by Courtney Cappallo (USA) | Jan 13, 2011 | Culture, Exercise, Family, Health, Language, Motherhood, Parenting, Sports, USA
In America we follow the Gregorian calendar. The last day in the month of December we celebrate the beginning of a new year at the stroke of midnight. Many Americans participate in the popular New Years custom of making a commitment to a personal goal or reforming a habit. We refer it as a “New Year’s Resolution.”
I made a few resolutions last year and ended up for the most part sticking with them. Nothing too outrageous, mind you. One of my resolutions was to expose my two young daughters to yoga.
I followed through with my commitment by reading up on books on yoga for children. We bought the girls each their own purple yoga mats. My style of teaching them was based on a yoga book and my prior experience with yoga. (more…)
Courtney Cappallo is a mom of two girls, ages 7 and 4-years-old. She is living her dream life by residing on Cape Cod and being able to stay at home with her two little beauties. Courtney is currently homeschooling both of her daughters for 2nd grade and preschool, respectively.
Courtney uses a mix of Classical Education and Montessori. She is a strong believer in teaching to the five senses. Courtney’s homeschooling efforts are unique, as she uses the latest technology of the Smartboard. She is also taking on the task of learning Spanish as a second language, as well as, teaching her two children and husband Spanish.
Prior to becoming a homeschooling teacher, Courtney was the Director of Marketing for Simon Property Group, which is the largest U.S. real estate company. Courtney was Simon’s Director of Marketing for the Burlington Mall, Arsenal Mall and Cape Cod Mall. Courtney is a graduate of Villanova University and is proud of her small town roots from growing up in Oxford, Pennsylvania, which only has two traffic lights! She can be found making homeschooling lessons and more at Table of Four !
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by Tara Bergman (USA) | Dec 30, 2010 | Exercise, Family, Health, Kids, Life Lesson, Motherhood, Parenting, Tara B., USA
Today, I am remembering a very good day that I had this past summer. It started after a rather difficult night. Wes, then 3 months old, needed a lot of attention, and I had not slept more than an hour at a time. When both my boys decided to start the day at 5AM, I was a bit taxed.
I had some coffee to perk up and started thinking about what I would do. My husband had made a last-minute plan to take our older son backpacking for the night, so I would be home with just my younger son for the first time in quite a while.
I contemplated the possibilities. I admit that I did spend some time upon my husband’s departure moping. While I enjoy having free time, I also love hanging with my entire family together, especially when camping is involved. But, my younger son was just not ready for that, and besides, I could finally get to those piles of laundry that needed to be folded. I could run errands. I could get on the treadmill.
After lunch, I was multi-tasking by folding laundry and watching TV, and I thought about how rather than spending the day catching up on the daily grind, I could actually go out and do something that I can’t regularly do…something that feels too far out of reach when I am home with both boys. I was out the door within 30 minutes to take my younger son up Rattlesnake Ledge in the state of Washington, USA for his first real hike. (more…)
Tara is a native Pennsylvanian who moved to the Seattle area in 1998 (sight unseen) with her husband to start their grand life adventure together. Despite the difficult fact that their family is a plane ride away, the couple fell in love with the Pacific Northwest and have put down roots. They have 2 super charged little boys and recently moved out of the Seattle suburbs further east into the country, trading in a Starbucks on every corner for coyotes in the backyard. Tara loves the outdoors (hiking, biking, camping). And, when her family isn't out in nature, they are hunkered down at home with friends, sharing a meal, playing games, and generally having fun. She loves being a stay-at-home mom and sharing her experiences on World Moms Network!
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by Eva Fannon (USA) | Dec 29, 2010 | Eva Fannon, Family, Health, Kids, Life Lesson, Motherhood, USA, Working Mother
When I was a little girl, I LOVED Wonder Woman. While I didn’t have a fancy Wonder Woman costume, I did have Wonder Woman Underoos. I remember imitating Wonder Woman (aka Linda Carter) as I watched the TV….I would spin around and pretend that I, too, had turned into Wonder Woman.
I would take “super” jumps off the couch onto the living room floor and use my makeshift masking tape wrist cuffs to ward off flying bullets. If only it was that easy to become such a strong, beautiful and powerful woman!
So what made me think of Wonder Woman? I was laying in bed a couple of weeks ago because I was sick with a fever, and I could hear my husband juggling the responsibilities associated with having two kids under age five. I wasn’t really able to fully rest and nap – as I was encouraged and supposed to do – because I wanted to get up and help him. Even though I was physically tired and felt awful, I also, for some reason, felt guilty for not being able to carry out my motherly duties.
As I think back on this, I ask myself, why do moms have the innate sense to feel that they need to be a sort of Wonder Woman that meets everyone needs? And while my children come first, shouldn’t I come first some times? Why do we always seem to put everyone else’s needs before our own? Is that just part of being a mother? (more…)
Eva Fannon is a working mom who lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her hubby and two girls. She was born and raised on the east coast and followed her husband out west when he got a job offer that he couldn't refuse. Eva has always been a planner, so it took her a while to accept that no matter how much you plan and prepare, being a mom means a new and different state of "normal".
Despite the craziness on most weekday mornings (getting a family of four out the door in time for work and school is no easy task!), she wouldn't trade being a mother for anything in the world. She and her husband are working on introducing the girls to the things they love - travel, the great outdoors, and enjoying time with family and friends. Eva can be found on Twitter @evafannon.
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by Allison Charleston (USA) | Dec 28, 2010 | Being Thankful, Family, Health, Infertility, Inspirational, Kids, Life Lesson, Motherhood, USA
Was it Tom Petty who said it? Waiting is the hardest part. I am quite good at waiting. Waiting to get pregnant, that is.
The first time around it was over 2 years. All of the failed attempts were so difficult; living life in two-week increments became the norm—first, waiting to ovulate and then waiting and hoping to see that elusive second line on the home pregnancy test. I lived this way for nearly a year with no luck, and then pursued fertility treatments with a reproductive endocrinologist (RE) for a little more than the next year.
My husband and I learned all about the alphabet soup of making a baby: IUI, IVF (with or without ICSI) and PGD were all things we had to consider. I have no problem speaking in acronyms with my RE or ObGyn anymore (see what I did there!?). It seemed the whole world was getting pregnant, I couldn’t walk to the subway station in the morning without seeing at least 8-10 baby bumps (yes, I counted). (more…)
Allison is a 35-year-old attorney-turned stay at home mom. This New York City mom lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan with her 2-year-old son, Chase, and her husband, Andy. She is also expecting baby #2!
In her former life, she was an attorney practicing in a mega firm on NYC’s Park Avenue, putting in long hours, working hard and reveling in the fast pace of her life. She loved living in “the city”, and when she could, she took advantage of all it had to offer. But, when Chase was born over 2 years ago, that all changed. These days, the work has changed from writing legal briefs to changing diapers and the hours are longer, but she wouldn’t have it any other way!
Allison is enjoying her adventures as a metropolitan mommy, raising Chase in New York City and has gained strength from her longer-than-she-wanted-to-wait journey getting pregnant with her second child.
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by Jennifer Burden | Dec 23, 2010 | Family, Family Travel, Health, Holiday, Infertility, International, Kids, Life Lesson, Motherhood, Parenting, UK, USA
I appreciate Christmas this year, I REALLY do, even if it’s more of the secular parts. Decorating the house and gathering with friends and family — I really look forward to these. But, I couldn’t say the same for the past two Christmases, and there is more to why this year the holiday will be extra-special for me…
You see, the past two years at Christmas I was grieving, grieving the loss of numerous early pregnancies, and I was a little lost in the empty feeling inside of me. It was really difficult to avoid the topic of baby when you’re celebrating a holiday that revolves around, well…the birth of a baby. (more…)
Jennifer Burden is the Founder and CEO of World Moms Network, an award winning website on global motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. World Moms Network writes from over 30 countries, has over 70 contributors and was listed by Forbes as one of the “Best 100 Websites for Women”, named a “must read” by The New York Times, and was recommended by The Times of India.
She was also invited to Uganda to view UNICEF’s family health programs with Shot@Life and was previously named a “Global Influencer Fellow” and “Social Media Fellow” by the UN Foundation. Jennifer was invited to the White House twice, including as a nominated "Changemaker" for the State of the World Women Summit. She also participated in the One Campaign’s first AYA Summit on the topic of women and girl empowerment and organized and spoke on an international panel at the World Bank in Washington, DC on the importance of a universal education for all girls. Her writing has been featured by Baby Center, Huffington Post, ONE.org, the UN Foundation’s Shot@Life, and The Gates Foundation’s “Impatient Optimists.” She is currently a candidate in Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs in the Executive Masters of Public Affairs program, where she hopes to further her study of global policies affecting women and girls.
Jennifer can be found on Twitter @JenniferBurden.
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by Kirsten Doyle (Canada) | Dec 6, 2010 | Being Thankful, Canada, Family, Health, International, Kids, Life Lesson, Motherhood, Multicultural, Parenting, South Africa, Travel
Six years ago today, my Dad lost a brief but excruciating battle with cancer. He had been diagnosed just three months previously, and he had gone through rounds of crippling chemotherapy, as well as a ten-hour long operation. Although Dad had been so desperately ill during the last weeks of his life, I had held onto the hope that he would survive and grow old with my Mom.
And so, when my Mom called from the other side of the world with the news that Dad was gone, I went into immediate denial. What do you mean, gone?
This is the man who raised me, played with me and read to me as a kid, gave me financial advice as an adult, watched an entire Olympics with me when we both had the flu, attended father-daughter dances with me and helped sell my Girl Scout cookies, and so much more. Gone? It just didn’t seem possible. (more…)
Kirsten Doyle was born in South Africa. After completing university, she drifted for a while and finally washed up in Canada in 2000. She is Mom to two boys who have reached the stage of eating everything in sight (but still remaining skinny).
Kirsten was a computer programmer for a while before migrating into I.T. project management. Eventually she tossed in the corporate life entirely in order to be a self-employed writer and editor. She is now living her best life writing about mental health and addictions, and posting videos to two YouTube channels.
When Kirsten is not wrestling with her kids or writing up a storm, she can be seen on Toronto's streets putting many miles onto her running shoes. Every year, she runs a half-marathon to benefit children with autism, inspired by her older son who lives life on the autism spectrum.
Final piece of information: Kirsten is lucky enough to be married to the funniest guy in the world.
Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Be sure to check out her YouTube channels at My Gen X Life and Word Salad With Coffee!
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In America we follow the Gregorian calendar. The last day in the month of December we celebrate the beginning of a new year at the stroke of midnight. Many Americans participate in the popular New Years custom of making a commitment to a personal goal or reforming a habit. We refer it as a “New Year’s Resolution.”
