drop Off Line

Alright Moms and Dads…. what is up with the drop off line? Seriously! How can something so simple suddenly become so complicated and messed up?! If you use the drop off line at your school, then I am sure you already know what I am talking about. And if you don’t, buckle up – we need to talk to YOU for when that time comes!

The Drop Off Line

While many of our brethren send their children to…

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When should you start pumping to return to work?

When should you start pumping to return to work?

Maternity leave is a joyful time, yet for many of us – that leave is far too short. For new mother’s, that time clock places the dual stress of bonding and preparation. How can you carve enough time to bond with your baby? What about daycare? Will they give you time away if your baby gets sick? And when should you start pumping to return to work? The questions are endless, and while many of those…

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The Importance of Breaks

The Importance of Breaks

We all need breaks – breaks from work, breaks from stress and sometimes even small breaks from life. Those few precious moments can heal, galvanize and reenergize. Yet they all come to an end, don’t they? And then it is time to start again, find your place and rejoin what you escaped from.

The value of Breaks

My own sabbatical is over – and I am ready to launch back into the responsibilities I…

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Growth charts and why they matter

Growth charts and why they matter

Most parents have heard about growth charts, either from research during pregnancy or from those stress filled pediatric visits after their baby is born. In the United States, we are gifted with two sets of growth charts; the WHO Growth Standard for Infant Development and the CDC Growth Chart for Infant Development.

What are they?

Like milestone references, i.e. when most children walk, talk, eat…

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Best Parenting Tweets for August 2018

Best Parenting Tweets for August 2018

Twitter makes me laugh, cry, yell and think… when it doesn’t enrage me or try to throw my phone across the room! I also am always on the hunt for #Parenting Tweets that make me giggle – here’s the best Parenting Tweets I found for the last week of August, 2018!

Best Parenting Tweets I ran across during the last week of August 2018

  P.T.A. membership:

For when parenting alone hasn’t been enough…

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21 Motherhood Quotes sure to make you Think or Cry

21 Motherhood Quotes sure to make you Think or Cry

I adore quotes! In fact, I collect them. They can inspire, enliven, encourage and even drive a person forward. When it comes to Motherhood, that treasure trove of sayings and wisdom is astounding! Here is a list of my favorite motherhood quotes sure to make you think or cry.

  Quotes about Motherhood

  “My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute my…

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How to Travel with Pumped Breast Milk

How to Travel with Pumped Breast Milk

Traveling is a modern joy many of us enjoy. From trains to automobiles, boats to planes – most of us like to get out and see the world. That joy should not stop when you have children, even if you are breastfeeding and pumping. No matter how you get there, here are the regulations, rules and some tips to help you navigate how to travel with Pumped Breast Milk.

How to Travel with Pumped Breast Milk…

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Top 5 World Breastfeeding Week Articles and Resources

Top 5 World Breastfeeding Week Articles and Resources

World Breastfeeding Week is upon us, and for a Breastfeeding Educator like myself, it’s almost like Christmas! The web is awash with articles and information that run the gambit from entertaining to truly educational, and I love it – ALL of it. Here is my round up of the Top 5 World Breastfeeding Week articles or sites for this year (so far!)

Top 5 World Breastfeeding Week Articles and Resources 1…

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100 Screen-Free Activities for Kids Printable

100 Screen-Free Activities for Kids Printable

No matter the time of year, kids need plenty of Screen-Free activities to keep them busy. While the tiny electronic devices of addiction can have their time and place, too much can harm developing minds.

With that in mind, here is a list of 100 Scree-Free activities that can help inspire you when the screens – and the children – get to be a little too much.

As seen in the post: 100 Fun Screen…