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Each time I was pregnant, my body gave off signs that I didn’t always read. It is not the same for everyone but here were some of my first signs of pregnancy. Thinking back to my first ...

Signs of Pregnancy

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I was familiar with taking “the Pill.” I currently had been taking it over a year. My husband and I already had two little boys ages 4 and 2 ½. It wasn’t difficult for me to remember to take it ...

Susan Schade commented on Susan Schade's post I Became Pregnant While Taking Birth Control Pills

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I was familiar with taking “the Pill.” I currently had been taking it over a year. My husband and I already had two little boys ages 4 and 2 ½. It wasn’t difficult for me to remember to take it ...

Susan Schade commented on Susan Schade's post I Became Pregnant While Taking Birth Control Pills

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Breast-feeding was not my favorite thing in the world. I couldn’t relate to the mothers that immersed themselves in the joy of the private time with their baby while nursing. I just didn’t feel ...

When Breast-feeding is Painful

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The continuous beep from the alarm clock attempts to wake my husband and me at 5:00 a.m. He sits up and gets going right away. I cover my head with the warm blankets hoping to steal a few more ...

One Morning In the Life of a Stay-At-Home-Mom

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There comes a point for every parent when they glance around their home and realize, “My kids are growing up and we don’t need all this stuff!” Most of our baby stuff has been passed along to ...

Hard To Let Go

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I tend to keep my eyes open for accessories that add length to the body, essentially slenderizing in any way possible. Many of us know the tricks -- wearing dark colors, choosing non-tapering ...

Susan Schade commented on Susan Schade's post Does Longer Hair Make You Look Thinner?

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I tend to keep my eyes open for accessories that add length to the body, essentially slenderizing in any way possible. Many of us know the tricks -- wearing dark colors, choosing non-tapering ...

Does Longer Hair Make You Look Thinner?

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After the birth of my son, I was in for many changes. My body was healing and adjusting to the lack of sleep. My chest ached from the milk that was constantly being produced, and the rest of ...

My Night Sweats Following Pregnancy

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During a daily conversation with my cousin, she stumped me with the question, “Guess what I did today?” Being that we are both stay-at-home-moms, the possibilities of answers were endless. Ten ...

My Cousin's Chemical Peel Experience

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With each new year comes the realization that I will soon be another year older. When I was in my teens, I couldn’t wait to get older. As I started college, I was on the countdown until my ...

Age Is Just a Number

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Most parents will tell you that they love each of their children equally. Of course, the oldest child may get certain privileges over the others but that is most likely based on age and birth ...

The Favorite Child

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When I was pregnant with my first son, I knew nothing about labor. So, I did what many expectant parents do and read (or at least skimmed the important chapters) as many books on delivery and ...

Help During Labor

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As a single ray of light pours in through the one crooked slant of the mini blinds in your bedroom, it ironically shines directly onto your face making your head hurt from the brightness. You try ...

Handling the New Year’s Hangover

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It is that time of the year again. For many, New Year’s Eve is a night of celebration, the beginning of something new, and the search for a New Year’s kiss. Maybe you already know who you ...

The Sport of Kissing

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Many people make New Year’s resolutions but a large number of them don’t keep them. According to Shape Magazine, “about 40 percent of Americans make a life-enhancing vow on January 1st and half ...

Keeping Your New Year’s Resolutions

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There will always come a time when you are missing someone special during the holiday. This was our first year without our beloved cat. It was a difficult time when he died suddenly six ...

A Holiday Without Your Pet

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A famous dark-haired girl once said, “There’s no place like home.” She may not have been referring to the holidays but she might as well have been. For me, there is no other feeling like coming ...

Home For The Holidays

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Last weekend, my sister and brother-in-law, gave our family my favorite kind of gift, an experience. They reserved a day and time to take us to do something that we had never done before. So as ...

Are You an Adrenaline Junkie?

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I am quite certain that my husband did not marry me for my cooking skills. Sure, out of necessity for my family, my ability to make meals has improved but it is not one of my favorite household ...

Holiday Traditions

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You may want to consider giving the gift of a magazine subscription this year to the person on your list that has everything. It gives me a boost each time I find my current magazines have ...

5 Random Holiday Hints

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I was happy, as usual, to see my latest copy of Shape magazine waiting for me in my mailbox. It was a simple pleasure to flip through as I sipped my afternoon iced coffee and supervised homework ...

iCondom: A Condom GPS

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With the holidays come a lot of travel, added stress and shorter fuses. People can be rushing around more than ever and everyone seems to have someplace to go. Picture yourself as you drive ...

The Dangers of Road Rage

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As I searched for the mate to one of my favorite holiday socks, my fingertips brushed a small plastic bag at the back of the drawer. I sifted through the items that were not so carefully folded ...

Do You Keep Baby Teeth?

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My husband sent me the link to an article that he came across called, “The Worst Reason to Work from Home.” It was geared towards working parents and I found myself intrigued. The article ...

The Worst Reason to Work from Home

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When my husband and I were going to be first-time parents, we knew enough to know that we knew nothing about what to expect when the baby arrived. We bought plenty of informative books, which I ...

Pregnancy: Should You Take A Birthing Class?

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Ask any stay-at-home mom what the single most important thing they need to get through the day is. I would be willing to bet the majority would say a shower. It's not that all adults don’t find ...

Shower Power

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I was born with dark brown hair. All my life I wanted to have blonde hair. As a child, I longed to have the light-colored curls of so many girls that I knew. When I was a teen, my friends ...

Do Blondes Have More Fun?

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As parents, we strive to provide entertainment, education and social fun for our children. When I became a mom I found out the importance of a playdate. Not only is it an opportunity for your ...

Playdate Pet Peeve

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It’s a vacation day and my boys don't have school and my husband is off from work. My husband suggests a family road trip and everyone cheers. The excitement builds as we pack snacks, drinks and ...

Relief From Motion Sickness?

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In a world where most days are rushed and many people are dependent upon electronics and technology, I long for some time to slow down, take a step back and remember what it was like before, when ...

Unplug and Relax for a While

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Expecting parents have many things to consider as the day gets closer to their baby’s arrival. Picking the perfect name can be at the top of the list. There are many resources to help like ...

Naming Your Baby

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I love the fun and relaxation of a vacation but always find myself dreading to step on the scale when I return. We have a bittersweet relationship, my scale and I. It doesn’t lie to me. ...

Vacation Detox

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On a seemingly normal day, an eleven-year-old left her house and started off for school but along the way, was forced onto a path that would forever change her life. She was kidnapped that ...

The Instinct To Survive: Jaycee Dugard and 'A Stolen Life'

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I love this time of the year, which our family celebrates with many traditions. We love dressing up for Halloween in themed costumes, look forward to annual pumpkin festival gatherings, choose ...

Pumpkin Seeds: A Healthy Snack?

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One morning I was rushing off to work. I grabbed a stack of paperwork that I had brought home with me the evening before and dashed to my car, determined to get an early start on my hour commute. ...

Strengthen Your Heart

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I love to go on vacations. The hard part, for me, is preparing and getting there. Traveling is the worst part. Airports, airplanes, rental cars, shuttles and more. These are things that I ...

Can I Go On A Vacation Without Having to Travel?

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It’s 6 o'clock on a Friday night. I am standing at the sink hand-washing dishes. It’s almost dinnertime but we have no clean forks because I neglected to load the dishwasher last night. The ...

You Deserve A Break Today

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It hardly seems like weeks ago I was still buying pull-ups for my youngest son and stressing about when and if he would ever show any interest in using the bathroom instead of a diaper. After a ...

Success With Potty Training

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About 80 percent of women are wearing the wrong bra size. That’s not only uncomfortable and can look bad, but it can actually affect your health. “Ill-fitting bras can contribute to chronic ...

Are You Wearing the Wrong Bra Size?

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Do you ever feel like you gain weight during your period? You are not alone. Many women experience a weight gain of one to six pounds (some even up to 10 pounds) during the time of their ...

Is PMS Causing My Weight Gain?

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My morning is busy. I have three kids to get to school. I am racing around my kitchen with lunches, water bottles and plates with a healthy breakfast to feed my boys. My house is a mess. I ...

The Value Of Friendship

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I know, diet is a horrible word. I try to eat well for my health but I have to admit that nothing tastes quite as good as sliding into clothes that used to be too tight. I don’t really diet but ...

Household Items That May Help You Diet

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There seems to be a few things in life that I always want. I always crave new handbags. I always wish that I had a few more pairs of shoes. I always need more time in the day. And I always ...

Susan Schade commented on Susan Schade's post SELF's "Lose Eight Pounds!"

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It’s 5 a.m. My husband gently kisses my sleeping cheek to wake me. I smile without opening my eyes as he says, “Good morning.” He whispers, “It’s five, you wanted to get up early so you ...

Should You Quit Caffeine?

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I was away on a weekend trip when I woke up one morning to find that I had blurred vision and an irritated eye. It felt like something was stuck in it and I convinced myself that it was my ...

Corneal Abrasions: “I’ve Got My Eye On You”

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The Internet can be a wonderful research tool when used correctly. But if you have ever had a health problem and have been tempted to sit at your keyboard instead of seeing a doctor, you may want ...

The Dangers of Self-Diagnosis

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There was an internet video circulating a few weeks ago that was an unbelievable example of the maternal instinct in animals. A female dog from a rescue shelter had recently had puppies, all of ...

Motherhood: Instinct or Learned

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Pregnancy can be a time of joy, excitement and for many expectant mothers and fathers, fear. In particular with my first pregnancy, I was cautious about eating certain foods and participating in ...

Most Common Pregnancy Fears

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Did you know there were online pregnancy tests? Upon searching for an “online pregnancy test,” I find pages of results. The first one that I connect to only asks for my name. “Meg Ryan” I ...

Online Pregnancy Tests: Do they Work?