Mamma Works

I feel your pain.  I know you haven't had any sleep for days, and you are worried about your little one.  You're thinking, "Will I have to resort to an enema again?"  Ugh! I get it. I have a two year old, who is perfect in every way, except one...he has an awful digestion system.  It seems like this has been going on for him since the moment he was born, poor guy.  I managed the first year and a half of life by nursing him.  He never had any trouble digesting my milk.  (And some days, I wish I could get my milk flowing again.)  After 18 months, his belly has been nothing but a problem for us all.  When the toddler is upset, even the neighbors can hear it...he screams bloody murder! So, for the past year, I have tried everything I could think of trying to get his system moving properly.   His doctor's orders, at first, were to add fiber and water to his diet.  Upon leaving the doctor's office, I felt confident.  ...

2014 Black Friday: What a Waste! I love Black Friday.  This year, like many other moms, I had my sights set on going out for the early morning Black Friday sales and shopping until I dropped.  But, unfortunately, it didn't turn out that way, and it is all the big retailers' (i.e. Walmart, Target, KMart, etc.) fault.  They never should have allowed their doors to open on Thanksgiving night.  Every single one of them should be ashamed for what they did to their employees, their families, and to the general public of working moms! Retailers lost sight of what is important this year:  BUYING POWER.  Who has the most holiday buying in the household?  Moms, of course!  So, here's my beef.  How on Earth were we (working moms) supposed to go to work on Wednesday and cook and clean all night long, only to wake up after a 15 minute nap to start cooking again.  After, cooking, serving, and entertaining all day, we were supposed to find time t...

Time for a Toy Room? Have you been wondering how to regain the space in your living room?  Do you want to encouraged your kids to play, but hate to clean up the mess?  Then it might be time for a toy room in your house.  As someone who lives on a tight budget, I thought that a toy room was out of reach for my house.  Until, my children showed me how it was possible. My little ones are six and two.  And up until a few months ago, they coexisted in their own individual worlds.  Recently, my two year old has been more engaging and my six year old has discovered his patience.  So, now they are buddies.  (Smiles, as this warms my heart, obviously!) One night not too long ago, I discovered my two year old in bed with the six year old.  He must have gotten scared and crawled into bed with him.  At the time, they had separate rooms.  (The boys' rooms are closer to each others than my room is to theirs.)  Awe, can you imagine it? ...

Honest Company Product(s) Review In the past, I reviewed the Honest Company as a diaper delivery system, and now I want to sing the praises of most of their products.  I am in love...again.  What a goof ball I am. This post includes a review of the following items:  Diapers, Wipes, Shampoo & Body Wash, Face & Body Lotion, The Healing Balm, and the Surface Cleaner.   The Diapers I absolutely, 100% LOVE these diapers.  For you Huggies moms (and dads), these diapers are as well manufactured at the Huggies Snugglers, with the internal weight of the Huggies Snug N Dry.  In terms of my babe, they are perfect, not too bulky/hot, but not too light either. BUT, unlike Huggies, these diapers arrive at your door AND they are a more responsible choice.  They are made with  Plant-based (PLA) inner & outer layers and s ustainably harvested pulp.  They have no harsh chemicals, fragrances, or latex. Amazeballs.  Also, these diap...

by Gretchen Lindell, EdM, MammaWorks Find Gretchen on Google+ Afraid of Priceline? NOW AVAILABLE: View/Download/PRINT a .pdf of this entire post.  Happy Vacationing! Are you afraid of using Priceline, because you don't know what type of hotel you are going to end up with?  Do you wish you had the guts to try it, because you'd love to save some serious cash on your next trip?  Well, this post is for you!  I'm revealing a secret way to use Priceline that has saved customers hundreds of dollars and allowed them to stay in quality hotels in areas that they chose. To begin with, I have used this method many, many times, and I have shared it with my friends.  It is really AMAZING...you just have to be willing to take a few minutes to learn this incredible strategy.  Since I am giving you this strategy, please be kind enough to use the Priceline link at the bottom of this page to make your next purchase.  (Your click will help support the conten...

by Gretchen Lindell, EdM, MammaWorks Find Gretchen on Google+ Did you recently get promoted to a management role?  Or is your team just not trusting you and not buying into your vision.  Well, I'm here to help.  For many years, I was the dean of a small local business college.  I've since left that position to pursue other adventures (another post for another day).  As a dean, I learned many management lessons in a very short period of time.  To be clear, I studied to be an educator, not a manager.  I was 32 when I took the position and also a first-time mom.   When I took the position of dean, I was surprised very quickly with the complexity of the position.  As the dean, it was my job to manage all of the college's faculty, to oversee the curriculum and its development, to oversee student success, and to generally oversee other issues as necessary.  I am someone who is driven for success; so, learning management became my top pr...

It was a rough couple of years, wasn't it.  My husband and I thought we were prepared, with three month's salary in the bank.  Ha!  Three months?  What about weathering unemployment for two years, due to the Great Recession?  Luckily, we were able to hold onto our house and cars, unlike so many others out there.  But, that came at a price.  We had to cash in one of our retirements, and I had to go back to work to support the family.  We traded paying childcare costs for having health insurance.  In addition to the monetary losses, the strain unemployment put on our relationship was intense.  But, after FIVE years, we are very slowly, moving to a better place in our lives. In 2009, my husband lost his secure, professional position that allowed me to work from home while caring for our first son.  While we were blessed with a supportive family and friends, the last five years have been incredibly difficult on my husband ...