How Our Relationships Matter
February 8, 2010 by Practical Mommy · 19 Comments
When people ask me what I do and I tell them I co-create an online community for moms, they often follow up with, “That is so cool! How did you decide to do that?” Depending on the window of time available (that I can sometimes gauge by the amount of liquid they have left in their glass), I go into a version of the following narrative:
A couple of years ago, I went to a conference in Chicago called Successful and Outstanding Bloggers. At the time, I had another business and my purpose for being there was to learn how blogging could help promote it. I didn’t know any of these people (Chris Brogan, Brian Clark, Terry Starbucker, Liz Strauss, Chris Garrett, David Bullock et. al.) but my takeaway message from the speakers that weekend was that whatever you do is… YOU! Read more
How to Make Resolutions… and Break Them!
January 21, 2010 by Margee Moore · Leave a Comment
My daughter has a goal to be the first six-year-old with a hundred-dollar bill. I don’t have the heart to tell her about the Vanderbilt/Whitney/Mary-Kate and Ashley set. So far she’s accumulated three twenties from her weekly payoffs/allowances. 
I’m glad she has a goal, even if the economy has turned our notions of thrift and hard work upside down. In that spirit, let’s take a look at a few resolutions we might as well break in the New Year. Read more
How to Find a Sitter or Nanny
December 18, 2009 by Zen Mommy · Leave a Comment
Learn the ins and outs of finding a great sitter or nanny for your family. From asking great interview questions to performing background checks, Debbie’s tips for finding a good sitter or nanny come from years of experience. Working with TLC or Kids, a premiere placement agency in St. Louis and co- creator of FindtheBestNanny.com, Debbie has been placing professional Sitters and Nannies for over a decade; not to mention she’s a mom of three children of her own under four years of age!
How to Tell If Something is Safe?
November 12, 2009 by Practical Mommy · 3 Comments
How do you know if something is a health myth or a real health risk? One of our Expert Mommies, Dr. Cara Natterson wrote a book called, Dangerous or Safe? Which Foods, Medicines, and Chemicals Really Put Your Kids at Risk. As a pediatrician, she was finding that many doctors don’t have time to explain to patients why things are safe or not and as a result, there was a lot of misinformation.
Listen to what makes Dr. Natterson’s “Danger” list! You won’t want to miss this!
How to Hire a Sitter for a Sick Child
November 5, 2009 by Zen Mommy · 2 Comments
With all this flu in our schools, working moms and dads are faced with some tough decisions when it comes to taking time off work. Some schools are closing leaving well kids home on short notice for days on end. I interviewed Expert Mommy Debbie Hipp who has over a decade of experience placing nannies and sitters. Here she offers us some useful tips and answers my questions on sick child care. How do you manage when the kids are out for 3,4, or 7 days in a row (like mine were this month?!?!)
How to Protect Your Kids from Swine Flu: Stop the Spread
October 7, 2009 by Practical Mommy · 8 Comments
Our featured Expert Mommy is Cara Natterson is a mom of two, a Board certified pediatrician and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics who has treated thousands of children in her private practice. Her latest book Dangerous or Safe? hits bookshelves TODAY. Cara has appeared as a pediatric and parenting expert on television shows like Today and CNN and today she is talking to us about H1N1 as well as child vaccinations.
How to Prepare Your Baby’s Crib
July 21, 2009 by Practical Mommy · 2 Comments
I always say that the prettiest baby cribs are ones with no babies in them yet! That’s when your crib and nursery look absolutely pristine. Snap a few pictures now while the ribbons on the bumper are placed just so… like a vignette from Cookie. No messy burb cloths slung on the sides. No used diapers that didn’t manage to make it all the way into the diaper genie.
For me, style became secondary to ease very, very quickly. I’ll let someone else give you design tips. My advice… get those mattress pads and sheet savers in place! I tell every soon-to-be mommy to get at least two Ultimate Crib Sheets. Read more
How to Pick a Travel Stroller
July 8, 2009 by Practical Mommy · 2 Comments
Maria’s Review of the Maclaren Quest
Why were you looking for a travel stroller?
When my husband accepted a four-month teaching position at a college in England, we were very excited. This was our ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity to experience life abroad and to hopefully visit other European countries while there. This, however, was not going to be an easy traveling experience. My husband and I were not traveling alone; we were traveling as a family with our two boys, Peter (age 15) and Graham (age 3).
To have a happy traveling experience as a family, it takes more planning than tossing on a couple of backpacks and heading out the door to catch the next train. We thought long and hard about what we needed to bring along on our new adventure: clothes; books, toys, and activities for Graham; raingear; luggage; first aid kit; travel books, maps, and the list went on. Then we realized that there was one crucial item that could make or break this trip, and it was the stroller, or as they call it in England, the push chair. Read more
How to Install Britax Boulevard CS [video]
May 17, 2009 by Practical Mommy · 6 Comments
Watch a real mom install this car seat. Note that this is us, not Britax! This is as real as it gets, friends!!! I was sweating… but still turned down any assistance from Mr. Zen Mommy! 
On a related note (and legal disclaimer), this video is not meant to relieve you of your responsibility of actually reading the owner’s manual. Follow at your own risk!
A plus for the Britax Boulevard CS is their click and safe system [their video explains quite nicely]. Fine… their video is much more polished.
Just to be clear, we are not a retailer but if you’ve decided that this is the car seat for you, we recommend visiting CSN Stores. They carry the Britax Boulevard CS in their ever popular Cowmooflage print, you’ll save $120 off the recommended price, and get free shipping.
This car seat was one of the featured items during our baby gear segment on Great Day St. Louis on KMOV4.
How to Pick Baby Bottles
February 2, 2009 by Practical Mommy · Leave a Comment
The decisions seem endless, don’t they? First, you have to decide on breast or bottle feeding and now you have to pick what kind of bottles?!
When my babies were… fresh, Avent bottles were the brand of choice. Or, for colicky or gassy babies, Dr. Brown’s.
Now, glass bottles are making a comeback! New research on polycarbonate baby bottles has found that bisphenol A migrates into the milk and parents are being advised to switch to glass. Recurring stories in the media, including this article on MSNBC share a reports from government toxicologists with “some concern” that bisphenol A can cause developmental problems in the brain and hormonal systems of infants and children.
Why take a chance? Our partners at Baby Earth have glass bottles from Born Free, Dr. Brown’s and Evenflo. Search for “glass bottles” to see their full selection.
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Practical Mommy is Ria Sharon. Click the links for Practical Mommy’s recommendations for travel car seats, affordable and fun diaper bags (skip hop bag), and the best-selling crib brand, Da Vinci Crib.
