Our 3rd installment of the “Monthly Nods.”  Enjoy!

Lindsay Lebresco - JenLemen.com - “Grace Right When I need it Most”
I loved this post because like anybody, I have my up days and my down days (thankfully for everyone, more up than down), but whenever I’m feeling a little sorry for myself and wishing I didn’t always have to be the strong adult, my son steps in to cheer me right up. It looks like Jen has a little adult to catch her when she falls too…

Erin McHugh - Metropolitan Mama - “Becoming…a terrific chef”
This post made me think- am I as good of a cook as I think I am? I really do believe I know my way around the kitchen and I think I am a better cook than my mom and most of my friends (my cooking skills take place of any athletic ability). But what if I’m really just enjoying cooking and I am only on the road to BECOMING a good cook? Now that’s food for thought…

Kim Lefko - Blonde Mom Blog - “Dirty Little Secrets-You Know You’ve Got em’”
This was an inspiring story and a great lead on an awesome book. It takes the guilt away knowing there is a little laugh to be had around the things that we do and knowing many other moms are doing the same thing. Excellent!!

Jon DeHart - View from the Cloud - “Axe Gone Wild”
This funny story typifies the young teenage boy experience – my 13 year old bathes, rolls on and sprays this stuff everywhere. Talking to other dads – their boys do the same – they keep it in their school lockers, too! It’s just so hard to tell if they’re trying to attract girls or scare them off – peeling onions doesn’t make your eyes water this much.

Melissa Parlaman - Parenting Squad - “Why Stay-at-Home-Dads are good for families”
I really liked Fred’s perspective on stay at home dads & having dads truly involved in raising their children. I am so used to reading about stay at home moms so it is great to hear a dad’s experience with raising his children. My husband is not a stay at home dad, but does so much at home even though he too works full time. Since DH works retail, he has the opportunity to spend time at home during the week with PP so they get to have quality daddy/daughter time together. DH is able to take PP to the park, grocery shop, clean the house & make dinner—he is truly a Super Daddy!

Amy Sleep - NY City Moms Blog - “What did you do today?”
I chose this blog since I totally relate to it – especially these days when it’s suddenly 9pm, the house is a disaster (complete with empty Dairy Queen cups strewn about the family room), I haven’t taken a shower (in about three days), and I can’t figure out what the heck I did all day. I know I did stuff and got stuff done, but I just can’t figure out what (I think I’ll blame it on the sleepless haze state that I’m in and hope that I’ll see all my accomplishments when I exit the haze state in a few years).

Jen Callaghan - Just Married - “Getting Ready for the Beach”
This blog is great- I went on looking for musings on being a new wife, and found incredibly witty stories of new marriages and- surprise, a baby! It’s almost scary, like looking a few years into the future. (Ironically enough, I belive she may even live in my home town!) Spring is in the air, which means summer is around the corner! With bathing suits on the brain, this adorable post will help you keep the spirit light while shopping!

Jason Arnold - SouleMama - “Polaroid Love”
Amanda Soule is leading the charge, resurrecting the dieing art of imagination and creativity that plagues so many families these days. This site is full of inspiration, creative activities, unbelievable photography, and virtual fresh air. Log on- but then LOG OFF- grab the kids make something, go outside, and don’t forget to ditch the digi bring that dusty Polaroid in your closet.

Kristin DeLoach - Her Bad Mother - “Seconds”
All I can say is that this is so close to me, where I’m at with my second pregnancy and my thoughts, that it’s eerie!
 

A large part of joining in the conversation in the online parenting community, is reading all of the great conversation that is going on in the blogosphere. We are always sharing cute, funny, informative, and inspiring stories that we’ve read with each other, so we thought it would be a great idea (right?!) to share some of our favorite posts from the previous month with all of you. Every month we will be giving these bloggers a monthly “nod” - all while sharing their stories with you. We hope you enjoy the stories we chose below.

Lindsay Lebresco: Hormone-colored Days - “Baby’s First Petition Drive”
I love the quote from Gandhi “You must be the change you wish to see in the world” so it was with that in mind, that Jagger (at 3 months old) and I drove down to City Hall when the vote for Philadelphia’s smoking ban came up.  He had a little onsie on that said “I have the right to be smoke free” and I’m hoping to instill in him that same sense of activism that Kim has instilled in her son.

Melissa Parlaman: Balancing Motherhood -”Poopy Diaper in the Cookie Line”
I thought this post was hysterical! I love the Superwoman reference & I can totally feel her pain when you experience a temporary feeling of panic when you know you don’t have your diaper bag when you really need it.

Erin McHugh: Blissfully Domestic - “S-T-R-E-T-C-H Your Food Budget” 
As a young woman who is planning a wedding, buying a house and still trying to keep up with the Jones’s (a little bit- I have somewhat of a bag/shoe fetish) I am living on a tight budget. One of my favorite pastimes is cooking so when I stumble upon this blog about stretching your food budget it was right up my ally. I try to go grocery shopping only once every two weeks, but my fiancé is a 6.2” athlete who requires A LOT of food, so I usually end up grocery shopping once a week (sometimes more!). This blog opened my eyes about how to stretch my food budget!

Kristin DeLoach: BananaBlueberry - “What are the rules of the Easter Bunny”
Being relatively new to the “holiday characters” club (in the sense that this is the first year my daughter is old enough to get excited and remember the holiday characters/legends such as Santa, the Easter Bunny, the tooth fairy, etc), I was faced with the same exact dilemma at Easter –how do you explain the who, what, when and where and more importantly, make sure there are no holes in your explanations?! I’m in the same boat as Nicole on this one…

Jon DeHart: DadThing - “101 Sites for Men, Husbands and Fathers”
Being among a lot of mommy bloggers, this was helpful for me to find some reading I could connect with a little more as a dad.

Tracy Myerson: NYC Moms - “Flying by the Seat of My Pants”
No matter how fast life moves, I think this post helps remind us all that we have to slow down and appreciate the things that ground us. All the little things that occupy our time may come and go but friends and family are forever. Without these people in our lives where would we be? I love the little reminder at the end about spending time with your kids, talking with your significant other, and calling a long lost friend. I’m going to make that call tonight….and I hope I receive one too!

Kim Lefko: Tales from the Crib - “Making the Big Announcement”
This is such a great story and one that many people can relate too. However, the twist the story takes leaves you laughing pretty hard. Very Clever!!

Be sure to check back next month for our April nods.

A large part of joining in the conversation in the online parenting community, is reading all of the great conversation that is going on in the blogosphere. We are always sharing cute, funny, informative, and inspiring stories that we’ve read with each other, so we thought it would be a great idea (right?!) to share some of our favorite posts from the previous month with all of you.

Every month we will be giving these bloggers a monthly “nod” - all while sharing their stories with you. We hope you enjoy the stories we chose below.

Lindsay Lebresco: Toddler Planet - Peace and Love
The simplicity of this shared family moment, and the appreciation of that moment, made me choose this as my favorite post of the month. An open mind and a willingness to open your schedule allows for incredible moments like these to unfold.

Melissa Parlaman: The Mummy Chronicles - The Next Evil Knieval
Once I read this posting, I felt happy/relieved that there was someone else out there going through the same thing that I am experiencing. I love the humor & the enjoyed reading the “story.”

Jon DeHart: Stuff in My Brain - And God said, “Let There be Light”
I realize this is probably considered bathroom humor, but I’ve been there done that with my son – and I’ll bet that most dad’s could relate to this vignette on some level – it’s real, it’s innocent, it’s funny

Kristin DeLoach: DC Metro Moms Blog- Kids Parties - Is it just keeping up with the Joneses?
I hear about all of these birthday parties my nieces and nephews (who are only between 3-5 years old) go to every weekend- sometimes 2 or 3 a weekend!- where the parents spent hundreds of dollars to rent a jungle gym or have spa services for all of the girls, etc and it blows my mind! So it was great to see that there are others like me, who do it up “70’s style” and enjoy simple, classic traditions and plain old fashioned fun.

Amy Sleep: Silicon Valley Moms Blog- Banana peels and other ways to lose “cool points”
I really liked this post for 2 reasons:
1. It made me laugh
2. I love the idea of making and sharing memories with your kids. I can’t wait until Boog is old enough for us to talk, share, and laugh about things we did together!

Erin McHugh: New York City Moms Blog- Going Green Without the Guilt
It’s hard for me to relate to parenting sites b/c I’m not a mom yet(and I am sure you don’t want a link to a post about weddings!!), but I found this post interesting. I have been trying to “go green” now in hopes that by the time I start a family, I already live my life in a way that makes preserving the environment second nature. In turn, my kids will grow up green!

Kim Lefko: Mom-101 Blog - Sanctimommy
I love this article…because I travel a lot and it takes me away from my daughter.
The fun part of the traveling is the opportunity to assess (ok judge) other moms “on the job”.
It gives you an appreciation that your struggles aren’t so unique and YES, we are all doing a good job.

Tracy Myerson: Parenthacks- Parenting- No Amount of Practice Makes Perfect, Nor Should it
I thought this post was so real and honest. The reality that practice doesn’t always make perfect applies to so many areas of life!

Be sure to check back next month for our March nods.