Real Life

I can boast an assortment of talents that I’ve found useful as a mother: getting strange stains out of clothing, cutting sandwiches in the “right” shape, picking every tomato out of a meal, remembering to give my daughter a...

With all three of my kids, we’ve done the potty-train-in-one-day method. I’ll admit it: The first time I heard about this, I kind of rolled my eyes and said, “Yeah, right.” Then my mother-in-law told me that she’d done...

One in four women will experience miscarriage or stillbirth in her lifetime. It's a staggering statistic, and chances are good either you yourself have experienced one or you know someone personally who has. You've probably read a blog post or two...

Whether you are looking for advice on the best methods for potty training or just want someone to commiserate and tell you that, yes, potty training is hard, but your kid will undoubtedly know how to use the toilet...

Out of everything that I worried about as I became a new mom, sleep truly wasn’t something I worried about. That was one thing I thought I knew how to do. Though I am a first-time mom, I am not...

There’s no doubt that you’ve been invited to the parties, and you’ve noticed the consistent presence on social media. From jewelry, bags, and makeup to leggings, fragrance, and health supplements... networking marketing companies (also known as Multi-Level Marketing, or...

Guys, I have to be honest. Apologies in advance if I offend anyone. I hate summer break. There, I said it. Now, just to inoculate myself from the outrage of the Internet, I’m NOT saying I don’t enjoy spending time with my...

Good Morning Iowa City Moms! For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Melissa Mabon and I am honored to share my story with all of you...a story that has taken me 4 years, to date, to...

I hesitantly signed up for Facebook when it first became available to non-ivy league schools in 2004. (Who remembers that?!) At the time, I thought it was crazy people were signing up for “social media” to “talk” to the...

Remember what it was like being a teenager? I do, and it’s weird that I have two of them living under my roof. One of the challenges of parenting teenagers is sorting through your past experiences while they are...