Blog Posts by MomFinds

Yes, we still have Labor Day coming up, but for my family, summer is over. See, my son went back to school three weeks ago, so we're already counting down the days until his next summer vacation (as of today, we have 287 days to go). Looking back, it's been one of my favorite summers of all time, and this picture of Gavin Rossdale and son, Zuma, pretty much sums up what I'll miss the most.

1. The sun. Although the heat was unbearable some days, I love how summer days seem to last forever, with the sun going down past 9 o'clock some nights. It meant more time to do fun things with the kids in the day and was always a good excuse to get ice cream or shaved ice. It's depressing when we have to "fall back" and the days get shorter. This year it's on November 6.

2. The beach. We were lucky enough to spend time in Kauai this summer, and I will miss the gorgeous beaches with waterfalls in the background, the warm ocean water, and the giant turtles swimming in the waves. And

1. No two pregnancies are the same. Just because pregnancy #1 was smooth sailing, doesn't mean you'll have the same experience with the second. I learned that the hard way. My first pregnancy was textbook smooth, but number 2? I had morning sickness day and night for the first six months.

2. The same is true for conception. I got pregnant with my son after trying for one month, and my daughter? Let's just say my kids are almost five years apart. It was difficult and frustrating, especially considering how easy it was to get pregnant the first time, and as luck would have it, I found out I was pregnant the same week I had my first appointment with a fertility doctor. Should've made that appointment sooner.

3. Don't be surprised if they don't look alike. I know this may sound silly, but I was shocked how different my daughter looked from her brother when she was born. For some reason I expected them to look like twins.

4. Piggy backing on #3, don't expect your kids to

Like lots of other people on the East Coast, I spent the weekend holed up doing my best to avoid the wrath of Hurricane Irene. We were lucky enough to miss the power outages and flooding most other areas experiences, but my weekend wasn't without turbulence.

I stayed with a friend and her toddler daughter and for the most part it was wonderful. Our girls got along great. But let's be real: we were stuck indoors for 48 hours so there were also times when they annoyed the crap out of each other. And when one or the other came crying to me because "she took my doll" or "she screamed at me," I had no idea what to say. But at least neither of them said this.

Because we were at someone else's house, I felt like I couldn't really force the other little girl to share. But at the same time, we were guests and she has a million toys. Shouldn't she let my daughter play with just one thing? I was completely stumped and just did my best to distract my little girl with toys we'd

There was a time when I stood in awe of big name fashion designers. They could do no wrong in my eyes. $1000 bags, $800 shoes--it all made me love them even more.

And then... I had a kid. And somehow that one simple life change ripped the wool from my eyes. Suddenly I realized that those same designers I once coveted were putting out some of the most absurd products I'd ever seen.

It's all love here at MOMfinds, but I just have to share these epic designer #fails for kids. (Please don't hate me.)

1. Gucci. There's just no reason why the cheapest item in a kids' clothing line should cost $80. And if said item is a t-shirt, it's all the more insulting... and infuriating.

2. Tory Burch. I love you Tory, I really do. But $125 for a pair of little girls' ballet flats? Even if the double T logo was 14kt gold these would still be a #fail.

3. True Religion. I will grant you that these toddler jeans are cute, but would you pay this much for jeans? For

Yes, this is serious. Maggie Goes on a Diet is a new children's diet book that's slated to arrive in bookstores this October.

The story is simple enough. Maggie is 14 and overweight. "Through time, exercise and hard work, Maggie becomes more and more confident and develops a positive self image" the book description reads.

Seems harmless enough, right? Obesity is a sad reality that some of our children have to deal with, so why not offer a book that puts it all in perspective for them? Call me crazy, but I'm not opposed to children's diet books. I just think choosing the target audience is critical. And this is where I think Maggie Goes on a Diet fails. The story's heroine is 14 but the book is written at the reading level of children ages 4-8. Why the disparity?

The fact remains, Maggie is breaking new ground in the world of children's books and as scary as it is to have to talk to kids about dieting, it's a reality for some parents. So why not have a book that

Yesterday I was reading this article where Angelina Jolie mentioned her mom made it clear that they were friends and that she hopes to do the same with her kids. At first I was touched by the sentiment--what mom doesn't want their child to feel like he/she can talk freely about anything. But in the back of my mind I heard my grandmother and the words she still says to my mother: "I'm not your friend, I'm your mother."

I know it seems harsh and I really don't think my grandmother means it unlovingly. She's just old-school and was raised to believe that parents run the show, kids follow orders. That doesn't mean she doesn't think children should feel comfortable talking to their parents, but it definitely does mean children should know their place.

And I have to admit, I kind of agree with her. By no means do I rule my daughter with an iron fist, but I do expect her to do as she's told. Friends can compromise and bargain with one another, but when I ask my daughter to do

Back to School season is in full swing, and for some us, school is already is in session. That's right, my son went back on last week (that's him above with his new teacher), and I'm happy to report that it went very well. Yes, he was disappointed about not being in the same class with some of his good friends (see tip #8), but for the most part, the first day of school went off without a hitch. So, if you're gearing up for a new school year, here are 10 tips to survive that first day of school. And if you want to score free (yes, free!) back to school goodies, click here.

1. No more staying up and waking up late. Get your kid into the habit of going to bed earlier at least a week before school starts so he'll have time to adjust to the new schedule.

2. Invest in an alarm clock. This takes the heat off you when your kid doesn't want to get out of bed. You're not the bad guy; the alarm clock is.

3. Have your kid pick out his back to school outfit, and make sure he

I went to my son's Back to School Night last week, (yes, he's already back!) and the car parked next to me had this family car sticker on the back window. If you thought these were bad, how about driving around town with the names of everyone in the family plastered on your car for everyone to see. And underneath...the name of your kid's school. And if that's not bad enough, look closely. They've even provided mom and dad's first names. Unbelievable!

I'm sure the driver has the best intentions and is showing family pride, but the stickers are dangerous. They provide enough information for a stranger to use and trick a kid into believing s/he's friends of the family. God forbid it should ever happen, but I can just see the following scenario: "Hey, Kayleigh. Your mom, Alison, and dad, Thomas, asked me to pick you up because they had to take your little brother, Hudson, to the doctor. Don't worry, I'll take you there right now." Scary, right?