Blog Posts by Babble.com

7 Recipes with a Citrus TwistI love citrus. I pick up bags of limes at a time when I'm at the market. Why? Limes are refreshing, they add zing and zest to everything from tacos to tequila drinks. (Hello, Cinco de Mayo!) Not to mention that they're incredibly budget-friendly -- much less expensive than their lemon counterparts. And we can't forget about all their health benefits, from aiding digestion to being fantastic for your skin. So grab a bag of limes and try these 7 citrus-packed recipes.










Cherry Limeade Sorbet 1. Cherry Limeade Sorbet
Break out the ice cream maker and whip up a batch of this cherry limeade sorbet in no time at all. It's sweet, tart, and refreshing.
Make cherry limeade sorbet












Lime Watermelon Shooters 2. Lime Watermelon Shooters
Once you've juiced your fresh limes, don't throw away the rinds. Make these clever lime watermelon shooters. Cheers!
Make lime watermelon shooters












Chili Lime Deviled Eggs 3. Chili Lime Deviled Eggs
Here's a classic with a twist. Deviled eggs just got a a swift kick in the proverbial pants with the help of chili and lime.
Make chili

ListI have something to say about making lists. I absolutely abhor them. Even the tedious task of grabbing a pen and paper and numbering items "To Do" makes me feel overwhelmed and grudgingly committed to crossing them off. I am not a Type A personality. In fact, I usually dislike people who are, but that mostly comes from being jealous of all the things they seem able to get done in a day. I remember an old teacher once said to my class: "We all have the same 24 hours in a day, folks. Learn to get it done."



What he didn't realize is I was also raising kids while going to school. It's a testament to my strong will, and my even greater disdain for failure, that pushed me through that time in my life. Instead of giving into frustration, I started writing lists of things to get done (one of them was to finish packing up my college furniture, clothes and all of the toys my children forgot to play with) -- and stuck with it through the years. Begrudgingly.



Related: 7 tips to a better budget

Fitness RoutineI've always struggled with my weight for as long as I can remember, so I'm no stranger to dieting and exercise. Pre-pregnancy I had gotten into a pretty good routine, but it was pretty easy to fall out of my routine once I was pregnant. The excuses, while legitimate, were plentiful: "I'm too tired", "I feel awkward trying to do Zumba with a giant pregnant belly", "My feet are swollen", "It's too hot - I don't want to overheat the baby."

And, let's not even talk about the eating. While I ate a fairly balanced diet, I definitely enjoyed my indulgences, namely ice cream…often. By the time my pregnancy was complete, I had gained a whopping 55 pounds. Lucky for me 35 of those pounds came off right away in the week after Fern was born, but I've still got 20 to go - actually 30 since I was 10 pounds over my "happy weight" before getting pregnant. Time to get back in a routine!

So, what am I doing to get back into a healthy routine and shed these post-baby pounds?


Related: 17 recipe tweaks

New Study: Breastfeeding Isn't FreeAccording to the new study "Is Breastfeeding Truly Cost Free? Income Consequences of Breastfeeding for Women," which appears in the April issue of the American Sociological Review, breastfeeding isn't really free. The study followed 1,313 first-time mothers who breastfed during the first year of their babies' lives between 1980-1993. All had been employed at least a year prior to the births of their children and all experienced an earnings loss during the period in which they were breastfeeding. The longer the duration of breastfeeding, the steeper the earnings loss.

Related: The top 10 tips for new breastfeeding moms

According to the release from the American Sociological Association regarding the study:

"When people say breastfeeding is free, I think their perspective is that one doesn't have to buy anything to breastfeed whereas one needs to purchase formula and bottles to formula-feed," [co-author Phyllis L. F.] Rippeyoung said. "But, this simplistic view doesn't take into

My Baby Sleeps on the FloorWalking into our nursery you'd find the usual nursery items: dresser, wall art, stuffed toys…but what you wouldn't find would seem like the most obvious of nursery items; a crib.

The initial reaction of most people is confusion: "Wait…where's the crib?"

When we inform them that the mattress on the floor in front of them is where our baby sleeps instead of in a crib, even more confusion ensues. I'm pretty sure our parents thought we were crazy when we first told them about it. They even offered to buy us a crib, but we assured them that this was not a financial decision (although it is an added bonus).

Related: 7 safe co-sleeping tips for you and baby

Before becoming a full-time mom I was a preschool teacher and while our school wasn't strictly a Montessori school, we still applied many of the same principles. One of which was creating an environment that was geared toward children in order to help them better explore their environment. All of the activities were out where children

5 (free!) ways to make a mom feel special on Mother's DayMoms should be made to feel special every day (same goes for dads), right? But on Mother's Day, the pressure is kind of on to make the day just a bit more memorable.

Flowers and store-bought cards are lovely, but there are other more meaningful and free ways to make the second Sunday in May one she won't ever forget. And she deserves it, right?

Here are 5 ways to make this Mother's Day one for the history books:










Let her sleep in1. Let her sleep in
Fact: all moms need more sleep. Chances are the main mom in your life hasn't seen more than a few hours of uninterrupted sleep in a very long time. Give her the gift of sleep. If the baby is still in your room, volunteer to be the one who gets up and does the feedings. If Mom is still nursing, at least be the diaper changer. And when the baby gets up in the morning, let Mom go back to bed and leave her be!








Related: Privacy ... and 7 other things I REALLY want for Mother's Day









Give her a handmade card from you 2. Give her a handmade card from you
Store bought cards are lovely, of course,

8 Award-Winning Beauty Products under $10Little fact about me: My first gig in the magazine industry was working on the SELF Healthy Beauty Awards - so I have a soft spot for it every year, considering I know how much work goes into it. (A lot of work, people, trust me.)

SELF recently announced their 2012 winners, with top picks from from make-up to hair care to bar soap. (Almost 100 winners in total.) One of my favorite things about the list is that SELF chose a ton of affordable, everyday beauty products that are accessible to everyone.

Case in point: here are 8 of SELF's award-winning beauty products that cost less than $10:


Ulta Beauty Brilliance Color Lip Gloss1. Ulta Beauty Brilliance Color Lip Gloss, on sale for $3!
I've never heard of this brand, but it must be good to win the overall "Best Lip Gloss" category. One SELF tester swears it isn't sticky at all. And although it usually costs $8 (under $10!), it's now on sale for 3 DOLLARS! Go! Buy! Now!
Buy this lip gloss













Maybelline New York Volum' Express One by One Mascara2. Maybelline New York Volum' Express One by One Mascara, $8
I almost picked up this

How to Brew Perfect Iced Coffee at HomeI'm new to coffee drinking, which is why I'm all ears whenever I hear tips for making perfect coffee at home. Morning trips to the coffee shop add up quickly, and iced coffee usually costs at least a quarter more than its hot counterpart. If you're ready to start cooling off your hot afternoons with a fresh glass of homemade iced coffee that tastes as delicious as the stuff you'd pay $5 a cup for, you're in luck! Here are 5 tips for getting professionally brewed flavor right at home!

1. Brew, freeze, and enjoy
Brew your coffee in the morning and stick it in the freezer. Within a half-hour, you'll be finished getting ready for your day and have an iced coffee ready and waiting for you.

2. Use leftover coffee
There are normally a few cups of coffee left at the end of the day from that pot you brewed in the morning. Instead of dumping it, put it in a container and store it in the fridge. You'll have iced coffee ready to go at any time.

Related: Purple