As the spokesperson for LEGO DUPLO, I’m excited to share their DUPLO JAMS music program that rocks the preschool playroom with a playful new music podcast! The first song called “Build with Letters” is inspired by British Pop and is written and performed by a preschool dad! We will roll out a new song each month, which you can download. It’s free and the kids will love it!  Check out the songs!

So much to do and so little time. Ain’t that the truth. Although we moms do love our fuzzy slippers and great Sunday brunches, sometimes all we need it something as simple as just a little time alone. If I had the full day to myself, I’d go buy a new pair of sunglasses, get my toes painted, join a friend for lunch and maybe buy a pair of cool shoes. What would you do if you had a full day to yourself?

The future presidents of the United States are out there somewhere right now; maybe they are in your home or church, your neighborhood or school, or maybe they were just born today.  As part of this current project, Matthew Jordan Smith, is photographing these young faces, and the images embody their beliefs – pure vision unhindered by the “how” and concerned only with the “what.” He is collecting these images of children across the United States in a photography book project entitled Future Presidents.   Future Presidents aims to encourage and inspire American children of all races and backgrounds to dream of becoming the future President of the United States. To do this, he is traveling with my fiancee to every state in America and asking children the question, “What would you do if you were the President of the United States?” Sometimes the answers are funny, and other times they are thought provoking, but they are always a reflection of life today through a child’s eyes. The question alone may or may not be intriguing to young minds, but when it is coupled with the experience of being photographed as a future president, it plants a powerful seed that may blossom into the dream of one day becoming an American president. Join Matthew and support the project here!

My son and me posing for Matthew and his fiance in our yard under the treehouse… As my son said, “Mom, do I have to live in the White House when I’m President? Or can I live at home with you?”

Video blogging is quite simple, but there are things you can do to keep your viewers interested both visually and socially. If you’re lucky enough to be using a laptop or a Handycam you can take yourself any where you want where there is great lighting. Your viewers will get a kick out of seeing you in a different location — your audience deserves it! After seven years of video blogging I have found fun tricks that keep my content fresh and alive. If you’re a video blogging mom come check out my new network on YouTube which is called MomPulse.

“There is no greatness without a passion to be great, whether it’s the aspiration of an athlete or an artist, a scientist, a parent, or a businessperson.”
– Anthony Robbins

You are in charge of your own destiny. No one can take your passion, drive and creativity from you. You can make it through ups and downs, but in the end, you are your ideas – only you can make them happen. Do it. Be it. Own it. You’ve got my full support. Now go out and show the world what you’ve got.

Did you know that by providing your child the opportunity to play outdoors increases self-reliance and cooperation with others? It also reduces stress and acting out. Children are smarter, happier and healthier if they have time for unstructured play in the great outdoors. Rocks, sand, mud, twigs, water and tree stumps are all examples that make up a great outdoor play. Being outdoors is a simple pleasure. Outdoor play enhances child development. Children can label, classify and experiment with the elements of nature.  The wonderment simply never ends.  I see nature as a child’s sixth sense.

I’ve been a supporter of Biophilia (which is the love of the outdoors) for years, and I make efforts to provide natural play areas in my own back yard. My older son is a Mud King and my younger child is the Mud Prince.  Everyday, all year round, you can find my boys sloshing, digging and creating in their custom mud pit.  Ah, the life of a child…

Adventures in nature peak enthusiasms and joy  — so let kids get down and dirty where they learn, live and play.

For more great parenting tips, check out Kimberely’s book, The Go-To Mom’s Guide.

All though I want time to stand still forever, I know it can’t. Maybe that’s why I’m so fond of my video and still camera. I simply can’t enough of watching my life unfold before me. My kids crawling, walking, hitting a baseball, skiing or becoming a cub scout. I snuggle with my pets and never want that moment to end either.  I hear my kids shout, “Mama, I need you” and know one day it will just be, “I need you” or  “hey mom.”  No need for them to label me as Mama and Mommy anymore. The sweet smell and innocence of my kids keeps me grounded.  Their tiny little bodies running around, the big eyes looking up at me asking questions. I will forever cherish my boys, my pets, and my life, as it is today. What are some of the things you cherish?

I was on the Today Show (with the awesome Emily McKhann) and unfortunately my 3rd point was not made due to time constraints so I wanted to post it to complete my take on this site and the motivation behind it.

No mom intentionally posts “rage inducing” comments on her FB page, which is part of the subtitle of Blair’s new book. Her platform is not just for humor, the very name of her site is mean spirited and judgmental –let’s call a spade a spade, she takes mom’s posts with out permission, which are completely hijacked out of context from FB community, and will be publishing them for profit. Being a mom is a unique and mind boggling experience, and supporting each other can be done in many ways other than mockery.

“When we judge or criticize another person, it says nothing about that person; it merely says something about our own need to be critical.”
– Unknown

It’s bone chilling to read this quote from medical examiner Wayne Carver about the some of the autopsies he did on little first graders, “The victims had three to 11 wounds a piece, and I only saw two of them with close-range shooting.” If this visual isn’t enough for one to help pass this gun violence legislation to protect innocent children, then I don’t know what will. This isn’t an issue of taking people’s guns away it’s about protecting children. You’re either on board with advocating for the god given rights of young children or you’re not. It’s time for society to come out of their self-focused fears and step up and do what’s right and the President’s plan to REDUCE GUN VIOLENCE is good step in protecting our children and our communities.  I can say that I’m truly thrilled about Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resilience in Education) which will to provide funding for training to teachers on how to identify and help students who may have mental health issues. This proposal will launch of a national conversation to increase understanding about mental health issues happening. There is a clear stigma around mental health and it’s important that parents, schools and communities begin to recognize and support kids who need help. But where do we start? Please comment below. I’d love to hear from you.