Modern Family and The Men's Right Movement

For those of you who do not know, this is Phil Dunphy and his wife Claire (pictured above) from the popular TV show Modern Family. While meant to be funny, this show makes it seem like men can not care for children. Like they are somehow incapable of caring for a family or thinking for themselves. Claire is made out to be this all powerful super-mom who has a career, takes care of the family, makes all decisions, and still manages to complain about her husband. In the media everywhere including commercial, men are portrayed as less than capable.  Quite frankly, it makes me very angry. What Is Wrong With America?!? Can't there be a happy medium? It's like roles have reversed where woman once were less than men, men are now considered less than women. Our jobs as Wives, is to build our husbands up. Not tear them down, by trash talking them on social media, or to others.

My husband is an AWESOME father to our son Little Bug, and and an amazing husband to me. He changes diapers, feeds our son, and makes him giggle. He does a better job than me at times, because our son adores him so much. You can tell by the gleam in his eye and the smile on his face that he loves to be a daddy. Why can't we build our men up?

10 Tips and Tricks No One Ever Told You

1. Buy tablecloths to use as draperies....much less expensive, already hemmed, meant to launder often, and many patterns and colors available out there! 60x84 {or buy 60x104 so you can hem them AND still have matching fabric left over for pillows or other coordinating pieces!}



2.  To avoid tangles while you travel, slip your necklace through a drinking straw.

3.  Use clothes pin clips to prevent silky sleeveless shirts and dresses from slipping off the hanger. And you can say goodbye to wrinkled sundresses on the closet floor.



4. Use conditioner as shaving cream. Not only is it cheaper, it also leaves your skin softer and more hydrated.



5. Absorb odors in the refrigerator’s vegetable drawer with a lining of newspaper.



6. Put an old pillowcase over each fan blade before dusting it. That way dust doesn't go everywhere



7. fold and store the fitted sheet, flat sheet and one of the pillowcases stacked inside the other pillowcase. That way all of the sheet set is together and it takes up less space in the closet.


8. put shower curtain rings on a hanger and loop scarfs through them. It takes up less space, and you can find them all in one place. 


9. Dust with used dryer sheets. They smell good and work just as well as a dust cloth


10. Lay a wooden spoon over a pot on the stove, to prevent it from boiling over.

The Mommy Group from Hell

What I have never under stood, is why moms judge each other. A few months ago my son Paul lost 4 pounds in the span of one month. I was exclusively breastfeeding on demand , and he was eating all the time. At his prior check ups, he always measured petite, but his doctor was never worried about it since he was gaining weight. We now know the weight loss was because he could not eat enough, because he is tongue tied, lip tied, and has 2 cheek ties. Which we will be going to the dentist to fix (after they are back from vacation). The online mommy-group I was a part of knew about this and used the information to call into question my ability to parent my child. I was sad, heartbroken, and angry. Why do moms hurt each other so badly? I have always felt that if you breastfeed? cool for you. You formula feed? awesome. You exclusively pump? cool. Why does it matter as long as you are feeding your child and he or she is gaining weight? Does it really matter how we choose to feed, clothe, or parent our children? As long as it is not abuse, then it really does not matter. We all have the same goal here, to raise happy productive members of society, and if they don't need therapy as adults, then bonus! Maybe if we all tried to not judge a mom for her parenting choices, and supported her instead then maybe the world would be just a little bit better. Sure there are some parenting styles that I personally would not do, but that does not make it ok to trash-talk the mom who does. Let's start a revolution, Reach out to the tired looking mom at the grocery store with 4 kids acting like jungle animals. Pat her on the shoulder and tell her, "You are a good mom." or simply give her a smile. Comment and let me know what state you are in and if you have a supportive mommy-group you are a part of.

Flies

We live in Kansas. For 100's of years farmers here have been giving the cows we eat a shot that kills the fly larvae that resides in the cow's feces.  This year someone decided this shot was a bad idea, so now Kansas looks almost as bad (or so I imagine) what Egypt looked like during the plagues. They are everywhere, and I am almost positive these flies drink Mt.Dew or battery acid, because they never land. Never. Ever. I stalk around our apartment like a hunter stalking it's prey, but to no avail, until... Wait for it.....
Hair Spray! if you spray the fly with hair spray, it makes the wings sticky and they can't fly. you can then catch him and dispose of him! I thought the tip was too good not to share.

Your Body is Beautiful

One of the things I as a first time mom get sad about, is my post-baby body. My belly that was once flat and clear, is now flabby and covered in stretch marks. I worry about being attractive enough for my husband. I worry that he'll never look at me like he once did. My husband's actions towards me has not changed at all, but my attitude towards myself has. However, God has been working on my attitude.

Why do we women let society tell us that we are not beautiful? It is everywhere we look! the models have bodies that are unattainable and unhealthy. Not only are their bodies unattainable, but according to any God-fearing man, fake is unattractive. When my husband told me this, I was surprised.  Here we are buying into the newest diet crazes advertized to us, promising fast results, trying to obtain a size that isn't even attractive?! (I am not saying loosing weight is bad, being a healthy weight is good. )

Society tells us, that stretch marks are ugly. Women spend thousands of dollars on creams and lotions that promise to fade them. But do you wanna know a secret? Your stretch marks are beautiful. You heard me correctly. They are beautiful. There are stretch marks for every breath your baby took, for every bat of an eyelash, for every sneeze. Through you, God created a tiny miracle that you now have in your arms. Your stretch marks are a badge of honor and a reminder that your body once held life.